Tease: A Kings of Korruption MC Novel (15 page)

“I JUST HOPE HE remembers what the fuck happened.”

“Do you really think it was them?”

“I fucking
know
it was.”

The hushed conversation is the first thing I hear as the fog lifts.
 
Next is the constant beeping from a nearby machine.
 
What the fuck?
 
I try to open my eyes, but they feel glued shut.

“Look at her fuckin’ face, man.
 
Tease is gonna be pissed.”

This last sentence, followed by a grunt of agreement, has me struggling to wake up.
 
Who are they talking about?
 
Laynie?
 
Fuck.
 
Why can’t I open my fucking eyes?
 
With a groan, I manage to use every fucking muscle in my face to finally get my eyelids to crack open a bit.

Through my blurred vision, I see a person move to stand over me.
 
“Tease?
 
Man, you OK?”
 
Fucking Mouse.

I groan again, forcing my eyelids open farther.
 
“Ryk!
 
He’s awake.”
 
Even though he’s whispering, his voice rings loudly through my pounding head.
 
I see Ryker step up beside him.
 
What the fuck is going on?

“Hey, brother.
 
It’s fuckin’ good to see you.
 
You had us worried there for a bit.”

I stare at Ryker, wondering what the fuck he’s talking about when a flashback hits me.
 
Driving with Laynie, her arms flung back in fuckin’ joy, kissing her.
 
And then, a large van coming out of nowhere and ramming into the side of us.
 
I grit my teeth through the pain and bolt upright in bed.
 
“Laynie?”

“Shhh.
 
She’s fine.
 
Sleepin’ in the corner so shut up, would ya?”
 
I glare at Ryker, and he smirks.
 
“Do you remember what happened?”

Lying back on the bed, I sigh.
 
“Didn’t see much.
 
Fuckin’ van came out of nowhere and rammed into the side of us.
 
That’s it.”

“Laynie said she heard men laughing after the crash and tires squealing as they took off.
 
It had to have been the fucking Devils.”

Rage erupts in my chest, burning through me like a wildfire.
 
I look over to where Laynie sleeps, curled up in a straight-back chair, sound asleep with Dexter at her feet.
 
She has scrapes covering half of her face, on her cheek, and chin.
 
The rage builds.
 
Those fuckers almost killed us – almost killed her.
 
They are going to die, and
I’m
the one that’s going to make it happen.

“She’s fine, man.”
 
I spear Ryker with my eyes.
 
Fine?
 
She’s covered in road rash.
 
“She’s pretty scraped up, but mostly she’s been worried about you.
 
You had a head injury that made it a little scary there for a while.
 
She’ll be glad you’re awake.”

I stare at her again, pissed that she got caught up in our club shit.
 
“They’re gonna die.”

“They are.
 
We’re gonna fuckin’ kill every last one of those cocksuckers,” Ryker growls.

I look down at the wires and tubes sticking out of me and clench my jaw.
 
“Let’s go.”

Ryker chuckles.
 
“Not happenin’, man.
 
You’re gonna be here a while yet.
 
Sit back and get better.
 
We won’t move on the sons-of-bitches until you get out.”
 
I glare at him, jaw clenched.
 
The need to draw blood from the Devils nearly undoes me.
 
I need to get out of here.

Just then, the doctor walks in.
 
He opens his mouth to say something, but I cut him off.
 
“Take these fuckin’ tubes out of me.
 
I’m leavin’.”

His eyebrows raise in surprise, but he just looks down at his clipboard.
 
“Mr. Hale.
 
You suffered trauma to the head and severe skin abrasions to twenty percent of your body.
 
You were unconscious for more than twelve hours.
 
You won’t be going anywhere.”

“Fuck yo –“
 

“Travis?”
 
Her sleep clouded voice calls out in distress from the other side of the room and all of our heads turn toward her.

“I’m here, babe.”

Tears fill her eyes, and she sits upright, gathering the blanket from her lap as she stands.
 
“Oh, honey.
 
I was so scared.”
 
She reaches out, hands searching for the bed as she walks toward me.
 
I move my arm to meet her, but pain slices through me when I do.
 

