Beast: Learning to Breathe (Devil's Blaze MC #5)

“Oh God, oh God, oh God….” I repeat over and over, moving my hands down to his leg. There’s a darkened spot on the faded denim of his jeans. “Someone get a doctor! Get help!” I scream.


Michael grunts.

“I’m okay, Hayden. It’s a clean shot. It just grazed,” he mutters, and he’s trying to get up—like a crazy man!

“You were shot!” I practically shriek. “There’s nothing okay about that!”

“Let me up, woman,” he grumbles, and I shift my weight as much as I can to hold him down.

“No! You aren’t moving until the doctor’s come and get you. You could bleed out!”

“Damn it, Hayden! Let me up, you’re letting that fucker get away!”

“Who cares! I need you to be safe. I need you to be okay, Michael,” I tell him, and I realize I’m pleading. The gravity of Michael being shot because of me hits me head on. It robs me of breath and it makes me hurt...everywhere. He could have died…because of me.

“I’m fine,” he rumbles again, and this time, he manages to get up, but I see the pain on his face. I can only imagine the blood standing up will cause him to lose. The man is insane. He has to be. I stand, trying to block him from leaving. He puts his hands on my shoulder to move me. I know, because I can see the intent in his eyes.

“Please, don’t leave, Michael. Please. Just let them check you out.”

“Damn it, Hayden. I’m trying to protect you. I need to stop that prick from getting away,” he growls, full of frustration.

I’m giving up hope of trying to be able to keep him with me when another man comes out the door. He’s older. If I had to guess I’d say he might be late fifties, early sixties. He’s got dark hair, but there’s more than an abundance of gray sprinkled in. It’s groomed impeccably, a close cut that you can tell is done by more than just a normal barber. His suit is gray and reeks of money. It’s so perfectly cut and tailored your eyes are drawn to it. He’s got a lone ring on one finger, a large insignia ring with the letter T, surrounded by a red ruby backdrop.

“He won’t be getting far,” the man says, his voice coming out sweet and thick like honey. Almost too sweet.

Something about it sets off alarm bells, and I find myself getting closer to Michael. He must sense it too, because his arms come around me. For a second, I forget that Michael has been shot and is standing up like a crazy man, probably losing more blood with every second that passes.

Then the staff comes out with a gurney. I hear Michael growl and the next few minutes are a blur of activity. The man in the suit, leaves without further word. Michael tries to follow him, or at least talk to him, only to be waylaid by the hospital staff. Cops begin to swarm the area, along with hospital security. They’re all asking me questions, and I leave it to Pastor Sturgill to answer, as I stick like glue to Michael’s side. Michael refuses to get on a gurney and finally an orderly convinces him to sit in a wheelchair. I’m beside him as they wheel him through the hospital. I’m wondering if life will ever get back under control.

I’m scared it won’t.





74





Beast





“I can’t believe you didn’t stay in the hospital,” Hayden says for like the hundredth time.

In answer, I grunt, which makes her roll her eyes at me and huff. It’s cute and for some fucking reason despite all the shit going down, I want to laugh.

“Get in bed. You’re giving me a headache,” I tell her. She’s pacing back and forth in front of the bedroom door while I’m lying on the bed. Her arms are hugged tight against her chest and she just keeps pacing. It’d be annoying as fuck, if she wasn’t so cute.

“I can’t get in bed with you, Michael.”

“Why in the hell, not?”

“There’s men in my living room! Men I don’t know! What would they think if I slept in here with you?”

“I doubt they give a damn. But, if they think about it at all, they probably think we’re sleeping. Which I might be doing if you’d get in bed.”

“Michael!”

“Just do it, Hayden. You need rest. The baby needs rest and it’s not going to get better around here anytime soon.” She studies me for a minute, then mimics one of my grunts, and gets in bed. Once she does, I pull her to me, instantly relaxing.

“Be careful of your leg,” she chastises.

“My leg is fine.”

“That’s why they wanted to keep you in the hospital, I’m sure,” she sasses, but settles her head against my shoulder.

My fingers dive into her hair without me realizing it. The feel of the soft tresses against my fingers calm me. Having Hayden next to me does that even more.

She’s silent for a few minutes, but I can literally feel some of the tension leaving her body. “I can’t believe I got you shot,” she whispers as if confessing she murdered someone. Her voice is full of shame and sorrow…over me. That does something to me, I don’t know how to explain it, or what it does exactly, but there’s something there. Something elemental that shifts in my thinking of her.

I practically claimed Hayden to Skull today. I’ve already taken on the role to protect her and Maggie, and even if I keep going back and forth on the issue, I know that I’m taking her body. What would be the harm in keeping her? If she’s not put off by my scars, then why can’t I keep her? If she’s stupid enough to want me, then why can’t I claim her? She may deserve better, but fuck…I have to be better than Blade. I could make sure her and Maggie are taken care of, are happy enough. Why can’t I keep, Hayden?

“You didn’t get me shot,” I mutter, my thoughts are full of images of tying Hayden to me. Can I trust myself to keep her and Maggie safe…permanently? “You just kept me from ending that fucker’s life. Though, I’ll still get him, I just wish I already had.”

“Do you think Victor has already?” Hayden asks, referring to Victor Torasani, who was the man who showed up at the hospital today. I had a meeting scheduled with them tomorrow at Charlie’s diner. Of all the connections I thought that Charlie might have had with the Torasani clan, I would have never guessed that she was Victor’s ex-wife. How the fuck does that happen? He’s vowed revenge on the Dwellers and he’ll really get it. I could sit back, but that’s not who I am, and I owe the fucker my own retribution, so I’m not going to stop.

“I don’t know,” I tell her, but I’m doubtful. If the Torasani’s already had Blade in their grasp we would know. “I guess I’ll find out tomorrow.”

“I don’t want you to go face them alone. They’re dangerous.”

“I’m not exactly a pushover, Hayden,” I grumble, feeling a little slighted. No man wants to think a woman feels he’s not capable. Me especially.

“I didn’t say you were, but you are just one man,” she sighs in answer.

“I’ll have some of Diesel’s men with me. I’ll be leaving a couple here with you.”

“I have to go stock shelves at the church and the supermarket and places. I’m already late. I don’t want them to stop selling my products, Michael.”

“That preacher will take you, and Ace will be riding with you. I want men with you at all times. I’d rather send Ace with you alone—”