Five minutes later, a black Mustang stops where we are, and Rafe steps out. The rain plasters his blond mane to his head and face. He peers at us through soaked bangs.
“You kids need to stop getting into trouble,” he grumbles, and it’s kinda funny because he seems to be our age. He crouches at Micah’s other side.
“Hey, Rafe,” Micah mutters. “Thanks for coming, man.”
“What happened?” He peels back Micah’s soaked jacket and prods his side, making Micah hiss and curse. “Bruised ribs, maybe one of them cracked, but it looks like you’ll live. Who did this?”
“Don’t know him.” Micah grimaces.
“Did he say anything to you?”
“The usual. From Blake, for Evie.” He looks down at me, his lips white with pain. “Like Seth.”
“He didn’t get you as bad,” Rafe says as he wraps an arm around Micah’s back and helps him up.
“I beat the shit out of him. He thought I was easy prey. He was fucking mistaken.” Micah’s face goes white when he straightens. “Besides, he didn’t catch me entirely by surprise.”
“How’s that?” I reach for him, steadying him, then drape his arm over my shoulders, and we move toward the car.
“You told me about Blake’s threats. I knew he might come after me.”
I let that sink in as Rafe opens the car door, and we bundle Micah in. I didn’t fail him completely. I kept him alive.
I turn my face up and smile in the rain.
Chapter Thirteen
Micah
Lying on my bed, finally warm and dry, the blood washed off my face, I convince myself I’m alive. Safe. I hurt all over, though, and as I wait for the painkillers to kick in, I gaze at Ev who’s on the phone, pacing right outside my bedroom.
Damn, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I found her kneeling by my side on the sidewalk. She keeps coming back for me, checking I’m all right.
Isn’t this what family does? What home is? This girl has a heart big as the world and for some reason she seems fond of me. She said…
She said she loves me. I poke the memory gently, afraid I’ll change it. She did say those words. My ears were ringing pretty badly at the time, but I’m sure she said it…
I think.
She’s talking to her brother, Joel. Her eyes flash with anger and then satisfaction, and she waves a hand in the air. Catching snatches of their conversation, I try to piece together what happened tonight and what else Blake The Asshole has done.
Fuck-ass bitch wronged my girl. He hurt her, staged an accident and broke her leg, landed her in hospital. Made her suffer.
Screw waiting for the painkillers to act. I sit up, and my ribs fucking burn. The pain blinds me for a moment, and I pant, waiting for my eyes to clear.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Rafe shoves me back unceremoniously, and I fall onto my pillow with a gasp. “What do you need?”
“To break Blake’s neck.”
Rafe grins at me. He’s still in his jacket. He didn’t even bother to take it off. “I see. Feeling better already?”
“He hurt her.” The words are like nails in my mouth.
“He’ll get what he deserves. Don’t worry about it.” His eyes go cold. “Now rest. We didn’t get you home, so you could go chasing that bastard.”
Ev comes inside before I can try getting up a second time. Without a word, she comes and sits by my side. She takes my hand and studies my bandaged knuckles.
Anger chokes me but her touch is soothing, her skin warm on mine.
“Joel, my brother, taped Blake’s confession on his phone,” Ev says. “I’m pressing assault charges. He will go to jail.”
That sounds like a good plan, but Rafe chuckles.
“That fucker isn’t going to jail,” he says. “How rich did you say his parents are?”
“Pretty rich,” Ev says with a wince. “They own hotels and restaurants.”
“Right. Well, if they care at all about their business, they’ll pay good money to prove him innocent, and money can get you anything you need.”
My fingers curls into a fist under Ev’s hand. Her eyes are wide, and I fucking hate the fear flickering in their depths.
“One more reason for me to bust his chops,” I growl.
“Calm down, cowboy. I’ve got this.” Rafe’s gaze is distant. “Nobody fucks with the Damage Boyz. I’ll take care of it.”
“How?” Ev asks.
“I’ve got connections. The asshat won’t bother any of you again.”
“You’ll kill him?” Ev’s eyes have gone rounder than before.
Rafe goes pale. “I don’t kill people. I don’t…” He sucks a deep breath. I wonder why he looks so shaken. “I’ll only make sure the jury and judge aren’t paid off at his trial. Let justice do the rest.”
Doesn’t sound good enough to me. Bastard deserves to have his balls chopped off and fed to him, but Rafe sends me a warning look, and I curse under my breath. I won’t let him down. If Zane is my god, Rafe is my fucking commander.
But if Blake comes anywhere near Seth or Ev again…
“I’ll be on my way now.” Rafe glances at me and nods. “Will you be okay for now, man?”
“Yeah, fine,” I bite out.
“Evangeline says she’s staying in case you need anything.”
“He means a doctor,” she says darkly. “Can I just call—?”
“No doctors. I’m okay.” I really am. That bastard who jumped me was an amateur. Rafe and Zane trained us well in self-defense. I bet he limped home in a much worse state than me. “It’s just my ribs. Nothing they can do about it anyway.”
“Those painkillers any good?” Rafe asks.
Taking stock, I realize they are. “Yeah.” The pain is muted, and as I relax a little, the world seems to slow. I take a deep breath, surprised my ribs aren’t killing me, and some of the tension seeps out of me.
“Only the best for you.” Rafe grins wolfishly, winks at Ev and leaves.
Somehow I don’t think he’s talking about the painkillers anymore, and that’s fine with me. I drag Ev down for a kiss before the door even closes and she kisses me back, smiling against my lips.
“So you’re staying?” I ask.
“I don’t know.” She sighs. “You keep saying you’re fine, so maybe you don’t need me.”
I’m not prepared for the sudden panic that hits me. “Please, Ev.”
She shakes her head, then laughs. “Are you kidding me? Of course I’m staying. As if I’d move from your side after what happened. Besides.” She’s quiet for a few moments. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
I resist the urge to clutch her to me, bruised ribs and all, make sure she won’t go. She’s here and I have to finally believe she’ll stay around.
Only the best for me. The strongest drugs. The most loyal friends.
The sexiest, prettiest, bravest… The absolute best girl in the whole fucking world.
My girl.
***
“Someone here to see you,” Seth says, appearing at my bedroom door and leaning on the frame.
“Someone, huh? Where is she?” Strange how just thinking of Ev makes my heart race.
“How do you know it’s a she?”
“Screw you, man. I swear, if you left her out in the rain…”
I try to see past him but he blocks the whole opening. It’s been a week since the attack, and the bruises on his face have faded to blue-green. The stitches still mar his jaw, a line of dark cross-hatching. He moves stiffly, but all said and done, he got off easy.
Voices. A female and a male voice, coming from the living room. Ev and a guy. Who is he?
Seth turns and beckons, and a tall, muscled guy fills my door.
“So which one of you is Micah?” he demands, glancing from me to Seth and back.
“Joel…” Ev appears behind him and tugs on his sleeve. “Stop it.”
“I’m your big brother. Whoever touched my sister will pay for it.”
Ev rolls her eyes. “Yeah, yeah.”
I get up from the bed, trying to keep my face neutral. My ribs send blinding jabs of pain through me, but I ignore them. “I’m Micah. Got a problem with that?”