He sounded irritated, but at least he still called me sexy. I sat at the island and stared at my plate for a few seconds before Otter moved around the granite and wrapped his arms around me. “Don’t spiral.”
I closed my eyes. “I just told you I loved you over eggs. What’s not to spiral about?”
He grinned, lifting my chin and leaning down to kiss me. “I love you too.”
“You don’t have to say it if you don’t mean it,” I whispered.
“Do I look like a man who says shit he doesn’t mean?”
“You love me?”
“With all my heart,” he said, kissing me again. “You good with that?”
“So, so good,” I breathed out. “Scared shitless, but good.”
“We’ll figure it out together, baby.” He smiled. “Now, eat.”
I tugged on his beard. “Yes, sir.”
I had a few extra minutes since my man had already fed Sneezles and changed his litter, so I enjoyed my coffee and food, then headed to work. I hated leaving Otter, but I was going to look into altering my shifts. If I could swing it financially, I could use a lighter schedule, especially if it gave me more time with Otter.
I walked into work and up to my floor where my boss, Taylor, met me at the nurse’s station. “Hey, Tay.”
“Hey yourself. You got a minute to chat?”
“Sure,” I said, and followed her into the private office next to the desk. “What’s up?”
“You know how we’ve been begging for more nurses?”
“Yes, I’m well aware.”
“Well, we have a new hire,” she said.
I frowned. “What do you mean, we have a new hire? I haven’t interviewed anyone.”
She grimaced.
“Oh my god, what?”
“Barrow’s god daughter.”
Murphy Barrow was a senior board member and the biggest donor to the hospital. Ergo, he had carte blanche over decisions he should never have the power to make. He wasn’t even a medical professional… just some old white guy with a shit ton of money.
“Jesus Christ,” I hiss-pered. “Did you even try to push back?”
“Oh, I tried,” she said with a groan. “I was informed that if we didn’t make her feel welcome, both of us would be looking for new jobs.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, that’s just great.”
“I’m sorry, Shy. I really did try.”
“Well, maybe this is a good time to tell you I want to cut back on my hours.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded. “It’s been something I’ve been considering for a while, but now, I really think it’s time.”
“You make the schedule, hon, so if Hazel works out, then do whatever you want.”
I smiled. “This is why I like you.”
She chuckled. “Just let me know what you come up with. Hazel’s signing her paperwork but should be on the floor in about an hour.”
I nodded and walked out of the office.
Hazel arrived almost two hours later, and surprisingly seemed competent. She was also really nice. She’d apparently just moved here from Colorado and was trying to make her way.
“Colorado, huh?” I asked her as we stood at the nurse’s station and entered notes into our iPads.
“Yep.”
“I love Colorado,” I said. “What made you move here?”
She shrugged. “I needed a change of pace. Bad breakup.”
“Been there,” I commiserated.
“Anyway, Uncle Murphy said they had an opening here, so I came. But don’t worry. I know he pulled some strings, but I promise, I’ll work really hard.”
I smiled. “You seem really competent, Hazel. I’m not worried.”
“I appreciate that. And I’ll take any hours you want to give me. I just need the work.”
“Okay, we’ll see how it goes this week and then I’ll make a more permanent schedule.” I closed the flap on my iPad. “We really needed another nurse, Hazel, so we’re really glad you’re here.”
“Thanks, Shiloh.”
For the rest of my shift, I gave Hazel the run of the land so to speak, but she kind of knocked it out of the park. She picked things up quickly and since she was already a really great nurse, once she got the way we did things down, I was able to leave her on her own for several hours at a time. I might not have liked how she got hired, but I probably would have picked her anyway if she’d come across my stack of candidates.
Once shift was over, I headed home, my heart lighter than it had been in a while, looking forward to seeing Otter and maybe gettin’ a little somethin’, somethin’.
Shiloh
I WALKED INTO my condo and my stomach rumbled. “What smells incredible?” I called out as I took off my shoes.
