He pulls me against his chest and holds me there as the warm water runs over our bodies. My knees and elbows burn from the gravel rash, but I don’t complain. I just hold him, needing to feel him some more.

“Did they hurt you, little one?” he asks.

“No, Tyke.”

His shoulders drop a little, with relief I think.

“How did you get back?”

“Believe it or not, they had me in this club, in a closet. They only bound my hands. They have this strange underground fighting ring, and there was a fight going on. Someone was meant to be watching me, but the owner, Max, called him to the side. These two girls opened the closet and I ran out. They chased me, of course, but I’m so small I weaved through the crowd a lot easier than they did. I got to the parking lot and slid under a car. When they were gone, I got out and Max saw me. He agreed to take me home—he didn’t want any part of it.”

“Jesus. So this Max guy owned the place?”

I nod.

“Why did he let them put you there in the first place, then?”

“Apparently he owed them a favor. He wasn’t happy about it, but he let them go for a while.”

“Shit,” Tyke mutters.

“Yeah,” I whisper. “What’s going to happen now?”

He shrugs. “Not sure—they chased down the main cars and killed all the people in them. We know who is taking over now, and we’re going to have to deal with him, but that’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“You could get hurt. Of course I’ll worry,” I whisper.

“I’ll be okay.”

I hope he’s right.

~*~*~*~

NOW - Pippa

I’m standing beside Rainer’s bed. I have been coming here and doing this for the past five days. He woke up this morning, but keeps falling back into a deep sleep. The doctors said it might take a while, and that he’ll be sleepy for some time. He knows I’m here, so I’m just sitting beside him, waiting.

The Joker’s Wrath boys rode out to ‘end’ things with Ingro and his drug ring three days ago. None of us have heard anything since. When they ride, they’re silent; it’s probably for the best, as they need all their concentration. We don’t know of their plan, and have been told to stay right out of it. Maddox left five men to guard us, but he doesn’t think we’re in danger now Ingro knows they’re coming.

I try not to think about what could happen, try not to think about the possibilities. They could be walking into a trap—they might get killed on the spot. Anything could go wrong, but Maddox and Tyke assured me they have a solid plan. I heard the word explosives being used, and machine guns. That very sound makes my stomach twist in fear.

“Pippa?”

I jerk at the sound of a voice, and turn to see Belle standing at the door. She smiles at me and I offer one back, letting her know it’s okay to come in. We’ve been talking a lot during the past few days, and when I told her about Max she took it well enough, though I saw the agony in her eyes as I spoke. Whatever happened between the two of them was enough to break her heart into a thousand tiny pieces.

“Hi Belle,” I say.

She’s got two white bags in her hands. She lifts and wiggles them. “I thought you might like something to eat.”

I nod weakly. “Thank you, I would.”

She walks over and takes a chair, sitting beside me. “How’s Rainer?”

I shrug. “He’s still sleeping. The doctor said it’s normal.”

“I’m sure his body just needs the rest,” she assures me.

I pull out the ham sandwich and take a small bite.

“How are you?” I ask her.

She shrugs and looks away.

“Belle, I know we haven’t had much of a chance to talk about what happened with Max, but you can tell me how you’re feeling. I’m always here.”

She looks back to me, her eyes watering. “I don’t know how I feel, Pippa. He helped you, I’m so grateful for that, but knowing he’s so close and what he’s doing has my heart playing wild games with my head.”

“Do you want to see him?”

“I don’t know,” she says. “I honestly don’t know.”

“You don’t have to make a choice right now. He’s there, he’s not going anywhere. If you want to see him, you can. If you don’t, then you won’t have to.”

“What did he look like when he asked about me?”

“Truthfully,” I say, looking into her eyes, “he looked angry, sad and confused all at once. He didn’t give much away, but when he asked if you were seeing someone, I saw a flash of regret in his eyes.”

“Do you think he still cares about me?”

I shrug. “I don’t know, Belle. I think he regrets whatever it was he did, but he wouldn’t let me see much past that.”

She nods. “Of course. Anyway, I didn’t come here to grind you for information. I just wanted to see how you are. Have you heard from Tyke?”

I shake my head, suddenly losing my appetite. “No, and I’m terrified.”

“He’ll be okay, Pippa. He’s a strong man.”

“Pippa?”

The croak causes both Belle and me to spin around. Rainer has his eyes open and is staring down at me, a weak smile on his face. Belle squeezes my arm and stands. “I’ll leave you to it.” Then she disappears out the door.