If Bishop was packing weapons, Valor was too. As a matter of fact, he probably had even more deadly shit strapped to him. He looked like a Viking, and his dark auburn hair made him hard for her to pull her gaze away from him. Wait a minute, he was—
“Foxy Boy,” she glared. “You’re the guy from the café.”
Could this get more awkward?
“When our friend comes, and you’re well enough, you’re coming back to our house with us,” Valor announced. He didn’t say a damned thing about the café.
“The hell I am,” she snapped. “I’m not going home with two guys I don’t know. Have you ever watched a murder mystery? That shit never ends well for the pretty girl.”
Bishop huffed a laugh and ran a hand through his hair. Valor, however, continued to glare at her. “Ye will obey my orders lass, and do exactly as I say. I’m not about to get your curse lifted just to have ye murdered by some man with a hard-on for retaliation because ye stole from him. Marco is it?”
She snapped her mouth shut and didn’t say another word.
“Aye, that’s a good girl.” Valor stood up and turned to Bishop, “She stays at our house until this is all sorted out. Open the door, Hound.”
Bishop was all too happy to open that damned door and Tilly felt a pang of guilt. She remembered he didn’t like to be in confined places and there were no windows in her room that opened. “I’m going out for some fresh air,” he said before stepping outside.
The minute Bishop left, Tilly had the urge to call after him, but kept her mouth shut.
“Now lass, while we wait for my friend to come, I want ye to tell me about this Marco.”
“Wh-why?”
“Because I’ve a mind to think he’s a dangerous man if he has books like the one ye took from him.”
Marco was a dangerous man. His place had lots of creepy shit that had no business being out in the light of day. She didn’t judge the guy though. Maybe he was just like her – a person looking for answers, even if he had to go to the darkest places to find them.
Or maybe he was an evil man who collected evil things. She’d met plenty of those guys too.
Either way, Tilly had known it was a big risk to steal from Marco. He had a terrible reputation, which was why it had cost her 2.7 million to have that book stolen. Tilly met the man at an auction house, where he bought the book and she snagged his information from the computer database and took the book a couple weeks later.
“Where are my things?” she asked suddenly. Valor got up and walked over to a plastic bag that had her stuff in it. He handed it over to her without saying a word. She figured he wasn’t going to leave, so there’d be no privacy for her. Didn’t mean she wasn’t going to speak her mind. “Can I have a minute?”
With a small nod, she watched him turn to leave.
Shit, that was… really easy.
Don’t believe it, Tilly reprimanded herself. This was all a trick. They’re playing nice for now, but that didn’t mean anything. Lots of bad guys play nice. Until they don’t anymore.
Still, she could refute a lot of things, but seeing Bishop defy gravity was not something she had a good excuse for. Unless she was suffering from brain damage.
Oh fuck!
Tilly’s heart raced almost as fast as her hands were trembling and she dug through her bag and pulled out Bishop’s jacket. Survival mode kicked in and before she grabbed her phone, she rummaged through Bishop’s coat and looked for that weapon from earlier. It wasn’t there. Damnit! She checked all his pockets and found a gum wrapper, some loose change and a wadded up piece of paper. On a whim, she unfolded the crumpled thing. It was her address.
Her address written in extremely neat handwriting.
“Fuck.”
She had to get out of here! They were both liars! They were sent here by Marco. Why the fuck had she believed them? They probably drugged her with hallucinogens, that’s why she saw Bishop scale the walls. Ohhhhh those fucking bastards!
Just then, the door opened and in stepped Bishop. The air whooshed out of her as she whispered, “I gotta go.” She ripped her IV out and yanked the sheets off. “I can’t stay here!” The walls started to wobble, panic crushed her lungs, the world spun. She hated hospitals. Any. Hospital.
None of this could be real. If it was, she was fucked. If it wasn’t, she was double fucked.
“Whoa, Tilly, calm down.”
“Fuck you,” she barreled straight at him, desperate to escape.
