Read Online Hard As Steel: A Hard Ink/Raven Riders Crossover (1001 Dark Nights) by Laura Kaye - Free Book Online
Authors: Laura Kaye
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care of her in every way she needed.
Ike’s attentiveness did funny things to her insides—it wasn’t something she was used to. Her dad had been great, but he’d never been overtly affectionate and certainly never fussed over her when she’d gotten sick. Hell, he went to work with fevers, migraines, and bullet wounds, and was pretty much of the mindset that if you weren’t bleeding out, you were good to go.
After her dad died, Jeremy had played a big role in helping Jess pull herself together. Luckily, she’d inherited enough money to take care of herself, but it was really the job at Hard Ink that finally forced her to start getting dressed again and face the world. Day by day, with Jeremy’s constant friendship and encouragement, things had gotten easier, life had gotten better, and the hole inside her shrank—at least a little. Getting back on her feet had given her the strength to start to forgive herself for falling in with a crowd of friends who’d been into way more trouble that she’d known—trouble that had gotten her father killed in the first place. She wished like hell he was still around to say “I told you so,” because he’d been a hundred percent right.
In her whole life, besides her father, no one had been there for her more than Jeremy and Ike. And that made them the two most important people in her world.
Stretching her aching limbs, Jess blinked open her eyes. Ike was sitting on the edge of the bed, shoulders hunched. “Hey,” she said.
He looked over his shoulder and gave her a smile. “There you are. How ya feeling?”
“Sore. And tired. And really freaking disgusting.” She adjusted Ike’s big T-shirt on her shoulders as she turned over onto her stomach—during one of the periods where the broken fever left her shivering, Ike had dressed her. “And I hope you bought a couple bags of Doritos because I swear to God I could eat every single one.”
“Maybe you ought to start with some toast,” he said, eyebrow arched.
Fair point, given that she’d only had the broth and a few noodles from chicken noodle soup the day before and part of a banana that morning. She asked Ike to get Pop-Tarts and Hot Pockets at the store, and he came home with fruit. Go figure. “Toast is boring. Doritos are life.”
Ike shifted toward her on the bed. “Yeah, but Doritos will be way worse coming back up.” He pressed his hand to her forehead. “Feels like the fever’s gone.”
“I think so,” she said, rubbing her eyes. “Which is good because that really sucked.”
“Apparently, you got taken out by a six-year-old. I talked to Bunny earlier and Ben’s been sick, too.”
“Aw, hope he’s okay,” she said. It had to be terrible watching a little kid be so sick.
Emotions Jess couldn’t read moved across Ike’s rugged face. “If you want to grab a shower, I’ll throw some dinner together for us.”
“Sounds like a plan,” she said. “I need to get out of this bed anyway. I’m not even sure what freaking day it is at this point.”
Ike rose and offered her a hand. “Tuesday.”
“Wow,” she said, allowing him to help steady her as she got out of bed. Ike’s shirt was so big on her it nearly hit her knees, and part of her was sad to change out of it. But, honestly, it should’ve probably been burned at this point.
“You okay to go it on your own?” he asked, half looking like he expected her to fall on her ass.
Jess grabbed a few things from her bag and made for the steps. “I’m good,” she said. “Though if you still feel inclined to carry me around everywhere, I won’t complain. A girl could get used to that, you know.”
She threw a smirk over her shoulder and he shook his head.
When she was clean and dressed in actual clothes for what felt like the first time in forever, she met Ike in the kitchen where she found two plates on the counter. One with very lightly buttered toast and a banana, the other with a big-ass ham and cheese sandwich and a mound
Ike’s attentiveness did funny things to her insides—it wasn’t something she was used to. Her dad had been great, but he’d never been overtly affectionate and certainly never fussed over her when she’d gotten sick. Hell, he went to work with fevers, migraines, and bullet wounds, and was pretty much of the mindset that if you weren’t bleeding out, you were good to go.
After her dad died, Jeremy had played a big role in helping Jess pull herself together. Luckily, she’d inherited enough money to take care of herself, but it was really the job at Hard Ink that finally forced her to start getting dressed again and face the world. Day by day, with Jeremy’s constant friendship and encouragement, things had gotten easier, life had gotten better, and the hole inside her shrank—at least a little. Getting back on her feet had given her the strength to start to forgive herself for falling in with a crowd of friends who’d been into way more trouble that she’d known—trouble that had gotten her father killed in the first place. She wished like hell he was still around to say “I told you so,” because he’d been a hundred percent right.
In her whole life, besides her father, no one had been there for her more than Jeremy and Ike. And that made them the two most important people in her world.
Stretching her aching limbs, Jess blinked open her eyes. Ike was sitting on the edge of the bed, shoulders hunched. “Hey,” she said.
He looked over his shoulder and gave her a smile. “There you are. How ya feeling?”
“Sore. And tired. And really freaking disgusting.” She adjusted Ike’s big T-shirt on her shoulders as she turned over onto her stomach—during one of the periods where the broken fever left her shivering, Ike had dressed her. “And I hope you bought a couple bags of Doritos because I swear to God I could eat every single one.”
“Maybe you ought to start with some toast,” he said, eyebrow arched.
Fair point, given that she’d only had the broth and a few noodles from chicken noodle soup the day before and part of a banana that morning. She asked Ike to get Pop-Tarts and Hot Pockets at the store, and he came home with fruit. Go figure. “Toast is boring. Doritos are life.”
Ike shifted toward her on the bed. “Yeah, but Doritos will be way worse coming back up.” He pressed his hand to her forehead. “Feels like the fever’s gone.”
“I think so,” she said, rubbing her eyes. “Which is good because that really sucked.”
“Apparently, you got taken out by a six-year-old. I talked to Bunny earlier and Ben’s been sick, too.”
“Aw, hope he’s okay,” she said. It had to be terrible watching a little kid be so sick.
Emotions Jess couldn’t read moved across Ike’s rugged face. “If you want to grab a shower, I’ll throw some dinner together for us.”
“Sounds like a plan,” she said. “I need to get out of this bed anyway. I’m not even sure what freaking day it is at this point.”
Ike rose and offered her a hand. “Tuesday.”
“Wow,” she said, allowing him to help steady her as she got out of bed. Ike’s shirt was so big on her it nearly hit her knees, and part of her was sad to change out of it. But, honestly, it should’ve probably been burned at this point.
“You okay to go it on your own?” he asked, half looking like he expected her to fall on her ass.
Jess grabbed a few things from her bag and made for the steps. “I’m good,” she said. “Though if you still feel inclined to carry me around everywhere, I won’t complain. A girl could get used to that, you know.”
She threw a smirk over her shoulder and he shook his head.
When she was clean and dressed in actual clothes for what felt like the first time in forever, she met Ike in the kitchen where she found two plates on the counter. One with very lightly buttered toast and a banana, the other with a big-ass ham and cheese sandwich and a mound
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