“Steak,” Otter called back, and I made my way to the kitchen to find my man in an apron, tongs in his hands.
I laughed, sliding my hands around his waist. “Hey, honey. You look sexy as hell.”
He leaned down to kiss me, then clacked the tongs and smiled. “Would you still love me if I were a lobster?”
“No.”
He frowned. “Why not?”
“Because I’m too much of a giver in bed.”
“What does that have to do with anything?
I waggled my eyebrows at him. “It means I’m not a shellfish lover.”
Otter dropped his head back and laughed. “Jesus, woman, I love you.”
“Back atya.” I gave him a gentle squeeze. “I’m going to clean up a bit and get out of these scrubs, then I’ll help you with dinner.”
“Dinner’s done, baby. You go do your thing. It’ll be ready when you’re ready.”
“Okay.”
I took a second to greet Sneezles, then changed, noticing something that did not sit well with me. At all. I walked out to the kitchen and asked, “Why is there a gun in my bedroom?”
“I’m always carrying, baby.”
“I don’t want a gun in my house.”
He frowned. “It’s not really something I’m willing to yield on, Shiloh. It’s a ten for me.”
“Well, it’s a sixty-two for me,” I snapped, bursting into tears, going to my knees as memories flooded me.
“Whoa, baby, what the fuck?”
I couldn’t breathe.
Otter hunkered down beside me, settling on his butt and pulling me into his lap. “Jesus, what just happened?”
I shook my head, burying my face in his neck as the pain swamped me.
“Okay, honey, just take a minute and breathe,” he directed. “We’re gonna figure this out.”
I took several deep breaths, my heart breaking all over again. “My dad shot himself. He’d promised Mom he’d gotten rid of all the guns. He lied.”
“Jesus.”
“I hate guns. I understand that we’re in the south and everyone is totally gung-ho about them, but I… just can’t.”
“Okay, baby. We’ll figure it out.” He stroked my hair. “I’ll get it out of the bedroom for now and we can talk about it when you feel safe again.”
I nodded, but he continued to hold me for a few more minutes before I felt like I wouldn’t completely break down again. He then took the gun out of my bedroom and closed it in a drawer in the console by my front door. “You okay with this for the moment?”
I nodded. “Thanks, honey.”
“No problem.” He kissed me before pouring wine and setting plates piled with food onto the island.
“You don’t really expect me to eat that entire thing, do you?” I asked, staring at the steak on my plate. “It’s Flintstones’ sized.”
He chuckled. “We’ll make steak and eggs for breakfast tomorrow with whatever you don’t finish.”
“Let me finish this beast before you start planning more meals.”
He kissed me quickly. “You got it.”
“Have you been here all day?” I asked as I took my seat, trying to forget there was a gun next to my front door.
�
��No. Went shopping then to the barn for a bit. Just got here an hour ago.” He grabbed a beer then sat beside me. “How was your shift?”
“Interesting.”
“Oh yeah?”
“We got a new nurse, which means I get to cut back my hours.”
“No shit?”
“No shit.” I grinned. “So, tell me, handsome, what hours would you like to keep me?”
He grinned slowly. “Well, beautiful, I’m thinkin’ that’s gonna take a little thinkin’.”
“You’ve got a week.”
“Bossy little thing, aren’t ya?” He raised an eyebrow. “You’re gonna get a response later tonight, baby. Don’t you worry.”
I shivered and focused back on my food.
* * *
A crash jarred me awake, but it was Otter knifing off the bed that truly scared the shit out of me. “What’s going on?”
“Call Doc and tell him to send Alamo,” he demanded, handing me his phone. “Code’s 4-3-9-0. Do not come out of this room until I collect you.”
My hands shook as I entered the code and found Doc’s number.
“What the fuck, Otter? It’s two a.m.”
“Ah, Doc, it’s me, Shiloh. Otter said you need to send Alamo.”