Chapter 16
Christ on a cracker! Bishop hadn’t expected her to body slam him. Luckily, he had her by over fifty pounds of muscle and about six inches of height. He took the hit and wrapped his arms around her to hold her still, careful of her cast. “What the fuck?”
She bit his hand, he let go, and she jumped away from him. “Stay back!” Tilly stood on the bed, ready to pounce. Fuuuuck, hospital johnnys should never look that sexy.
“Whoa, Tilly, I thought we came to an agreement.”
She spat at him. Like, literally hocked a wad and aimed for his face. “You’re a fucking liar, Bishop.” She tossed something else at him. He looked down at the ground and saw the crumpled up piece of paper - The one with her address on it.
Shit.
Before he could say something, the door opened again and in stepped a nurse. “What on earth are you doing?” She ran over and tried to force Tilly back down onto the bed. Tilly didn’t fight her. If she did, she would likely look like a maniac with how she flipped out and they might end up drugging her ass and then what would she do.
Smart girl, Bishop thought. Really smart girl.
In a blink, Tilly went from chaotic to compliant. The panic in her eyes retreated, she dropped to her knees on the bed, and plastered on a nervous but friendly smile. “I saw a rat,” Tilly lied to the nurse.
“A rat?”
“Mmm hmmm,” Tilly’s eyes narrowed on Bishop and she said, “two of them, actually.”
“I’ll call maintenance,” the nurse huffed, “where did you see them go?”
“One went right out the door,” Tilly’s voice was calm, cool and collected as she continued to keep her eye on Bishop, “The other is around here somewhere in this room I’m pretty sure.”
“Oh god,” the nurse looked under the bed first, “I hate rats.”
“That makes two of us.”
“I’ll be back in a minute. Let me go make some calls and we’ll have you moved.” The nurse all but made a bee-line out of the room.
Bishop picked up the piece of paper and fisted the damned thing. “I know what it looks like, but looks are deceiving.”
“Yeah, I’d say. Here you come ‘bumping into me’ at The Blue Lizard, then you just happen to be walking down my city block that night I howled, then you show up at the café. All of that was a coincidence, huh? None of it was fucking planned?”
Bishop’s jaw clenched as he tried to think his answer through. “When we met at The Blue Lizard, that was—”
“Planned.”
“Fate.”
She rolled her eyes.
He kept his distance. “The night I was at your house… yes I had your address, but I wasn’t trying to stalk you or anything. I had no intentions of going to your house, I just,” he shrugged, “ended up there.”
Tilly grunted with disapproval and awkwardly tried to cross her arms. She winced, which made Bishop feel like total shit.
“The café wasn’t necessarily planned, either. Valor just happened to be there and so did you. He called me because I was just down the road and I came.”
“Why?” She looked hurt. He didn’t like that look on her one fucking bit, either. Especially since he was the one to make her feel that way.
“Honestly? Valor already told you, we need that book. We’re missing the rest of our—” he took a deep breath, “we’re missing our family and when I saw that book on your coffee table. I’d told him about it.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve never se
en a book like it before. I thought it was crazy that you had it. Those books are rare. Dangerous too, you know that?” The face she made said she knew very well that what she’d stolen was bad fucking news and she took it anyway. “We want it for the same reason you did. We’re looking for a miracle, Tilly.”
“So you were just using me to get a book?”
Oh fuck, she looked so damn wounded in that bed, Bishop couldn’t fucking stand it so he rushed towards her, “No. And I didn’t come to your apartment that night looking for it either. I didn’t even know you had it until I was up there with you. I came because I couldn’t fucking stay away. In the middle of all my shit right now, with my life falling to pieces around me, you were a bright spot. I was drawn to you, Tilly. I still am.”
She put up her hand, halting him from getting any closer and he respected her space. It didn’t matter that he was dying to pull her close and hug her tightly and tell her how sorry he was and that he would do anything in his power to make this all work out. She’d likely bite his face off.
“I liked you,” she whispered. “I fucking thought this was going to be a good thing.”
“Who says it’s not?”
