The Heathen (Preacher Brothers 2)

All I knew was that despite what may or may not be, I had to take care of him. And once he was conscious and able to tell me who he was, only then would I find out the truth and know if bringing him here had been the right call.

Chapter Five

Kimber

I heard him rouse and sat up straighter, pushing my reading glasses up the bridge of my nose and looking over at him. His huge body took up my couch, his strength in even his relaxed state overwhelming. After I set the book I’d been reading aside, I found myself holding my breath as his eyes opened. He was lying on his back so now he stared at the ceiling. I could see the confusion on his face, watched as he grunted when he shifted and lifted his hand to touch the bandage on his forehead. He was about to pull it off when I cleared my throat.

“Please don’t do that,” I said softly, and he froze, his eyes darting to me. “I had to give you stitches, because you hit your head pretty hard on the steering wheel.” I swallowed, feeling very nervous in this moment.

He sat up a little too quickly and groaned, but that sound vanished as soon as it had emerged. It was very clear this man did not like to show any kind of weakness.

“Where am I?” His voice was harsh and husky, a mixture I was sure from not speaking for an extended amount of time, and because he was all male.

“You’re at my home in Franklin Township.”

His brows knitted and he looked down at his lap, now sitting up straight. His body was so big, his shoulders wide. “What happened?”

I cleared my throat and smoothed my hands over my thighs. “You don’t remember?”

He didn’t answer right away but did shake his head slowly. “It’s fuzzy.” He looked around the living room before settling his gaze on me.

“I found your SUV in a ditch. You hit your head on the steering wheel.” I lifted my hand and pointed to his forehead. “Had a nasty cut.”

“You brought me back to your place?” His voice was a little tight, hard. Angry?

“I couldn’t leave you there. I work at the community hospital. My name is Kimber, and I’m a nurse. I wouldn’t have left you there.” He still said nothing, but I could see on his face he was thinking hard. “I really think you should go to the hospit—”

“I’m fine,” he cut me off harshly, as if that was the end of that subject. I hadn’t even had time to tell him it wasn’t like I could take him there with how shitty the weather was.

“I have some painkillers from a gallbladder surgery I had last year, if you’d like to take some? It’ll take the edge off.”

He shook his head. “I can handle a little pain.”

A little pain? I bet he was in a lot more than just a little bit, but he seemed pretty masculine, so maybe it was “weak” to act like he hurt. Or maybe he’d had the same kind of shit childhood I did, where acting like you were weak got you backhanded.

I cleared my throat and looked down at my hands in my lap. It was when I felt his gaze on me that I glanced up. The expression on his face was stone-cold, but in his eyes, I saw something else, something… softer? Knowing?

If I had seen anything in his gaze, it was gone faster than it had risen.

“Well, it’s not like I can call for help anyway,” I murmured, and he looked at me with dead eyes. “Okay, well, what about family?”

He shook his head and rested it back on the couch, closing his eyes. His body would take a while to heal. I knew he was still feeling that pain and exhaustion.

“When I can make a call, is there a wife, maybe a girlfriend you want me to contact?” I didn’t like the way my stomach became sour after I said those words, at the thought of him having someone like that in his life. I didn’t know this man from Adam, but I’d cared for him, tended to his wounds. I’d comforted him during his fever, when he mumbled and tossed around. I felt close to him, connected in a way I probably shouldn’t have.

“There’s no one you’ll need to call, especially not a woman. I don’t make females a priority in my life, and they sure as fuck haven’t been a presence.”

I just stared at him, not sure what he was saying. His eyes hardened, and I wondered if he regretted saying as much as he had.

“Meaning there isn’t anyone for you to call.” His words were gruff, and I wondered what he exactly meant by that.