“What are you talking about?”
“Drive me to New York, to a little town in Westchester County, about four—maybe five—hours from here.”
“Mr. Danes…”
“I’ll pay you a thousand dollars now and another thousand when you get me there.”
“What?”
“You heard me, sweet cheeks. Do this for me, and I’ll definitely make it worth your while.” Sweat beaded along his forehead and his jaw tightened. No matter how stubborn or foolishly he was behaving; she couldn’t stand to see his pain. Reaching out, she placed a hand against his shoulder and gave him a light push. Despite his hospital stay and injuries, touching him was like touching hot steel. He didn’t budge at first.
“You should lie back. You’re hurting yourself.” Her admonishment did what her nudge hadn’t. He settled against the pillows, but kept hold of her gaze.
“Help me, Colby. Please.”
“If you say I’m you’re only hope, I’ll punch you.” Dammit, she was going to do it. What the hell was wrong with her?
“You’re not my only hope.” His crooked grin eased the tension in his jaw. “But you are my best option. And I mean it…I need your help. Say yes.”
Bad boys had always been her weakness. Not true…people in need are my weakness. A bad boy in need? Double whammy. “I’ll think about it.” Yes, she could think about it, walk out of the hospital and never come back.
“You’re going to do it.” Relief filled his voice. “I’ll make sure I have my discharge papers by tomorrow morning. What time should I expect you?”
“I haven’t said yes.”
“You have,” he closed his eyes, his expression relaxing. “You just haven’t admitted it to yourself.”
Arrogant… “You should get some rest, I’ll let the charge nurse know you’re in pain.”
“Don’t bother,” he murmured. “No more drugs for me. I took out the I.V.”
“They need to put it back in.” She reached to out to press the call button, then Luc caught her wrist in a steel clamp. His grip was unyielding, but thankfully not painful.
“No.” His voice dropped an octave, and she had no choice but to stare at him. “It needs to stay out. I need the drugs out of my system by morning.”
She believed him. Desperation had a very familiar flavor. “How much trouble are you in?”
“Enough to need to be gone by tomorrow.”
Her stomach sank, but she refused to acquiesce…yet. “If I help you, will it get me into trouble, too?” The last guy who needed her so desperately cost her a year of her life.
“I won’t let anything happen to you.” Not really an answer. “I give you my word Colby Jensen, I will protect you and this is my choice to leave the hospital. Nothing that happens will be your responsibility. I need a driver…and a friend for a few hours. You will be well compensated, and I will owe you a favor. Whenever—wherever you need it.”
God, is he in the mafia? She should leave him. He needed to be in a hospital, but if he really was in trouble… “I am so going to regret this.”
The corners of his mouth tilted, then he tugged her wrist lightly and brought her hand to his mouth. The kiss he pressed to her knuckles was at once both formal and oddly intimate. “On my life, Colby, I promise you—I will do everything I can to make sure you do not.”
The hell of it was…she believed him.
Chapter Two
“So, we have a couple of broken arms, both of which I left in casts because they need to learn being a wolf doesn’t equal being indestructible,” Gillian said, her attention on Trent instead of Brett. They’d all been woken in the middle of the night after a couple of rowdy teens stole their father’s car for some hot rodding with humans. Not only had they totaled the car, they’d nearly totaled themselves.
Trent’s face scrunched. “But they were hurt more, weren’t they?”
Across the room, Owen mirrored Brett’s pose and leaned against the wall. He’d looked after his mate as they visited the accident scene and taken care of the injured. Pierce worked with their wolves in the State Police to quietly clean it up and no one in the media seemed any the wiser.
“Yes.” Fatigue edged Gillian’s voice, but her placid calmness kept Brett’s edginess at bay. The submissive’s sweetness and caring were a boon to him and his pack. “Trent, do you remember when we discussed conservation of energy?”
The ten-year-old frowned. “If we use all our energy healing everything, we won’t have what we need when it’s major, but you helped the woman? The human?”