“To your place?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Okay, sweetheart, get somewhere safe. We’re on our way.”
He hung up and I scrambled out of bed and into the closet in my bathroom. I heard crashing but covered my ears with my hands and squeezed my eyes shut, dropping my forehead to my updrawn knees. I had never been so scared in my life, but I also felt protected. I knew that Otter and his biker brothers would take care of whoever was trying to hurt me.
* * *
Otter
I rushed out of Shiloh’s bedroom buck naked and found some giant asshole coming through the front door. My eyes were already adjusted to the low light so I could see him clearly. He was dressed in dark clothing and had managed to break the doorframe while gaining entry. Shit. The man was huge. Bigger than me, and certainly better dressed for a fight than I was. Fuck. He was between me and my gun, which put me at a major disadvantage. At least I had the element of surprise.
I charged at the giant full speed, taking him out at the knees, sending us both to the floor of the living room with a loud crash. We scrambled in the darkness for several seconds, eventually rolling over to the fireplace. I got my opponent onto his back, pinned his right arm with my knee, and began raining punches down from above. While he was still stunned from the takedown, I was able to get off several shots to his head, not that it seemed to do much good. Hitting the thick fucker’s skull felt like punching solid steel and only seemed to piss him off further. He grunted and bucked like a wild animal as I continued my overhead assault from my mounted position.
As big as I was, this guy outweighed me by forty pounds at least. There was no way I was gonna be able to take his back and choke him out. It was clear the only thing that was gonna put this giant to sleep was a heavy blow directly to his chin, but I was not exactly in the best position to deliver one, so I quickly shifted my body. Posting up higher on my knees and creating a little distance between the two of us. I pulled my right arm back, ready to drop a bomb on his jaw when he managed to free his right arm and punch me squarely in the dick. The fucker punched me in the dick.
I’m no stranger to being hit in the balls. As a kid, I played sports and got into my fair share of fights, but I’d never been dick punched before and let me tell you, it hurts. A lot.
Both hands instinctively shot to my Jack Dempsey and I doubled over in pain, allowing the giant to get out from underneath me and scramble to his feet. He backed up a step, taking a moment to adjust to the darkness and his surroundings. Fortunately, a moment was all I needed. Well, that and the fireplace poker, lying two feet away from me.
“I’m gonna fuck your shit up,” the giant growled as he looked down at me.
As he moved towards me, I grabbed the fireplace poker and jabbed him in the shin as hard as I could, bringing him to the floor once again, howling in pain.
I got to my knees and connected the iron poker to the giant’s head, causing the shaft to bend slightly.
“Jesus, you got a hard head,” I growled, hitting him one more time.
This time, he finally went out… just as my president walked through the door with Alamo following.
“Hey, Otter,” Alamo said, chuckling. “We interrupting a date?”
I rolled my eyes and nodded to the unconscious man on the floor. “Take care of this asshole. I’ll get Shiloh.”
I stalked back to Shiloh’s room and didn’t see her in bed. “Shiloh? Baby, where the fuck are you?”
“Here,” she squeaked, and I stepped into her bathroom.
“Where’s here?”
“Closet.”
I pulled open her closet door and found her practically in the fetal position against her wall. “Come on out, baby. Get dressed. Doc and Alamo are here.”
“What happened?”
I held my hand out to her and helped her out of her hiding place. “Some asshole broke your front door and bent your fireplace poker with his head. It’s okay. He’s been dealt with.”
“Did you deal with him?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Naked?” she squeaked.
I sighed. “Yeah.”
“Oh my god,” she breathed out, covering her mouth with her hands.
I raised an eyebrow as I pulled on boxers. “You seriously gonna laugh right now?”
“No,” she lied, chuckling. “Sorry.”
“Get dressed, baby, and pack a bag. We’re goin’ to the club.”
