“Shit. I hate this.” Piper bangs her fists on my chest. “I hate not knowing anything and not being in control of my body and I fucking hate that they’ve broken me down. I’m a strong assed woman and I don’t like being this fucking wingy woman.”
“Hey, Piper. No one ever said you were weak. I’ve never met anyone as strong as you are before. Don’t forget what you’ve been through and don’t ever forget that you escaped with your life. You escaping is going to save the rest of the women, including Mallory. You are not weak-willed at all. And I am sure you never will be.”
She sinks into my chest, and she cries. My heart is breaking for this woman. I want to look after her. I want her. That’s just it. I want her, but I know that I can’t have her.
She looks up at me and climbs off my lap. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sob. I’ve wet your t-shirt now.” I look down on the wet patch and laugh.
“Babe, it’s fine. I like having your wet patch on me.” Before I can take it back, she laughs. Thank God.
She is laughing hysterically. “Hey, it wasn’t even that funny.”
She’s shaking her head. “Yeah, it is.” I’m not sure if she’s laughing because it’s funny or if this is going to lead to some kind of hysteria.
When she stops laughing, she looks up at me and says, “Am I ever going to have someone love me again? Am I too broken to fall in love? Will I ever be able to let a man touch me sexually again?”
“You are going to meet someone who is going to love you unconditionally and is able to help you with your nightmares and your PTSD.” Am I the asshole because I want that person to be me?
“You think?” She is still looking up at me.
“I know so.” I lean down and kiss her head and she smile and snuggles further into my chest.
“I feel better now,” she' sounds tired and I help her lay back down. Sitting in the chair by the bed, I take her hand. “Try and sleep some more, I’ll be here to fight your demons for you.”
She smiles and I watch as her eyelids get heavy again. “My hero,” she whispers as she drops off to sleep again.
After a few minutes of silence, Doc puts his hand on my shoulder. “You know you’re the one who can be all of that for her, right? I see the way you look at her, I’ve known you for years and you’ve never once looked at anyone like that, much less another woman.”
“She needs someone reliable and good, I’m not good, Doc.”
He laughs. “Yes, you are. You and your brothers help people, you’re not the bad ones here. I’m telling you now that you are the one for her, Brax.” He squeezes my shoulder and walks over to take a look at Piper’s vitals.
“I need to go see Prez, if she wakes up call me straight away.” I stand and don’t miss the smirk on Doc’s face.
I walk out with one last look at her.
Chapter Four
PIPER
When I woke up, Braxton isn’t here. Doc sees me and smiles. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, I did. I feel better now. I’d like to go for a walk and get some food.” I sit up.
“Good idea.” He comes over to the bed and helps me out of the bed. “I’m just going to call Brax, he wanted to know when you’re awake.”
He moves away from the bed. “Don’t call him, I’ll go looking for him.”
“it’s not really a good thing for you to be walking around the clubhouse on your own.”
“Am I not safe?”
“Of course you are, but what happens if you have a seizure?”
“For fucks sake,” I moan and stop where I am. “Call him.”
He laughs. “You’re not a woman who likes to take orders, you’d never know you were in the military.”
I don’t know what I’m going to do with my life now. Everything I once knew has changed. I’m not that person anymore.