Page 7 of Bolt's Flame

“Wrap my ribs?” I asked, a little confused.

“Yeah, it’ll help them heal faster,” he explained. “I’ve got something you can use, and I’ll have Brenda help you with it.”

As Rune stood to leave, I looked down at the bottles in my hands. “Thanks, Rune. For everything.”

“No need for thanks, Fiona. Just glad I can help,” he said, giving me a reassuring smile before he walked out, leaving me alone with the creams clutched tight in my hands.

CHAPTER FIVE

WHY DID ITseem like the music was too fucking loudtonight? Its steady pulse vibrated through the floor, the walls, hell, even my bones. The party was in full swing, booze flowing, bodies pressed together on the makeshift dance floor, laughter and loud voices mixing with the beat. It was the usual scene.

Except I couldn’t focus on any of it.

Jenny was on my lap, her arm draped around my neck, whispering something in my ear that I didn’t catch. I nodded anyway, taking a long pull from the beer in my hand and trying to pretend I was in the mood for this—for her.

But my head wasn’t in it.

Not since Fiona walked into the room.

She looked out of place, like a delicate flower dropped into a pile of rubble. Her thick brown hair was pulled back into a simple braid, and even from here, I could see the bruises marring her pale skin. She wore a loose-fitting sweater that swallowed her petite frame, her hands wrapped around a mug of something steaming as she listened to the conversation around her with cautious eyes.

I couldn’t stop watching her.

There was something about her that made it impossible for me to tear my eyes away.

I tried to focus on Jenny. On the party. On literally anything else. But my gaze kept drifting back to Fiona, no matter how hard I tried to resist.

Jenny shifted on my lap, running her manicured nails down my chest in a way that was supposed to get my cock going. Normally, I’d be all in, enjoying the feel of her pressing against me, her warm breath tickling my ear as she whispered promises she had every intention of keeping.

“You seem distracted, Bolt. Everything alright?” Her tone was playful, her hand trailing down my chest like she was trying to pull me back into the moment.

“Just fine,” I muttered, though it was a lie. I wasn’t fine, not fine at all.

Jenny pouted, sensing that I wasn’t all there, and pulled back just enough to look me in the eye. “Not feelin’ the party tonight?”

I shrugged, not wanting to get into it. “Just got a lot on my mind.”

“Hmm.” She smiled that sultry smile she always wore when she was about to suggest something incredibly dirty, before dragging me to the back room. But before she could say anything else, my eyes drifted back to Fiona.

And I caughtherlooking atme.

It was quick—just a glance before she dropped her gaze back to the table—but for a few seconds, our eyes locked, and it was like the whole damn room disappeared. I felt that punch to the gut again, the one I’d been feeling ever since I’d gone to her house with Horse. Ever since I saw the bruises on her face, the fear in her eyes, the way she looked like she’d been holding herself together by a thread.

I couldn’t stopthinkingabout her.

Couldn’t stop wondering how the hell someone like Fiona ended up in such a mess, how she could’ve stayed with that asshole for so long. And I couldn’t stop feeling that mix of frustration and fascination that was driving me out of my goddamned mind.

Jenny shifted again, sighing with impatience when she realized she didn’t have my full attention. “Bolt, what’s with you tonight?” she asked, her tone sharp now.

“Nothin’,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. I forced my gaze away from Fiona, looking down at the bottle in my hand like it held all the answers. “Whatever is ‘with me’isn’t your problem or business. There’s plenty of men around here you can entertain besides me. There ain’t no glue on my lap.”

Jenny didn’t like that, but she didn’t push, sensing my mood. Instead, she stood, smoothing down her tight skirt and flashing me a disappointed look. “Well, when you feel like actually joining the party, you know where to find me.” She sauntered off, leaving me alone at the table with nothing but my thoughts and the noise of the party swirling around me.

My eyes found Fiona again.

She was smiling at something Horse said, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She looked tired. Worn down. Like she was still carrying the weight of everything that had happened. And why wouldn’t she be? It had only been a few days since she’d left her husband, since we’d pulled her out of that house. She was sittinghere, surrounded by a club family, most she didn’t know, in a world that probably made no damn sense to her. And yet, she was trying. She was doing her best to keep it together.

I respected that.

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