Page 109 of Lady Sings the Blues

“Love you too, darlin’.”

Levi grabs the phone from my hand without me even offering it up. Because he did just rescue me from my crazy ex-boyfriend. A man who we all thought killed himself years ago. A man we found out murdered several people and wants to fuck me until my baby is born so he can steal the kid to raise hating his or her father and arch nemesis in a rival club. Because of all that, I’ll let that slide.

After he hangs up, Levi tells me Beau wants us to continue up to the ferry, and starts off walking again while shoving the phone back inside his front jean pocket.

“Come on,” he follows that. “Time to hustle.”

It takes us another twenty minutes of hiking before we find ourselves in a crouch behind a tree at the wooded shoreline. We watch as the ferry unloads passengers on the Ohio side of the river, which means we’ll have to wait a while.

With little grace, I plop my butt onto the damp ground and hold my bound wrists out to Levi. I think he almost forgot they’d been bound. Since I kept up, and as I vowed, didn’t complain once. He reaches inside his boot to pull out a switchblade. He flips it open and slices through ties. The delicate red fabric flits down into a mud patch, soaking up enough brown to turn a dulled red reminiscent of dried blood.

Absentmindedly, I rub at my wrists. As I watched Levi pull the switchblade, I noticed his skin full of welts and bruising. Now I see his T-shirt torn at the sleeve. And belatedly it hits me that when he rescued me, he wasn’t on his bike.

“What happened?” I ask. And I finger the torn cotton like expensive silk.

He watches my fingers, but doesn’t push them away. “Got sidetracked by some Horde outside Dover.”

My hand immediately stills, gripping his shoulder. Levi got sidetracked by the Horde? By himself?

“Are you okay?” Though whispered, I shriek. If I hadn’t heard myself do it, I wouldn’t have known it possible.

“Just a little banged up. My guess, Horde won’t be too happy with me, though.”

“Why?”

“Let’s just say there’s five of them outta commission for a while.”

“Five?” I whisper a shriek again. “Five.”

He locks his hands together over his bent knees and drops his head, smiling possibly one of the sexiest, most panty-melting, cat-ate-the-canary grins I’ve ever seen. So hot, I don’t know how to channel my reaction. Yesterday I married the love of my life, I shouldn’t have a reactiontochannel. And I have no excuse, except to say he’s a badass, rescued me, he’s beautiful and I’m human.

“If I wasn’t totally in love with Beau I’d kiss you right now.”

His smile evaporates. “Maybe keep that to yourself.”

“What, is badass Horde dropping Levi scared of Beau?”

“Yes,” his answer comes without hesitation. “I want my patch, but more importantly—I want my life.”

“Okay then.” I chuckle. “I’ll keep it to myself.”

“Good. But Elise…”

I lift my head to look him in the eyes.

“Thanks. I know why he loves you. Someday when I’m ready to find the right pussy, way, way,waaaaydown the road, I’ll know what to look for.”

Two choices. I could laugh or I could cry. I pick laugh and punch him in the shoulder, just a soft punch to show I get him. Then we hear the rumble of the ferry engine cranking to life across the river, effectively ending our Levi and Elise bonding moment. We push up from the ground, and I wipe at my behind while I stretch, bending slightly backward. It’s time to go home.

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