Page 50 of Jackal

Once I was done with him, I washed my hands then made sure to stitch up Jackal. After his shirt was off, I was relieved to find the bullet that hit him caught the top of his shoulder and went straight through. How no bullets hit their cuts was beyond me. It was like some weird armor or something, or maybe a metal repellent.

“Talk to me, Lil Bird,” Jackal said as I quietly worked on his stitches.

“No speaking.”

Hawk was still sleeping behind me. But it wasn’t really him that bothered me. Too many emotions swirled within me and if I spoke, I was afraid they’d come out of my eyeballs.

“I need to know what you’re thinking.”

“You don’t want to know,” I mumbled as I kept working.

“I can handle it. Talk to me.”

Releasing a heavy breath, I sat up straight and stretched my back, rolling my neck. “I’m thinking this isn’t what I thought I’d be doing right now. You were supposed to have your face between my thighs. Instead I get rudely woken up and dragged down to once again fix you up.” I leaned back in and finished the last two stitches.

“I can arrange that when you’re done.”

My traitorous pussy fluttered at his words. I cocked my brow and stood, walking back to the bag and cleaning up all the supplies I’d used.

I was still cleaning up the table when his arms wrapped around me. “I don’t think that’s all you were thinking.”

Shrugging, I said, “Well, you’re mistaken. And don’t try to use your shoulder as an excuse to get out of anything.”

He moved my hair away from my neck and kissed the sensitive skin. “I’m sorry.” His voice was low and gravelly.

Dammit. My eyes filled with tears and all the emotions I was trying to keep pushed deep down started to rise in my chest. I held my breath, but my small sobs caused me to shake and gave me away.

Jackal turned my body and pulled me into his bare chest.

“You–should–be,” I said between sobs.

The door flew open and Jackal whipped his head around, but it was only Mama Hen. “Did something happen? Is it Hawk?” her eyes were wide and questioning. I had excused her once I’d gotten Hawk taken care of.

Wiping my eyes, I shook my head. “No, no, no. He’s fine. I just really hate blood,” I said, embarrassed by my outburst.

Her face softened and she smiled. “I’m so sorry, honey. We owe you so much, but I’ll make it up to you somehow. Let me know when you’re ready for me to take over watching him.”

“Just a minute. Don’t go far. I’m exhausted.”

“Sure thing, hon,” she said before she closed the door.

Blowing a breath through puffed cheeks, I looked up at Jackal. “Not too exhausted for you to keep your word. I need a shower, but then you owe me.”

Maybe if I kept cracking jokes and only talking about sex, I could trick myself out of these feelings. This wasn’t the first time I’d seen a bullet wound on Jackal, but itwasthe first one that made my heart fall through my ass. It was true I didn’t like blood, but not so much I’d cry about it.

Why the fuck was I crying over this man who was just supposed to be a fling?

Chapter 28

Jackal

The next week went by slowly and quietly. Hawk had woken up after his gunshot in pain, but he was able to eat, drink, and sit up. We took Church to him the first couple of days since Shivana forbade him from moving until she said so.

For someone who hated blood and didn’t want to be on the clinical side of things, she sure was good at it. My little bird was able to command a room of bikers. Her stubbornness and sass were the things I loved most about her. And she was fearless. If I didn’t know better, I never would have guessed she grew up in a wealthy family, sheltered and naive to the world. But even after being faced with real bad things by really bad people, she wasn’t affected. If anything, it’s almost as if the kidnapping and all the minor surgeries she performed for us only made her want more. And that scared me.

She should be more cautious, if not running for the hills. If shedid, I’d follow her. I’d have to bring her back here, but I would keep her hidden away from all the bad. I didn’t think she’d be running anywhere, though. No, I’d have to keep an eye on her because she was getting bolder by the day.

Since Hawk was on strict orders to rest, it had been quiet and he didn’t send us back out. He said if he couldn’t be there with us, he wasn’t risking any of us.

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