Rome: A Marked Men Novel Read Online Free PDF

liar has never been one of
    them.”
    We shook hands and I promised that I would touch base with him when I was in more functioning
    order.
    I had to wait longer than I was comfortable with to see someone, and by the time they took me to the
    sterile little room and pulled the curtain around the bed, I was pretty sure I was staying conscious by the
    sheer force of my will alone. I was peeling my ruined T-shirt off over my head when the curtain moved
    back and a really pretty nurse holding a chart came in. She had her head bent over whatever she was
    reading and it gave me the opportunity to check her out. She had long copper hair twisted in a braid away
    from a truly lovely face. She looked a couple of years younger than me, and I couldn’t help but appreciate
    that she was rocking some kick-ass curves under those boring scrubs all medical professionals seemed to
    wear.
    “Hey.”
    She looked up at the sound of my voice and blinked wide, dove-gray eyes at me. I don’t know if it was
    the sight of my naked chest or the fact that I was now covered head to waist in blood that had her looking
    apprehensive.
    “Hello, Mr. Archer. It looks like you had a rough night.”
    “I’ve had better, that’s for sure.”
    She snapped on some latex gloves and came over to stand beside me.
    “Let’s have a look at what kind of trouble you got yourself into, shall we?”
    She poked and prodded at my head and I tried not to stare at her boobs. She really was a pretty girl and
    it made the sting of her jabbing at my newest battle wounds hurt just a little less.
    “What’s your name?” I didn’t really need to know it, I probably would never see her again after I got
    stitched up, but her eyes were just so soft and pretty I couldn’t help but ask.
    She gave me a friendly smile and looked like she was about to oblige me when the flimsy curtain was
    yanked back and Nash came barreling through. His cornflower-blue eyes were on fire with a mixture of
    anger and concern. The flames tattooed on the side of his head were standing out as the vein under them
    throbbed in irritation.
    “Do you have any idea the kind of hell I’m going to get from Rule when he finds out about this?
    Goddamn it, Rome, what the fuck is wrong with you lately?”
    I was going to respond when his attention switched from me to the lovely nurse who was staring at him
    with her mouth hanging slightly open. I was used to Nash’s dramatic look and larger-than-life presence. He
    and Rule had always drawn a lot of attention, so it never fazed me, but the pretty little nurse suddenly
    looked like she was seeing a ghost and it looked like Nash was trying to place where he might have seen her
    before as well.
    “I just need to get stitched up and then you can yell at me on the way home.”
    The nurse cleared her throat and tossed her now-bloodstained gloves in the trash. “You’re probably
    looking at staples for the laceration in your head. It’s pretty nasty and deeper than it looks. The slice on the
    side is pretty clean, so you might get away with just a topical, liquid suture on it. The doc will be in
    shortly.”
    Her entire demeanor changed with Nash in the room. I could tell he noticed something was off with her
    as well. He scrunched up his nose and stared at her until she was uncomfortable enough to look up at him.
    “Do we know each other?”
    She shook her head so hard that she dislodged the pen she had tucked behind her ear.
    “No. No I don’t think we do.”
    He scratched his chin and narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you sure? You look really familiar to me.”
    She shrugged and fiddled with the stethoscope that dangled around her neck. She was hot, and if I was
    so inclined, I could see working up some really nice nurse fantasies where she was the main attraction.
    “I get that a lot. I must just have one of those faces. I have to run. No rest for the wicked.” She gave me
    a little grin and disappeared around the corner, leaving both of us staring