Haley POV:

I pulled a thin blanket over the young Prospect. His face was waxy and pale from blood loss. Dr. Reynolds was reporting to Knight. "The wound is deep, but it missed any major organs. He'll need to be observed for a few days to prevent infection."

Knight gave a curt nod, his expression unreadable, as if this were a minor inconvenience. Then he turned, and those ice-blue eyes locked onto me again, but this time, something shifted in them. A flicker of something that wasn't just cold authority.

"You," he said, his voice lower now, not quite as hard. “You didn't flinch. You knew what to do." He paused, "I need someone who won't fall apart when things get worse. You'll watch him."

It wasn't a request. But it also wasn't the blunt command I'd braced for. It felt more like a decision he'd made after weighing something, and for a split second, I saw a glint of approval in his gaze, like he'd found exactly what he was looking for.

Dr. Reynolds shifted beside me, clearly uneasy. "Mr. Knight, we have nurses on a rotational schedule..."

Knight didn't even glance at him. “:Then adjust it. She stays on this." His attention returned to me, and his lips curved just barely, not a smile, but a promise. “You won't have to do it alone. I'll make sure you have everything you need."

"I... I'll do my best," I heard myself say.

The faint curve of his mouth deepened, and for a heartbeat, his eyes dropped to my lips before snapping back up. “Good girl," he murmured, so low only I could hear.

Heat flooded my face. I hated how those two words made my pulse stutter.

With a final, lingering look at me, one that held a dangerous kind of interest, like he'd just claimed something he intended to keep, he strode out of the examination room. The heavy tread of his leather boots echoed on the linoleum,.

The air in the room seemed to rush back in after he was gone. Kierra leaned in close, her voice a hushed whisper. "Oh my god, you were just 'claimed' by the Prez. That's a first."

I shot her a glare. "That doesn't sound like a good thing."

For the next few hours, I was a prisoner in that room. Ripper stood guard outside like a stone statue, unmoving. I changed the Prospect's dressing and monitored his vitals while he slept. I could hear the low murmur of voices from the hallway, conversations laced with club jargon that only made me more uneasy.

When Kierra finally took over my shift at dusk, I felt a wave of relief. As I left the clinic, I saw that Knight's expensive-looking Harley was gone.

I drove back to my small apartment, exhausted to my bones. All I wanted was to collapse on my couch and think about nothing.

But when I opened my door, my mother, Carol Parker, was sitting on my sofa, her arms crossed and her expression grim. She had a spare key.

My heart sank. "Mom, what are you doing here?"

She stood up. "What am I doing here? I called you, and you didn't answer! Warren called me, Haley! He said you walked out in the middle of your date! What were you thinking?"

I dropped my bag on a chair, the exhaustion making my voice flat. "There was an emergency at the clinic. I had to go back."

She wasn't listening. "What emergency is more important than your future? Warren is a great catch! A lawyer with a stable job! And you just insulted him?"

A headache started to throb behind my eyes. "Mom, he wasn't a great catch. He wanted a free nanny for his mother."

Her voice rose. "So what? What's wrong with a man who's devoted to his family? Haley, you're twenty-four. You can't afford to be so picky anymore!"

She came closer, her tone softening as she took my hand. "Listen, I've already spoken to Patty. She's going to smooth things over with Warren. You'll see him again next week, and you will apologize properly."

I stared at her in disbelief. "Why should I apologize? Mom, can you please stop trying to run my life?"

Her face hardened again. "I'm doing this for your own good! I don't want you to end up like me, married to a no-good truck driver, struggling your whole life!"

On the couch, my father, Robert Parker, flinched but said nothing. He just turned the volume up on the TV.

I felt a profound sense of helplessness. On one side, a domineering biker boss at the clinic. On the other, a controlling mother at home. My life felt like a cage closing in.

I didn't have the energy to fight anymore. "I get it, Mom. I'm tired. Can we talk about this later?"

She took my surrender as a victory and nodded, satisfied. After a few more instructions, she finally left.

I threw myself onto my bed, my mind a chaotic mess. The events of the day, especially Knight's cold eyes and the tone he used, "You have only one patient," played on a loop in my head.

