Ink Enduring (Montgomery Ink #5)(58)

Jesus Christ, the girl. He couldn’t let her get hurt, couldn’t let Jake and Maya get hurt. This couldn’t happen again, damn it. He couldn’t lose someone he was charged with protecting.

He was just about to reach for the glove box, bullets be damned, when the sound of a revving engine echoed in his ears and whoever had hit him drove off. Border sighed and got his gun, doing his best not to hurt himself even more when he sat up.

Armed and ready, he took stock of the situation and cursed yet again. He was out in the hill country, alone and in f*cking bad shape. It could have been worse, he knew, but it would be a damn long walk for help.

He quickly took out his phone and called Sanchez. “Get her out,” Border snapped as soon as the other man answered. “I just got hit.”

“What the hell? Are you okay? Where are you?” Sanchez spoke faster and faster as he shot off questions, and Border sighed. He needed to get out of his damn truck because there was no way he’d be able to drive it anytime soon. Damn it. He liked this truck. And if he worried enough about that, maybe then he wouldn’t have to worry about the fact that the little girl’s life would have to be upended. Again. And that just his very presence put Jake and Maya in danger.

He was some kind of special * for even letting himself get close to them. Yet he wasn’t sure he could walk away quite yet.

“Just get her out,” Border growled.

“On it, *,” Sanchez snapped. “Now, where the f*ck are you? Are you hurt? Talk to me, man.”

Border rested his head on the passenger headrest and gave Sanchez the mile marker before hanging up and closing his eyes. He needed to get out of the cab soon in case the *s who’d run him off the road came back. All he knew was that his body ached, and he wanted to go home to the two people who mattered most—even if it was probably a bad idea.

By the time he worked his way out of his truck, Sanchez had pulled up behind him. His body felt like a car had hit him—and one had.

“Holy shit, Border,” Sanchez called out as he ran toward him. “I called the local authorities, who will deal with the wreck and not ask too many questions since I pulled some strings.” He ran a hand through his messy black hair. It seemed as if the other man had been doing that a lot from the looks of him. “Do we need to get you to the hospital?”

Border shook his head and didn’t wince; he counted that as progress. “I didn’t hit my head, and I wasn’t going that fast when I went off the road. My body hurts, but I don’t think I have internal bleeding.”

Sanchez narrowed his eyes. “You can’t tell that from looking, Border. Let’s get you checked out at least. You might not remember hitting your head.”

Border sighed. “I just want to go home, Sanchez.” For as long as he had his home, that was.

“Humor me,” Sanchez said dryly. “I don’t want whoever you have at home kicking my ass because I let you go down on my watch. Got me?”

Border snarled.

“Good. Now get in the car and I’ll take you to get checked out. You want me to call anyone for you?”

Border could have taken Sanchez just then, even hurt as he was, but he knew he needed a little time before he saw Jake and Maya. There would be no hiding the bruises and cuts, and frankly, he wasn’t sure if he should at this point. They deserved to know what they were getting into, even if it meant he might have to leave them in order to keep them safe.

Hell, maybe his head did hurt, after all.

Without a word, he stomped over to Sanchez’s car and got in, cursing himself all the way. He’d been so in his head, thinking about Jake and Maya and whatever future they could possibly have, he hadn’t seen the damn truck that knocked him off the road coming. Hell, he didn’t even know if it was a truck. It could have been a f*cking Prius for all he knew.




By the time he got out of the hospital where they’d declared him sore but fine health-wise and ended up in front of Jake’s house, he was tired, cranky, and still not sure what he was going to tell Maya and Jake about what had happened. But with the fresh bruises and cleaned cuts on his body, he wasn’t going to be able to hide it.

“You want me to walk you in?” Sanchez asked from the driver’s side.

Border shook his head. “I got it.” He sighed, pausing before speaking again. “I’m not going to tell you where we put her. Not that I don’t trust you, it’s just that…”

“That you want to keep me safe. I got you, Sanchez.” Border sighed. “I’m done anyway. I can’t let them get hurt.” He nodded toward the house.

“Them?” Sanchez asked, curiosity in his tone.

“Bye, Sanchez.” He wasn’t about to let the other man in on his life. He wasn’t sure what the hell he was doing as it was. “Thanks for everything.” With that, he slammed the car door and slowly made his way to Jake’s front door.

When it opened without him even having to knock, he knew he’d have some explaining to do.

“What the f*ck, Border?” Jake asked, his eyes wide. His lover moved quickly, taking Border by the waist and pulling him inside. “What the hell happened?”

“Oh my God, Border,” Maya whispered. She closed the door behind them and ran her hands softly over his body. “Baby.”