ROCK
As soon as I open the front door to our house, Hope rushes toward me. Doesn’t even question my wet hair or change of clothes.
She wraps her arms around my waist. No words need to be spoken.
Instant peace settles over me.
“Bad night?” she finally asks.
“One of the worst.”
She pulls away and stares up at me. Concern shines in her green eyes. “Is everyone okay?” The hint of fear in her voice stabs straight through me.
“A few small injuries. Doc’s coming up to take care of them.” I peer down at her. “Carla will be joining him, so don’t bother going to the clubhouse for now.”
She shrugs off my warning with a scowl. “She’s the least of my concerns. Is Carter okay?”
I give her a brief rundown of everyone’s injuries. “I have to go back to the clubhouse and keep an eye on things.”
“All right. I’ll see if Heidi will watch Grace and be over to check in on everyone.”
“You don’t have to do that.” I curve my arm around her waist and pull her close, pressing my lips to her forehead. “But I think having our first lady make an appearance wouldn’t be a bad thing,” I say, reversing my earlier warning.
“I appreciate you warning me about Carla,” Hope says, judging my mood shift correctly. “But the club’s more important than any run-in with your ex. I can handle her.”
“I know you can, baby doll.” I squeeze her tighter. “Still want to protect you from everything I can.”
“Are you hurt at all?”
I release her and hold up my right hand. “A few scrapes and bruises from a conversation with a reluctant party.”
She rolls her eyes, but takes my hand, carefully inspecting the cleanup I’d done and brushing her lips over my knuckles. “You need ice on this,” she murmurs against my skin.
“Your kisses are more healing than any ice.”
“You need your hands to twist the throttle, Mr. President.”
“Don’t I know it.” My lower back throbs, reminding me of other mishaps. “Got a sore ass from jumping off a porch and landing on the ground.”
Her lips pinch but she holds back the scolding I know she’s dying to give. “What about Teller? I know he doesn’t want to hear it but he still needs to be careful and not aggravate his back injury.”
Guilt prickles through my chest. “He was walking when I left him.”
The corner of her mouth twitches with dissatisfaction at my answer.
“We made use of the funeral home.”
She lifts an eyebrow. “How’d that go? Did the owner have questions?”
“No, he sent his daughter to do the dirty work of dealing with us.”
She flicks her gaze away. “Can she be trusted?”
“I think so. We brought Merlin’s girl home with us.” I give Hope the brief version of that fucked-up story.
“Trinity will assess her,” Hope says, shifting into shrewd lawyer mode. “I’ll talk to her too, get a feel for where her head is at.”
“Like Wrath said, not a whole lot she can do without any bodies.”