Free Branded (Strand Brothers Series Book 1) by Lora Ann Page B

ones?”
    I heard the inquisitiveness in his voice. How much should I share about Renée’s past? I figured honesty was best. “Her brother’s in a gang. She had a rough upbringing, but that was a long time ago.”
    “Do you think this has anything to do with him?”
    “No, I really don’t,” I concluded.
    “Why’s that?” he questioned.
    “Well, honestly, she keeps her distance from him.” I turned to face him. “He’s only around when she needs him. Otherwise, they don’t really have a relationship,” I answered.
    “I see,” he said contemplatively. I suddenly had a sick feeling deep in my gut and began to shake uncontrollably. He squeezed my hand. “Hey. Are you okay?”
    I bit my lip hard, tasting blood. “It’s him, isn’t it?” I whimpered.
    “We don’t know that for sure.” He didn’t even pretend not to understand whom I meant—for which I was grateful—but it didn’t change the fact Caleb was sending a message. No matter what Nik had said about not knowing for sure; I knew. And his message was loud and clear: Return to me or else. I shuddered at the thought. How was I going to get away from that man? More to the point, how would I protect the ones I loved from him? “Don’t let your imagination get away from you, Aimee,” Nik said, pulling me from my reverie. “Once we know for certain, then, we deal with it.” He’d parked the car and tugged me into a hard embrace. “You’re not alone,” he vowed. “I’ll do whatever I have to, to keep you safe.”
    I whispered, “Okay.” Still not understanding the pull between us, I hugged him back. “Thank you, Nik.”
    He pulled back and lifted my chin gently. “It’ll all work out. Trust me?”
    Ironically I did, which made no sense considering I didn’t know this man. Yet, I did. It was beyond confusing. I decided to be truthful and responded with a definite, “Yes. Yes, I do trust you.”
    He rested his forehead against mine. “Thank you,” he murmured.
    With that, we left the car and proceeded into the hospital.
     
     

Chapter Nine
     
    Nik
     
    Hate was too weak a word for how I felt about hospitals. The smell alone was enough to make me turn tail and run. Hard. Fast. As far away as I could possibly go. All of a sudden, I was there all over again: The five security guards wrestling me to the ground. The doctor screaming, “Stop! Before you permanently damage your arm!”—which had already been broken. The gut wrenching howling as they informed me, “dead on arrival. Baby could not survive outside her mother’s womb.” Every finite detail of the worst night of my life played through my mind in HD Technicolor. Somewhere in the haze between past and reality, I heard a soft voice.
    “Nik? Can you hear me? Come back, you’re scaring me,” Aimee confessed. She grabbed my face with her hands and tugged me down to her. “Hey, I’m right here.” She reassured, “I won’t leave you.”
    I blinked furiously and attempted to get my bearings. “What…?”
    She held my gaze. “Do you know who I am? Where you’re at?”
    “Aimee.” Then I paused as I tried to assimilate my location. When I answered, “Hospital,” I felt the blood drain from my face.
    “Yes. Do you remember why we’re in the hospital?”
    I shook my head as cold sweat trickled down my back and my palms became clammy. With a jolt of recollection, I realized what was going on. I pulled her hands away from my face and replied, “Renée. Is she all right?”
    Aimee narrowed her eyes at me. While she avoided my question, she inquired, “What was that?”
    I feigned innocence. “What are you talking about?”
    She didn’t buy my act for a second. With her hands on her hips, she responded, “Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about it.”
    Man, she was even more beautiful when she was angry. But there was no way I would confess to anything. I held my ground with a nasty, “Drop it,” as I walked away from her. I didn’t plan to go