Page 29 of Huge Dynamite
After glancing behind him, Seth steps up closer to the Dogs. He hasn’t thrown a punch, and I can’t hear what he’s saying, but damn, he is sexy. The way he carries himself with his broad shoulders and his powerful presence—he is all male.
Sitting here, on the opposite side of the parking lot, tucked in shadows, I let myself get caught up in Seth’s strength and masculinity, and I grow warm in my loose jeans and T-shirt.
No, I don’t condone violence in any form—most people don’t understand the true damage they do to their bodies when they take a punch or a hit—but Seth is not fighting. It seems he’s able to settle whatever is happening with these men with his words.
Then, a young man who’s the spitting image of Seth, although a little smaller in size, steps up next to him. Squinting, I recognize him. It’s Seth’s brother, Colt. He was the man I saw last night. The one who left with the woman who had been hanging on Seth—
Suddenly, Colt steps forward and pushes one of the men wearing a Dogs jacket. Before any of the men can retaliate, Seth throws his arm in front of his brother, protecting him.
“Oh.” Gasping a little, I’m caught by how protective and paternal Seth appears. No, Colt is not his kid, but what would Seth be like as a father? “Oh, my gosh, Holly!” I snap at myself. “You pulled a knife out of the man’s shoulder and then he took you to get a tattoo—maybe not father material.” And besides that, Seth may not even want kids. If he does, he may not want them with me. “Get a grip,” I mumble.
In the middle of me beating myself up, a fight breaks out. One of the Dogs punches Colt, and soon it’s a mess of men-on-men. Tilting my head back and forth, I strain to keep an eye on Seth, but the rest of the Knights who aren’t fighting begin to form a circle around the fight, and it’s harder to see. In one corner, I catch Seneca straddling a man—she punches him in the face.
“Oh, ow.” Sinking down into my seat, I know I should run. I shouldn’t want to be around this—all this violence and mayhem—and yet, I can’t pull myself away. Glimpsing Seth again, I exhale when he appears unharmed. Damn, remembering that night in the ER when he refused painkillers—it’s like the man is superhuman.
I should be so turned off by this, but instead, it’s having the exact opposite effect. Yes, I’m watching for any serious injuries that may need my attention, but in the meantime, my nipples are hardening and poking through my shirt. With every punch Seth throws, I watch his strong legs bear down into the earth while his wide shoulders keep him balanced, and all I can think about is what it felt like when he had his arms wrapped around me.
Watching him defend his turf, I wonder how he would defend me…
Cripes. Why the hell am I thinking like this?
Closing my eyes for a moment, I imagine Seth here, sitting next to me, reaching across my front seat and sliding his powerful hand behind my head as he pulls me closer and his strong lips find mine—
Opening my eyes, I catch a glimpse of Seth just as he rushes forward and knocks a knife out of one of the Dogs’ hands. Exhaling with relief, I relax slightly until I see another Dog reach into his jacket and pull out another knife.
“No, no, no!”
Sitting up tall in my seat, all I can do is watch as the man lunges at Colt and slices him on the upper arm across his deltoid. Since Colt’s not wearing anything but a T-shirt, he has no protection, and he drops down to his knees and then to a seated position. Even from here, I can see he’s hemorrhaging from his injury. Seth is at his side, holding his hand against the cut. He must be trying to contain the bleeding.
“Oh, fuck.” Jumping out of my car, I rush to the trunk and grab my doctor’s kit and a blanket. Running, I slide on gloves as I cross the parking lot and come up onto the group of men who are all standing around, staring.
“Holly?” Seth looks up at me with disbelief in his eyes.
“What the hell is it with you Hardy men and knives?” Kneeling down next to Seth, I give him a small smile.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“I’ll be fine,” I say, as I wrap the thin blanket around Colt’s arm to try to contain the bleeding.
“These guys mean business, Holly.”
Looking him in the eye, I explain. “I took an oath, Seth. I can’t just witness someone get injured and not help.” In my gut, I know I’m fine. There’s no way that Seth or any of the other Knights will let anything happen to me. Especially not while I’m fixing one of their own.
“Okay.” Standing, Seth goes toe-to-toe with the four men in Dogs jackets. “It’s time for you to go. You heard our answer. This is through.” He punctuates his last word with a growl that makes them back away, while my insides turn to jelly.
“Doc.” It’s Nick. “Boy, are you in the right place at the right time.”
Glancing up, I see the Dogs staring hard at me—like they’re memorizing my face. It’s completely unnerving, but I can’t pay attention; I have a job to focus on. Suddenly, one Dog slaps another on the shoulder and nods toward Seth. Turning quickly, they take off. I don’t know what any of that meant, but—did Seth scare them off?
As the Dogs leave, I compose myself and, taking a deep breath, I glance up at Nick and smile. “I hope so, Nick.”
Directing my attention to Colt, I nod. “I’m Dr. Holly Boling. I’m a cardiothoracic surgeon and an ER doctor. I’m a friend of your brother’s. I treated him when he was injured about a month ago. You’re lucid, so you need to give me a verbal okay to treat you outside of a sterile environment.”
“Do it, Colt.” Seth prods his brother.
“Listen to the doc,” Nick adds. “She knows stuff.”
Colt nods.
