“More clean-up jobs?”
“I’ll see you later.” He heads for the door, and I feel my heart tighten. I don’t want him to go, and I don’t trust Donnie.
“You’re better than that, yah know,” I say, and he pauses. “Being Donnie’s bitch.” It’s a low blow, but if I have to cause an argument to keep him here, I will.
He sniggers, shaking his head with disappointment before pulling the door open and leaving.
Minutes pass and I’m still rooted to the spot, wondering what Donnie wants with Fury, when the door swings open and Lexi comes in with another woman. “Fury sent us up to keep you company,” she announces.
I smile sadly. “I’m not much company, to be honest.”
“When you feel shit, it’s the best time for company,” says the other woman heading into my room through the conjoining door.
“That’s Luna,” Lexi explains, following her.
I go into the room and close the middle door. The women are sitting on my bed, watching me expectedly. “You have that lost look,” says Luna. “Are you and Fury . . .” She trails off.
“No,” I rush to say, shaking my head a little too vigorously. The women exchange a smirk.
“But you want to be?” Luna guesses.
I feel myself blushing. “No. We’re friends. At least, we were.” I add a small, unamused laugh. “I don’t even know him anymore.”
“We don’t know him that well,” says Lexi. “He only came here a few months ago.”
“Yeah, he’s a closed book, hard to open,” adds Luna, nodding.
“Maybe I shouldn’t speak about him,” I say hesitantly. I don’t think he’d like me talking about his past, otherwise, he’d have told them already.
Lexi shrugs. “So, how did you meet him?”
“We met as teenagers,” I say, trying not to give too much away. “And then we lost touch, and he turned up a few weeks back in the hospital.”
“You work there?” asks Luna.
I nod. “I’m a nurse.”
“Handy,” says Lexi. “You should be wary hanging out in these places. They tend to take advantage.”
I smirk. “Kind of too late for that.”
She sits straighter. “Is Axel using you?”
I shake my head. “No, not him.” She visibly relaxes. “A guy I met. Donnie.”
“And Fury is trying to help you?” Luna guesses.
“Yeah, but this guy . . . he’s bad news. I’m worried how deep Fury is already, and now he’s helping me . . .” I trail off, and Lexi gently places her hand over mine.
“These bikers are tougher than you think,” she says. “Fury can handle it, and anything he can’t, the club will.”
I groan. “Exactly my point. All these people are getting dragged into my mess.” I bury my face in my hands. “How did I end up like this?”
“Let me guess. Sweet, charming guy turns out to be a complete headcase?” asks Luna. I nod, and she grins. “It’s standard bum magnet behaviour.”
Lexi laughs. “That’s not a thing.”
“It really is,” says Luna with confidence. “Some of us just attract the wrong sort, like wolves in sheep’s clothing.”