Page 101 of Property of Rattler

“Shush.” She places her hands around my face. “You’re not there, you’re here.” Her fingers move until they’re caressing my temples, gradually easing me.

The rhythmic stroking calms me, and slowly the shakes leave my body and the sobs stop. I give one final hiccup, and then, still breathing heavily, I come fully back to myself to see her staring at me, her brow furrowed. Her eyes are once again filled with tears, but this time they’re not for her, they’re for me. But there’s also a wariness in those gorgeous orbs.I’ve scared her.“Ames,” I place a shaky hand over hers, and draw it away from my face. “I’m so fuckin’ sorry.”

Brushing off my apology with a shake of her head, she suggests, softly, “Talking about it might help chase the demons away.”

If I was truly in my right mind, I might have kept the details to myself. Instead it all floods out of me. “Malachi placed a motion sensor bomb in my lap. He told me to be a hero, to move and set it off, then I’d kill only myself. But I didn’t have the fuckin’ guts, I was a grade-A coward. I waited until Bullseyecame. In my dream, he, and the others were all caught in the blast along with me.”

She sucks in air through her teeth. “A bomb? A fucking bomb? Malachi set it up to kill you?” As she rears back, I realise I’ve shocked the hell out of her, and know yet again I’ve fucked up. She doesn’t need that image in her head. But after giving a shudder, she huffs out a breath, and reassures me. “Obviously they found some way to disarm it, as you’re here, and I can attest you’ve not returned as an angel.” Leaning forward with a quirk to her mouth, she places a soft kiss on my lips, then her head moves, and she repeats her action to both of my cheeks and my forehead. It’s not sexual, her caresses a gesture of comfort. She takes in a shuddering breath, and repeats ,“You’re here, you’re safe. Thank fuck. Rattler, I couldn’t bear it if he’d killed you. I already grieved you once, don’t ever let me do that again.”

Now it’s my turn to reassure her, at least for now - who the fuck knows what will happen in the future? “I’m here, I’m safe.” I give her her own words back. Then shrug, “Maybe damaged and with a case of PTSD, but I’m here, Ames. The club saved me.” Actually, disarming the bomb had been all Pippa. A woman I once thought was safest dead. I’m reminded I owe her a fucking big debt, along with the brothers who risked their own lives to get me free.

She takes a shuddering breath. “Is Malachi really dead?”

“Dead and gone,” I confirm. “He’ll be ashes by now.”

Then she surprises the fuck out of me. “That’s a shame. After knowing what he’d done, I’d have liked to have had a hand in killing him myself.” Her face grows hard, her lips narrow. “Just tell me you made him suffer for all he put you through.”

I snort. “Wanted to, but wasn’t physically able. But Freak did the honours.”

And then, after hearing confirmation that her brother,half-brother,was tortured, she blows me away by kissing my face again.

“You’re still shaking,” she observes and pulls away. “You hurting?”

I’m man enough to admit it. Fuck knows all that thrashing had made my injuries worse.

She pulls away from me, takes the bottle of tablets Bronwyn had left and taps out a couple. Then she passes them to me, and after helping me raise my head, as I place the pills in my mouth, she takes the bottle of water and puts it in my hand. I swallow them down.

“You trust me to leave the room?” I raise a brow in question. “I’m going to go get more ice for you.” Oh yeah, I’d locked her in as she’d discovered what an asshole I really am.

“I don’t want to force you to be with me, Ames. I’m just worried you could leave and find yourself in Volkov’s hands.” Already emotional, my voice breaks as I add, “I couldn’t bear that.”

Again she shushes me. “You need ice.”

“I’d appreciate that,” I confirm. “And, darlin’? Grab a bottle of Jack, will you?”

“You shouldn’t drink with painkillers,” she tells me, primly.

“Tonight, Ames, after reliving my time with your half-brother, I think I can.”

CHAPTER FORTY

AMES

Ican’t believe what Malachi put Flynn through.A fucking bomb?I’d wanted to kill him for the damage he’d inflicted, but now I wish I was able to dig him up and kill him all over again.I hope he’s rotting in hell.From what Flynn described, it was mental torture at its best.

Descending the stairs, I expect the clubroom to be empty, it’s early afternoon after all. But there’s a prospect behind the bar who comes running out as soon as he sees me, and someone sitting there having a coffee. It’s Bullseye, I notice, as the prospect comes storming toward me.

“You should go back upstairs. You can’t leave the clubhouse.”

Flynn had expected me to try to leave. And while my first instinct is to be annoyed he obviously hadn’t trusted me, my second realises he was looking out for my safety. I’d have been stupid when Volkov could be hanging around, just waiting for a chance to take me.

After that talk with Trixie, I’d already decided to give him another chance, and even more now he’d shown me howvulnerable he can be. “I’m getting some ice for Rattler. He’s hurting.”

“Fetch the ice, Prospect. Darlin’, come sit with me while he gets it.” Bullseye voices his orders. When I approach him, he waits for me to hoist myself on the bar stool. “Want a drink?”

I shudder as memories of this morning’s hangover assail me. “No,” I respond fast.

He shrugs as if it’s no matter to him. “How’s Rat doing?”