Free Love Notes (Rocked by Love #1) by Susan Scott Shelley Page B

If she couldn't find
Irisa, she'd try to help him. She rushed by the bar. Someone huge barreled into
her side, knocking her off her feet. She flung out her arms and grasped at air.
Sickening fear shot through her. Her head smacked into the bar top. Pain
exploded and the floor rushed up to meet her.
    The fall knocked her
breath out of her. Gasping, she clung to a bar stool. Around her, things calmed
down as bouncers tossed out patrons.
    Zander knelt beside her.
He had a gash on his cheek and blood on his shirt. With gentle fingers, he
turned her head toward him. "Are you okay? Damn it, you're bleeding and
you already have an egg forming on your forehead. Can you stand?"
    "I think so."
She held onto his arms and allowed him to lift her. The room spun.
    He dumped ice from a
glass onto a bar towel and held the bundle to her head.
    A black-clad bouncer came
up to them. "You were in the fight. You're getting tossed. Let's go."
    Her head throbbed. She
leaned into Zander. He kept his arm around her and they followed Landry and
Brendan. Irisa and Dom followed. The bouncer shut the door behind them.
    When the band met at the
middle of the parking lot, a few of the bikers came forward, looking ready to
finish the fight. Zander drew her to the side farthest away. "I swear, if
they take one step this way…"
    "God, I hope
not."
    "Don't worry, I'll
protect you."
    Thankfully, it didn't
come to that. After tense moments, Dom stepped in between the groups and
managed to talk the guys down.
    Relief eased some tension
from her muscles but her head still hurt. She wasn't dizzy or nauseous, but
laying down seemed like a very good idea.
    Dom had his arm around
Irisa. Her friend clutched her wrist. "We're going to the hospital. You
need an x-ray."
    "We'll meet you
there." Zander rubbed Jayne's shoulder. "She hit her head pretty hard
on the bar."
    During the drive, he kept
touching her hand or her knee and asking if she was okay. After the fifth time
she'd reassured him she was fine, he sighed a long expulsion of breath.
"I'm sorry."
    "It wasn't your
fault. You didn't bang into me."
    "You should've gone
outside when the fight broke out."
    "I couldn't find
Irisa, and then you guys all were fighting. I couldn't walk away."
    He nodded, eyes weary and
mouth turned down. "I guess I can't argue with that. I couldn't walk out
on Luke."
    She'd seen their bond.
The way he and Luke could communicate almost intuitively. Even with the tension
between them, their friendship obviously ran deep.
    Zander stayed with her in
the ER while the doctor ran tests, keeping her company and keeping her calm
until the nurse took him away to bandage the cuts on his face and hand.
    Finally, the doctor
released her. She found Irisa, Dom, and Zander in the waiting room. "I'm
cleared to go home."
    "What did they
say?" Zander craned his neck to read the sheet. "Concussion
aftercare?"
    "Just as a
precaution. I don't exhibit signs of a concussion so they don't need to keep me
overnight. The doctor told me to take it easy for the next twenty-four hours.
It's good we don't have a show tomorrow night."
    His fingers gripped the
paper. "This also says someone's supposed to wake you regularly throughout
the night."
    She met his gaze. Would
he volunteer? He opened his mouth but before he could speak, Irisa stood.
"Jayne can stay with me tonight."
    "Are you sure you
don't mind?" Her friend's bandaged wrist probably hurt like hell. Maybe
she'd be able to help her, too. If nothing else, they could feel miserable
together.
    "It's the least I
can do."
    When they reached the
parking lot, Zander pulled her behind a large mini-van while Dom fussed over
making Irisa comfortable. "Call me if you need anything."
    She grasped his hand.
"Will you be okay?"
    "Please, you think
these little scratches will slow me down?"
    For the first time in
hours, she smiled. "Of course not, Mr. Indestructible."
    He cupped her cheek and
pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Not entirely indestructible. I do have
one