Page 22 of Striker’s Rebel

She takes in his size, his cut, the tattoos, the bloody knuckles.

Then her eyes find the bruises on my arm.

“Oh, honey.”

“I’m okay.”

Striker makes a low sound behind me.

I turn. “I heard that.”

“Wasn’t hiding it.”

Ruth’s mouth tightens. “Who did that?”

“Nobody did anything. They grabbed me.”

Thomas takes another step closer. “They?”

“Three men,” Striker supplies.

I glare at him. “Traitor.”

“One woman against three men?” Ruth asks.

“I had it under control.”

Striker looks at me.

I point at him. “Choose your next words carefully.”

He actually considers it.

“You were doing great.”

I narrow my eyes.

“Right up until one of them had both your arms.”

Thomas hides a laugh behind his hand.

“I liked you better when you were quiet,” I tell Striker.

“No, you didn’t.”

Heat crawls up my neck.

Ruth notices.

Of course she does.

Thomas turns toward him. “So you handled them?”

“Yeah.”

“All three?”

“Yeah.”