She nodded, and I pulled on a pair of jeans and headed out to the living room. Alamo and Doc had tied the big man to one of Shiloh’s dining room chairs using zip-ties he more than likely brought with him. We all carried a couple of pairs with us at all times.
“Is he still out?” I asked, lifting his head and seeing if I recognized him.
“No, he needed some help achieving his REM cycle,” Alamo said.
“I’m gonna send his face to Rabbit and see what he can dig up,” Doc said, snapping a picture of him.
“In case there was a question, I’m lockin’ Shiloh down,” I growled.
“Yeah, brother, we hear you,” Doc said.
“You go take care of your woman,” Alamo said. “We’ll get the trash back to the barn. Shadow’s comin’ to fix the door.”
“Thanks, brother,” I said, and headed back to Shiloh’s room where I found her staring at a bag in the middle of her bed. “Baby, what are you doin’?”
She started and looked up at me. “Huh?”
I frowned. “You spiralin’?”
She bit back tears and nodded. “A little bit, yeah,” she whispered.
I pulled her into my arms and held her tight. “You’re gonna come stay at the barn for a bit.”
“That’s the second time someone’s tried to break in. Well, first time they’ve succeeded, I guess. What would I have done if you weren’t here?” she whispered.
“That’s never gonna happen, Shiloh. Swear to Christ.”
“I’m so over being scared, Easton.”
“I know.”
“I don’t want to live here anymore,” she rasped. “I don’t feel safe.”
“Okay, baby, we can find you somewhere else.”
“Why would—?”
“Don’t. This is done for you now. I’m gonna take care of it.”
“Okay, Easy. I’m going to let you,” she said.
“Good. Let’s get you packed up. Enough for a few days. We’ll get Sneezles in his carrier and head to the barn.” I gave her a squeeze.
“Okay.”
“What do you need from me?”
“Just give me a second for my heart to stop racing,” she said, sliding her hands up my back.
“Whatever you need, baby.”
“Is it okay if I sta
y with you for a few days?”
“Honey, you can stay with me forever. You don’t ever have to worry about that.”
“Okay. Good. But if I’m in your space—”
“I love you in my space, Loh. Told you that the first time you stayed.”
“I know. I think I just need to hear you say it a few more times.”
I kissed the top of her head. “I want you in my space, baby.”
“You know you’re gonna have to marry me.”
I raised her chin and met her eyes. “Don’t say that shit unless you mean it.”
“Do I look like a woman who says shit she doesn’t mean?” she challenged, turning my words back on me.
I grinned. “Love you.”
“Love you, too,” she said.
“You need help packing?”
“No, I think I’m good. Can you just get Sneezles in his carrier?”
“Yeah, Loh, I can do that.”
We worked in tandem as I gathered up the cat, and Shiloh packed three bags and dropped them on the floor, refusing to leave her bedroom.
“Baby, he’s gone.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Doc and Alamo took him out a few minutes ago.”
“Where did they take him?”
“That’s nothing you need to worry about. Just know he’s gone. Shadow’s on his way to fix your door and Mouse is gonna take you to my place.”
“The compound?”
“No, my apartment,” I countered.
“You have an apartment?”
I nodded. “It’s a dump, but you’ll be safe there. Mouse is gonna stay with you until I’m done.”
“Did you call the police about the intruder?”
“No. We’re handling it.” I frowned. “You got a problem with that?”
“No,” she said immediately, and I relaxed. “I don’t think the police would be any good in this situation. Hey.” She tugged on my beard. “I trust you, Easy. One-hundred percent.”
Leaning down, I kissed her gently. “Thanks, baby.”
We turned to leave but she took my hand and squeezed. “You okay? You’re walking a little funny. Did you get hurt?”
“Ah… you got a bag of frozen peas?”
* * *
Shiloh
“Why the hell do you need peas?” I demanded, rushing to the freezer and pulling a bag out, handing it to him.
Calling the Biker's Bluff (Dogs of Fire MC: Savannah Chapter Book 7) Page 11