Page 52 of Reacher
“Why don’t you go and fuck yourself, Reacher? I don’t want anything to do with you.”
My heart had been battered enough by this bastard, and I couldn’t let myself soften, even when he kept looking at me like I was physically hitting him with every word.
“Ally… don’t keep moving around. You got knocked out. You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“I don’t want you anywhere near me. Leave me alone.”
“You don’t mean that. Look, I’ll text the doc to come back up. He’s only having some dinner.”
I kept glaring at him, but honestly, the dizzy head thing was making me feel sick, and movement really wasn’t my friend.
“You sent those goons after me,” my voice was dull and shaky. He sent suited bastards after me, and let them hurt me, so I knew I absolutely couldn’t trust him now.
Doc walked in, smiled at me, and jerked his head at Reacher.
“Seriously?”
He nodded, and the man I’d thought I loved actually listened. He left the room. Thank god. It felt like the oxygen returned, when I hadn’t even realised I’d been slowly suffocating with him beside me.
“How’s the head, love?”
“Sore. I feel dizzy.”
He nodded, gently checking the side of my head, and stopping when I winced in pain.
“Sorry. You took quite a knock from those bastards. I’ll get you something for it, but I didn’t want to dose you with anything until you woke up. Just to be safe. The dizziness should subside, but I’ll monitor you throughout the night, for concussion.”
“Thank you. Why am I here again?”
He shrugged, rummaging in one of those drawers of medicines I’d seen before.
“I don’t get let in on that kind of stuff, love. I just fix what needs to be fixed.”
I sighed, swallowing the pills he passed to me, washing them down with water, and the water was so good, I finished the entire glass.
“Can you fix lost trust? Because I can’t trust that asshole out there. Not now. First he threw me out, without even having the balls to do it personally, and then he sent a bunch of assholes to beat the hell out of me, and force me back here. He… he’s unhinged. He’s insane. And…” my voice cracked, and I couldn’t voice the next part.And I still fucking loved him.
“Listen, love, I can’t promise that I know what you’ve been through, or what’s going on with the Pres. I do know this though. He went spare when he realised they’d hurt you. They both got their asses handed to them before he kicked them out. Check outhis knuckles when you see him again, because he probably broke both of their stupid noses for them.”
He avenged me. He punished them for hurting me. Was it enough? I really wished I could say yes.
“It’s too late. Too little, too late. The guy has worse PMT than even I get, and I can’t be around him. I need to get out of here.”
Doc looked sad. “I don’t know what happened between you guys, but I do know he’s been panicked, and by your side, the entire time you’ve been out. He cares, love. More than cares. He’s a dumbass motherfucker half the time, but he’s the best damn President this club has ever had. He’s a good man. He’s just under a lot of pressure.”
“Yeah, well I’m not his punching bag for when he gets pissed off.”
Doc frowned then. “Has he laid his hands on you, Alicia? Has he harmed you?”
I sagged against the bed, feeling exhausted.
“Of course not. The wounds he caused are all under the surface. He hurt my heart.”
Reacher
Doctoldmetostay away, and let her rest, but like fuck I was gonna let that happen. I waited while he had food delivered for her, and let her relax a little, but I never left the outside of the damn infirmary.
Ryder stopped by, while I was waiting.
