Leave a Trail (Signal Bend #7)(12)

oOo



“You’re lucky, hon. No broken bones. Mostly just contusions. I’ll close up that laceration through your eyebrow, but the rest will heal on its own. You’re going to look and feel pretty rough for awhile, but you’ll be okay.” Tasha patted his leg and turned to the counter in the treatment room of her clinic.

Badger just lay there, not in the mood to talk, wanting her to hurry the f*ck up so he could get back to his bike and get back to the B&B. He needed to get level. He really needed to get level.

She gave him a shot in his forehead, and half his face went numb. Then she stitched up the gash in his brow. When she was finished, she stared hard at him. “Is there anything else you need to tell me about, Badge? Do you still have Darvocet left? Only using as needed?”

He almost laughed. Yeah, he still had the Darvocet. What a f*cking joke that crap was. “Yeah. Got most of the bottle left.”

Still staring at him, sizing him up like every other person in his life, she finally nodded. Maybe the beating was masking whatever signs she was looking for—signs he certainly f*cking felt. “Good. Take a couple tonight. They’ll take the edge off the ache.”

“Sure. Thanks, Doc.”

As she gathered up the remnants of her care of him, she smiled. “You’re welcome. Sorry you had such a rough night.”

He shrugged, then winced at the burn.

Show came into the room as Tasha finished cleaning up. She left, patting Show’s arm as she went by.

“How you doin’, Badge?” Show leaned against the gurney Badger had just sat up on.

“Okay. Better.” Ashamed, that was what he was. Every day, another way that he showed himself to be a *. Getting rolled by a bunch of f*cking losers. Fuck.

“It true?”

Knowing exactly what Show was asking, he answered, “No, Show. No. I swear.”

“You sure you’re sure? You’d know?”

The Horde stayed out of brothers’ family business, but they didn’t countenance shirkers. A brother bailing on his own kid would mean sanctions, at least. But Badger really was sure. And he was f*cking pissed that Jerri Rae would throw him under the train like this. “I would. I’d know. I swear.”

“Okay. Good enough. Those boys’ll leave you be, at any rate. They got a lesson tonight.”

“I’m…I’m sorry. I was stupid and weak.”

“Stupid, yeah. We’ve all been there a time or two, though. Stupid happens. Learn from it. But weak? No —outnumbered, outarmed, and ambushed, more like.” He laid his hand on Badger’s shoulder. “C’mon, little brother. I’ll take you back to the clubhouse. You need to rest.”

No. He needed to get to the B&B. “Can you take me for my bike instead? I’m okay, really. I think I want to go home.”

“Sure you can ride?”

Badger nodded. Whether he could or not, he didn’t have a choice.

“Okay. But I’ll follow you home.”

Fuck.

Show took him back to Tuck’s, and Badger got his bike. He was able to ride fairly well. Good as his word, Show followed him to his parents’ house and didn’t turn around until Badger was off his bike.

Luckily, it was so late it was early, and his parents’ room was in the back of the house. They wouldn’t be disturbed. He walked halfway to the front door and then turned and waited for the lights of Shannon’s SUV to fade away. Then he got back on his bike and rode the other direction to the B&B.



oOo



He was a mess by the time he got to his office. He barely noticed that Kenny had brought all the animals in, except that Weasel was in his way, dancing around his legs, trying to get a greeting. Badger kicked him away and gimped as fast as he could to his desk.

Everything hurt. Inside and outside. He felt sick. And dizzy. And absolutely f*cking worthless. He crushed double his usual hit and breathed it in.

And then he felt fine.



CHAPTER THREE



Adrienne came downstairs the next morning slowly—she was a little sore, having landed on her tailbone when Badger pushed her the day before. It hadn’t been too bad yesterday, but she guessed she’d stiffened up during the night, because now she was having trouble not limping.

She went into the kitchen to find Show at the table, his head in his hands and his huge coffee mug sitting in front of him. No sign of Shannon, but the aroma of fresh coffee was strong in the room.

“Morning, Show.”

When he looked up, it was obvious that he hadn’t slept and was feeling it, though he smiled warmly at her. “Mornin’, little one. You’re up early on a Sunday.”

She went for a cup of coffee. “You, too.”

“No—I’m up late on a Saturday.”

“Should you be drinking coffee, then? Shouldn’t you be in bed?” She sat down carefully, making sure not to look uncomfortable.

“No rest for the wicked. You got plans today?”

She shrugged. “Not really. Thought I’d drive out a little and take some pictures, then go over to the B&B and see if Shannon needs help with the wedding party checking out.” With a laugh, she added, “Make myself useful.”

She needed to stay busy. Helping out all day yesterday at the B&B, and then spending the evening with Shannon, and later Show, had been a huge help for keeping her head busy. Left to its own devices, it was getting up to lots of trouble. She was more confused about Badger than ever. And she was worried, too.