I had a terrible feeling that my life would never be the same again.

Haley POV:

The next morning, I opened my apartment door, dark circles under my eyes, and found my mother standing there. She held a pot of soup and wore a smile that said, I've already forgiven you.

I let her in with a sigh. "Mom, I'm going to be late for work."

She set the soup on my small kitchen table, ignoring my comment. "I've arranged it with Warren. Friday night, at Luigi's. Don't you dare be late or leave early this time."

The anger I'd been suppressing all night finally erupted. "I'm not going! Mom, don't you get it? I don't like him! He's an arrogant, selfish, condescending jerk!"

Carol's face fell. "How can you say that about a respectable lawyer? Haley, don't be so idealistic! Perfect men don't exist. Warren has a stable income and social standing. That's what matters!"

"Respect and understanding matter to me!" I shot back. "He didn't ask me a single thing about myself. He only cared if I would be a suitable 'wife'!"

Our voices grew louder until I finally grabbed my keys and bag. "I'm done talking about this! I'm going to work!"

"You'll go whether you like it or not!" she yelled after me. "I already gave my word! The Parkers do not break their promises!"

I slammed the door, cutting off her voice. The entire drive to the clinic, I felt like I was about to explode.

When I arrived, Ripper was still standing guard outside the Prospect's room, a human statue in leather. He gave me a curt nod as I passed.

Inside, the young Prospect was awake. He looked up at me with shy eyes.

I checked his wound and changed the dressing. "Thanks," he mumbled. It was a small thing, but it slightly softened my opinion of these bikers. At least this one had manners.

At lunch, Kierra cornered me in the break room, carrying two trays. She shut the door and lowered her voice conspiratorially.

"So, Prez Knight himself assigned you as the nurse? How was it? Isn't he just radiating power?"

I took a large, angry bite of my sandwich. "It felt like working with a gun to my head. He's an asshole, Kierra."

Her eyes lit up, completely missing my negative tone. "A super hot asshole! Do you know how many girls at the club try to get his attention? He never even looks at them. You're the first!"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm so 'honored'."

She nudged me with her elbow. "Hey, seriously, what do you think of him? Up close, isn't he handsome enough to make your knees weak?"

"I just think he's cold enough to make my heart freeze." I remembered his icy blue eyes and shivered involuntarily.

Kierra pouted, then pulled out her phone. "Next time you see him, could you sneak a picture for me? Just one! I swear I won't share it. I was so nervous when he was in the room that I barely dared to look at his face—and now I'm kicking myself for not memorizing every detail. Please?"

I stared at her like she was insane. "Are you crazy? You want me to secretly take a picture of a ruthless biker boss? I'd like to live a few more years, thanks!"

"Fine, fine, you're no fun," she grumbled. "But seriously, Haley, being noticed by the Prez, for whatever reason, means you have the Serpents of Retribution MC as your backup. No one will dare mess with you now."

Her words gave me pause. Backup? It sounded more like tying myself to a time bomb. But then I thought of my mother's nagging and Warren's smug face, and for a split second, I wavered.

I shook my head, pushing the dangerous thought away. "Don't be ridiculous. I just want to work quietly and pay off my student loans."

"Sometimes," Kierra said with a sigh, "trouble just finds you." She glanced meaningfully toward the patient's room.

That afternoon, I continued to care for the Prospect. He told me his name was Leo, but he preferred his road name, "Joker." I asked him why, but he just smiled and didn't answer, reminding me again of the uncrossable divide between his world and mine.

As my shift was ending, I felt that familiar, oppressive presence. I turned my head.

Knight was standing at the door of the room, watching me through the glass window.

He didn't come in. He just stood there, his gaze dark and intense. I had no idea how long he'd been there, watching.

I felt like a frog being stared down by a snake, my entire body frozen.

He must have sensed my stiffness. He crooked a finger, beckoning me to come out.

I forced myself to walk out of the room and stand before him. "Is there something you need?" I asked, my voice tight.

He said nothing. He just handed me a paper bag.

I opened it, confused. Inside was the signature lasagna and a side salad from Luigi's.