Page 43 of The Bonds of Indigo

My eyes narrow on him. What the fuck is he doing?

“You can hear me, can’t you?” I suck an anxious breath through my nose. “That’s confirmation enough.”

“What’re you doing? She’ll tell—” I speak intentionally through the bond for the second time.

“We aren’t going to Sidence.” He suddenly slides one hand under my knees and lifts me into his arm. I gasp as my shoulder presses into his chest, my weight settling on his forearm like it’s a makeshift chair.

He mirrors the motion with his friend, and I stare—heat rising in my cheeks—right at the blond. He looks far from pleased with the arrangement, even as Kayn adjusts me more into Atlas’s lap than his arm.

“If you tell anyone from our old unit about this, Butcher…”

I swallow and curl my legs in further to help with his hold.

“I’ll tell them you let me peg you.”

This is the first time I’ve seen Kayn smile, and I can’t help but hold my breath at how well it suits him. “I do the pegging. Everyone knows that.”

Then, he turns from the nurse, and jumps out the godsdamn window.

Chapter 12

Ihold the scream right in the middle of my chest, my arms finding security around Atlas’s neck. I’m not afraid of a little fall, but as we keep going and going—and fucking going—my stomach sits right in my throat.

After what feels like minutes, we hit the ground with a deep, guttural crack, followed by sharp, splintering pops as the concrete beneath us fractures under the force of our landing. Immediately, my gaze shoots up to Kayn, who already has his eyes locked on me.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask if he’s okay, but there’s no discomfort on his face. Because of that, I say nothing and shift my attention to Atlas, who is staring up at the sky.

“Long drop. You’re lucky I didn’t vomit. You know I hated airdrop training, and why I never became a fighter pilot.”

“You can let him go now.” Kayn’s deep voice is more growl than suggestion. A command wrapped in a warning. I hadn’t even realized I was still latched onto poor Atlas, clinging to him like we were still falling.

I remove my arms from around his neck just as Kayn sets both of us down. Then the blond lowers me to my feet.

“We need to go.” Butcher juts his chin behind me, and the moment I turn to see our four-door dark blue sedan, I hear screaming.

“There they are!”

“Stop right there!”

Atlas grabs my forearm and begins rushing us both toward the vehicle. We cross the parking lot relatively quickly, and the moment we’re swinging the doors open, bullets slice through the air.

I raise my hand as if it’s going to block anything from piercing right through my flesh, but I don’t have to worry. A thicker piece of meat belonging to a Vampire that can heal will keep me from being struck.

“Get in,” Butcher commands as he stands between me and the guns firing our way.

There’s no hesitation, I slip right into the front seat. He follows right behind me. Atlas is already in the driver’s seat, key in the ignition, rolling right over the sidewalk. The shattering of glass doesn’t deter him, and when I look back, I see Butcher sitting directly behind me.

I gesture with my head. “Move behind Atlas!”

“No,” he says calmly. “I can’t risk a bullet finding your skull.”

I’m not entirely sure if this feeling rising in me is good or just embarrassment that he’d choose my life over his so-called friend. Maybe they’re simply acquaintances, but I don’t know many men who would jump to help someone like this if they weren’t at least somewhat close. I look at Atlas, driving like a madman out of the hospital’s parking lot. He doesn’t seem bothered.

Alright, maybe this is just a Butcher thing. I understand why he needs me alive, so I’ll settle into the reminder: I’m helping him, and he knows if I ‘die’ I’m no good to him, and he’ll have to start at square one.

Still, I haven’t had anyone who needed me in a long time, so it does feel… good.

“Idiots never go for the tires.” Atlas brings his hand down and shifts gears just as we hit the main roadway. “They always try for the kill.”