“That would be the abrasions,” the doctor whispers.

I narrow my eyes at him just as Laynie reaches the bed.
 
Tears are freely flowing down her cheeks.
 
My gut tightens.
 
I hate seeing her like this.
 
Our hands finally meet, and she grasps mine tightly in hers.
 
“Are you OK?”

“Will be as soon as this fuckin’ doctor lets me go the hell home,” I growl, eyes narrowed on the dick in the lab coat.

“Go home?”
 
A crease forms between her brows.
 
“You can’t go
home
!
 
You were hurt in a motorcycle accident, Travis.”

No shit.
 
“And now I’m fuckin’ fine.”

“You’re not!
 
You had a head trauma.
 
They aren’t something to take lightly.
 
Take it from me.”

How the fuck can I argue with that?
 
Gritting my teeth, I flop my head back onto the pillow.
 
Ryker chuckles, and Mouse makes a whip cracking sound with his mouth.
 
I whip my head to glare at them, trying to pierce them with my eyes as the doctor starts listing off my medical concerns.

I don’t give a fuck.
 
I just want to get out of here and kill those bastards.
 
They almost killed Laynie.
 
The doctor’s still talking when I cut off his speech.
 
“How long?”

He looks me directly in the eyes.
 
I have to give the man respect.
 
He doesn’t seem to be afraid of me at all.
 
“We need to keep you under observation for at least twenty-four hours.”

“Fuck.”
 

Ryker clears his throat.
 
“All right.
 
I’m gone.
 
Rest up, brother.
 
This is just the beginnin’.”

Defeated, I just nod.
 
Mouse turns to Laynie.
 
“You need a ride?”

“No.
 
I’m going to stay here with Travis and make sure he stays in that bed.”
 
I scowl at her.

Mouse laughs.
 
“Gotcha.
 
See ya, Tease.”
 
He leans in and kisses Laynie on the cheek.
 
I want to rip the fucker’s lips off.
 
“See ya, gorgeous.”

“Bye, Mouse.
 
Bye, Ryker,” she calls.

They leave the room, and I turn to face Laynie.
 
She smiles and runs her hand across the bed.
 
Determining there’s enough room for her, she climbs up and curls next to me with her head on my shoulder.
 
Needing to keep her close, I pull the blankets up over her and wrap my uninjured arm around her waist.

Kissing my pec, she mumbles, “I’m so glad you’re OK.”

I give her a squeeze and feel the pull of sleep dragging me down.
 
I bury my nose into her strawberry-smelling hair, and after only a few seconds, I fall fast asleep.

I wake up draped across Travis’s chest.
 
I nuzzle him with my cheek thinking he’s still asleep when I notice that he’s lying beneath me, stiff as a board.
 
I sit up quickly, worried that I’m hurting him somehow.

“Travis?”

Silence, then, “You need to go.”

I jerk in surprise, frowning deeply.
 
“What?”

“You heard me.”
 
He sounds angry, and I don’t understand what’s going on.

I place my uninjured hand on his cheek.
 
“Why?”

“We can’t do this.
 
It’s not safe.”

Confused, I pull back, wishing more than anything I could see his face.
 
“What’s not safe?”

“This.
 
Us.
 
We can’t do it.
 
Shit’s goin’ on with the club, and it’s only gonna get worse.”

Confusion gives way to anger.
 
Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I stand.
 
“That’s bullshit, and you know it.”

“You almost fucking
died
!” he roars.

I step closer, leaning over the bed, and calmly say, “But I didn’t.”
 
He says nothing.
 
And then it dawns on me.
 
“You’re scared.”

He scoffs.
 
“Of what?”

I throw my hands up in the air.
 
“Of us.”

“Fuck that.”
 
I can hear the venom in his voice, but I don’t let it faze me.
 
I’m tired of his back and forth bullshit.

“You are.
 
You’re using the first excuse that comes along to end this between us before it even gets started.
 
You’re scared, and you’re pushing me away.”
 
Silence.
 
“For fuck’s sake, Travis, it’s not like I’m asking you to fucking marry me!
 
I
like
you.
 
I want to get to know you.
 
I –“