The door swung open and in stepped Valor with Jack.
“Lass, this is Jack. The man who can help ye.”
“Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Jack half-smirked. “I need to see what the bloody hell I’m working with before we start making promises.”
In true Voodoo Man fashion, Jack swaggered into the room carrying a small duffle bag, shrugged out of his coat, and placed both things carefully on the chair before approaching Tilly with an easy smile and rugged good looks. Bishop was all too grateful Jack was already committed to his own pack and had a woman he cherished more than anything else in life. If not, Bishop would feel a raging surge of jealousy right now for the way Jack was smiling down at Tilly.
“Matilda Jane is it?” Jack approached with a soft and tender gaze. “Looks like you’ve had a rough night.” He sat on the edge of the bed and Tilly didn’t budge. She also didn’t spit at him. Or yell. Or try to escape.
Okay, yeah, Bishop was grateful and all, but, damn. Why couldn’t he turn the clocks back and start this whole thing with her over again?
“May I?” Jack pointed at her cast. Once Tilly nodded, Jack gently held her hand as he squeezed and probed her from shoulder to fingertips.
A low growl slipped out of Valor’s throat and Bishop’s head snapped to his alpha. The man’s dark gaze was pinned on Tilly. What the fuck was his problem?
Next, Jack tilted Tilly’s head back with a slight lift of his finger under her chin. He looked into her gorgeous green eyes and frowned. With a huff, he leaned in and peeled one of her eyelids open more. “Shit,” he murmured. With a grunt, Jack stood and went over to his duffle bag. “You sure about this Valor?”
Val nodded once but didn’t say a word. Bishop wondered what the fuck was going on, and then he saw Jack pull out a couple vials and a paint pen.
“What are you going to do?” Tilly’s voice cracked.
It was like all the fight she had a minute ago had fizzled out. Maybe the pain meds were starting to kick in? Bishop stayed back and watched, all the while trying to keep his shit together.
“I’m going to give you something for the pain, then I’m going to heal your arm and your concussion.” Jack returned to the side of her bed and sat down slowly. “Then, when you’re ready, I’m going to try and work some spells on you.”
Her reaction was astonishing. Relief flooded her, “You can lift it? You can lift the curse?”
“I can try,” Jack said, “but that’s all I can do.”
“So you believe me? You can see it somehow?”
“Not yet,” Jack frowned, “But what I do see is a lot of dark magic in you.”
The door flew open again, “You’re a popular girl,” the nurse smiled. “I just wanted to let you know I’ve called about the… issue you spoke of earlier and we are handling it. Have you seen any others?”
It took Tilly a minute for the question to sink in as they stood there in awkward silence. Bishop spoke up first, “No rats, ma’am. It’s all clear in here.”
The nurse gave a curt nod, grabbed Tilly’s file and looked it over, wrote some shit on a dry erase board and announced she was going off shift and a new nurse would be in shortly to change Tilly to a different room. They all stayed quiet until she left again.
“Rats?” Jack asked.
“Long story,” Bishop grumbled. “Can you just heal her, please?” He hated that Tilly was hurting and that she was all busted up because of him. He should have never tried to chase her down. He should have approached her differently, but fuck if he knew how to rectify the situation now. He’d just have to make it up to her later.
Jack refocused on Tilly and handed her a vial. “This isn’t going to be pleasant. It tastes like shit, but will numb you enough for me to boost your healing.”
“Wh-wh-what is it?”
“Magic,” Jack grinned. “Which I can see you’ve dabbled in enough to understand the price associated with such things. Fortunately, this is white, and it’s got a lot of purifying properties in it. You’re not going to suffer from this, okay?”
She gulped and looked down at her lap for a minute, then, with a roll of her shoulders, she held her hand out for the bottle and made her fuck it face. Jack popped the top off and handed it to her carefully and she downed it in the same fashion she had the tequila shots with Bishop at The Blue Lizard.
Bishop took a step forward and leaned in, pressing his fists against the foot of the bed. He watched her eyes glass over. He watched her body melt into the pillow as she fell back.
