Read Online RIDE (A Stone Kings Motorcycle Club Romance) by Daphne Loveling - Free Book Online
Authors: Daphne Loveling
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yet another set.
“Okay. Try it again.”
“I’ve been doing this exercise for five minutes,” I complained.
“That’s completely irrelevant.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one with the goddamn gunshot wound.”
“Are you questioning me?” Her eyes flashed.
“No. Jesus. I’m just saying I’m getting sick of it.”
“Also irrelevant. Give me another set.”
I shrugged. “Whatever you say, princess.”
She froze. At first, I didn’t even know why, but then the realization of what I’d said hit me. I hadn’t planned to make any reference at all to the fucked-up past, but apparently my stupid mouth had other plans.
“Sorry,” I grunted. “It just slipped out.”
Eva’s entire body had become a mass of tension, like a coiled cobra ready to strike. She glanced up at the large clock on the wall.
“Session’s over,” she said coldly.
My gaze followed hers. “It’s only eleven thirty,” I said. “I thought we were supposed to go until twelve.”
“My gift to you.”
Without looking at me, she stood, and pushed my crutches toward me with her foot. “Don’t forget about wearing appropriate clothing in the future.”
And then she was gone.
8
Eva
I paced back and forth outside the back loading dock of the hospital, my heart hammering in my chest.
Goddamn it. God damn it.
I thought I could handle being Trig Jackson’s PT. I thought I was professional enough to push the past out of the way and concentrate on him as just another patient. But all it took was one word — one callous, cutting word — and all of the pain had come rushing back.
How dare he call me princess? Was he a child? Did it actually give him pleasure to try to make me feel like an awkward outcast again?
When I had calmed down a little bit and my breathing had slowed, I tried to think of any possible explanation for what he said that wasn’t edged with brutality, but I just couldn’t. It was too specific. There was no other way he could have meant it.
Whatever you say, princess .
It was, word for word, what he had said to me that day at the hot springs. Right after I shakily told him we should stop making out before things went too far for me to resist him any longer.
At the time, I had thrilled when he said it. It felt like a special name, just for me. A term of endearment. Something private. Tender, even. The word echoed through my head all the way home.
How wrong I was.
‘Princess’ was the one thing he could have said to me to cut me to the quick, even though I never would have believed he’d even remember calling me that. But he did. How could I possibly not believe he’d done it on purpose to make me remember the past? To remember what he’d done? Why, after all these years, would he be so invested in hurting me?
I had no idea. But what I did know is that I would not give him another chance to do it again.
When I had calmed down enough to go back inside, Trig was long gone. I wandered around until I found Vanessa just finishing up with a patient of her own.
“Hey,” I greeted her. “Listen, do you have time to get some lunch? I have a favor to ask you.”
“Sure, just give me a minute to make some notes,” she smiled. “Meet you out front?”
It was a beautiful day out, so we went to one of our favorite spots, a food truck taqueria across the street from the hospital that had the best fish tacos in town.
We found a bench to sit down and munched on our tacos for a few minutes in silence.
“So,” Vanessa said between bites. “What’s the favor?”
“I’d like you to take over a patient of mine,” I began.
She frowned. “What’s up?”
“I just don’t feel I’m the best person to help him.”
“What’s his story?”
I hesitated. “He, uh, has a gunshot wound. Femoral neuropathy. Dr. Larkin assigned him to me. I saw him this morning, and I think we’re not a good fit.”
She raised an eyebrow at me. “The hot one? With the tattoos? I saw him leave a
“Okay. Try it again.”
“I’ve been doing this exercise for five minutes,” I complained.
“That’s completely irrelevant.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one with the goddamn gunshot wound.”
“Are you questioning me?” Her eyes flashed.
“No. Jesus. I’m just saying I’m getting sick of it.”
“Also irrelevant. Give me another set.”
I shrugged. “Whatever you say, princess.”
She froze. At first, I didn’t even know why, but then the realization of what I’d said hit me. I hadn’t planned to make any reference at all to the fucked-up past, but apparently my stupid mouth had other plans.
“Sorry,” I grunted. “It just slipped out.”
Eva’s entire body had become a mass of tension, like a coiled cobra ready to strike. She glanced up at the large clock on the wall.
“Session’s over,” she said coldly.
My gaze followed hers. “It’s only eleven thirty,” I said. “I thought we were supposed to go until twelve.”
“My gift to you.”
Without looking at me, she stood, and pushed my crutches toward me with her foot. “Don’t forget about wearing appropriate clothing in the future.”
And then she was gone.
8
Eva
I paced back and forth outside the back loading dock of the hospital, my heart hammering in my chest.
Goddamn it. God damn it.
I thought I could handle being Trig Jackson’s PT. I thought I was professional enough to push the past out of the way and concentrate on him as just another patient. But all it took was one word — one callous, cutting word — and all of the pain had come rushing back.
How dare he call me princess? Was he a child? Did it actually give him pleasure to try to make me feel like an awkward outcast again?
When I had calmed down a little bit and my breathing had slowed, I tried to think of any possible explanation for what he said that wasn’t edged with brutality, but I just couldn’t. It was too specific. There was no other way he could have meant it.
Whatever you say, princess .
It was, word for word, what he had said to me that day at the hot springs. Right after I shakily told him we should stop making out before things went too far for me to resist him any longer.
At the time, I had thrilled when he said it. It felt like a special name, just for me. A term of endearment. Something private. Tender, even. The word echoed through my head all the way home.
How wrong I was.
‘Princess’ was the one thing he could have said to me to cut me to the quick, even though I never would have believed he’d even remember calling me that. But he did. How could I possibly not believe he’d done it on purpose to make me remember the past? To remember what he’d done? Why, after all these years, would he be so invested in hurting me?
I had no idea. But what I did know is that I would not give him another chance to do it again.
When I had calmed down enough to go back inside, Trig was long gone. I wandered around until I found Vanessa just finishing up with a patient of her own.
“Hey,” I greeted her. “Listen, do you have time to get some lunch? I have a favor to ask you.”
“Sure, just give me a minute to make some notes,” she smiled. “Meet you out front?”
It was a beautiful day out, so we went to one of our favorite spots, a food truck taqueria across the street from the hospital that had the best fish tacos in town.
We found a bench to sit down and munched on our tacos for a few minutes in silence.
“So,” Vanessa said between bites. “What’s the favor?”
“I’d like you to take over a patient of mine,” I began.
She frowned. “What’s up?”
“I just don’t feel I’m the best person to help him.”
“What’s his story?”
I hesitated. “He, uh, has a gunshot wound. Femoral neuropathy. Dr. Larkin assigned him to me. I saw him this morning, and I think we’re not a good fit.”
She raised an eyebrow at me. “The hot one? With the tattoos? I saw him leave a
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