Page 42 of Grim

She sighed. “You’re lucky it didn’t catch the tendon.”

Vandal’s eyes widened. “Tendon?”

Stone’s brow lifted. “Do you want her to explain what happens when you sever one?”

“No,” Vandal said quickly.

Sophia hid a smile and reached for the supplies. “Don’t move.”

Vandal hissed as she irrigated the wound. “Damn, that stings.”

Sophia didn’t look up. “If you move, I’ll do it again.”

Vandal froze. “Yes ma’am.”

Stone’s mouth twitched, the closest he ever got to a smile. “She’s got you figured out already.”

Grim watched her hands, steady, sure, gentle in a way he’d never been. She wrapped the arm neatly, securing the bandage with practiced efficiency.

“There,” she said. “Keep it clean. No heavy tools for a day.”

Vandal looked at his arm like she’d performed a miracle. “Thanks. Seriously.”

Stone rested a hand briefly on Vandal’s shoulder, grounding him. “Next time, listen when I tell you to slow down.”

Vandal nodded, chastened. “Yeah. I know.”

Sophia stood, and Grim’s breath caught.

She looked up at him, eyes bright, cheeks flushed from concentration, hair falling loose around her face. Something warm and dangerous twisted in his chest.

He cleared his throat, forcing his voice steady. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to the guys.”

He walked her through the room, Stone, Rook, Havoc, Ledger, Fish, Ghost, Vandal, each giving her a respectful nod. She smiled at them, soft and genuine, and Grim felt something in him tighten.

She fit here. Too easily.

Then he turned to her. “I’ll be quick. Need to grab a few things.”

She nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

He didn’t like leaving her alone in the clubhouse, not because she wasn’t safe, but because he didn’t want her out of his sight. He ignored the thought and went anyway.

When he came back, duffel slung over his shoulder, he stopped.

Sophia was at the bar with Lacey, the sweet, chatty girl who braided leather strips into keychains when she was bored. Lacey was showing her how to loop the strands, fingers moving fast. Sophia laughed at something she said, head tilting back, eyes bright.

Grim’s chest tightened.

She fit here. She fit everywhere. She fit with his brothers. She fit with his world. She fit with him.

And he was falling for her. Hard. Too hard.

But she’d never want someone like him. Someone broken. Someone violent. Someone who only knew how to protect by destroying.

He stayed back, out of the way, watching her laugh with Lacey.

Grim felt someone drift up beside him — quiet, light-footed, the way only Ghost moved. The kid didn’t say anything at first. He just stood there, hands in his pockets, eyes flicking between Grim and Sophia like he was tracking something invisible.