Chapter 40
Chapter 40
Aria
“This whole situation has been a shit show of stress, but we don’t have time to worry about this right now. I need to talk to Buck about getting Jaxon that X-ray. We’ll need to leave the compound, and he’s not going to be happy. He just got me here, and he won’t want to let me leave.” I say, turning and heading down the stairs.
I hear Roman’s footsteps following me. “Maybe you should stay here. I can take Jaxon on my own.”
He nearly crashes into me when I stop at the bottom of the stairs and turn to look at him.
“I am not staying here. If anything happens, I need to be there. I won’t let anyone touch what’s mine. Not now, not ever.” I’m pretty sure I catch him smirking, but I ignore that and storm toward the door leading into the main room.
A few of the guys are hanging out playing video games on one for he big screens.
“Where’s Buck?” I ask them.
“He’s in church-“
“Thanks.” I walk past them and head down the hall, where I see a pair of open double doors. “Buck!”
I see him sitting on the chair at the head of the table with a few of the other guys around him, looking at a laptop.
“Hey, kid, what’s up?” He says.
The guys walk out and leave me and Roman alone with Buck.
“I need to take Jaxon to get an X-ray,” I tell him.
He eyes me for a second, and I already know what he’s going to say. “Aria-“
“Look, I know, okay? But we can’t treat him properly if we don’t know how severe his injury is. If it’s bad and we don’t get it fixed, his foot could get even more messed up.” I tell him.
I glance behind me to make sure Roman agrees with what I’m saying. He’s a doctor after all.
“If his foot has a bad enough fracture, he needs it set properly. I can’t do that if I don’t know where the brunt of the injury is.” Roman adds.
When I turn my head to give Buck a look that says “See?”, he looks less than impressed. Although that’s how Buck looks most of the time, but I know this look. He’s about to say that nothing is more important than my safety. Because to Buck, I’m worth everything to protect. He became the overprotective father I never had, and as much as I love the old man for it, it can also be a freaking pain in my ass.
“Pop, I know you want to protect me, but I have to do this, okay? This is my pack now, and they come first to me. They have to, if I'm going to do this thing right. You can send someone to follow us if you want, but I’m not letting them go without me. I don’t trust anyone right now.” I say.
Buck watches me for a long moment and then sighs. “Fine, but I’m sending two guys with you. One isn’t enough, but I don’t recommend taking your whole pack with you. Some of them need to stay behind.”
“I agree. Only Roman, Jaxon, and I are going.” I tell him.
“Fine. I’ll let Bates and West know to go with you.”
“Thank you,” I say, walking toward him and kissing him on the head.
“Mhm. Be safe, kid, and keep me posted. Take a weapon with you.” He says.
“I will. Love you, Pop!” I walk out of the room with Roman behind me again.
“Weapon?” He asks.
“Yeah, I have a few of them,” I say casually.
“Do you have any on you right now?” He asks, sounding a little nervous.
Wanting to mess with him, I slide my hand under my skirt and pull a knife out of the sheath I have strapped to my leg. Once I have the knife in hand, I whirl around and hold it against his chest, making him stop. His breath hitches, and he lifts his hands up.
“Holy shit.” He says, and I can see his breath hitch.
His breaths are shallow and short, so that he isn’t pressing against the tip of the blade.
“That’s just one example of what I usually have on me,” I say, pulling the blade away, and with my eyes still on him, I slip the knife back in its holder. “Come on, let’s go.”
I hear him say something under his breath, and I smirk.
When we get back to the room, all the guys are sitting in the small living room of my apartment. This arrangement isn’t going to last. We need to figure out a way for all of us to be in the same apartment together. I’ll have to ask Buck about that later, but for now, we have more important things to deal with.
“Let’s go,” I say, pointing to Jaxson. “Guys, help us get him down to the car.”
No one moves. “Buck said it was okay to leave?” Daniel asks.
I sigh and rest my hands on my hips. “Yes. Roman and I are taking Jackson to get an X-ray done.”
He opens his mouth to say something, but I hold my hand up to stop him or anyone else who is about to object. “The decision is made. Buck will send two guys with us. Now, can someone help us get Jaxon down to the car, please?”
The guys start to move. Daniel and Ezra each grab one of Jaxon’s arms, helping him to his one good foot. Roman steps aside and follows behind them when they walk out the door. I stay behind and head back into my room to say goodbye to Xander. When I open the door, I stop short. Xander isn’t alone in the bed now. Noah is curled up on the other side of the bed, asleep. Xander is scrolling on his phone, but lifts his head when he hears me come in. When he sees me, he smiles.
“When did he fall asleep?” I whisper.
He glances over at Noah and smiles a little. “Not long ago. He said he was just going to rest, but ended up falling asleep.”
I walk over to the side where Noah is lying down and crouch down so that I’m face-to-face with him. I’m not sure if he sensed me or heard me come in, but he slowly opens his eyes and gives me a sleepy smile.
“You’re back.” He says groggily.
I smile and nod. “I am, but I’m going with Roman to get an X-ray done for Jaxon. But I’ll be back soon, okay?”
His smile falls, and his brow furrows. “You’re leaving? I’ll come with you.”
He starts to sit up, but I grab his arm gently to stop him. “We’re going alone. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to risk more of us leaving than necessary. That would put too big a target on us. The fewer people who go, the better.”
“They could take you.” He says.
“They won’t. I’ll be back soon, I promise.” I lean in and kiss him.