Valor, too, moved forward. “Such trust she has in strangers.”
“She doesn’t think she has a choice,” Bishop growled. “If she’s cursed, then she doesn’t have much to lose. Her clock is ticking too fast. She’s down to mere months.”
“And she’s done a lot of spells on herself,” Jack added, “She’s got a shit-ton of fucking residue in her body. That’s not going to work in her favor.”
Bishop scrubbed his face with both hands.
“You’re all so pretty,” she slurred. “Like kaleidoscopes and heartbeats.”
“Here we go, Matilda Jane,” Jack scooted closer to her and held her cast. Then he ripped the thing off her arm in three big chunks and wrapped his hands around her arm. “If this works, Hounds, then she’s other. If it doesn’t, we’re going to cause more damage. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
“Do it,” Valor ordered.
Bishop didn’t get a chance to say a word before Jack squeezed and twisted her arm while reciting an incantation. She let out a whimper and held still as Jack rubbed something that looked like mud all over her arm.
“Now, Valor.”
Val held her hand, lacing their fingers together, while his other hand gripped her shoulder.
Tilly cried out, her feet kicking under the rough cotton sheets and she thrashed her head around trying to escape the two Hounds holding onto her. Protective instincts ripped through Bishop along with a growl so deep he was sure he’d set off alarms. “What the fuck are you doing?” Bishop hollered.
“Haud yer wheesht!” Valor growled. His grip stayed firm on the woman and he started shaking, too.
“Let go, now!” Jack ordered.
Val stumbled back and rubbed his palms together, panting. “Did it work?”
They each looked at Tilly and waited for her to say something. All she did was cry though, which made Bishop want to shred the hospital room and also the two Hell Hounds who’d put their hands on her to fucking pieces.
“I don’t feel so good,” she hiccupped.
Bishop snatched the small trash can from the side of the bed and got it to her just in time. Poor woman vomited like a frat boy at his first party. She could barely take in a breath before she hurled again. Bishop held her hair back.
Jack got out of
their way, “That’s going to take a while. I’m going to make sure no one comes in here while she’s purging. They’ll likely think it’s from her concussion and want to keep her here longer.” He went out the door and closed it behind him.
Tilly climbed onto her knees, the hospital johnny yanked up on one side, exposing a lot of skin. He wanted to cover her up a little, protect her modesty, so he nonchalantly brushed his hand down her leg and tugged the fabric down some.
“What did he give her?” Bishop snarled.
“I’ve no idea, but he wouldna give it to her unless it was necessary,” Valor frowned as Tilly continued heaving, “I didna ken she had so much black magic in her.”
“Do you think that’s why you thought she was other?” It would make sense. Maybe Valor could see the magic like a halo around her and would have mistaken it as supernatural powers instead of bad fucking juju.
“No, I—” Val clamped his mouth shut and moved to the other side of the bed. To Bishop’s surprise, Valor began rubbing Tilly’s back in small circles and spoke to her quietly in Gaelic. He’d never seen Valor get soft with someone before, his tone was gentle and almost apologetic.
Tilly took in a ragged breath and started coughing. “Water. I need water!” She yacked again.
“Gods, lass, I’m so sorry,” Valor looked over at Bishop. “I tried to push some of my power into her to heal her wounds. Now I fear I’ve messed her up worse than she was before.”
Tilly dropped the waste bin onto the bed, got on her hands and knees like a dog, and started vomiting even harder.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Val, what the hell can we do for her?”
“This must run its course, I’m afraid. All we can do is hold onto her at this point.”
Bishop wanted to crack his alpha in the motherfucking jaw for this. Tilly’s head tilted up and Bishop saw tears streaming down her face along with snot and spit and all kinds of nasty. Her irises were all black now, and the whites of her eyes were a faded purple. “Holy fucking shit,” he whispered. Tilly must have really been contaminated to have this much residue come out of her so violently.
Hard to Find (Hell Hounds Harem Book 4) Page 11