“Shot?” Danger licks his lips.

“Don’t tell me, a biker named Danger doesn’t like needles?” Rebecca scoffs, and I watch him try to play it cool.

“Not really a fan of them.” He clears his throat, arranges his features, and then looks up at me. “Will you hold my hand?” He smirks and I hold back my eye roll. God, what is it with cocky men?

“No, but you can have a lollipop.” I let my smile drip in sweet fakeness, then turn and leave before he starts laying it on thick. I already have a man who does the cheesy lines, and he does them better.

“Shit,” I curse, dropping my dead cell phone back into my bag and continue to search for my keys.

“Bell, phone call,” Rebecca calls out before I can find them. Making my way back around the nurse’s station, I pick up the receiver.

“Hello?”

“Oh, thank God.” My mom sighs. “You’re okay.”

“What’s wrong, Mom?” My body locks when I hear the panic in her voice.

“You were meant to be home four hours ago, Bell. I couldn’t get you on your cell, so I thought you must still be at work, but then Jesse showed up and he was worried…” she trails off in a panic.

“Wait, Jesse was there?” My head falls to my hand as I start to play out that conversation. Mom and Jesse meeting for the first time. God help me.

“Yes, he just left.”

“My phone died. Emergency was crazy tonight. I had to stay back. I was just leaving.” I explain my lateness through clenched teeth. I thought we were moving past this, and now Jesse starts?

“Okay, good. I was fine until Jesse turned up. Then I was… I’m sorry,” she whispers, making me feel bad.

“It’s okay, Mom. Listen, I’ll be home in fifteen.”

“Drive safe,” she warns before I drop the phone back in its cradle.

“You okay?” Rebecca asks when I go back to looking for my keys.

“Yeah, my mom just wondering where I was. All good.” My hand finally finds the cool metal of my keys. “Okay, I’m off.” I look up and wave to Rebecca on my way out.

“You on tomorrow?” she calls out before I can escape.

“Nope, I have two days off.” I sigh, looking forward to a shower and some decent sleep.

“Oh, okay, thanks for staying tonight.”

“No problem.” I give her one more wave over my shoulder and exit the front glass doors. The air is cold, and because I wasn’t expecting to stay so late, I didn’t bring a coat. Great. Shifting my bag, I wrap my arms around my front and use my hands to rub my upper arms.

“Nurse Bell?” My name is called. Turning to the voice, I’m surprised when I find Danger standing there. Legs crossed at the ankle, leather jacket back in place. The small hole where the glass cut is barely visible against the dark night. He drops his cigarette to the ground and stubs it out with his boot before walking the rest of the way to me. My legs lock for reasons I don’t know, but the closer he moves to me, the more indecisive I become standing here.

“You finished for the night?” He comes to stand directly in front of me, uncomfortably close. His breath is thick on my face and without thinking, I step back.

“Yep, all done.” I force a smile past my uneasiness as I try to control my racing heart.

His eyes narrow at my retreat, his lips tighten before morphing back into a grin I’m sure he thinks women fall for.

“Good, so you’re free to go get a drink.” The dimple in his chin grows as his eyes do a sweep over my body.

“Ahh, sorry, Danger. I’ve worked a double and I’m beat,” I politely decline and begin to turn away when his hand reaches out and grabs me, stopping me from my departure.

“Oh, come on, baby. You don’t have to play hard to get with me.” He tugs me back and steps in closer, our bodies colliding with force.

“Ump.” A pained breath leaves my lips as his hand fists my hair and tugs, forcing me to look up.

“I saw the way you were looking at me.”

My body is screaming at me to fight, to pull away, but I’m suspended between confusion and terror.

“I wasn’t—”

“You’ve got five seconds to remove your fucking hands off my woman, or I’ll break every one of your fucking fingers.” Jesse’s voice cuts through the fog that was slowly but surely suffocating me.

“The fuck?” Danger turns, but doesn’t release me. “She belongs to you?” He spits the last question at Jesse, anger dripping with every word.

“Did I fucking stutter when I told you to get your fucking grubby paws off her?” Jesse replies and I want to cry out and beg him to take him down now, but I don’t. I keep my eyes on Jesse waiting for his next move.

“So this is the bitch you’re ready to go to war over?” Danger releases his hold on me and steps back just as Jesse moves in, hand lurching forward straight to Danger’s neck.

“You call her a bitch again, see what happens.” Danger’s gaze moves from me to Jesse then back to me, weighing up his options. “Don’t fucking look at her. You look at me, cocksucker. You’re on our turf. You fucking show me respect.” The veins in Jesse’s hand grow as his grip tightens around Danger’s neck.

“Jesse.” I try to calm him, but I know it’s not going to work. Not even a little.

“You’re five seconds from me fucking you right up.” Danger’s eyes leave mine and move back to Jesse.