Page 98 of What Is Love
From the tension in Roe’s body, I knew he didn’t want to do that. He was going to run with me if he had to.
Noble came out of the crowd. “Bring her back, son.”
Reid came up to stand next to us. “He’s the only one who can help her, Roe.”
“He’s not the only one,” Roe said angrily.
“Are you really going to gamble your future to prove that?” Reid asked. “Her family will destroy every opportunity you’ve worked so hard for and the next thing you know, you’ll be wearing a cut just like your old man. And you know Wyatt and I won’t let you take that road alone.”
Wyatt came to stand on Roe’s other side. “Reid’s right. We promised to stick together.”
“Just take me to Bram, Roe,” I said in a defeated voice.
Roe exhaled heavily through his nose before he started walking back. When Roe got within ten feet of Bram, Bram closed the distance. His hand reached for me. I winced and squeezed Roe’s shoulder. His arms around me tightened as if to assure me that he’d keep me safe.
“I just want to see,” Bram said, and he gently lifted my hand off of my face. He didn’t react to what he saw. Instead, his eyes flicked to Roe. “Bring her inside.”
Bram walked ahead. Roe followed, still carrying me, and Wyatt and Reid trailed behind us. Bram led us into the black building. Inside was a giant room that had a lot of empty spaceapart from one side, which had a fully equipped bar and a couple of pool tables. The walls were covered in motorcycle signs, art, and tires. There were even a few motorcycles hanging on wires from the tall ceiling. We followed Bram across the giant room down a hall with many doors. Bram went in one of the first doors, which led into a kitchen with a four-seater table in the corner.
“Set her on the table,” Bram ordered as he walked over to one of the cabinets and pulled out a first-aid kit. Then he headed over to the large two-door refrigerator. He opened the freezer and pulled out a bag of something.
Roe did as Bram asked and sat me down on the edge of the table. Reluctantly, he stepped back to stand with Wyatt and Reid near the door as Bram came to me. He set the first-aid kit and what looked to be frozen peas on the table next to me. Then he went to pull my hand from my face again.
I let him. “I don’t know why you’re fussing.”
Bram opened the first-aid kit. “Your lip is split and bleeding, and your jaw is starting to swell.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Bram tore open some gauze. “Been punched before, have you?” he said with such doubt.
“Once or twice,” I said as I gave the guys a look to keep quiet.
Reid shook his head in disbelief before stalking out of the room. Wyatt glanced at Roe and Roe nodded for Wyatt to go after Reid. Wyatt sighed before leaving. Roe folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall as he watched Bram wipe blood off my chin.
“What is your mother going to think when she sees you?” Bram asked.
I started laughing at that. I couldn’t help it.
Bram straightened and frowned down at me. “I don’t see how that’s funny.”
“Maybe you should tell him, Lottie,” Roe said as gently as he could.
I immediately stopped laughing and glared at Roe.
Bram looked from him to me. “Tell me what?”
“It doesn’t matter.” I grabbed the frozen peas to put on my throbbing jaw.
“No, I can tell something is going on,” Bram said. “What is it?”
“Why didn’t you want me?” I asked.
Bram went over to the trash and threw the bloody gauze away. “It’s not that I didn’t want you.” He put his hands on his hips. “I wanted you to have a better life than I did. Shit with the club was also bad when your mother got pregnant with you.”
“So you let her lie to another man about me being his.” It wasn’t a question. I already knew the answer.
“When did you find out the truth?” he asked.
