Page 44 of Breaking the Rules (Roaming Devils MC 1)

“I did.”

Tears streamed down her face. She held him down with the brunt of her weight so he wouldn’t dislodge her finger. He struggled in pain and Ryker’s friend got the clue to help hold him down.

It didn’t take too long for the ambulance to arrive. Ella straddled him as they loaded him onto the gurney and took them both off.

The paramedics tried talking to her and she ignored them, afraid that if she so much as breathed the wrong way that he would die. His pulse was weak. He’d lost a lot of blood, but her finger plugged the hole quite well. Her heart thumped wildly as they were rushed into the ER. Everything surrounding her moved in slow motion. The sounds of the doctors’ voices when they talked to her. The beeping of the monitor hooked to Ryker’s chest. She stared at his lifeless body, trying to tell herself that he was still breathing. That she was keeping him alive. The EMT had called ahead and the surgical staff was waiting for them. They immediately took the gurney from the EMS personnel and rushed to the nearest elevator.

Ella felt hot tears spill onto her cheeks as they took the ride up. The surgical floor was on five and the elevator didn’t lift them fast enough. She closed her eyes and struggled to keep her composure. She was eventually going to have to move her hand and let the surgical team take over and the thought scared the hell out of her. Once they got to the floor, they rushed into the empty surgical unit, with a few departing to scrub in. Several doctors were waiting for them, already dressed in their gear and ready to perform. They lifted both Ryker and Ella onto the surgical bed.

“Dr. Hawkins, you can dismount the patient now. We’ve got this.”

Ella stared down, not even realizing that they’d clamped off the artery. Seeing that she needed help, one of the surgical techs reached for her hand and gently pulled her finger out of Ryker’s body. She didn’t see any gushes of blood, so Ella let them guide her off the table and escort her out of the room.

“Do you need anything?” the tech asked her.

Ella shook her head. “No.”

The tech didn’t look too convinced. “Let’s get you cleaned up. You can wash at the sink and scrubs are over there.”

Ella hadn’t even realized she’d touched her bloody hand to her arm when she’d gripped it. She looked like a horror freak show. She pushed the foot pedal for the sink faucet and turned it on. The water droplets mingled with the crimson fluid until it rolled off her skin and down the drain.

The tech opened a new bar of soap and handed it to her. Ella glanced up into the room, staring as they hovered over Ryker’s body and worked to save his life. How did this happen? She sucked in a shaky breath, not even realizing that the tech had taken over scrubbing the blood from her arms.

“It’s okay,” the tech commented. “He’s in the best hands.”

She nodded, moving away to find a pair of scrubs that fit her. After Ella changed, she walked out into the waiting area to find several of Ryker’s friends waiting for him. They were all missing their cuts and had changed into sweats, but she recognized them.

“How is he?” one guy asked.

She didn’t know their names. She didn’t trust any of them either.

“How do you think he is?”

She sat down in the chair farthest away from them and tried to keep her mind off everything that could possibly go wrong. If the doctors didn’t fix the artery right, then he could bleed out. She closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair.

They were supposed to spend the night together. Just him and her. She’d curled up next to him while they’d watched that stupid movie. He’d held her in bed, knowing she didn’t feel as great as she should have, but she was on the mend. She still felt the way his hand had gripped her neck as he’d looked into her eyes. Ella stood, unable to sit any longer. If she stayed cooped up she’d go crazy.

“Ella?”

She jerked her head to the side as her father and mother came through the door. Her father pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her body.

“What happened? Are you all right?”

She shoved at him. “Get off me.”

He took a step back. “Ella, what happened?”

“That stunt you pulled with the video? Yeah, that almost got me killed.” She glanced over at the police officers her father worked with. “I swear to God, if you don’t get them out of my fucking face…”

He nodded toward his co-workers and they left the room. She didn’t know who to trust anymore. Razor was still out there and he was undoubtedly pissed off about Ryker’s stunt. If he caught her, he’d kill her. She didn’t have any doubts about that. And her father was absolutely clueless as to what the fuck was going on.

“How did me turning that video in almost get you killed?”

“Think about it, Dad.” She stared at him. “That video was made for me and it ends up in the police department’s hands. They think I’m a rat. What the fuck do they do with rats, huh? Do you at least know that?”

“The Roaming Devils won’t assume you are to blame.”

She snorted. “Are you really that fucking naïve? No wonder the Young Blood caught you and beat the shit out of you.” She shook her head. “I shouldn’t have even bothered trying to save you. I put my life on the line, willing to do anything it took to get you back, and you turn around and do this bullshit to me. To Ryker.”

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