Page 49 of Ruthless Reign

“No, it’s not.” Suddenly forgetting her own trauma, Julia focused on me, tracing her fingers over my bloody cut before she lifted my shirt to see the damage underneath. “You need to go to the hospital.”

“No,mia cara,”I said. “There’s no time for that. C’mon. Let’s get you cleaned up, and then I’ve gotta head to the clubhouse to deal with this.”

Her features turned panicked, and she gripped my leather cut like her life depended on it. “No! Please don’t leave me. Not again. Please.”

I didn’t want her to go to the clubhouse with me. I knew what I had to do there. I had to execute Stallion, Reaper, and the others. I had to torture them for betraying us and take out my fury on their bodies before turning them into pig feed. I didn’t want her to see me like that. Undoubtedly, she knew what I was capable of. She’d lived in this life since she was born. She’d heard the stories, and certainly, her family had done worse.

But there was a difference between hearing it secondhand and seeing it. By the time I was done with these dumb motherfuckers, I would be covered in their blood. I’d bathe in it for weeks if I could, if only to be certain they were dead and they couldn’t betray me again. But I didn’t want those images in Julia’s head. I didn’t want that to cause her nightmares or make her see me differently.

“You can come with me,” I said, brushing the hair away from her face before resting my forehead on hers. “I won’t leave you again. I promise.”

“Thank you, Roman,” she said. “Cuero mio. Amore mio.”

My heart. My love.

I took a deep breath and tried not to let the terms get to me. She’d been beaten, shot at, and nearly raped. Her emotions were high, and she’d likely gone into shock. It didn’t mean anything, but that didn’t stop me from kissing her again, deeper and longer, holding her tighter.

“Can you walk?” I asked, knowing my busted arm had finally given out on me.

She nodded and stood on shaking legs, only for her to wince and buckle under her weight. It was then I realized she’d been grazed in the thigh.

“Fuck, baby,” I said, pushing to stand. “Thor! Get some prospects in here. Julia can’t walk.”

“No, I’m okay,” she said, grimacing through it. “Just stay with me. I’m okay.”

With her wrapped around me and my good arm holding her close, I led her out of the house and away from the most terrifying night of our marriage thus far.

14

BEAR

“You don’t have to watch this,” I said, grimacing as Selene shoved the needle in the skin on my ribs and pulled the stitching thread through. I skipped the numbing stuff because I didn’t want anything to take away from what this night had cost me. The pain would fuel my anger and keep me focused, and I needed to be as clearheaded as I could when I went into the barn.

“I have to,” Julia said, grabbing my hand. “I have to know they’re dead, so they can’t haunt me.”

“You can trust me,” I told her. “They are not going to survive the night.”

We had killed half of the Hell’s Knights that teamed up with Stallion and Reaper, their vice president included. The president and some other officers had escaped unscathed, but they wouldn’t be free for long. Switch and Castor were already trying to hunt them down, and when I found out where they were, they would pray for mercy before I granted it.

“I do trust you,” Julia said. “But I need this.”

I glanced at Selene, who looked between us before raising her eyebrows and going back to stitching me up. With Doc inthe barn, already tearing the traitors to pieces, she’d been left to patch us all up. We’d lost four prospects and three brothers today, five from my own chapter and two from the New England chapter. Titan was pissed, I was livid, and there wasn’t enough Judas blood to pay for it.

“Please, husband,” she said. And damned if that fucking word didn’t make me melt. It used to be a taunt between us. A few weeks ago, hearing it fall from her lips would have made me smirk and think of the worst thing I could say in response. Now, I wilted. Now, I wanted to do whatever I could to hear it over and over again.

“I don’t want you to seemelike that,” I whispered, pressing my forehead against hers.

“Nothing you could do would make me feel differently about you.” She kissed me, and her soft lips against mine dissolved any remaining resistance. I wanted to believe she meant it in a positive way, but I remembered this was all pretend. If I looked behind the curtain, I’d realize she still hated me and nothing I could do would change that.It wasn’t like she could dislike me more than she already did.

I’d been right about my shoulder, the bullet had gone straight through, and the one in my leg had only left a scratch. The worst one was on my side, which hurt every time I moved. Julia had been shot in the leg, but I’d made sure Selene fixed her first. Now patched up, my wife sat at my side, too afraid to leave me again so soon after the attack. That, too, turned me into a vicious man. Stallion, Reaper, and the others hadn’t just broken their vows tonight, but they’d also taken my trust in my brothers, the same trust Julia had in me to keep her safe.

“All right,” Selene said, snipping the last piece of thread before dropping her forceps on the tray next to her. She picked up a bandage and peeled off the stickers to place it over the wound. “I’m giving you some antibiotics and pain meds.”

“Skip the pain meds,” I said. “I’ll take Tylenol if I need it.”

Selene smirked. “Always the fucking hero.”

“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes, but Julia raised an eyebrow.

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