Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Pain.
My full body ached as my mind clawed through a fog. I opened my bleary eyes and tried to move, but my limbs felt buried beneath cement. The familiar sound of monitors beeped beside me, and I shifted in the hospital bed.
Dr. Patel’s calm voice filled the room. “Easy, Dr. Morris.”
My moan was muffled by the tube down my throat.
“We’ll take that out. Just stay calm.”
In a few practiced moves, Dr. Patel pulled the tube from my throat. I gagged and coughed violently, tears springing to my eyes as the movement pulled at what I assumed were stitches in my abdomen.
I tried to form words around my raw throat. “Let me see my chart.”
“No. You’re a patient, and you’re going to act like one. The short of it: you’re lucky. But you had major surgery, and you need to rest. And if you start to get worked up when I let visitors in, I’m kicking them out.”
“Visitors?”
“Your brother’s here. And another man who claims to be your boyfriend?” She raised her brows.
“Hatchet,” I said hoarsely. “Are they fighting?”
“Who? Your brother and your boyfriend?”
I nodded weakly.
“No punches yet, but there’s some serious tension.”
I closed my eyes. Of course, they’d formed some sort of weird truce while I almost died, but I suspected that would soon come to an end. “I know the family-only rule for the ICU. But I need you to break it. You need to let Hatchet back here.”
Dr. Patel scoffed. “You think I was planning to get in the way of that man? He’d snap me like a twig. Besides, I heard from Lily that he practically funds my salary with how often he’s here. They’re both waiting. Do you want me to let them in?”
“Yeah,” I said, rubbing my throat. “Can you warn them to behave? Maybe give them ‘the look?’”
“The look?”
“The one you give the interns when you’re telling us not to mess up. That you’ll kick us out if you get even a whiff of tom-fuckery.”
“Ah, ‘the look.’ Sure. But I don’t know how much good it’ll do. What’s in the water in that clubhouse? Is it a requirement to be a giant to join a motorcycle club?”
A raspy chuckle escaped my throat. Dr. Patel handed me a cup of ice chips and then left.
Merrick walked in first, worry carved into his brow.
Hatchet followed close behind. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his jaw was locked so tight that the muscles ticked across his cheeks. He leaned down, bracing one hand carefully on the bed railing so he wouldn’t jostle me, and pressed his lips to my forehead.
“Don’t ever pull that shit again, Hellcat,” Hatchet rasped, his voice raw.
“Getting kidnapped by a psychopath? Or ignoring the part where my organs were literally bleeding inside me?” I asked, raising a brow in challenge.
“Either,” he huffed.
When he pulled back, I could see terror reflected in his eyes.
Hatchet released a shaky exhale. “I was so afraid we were going to lose you,” he admitted, barely above a whisper. “I can’t live without you.”
I tried to smile. “It’ll take more than a few kicks to get rid of me.”
Merrick stepped up on the other side of the bed, his gaze raking over me like he was cataloging every cut and bruise. “You look like shit,” he assessed.
“You should see the other guy,” I quipped. “Speaking of, I assume you finished the job?”
He shook his head. “Didn’t get the chance, seeing as you dropped like a sack of potatoes. Reaper and Fuse took care of it.” A flicker of disappointment and guilt warred in his expression.
A part of him hated not being the one to end Luca’s life.
A part of me hated it, too.
“Sorry,” I croaked, my eyes flitting between Merrick and Hatchet. “I’m sure that was a disappointing end to the fun.”
Merrick pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose in frustration.
“‘Disappointing’ was hearing that you’d flatlined.
That you’d died on the table and they had to bring you back.
” His voice cracked. “‘Disappointing’ was hearing from Hatchet that Luca was terrorizing you for weeks and you never told me.”
“It’s not your responsibility to—”
He held up a hand, interrupting me before I could finish. “No. I promised Dad I’d protect you. And I failed. You should have told me. You know every Maverick would have had your back.”
“I had it under control.”
Hatchet let out a low, humorless laugh. “Yeah, Hellcat. Clearly. That’s exactly what this looks like.”
I shot him a glare. “Obviously, I had no idea that he was fucking crazy enough to try to smuggle me out of the country.”
Merrick’s jaw flexed again. “Well, at least we know he’ll never hurt you again.”
“Good,” I rasped. “Now, will one of you go grab me something to eat? Hadley keeps a stock of all the good snacks for her favorite patients.”
“Did the doctor say you can eat?” Merrick asked.
“Yeah,” I lied. Technically, I was a doctor. And I was clearing myself.
Hatchet saw right through my ruse and narrowed his eyes. “I’ll check with Dr. Patel. If she says it’s OK, I’ll track down Hadley. But, in my experience, Nurse Lily always has the best snacks. I’ll see what she has, too.”
“Get me a Red Bull,” I rasped as Hatchet slipped out the door.
He raised a brow over his shoulder and smirked, like he knew no doctor would approve a caffeine bomb hours after coding.
Silence settled in the room as Merrick took a seat beside me. I shifted against the pillows, wincing as my stitches pulled.
“So, do you still hate him?”
Silence stretched between us before Merrick responded. “Haven’t killed him yet.”
“Are you going to give him back his cut?”
Merrick crossed his arms. “He made his choice.”
“He chose me,” I countered.
His expression hardened. “You were never a choice to consider.”
“I know you believe that. I know that’s your stupid code.
But he’s your best friend. Could you at least give him a chance to explain?
Because he really did try to stop it. I’m the one who made the first move.
I’m the one who pushed him to cross the line.
If there’s anyone you should be mad at, it’s me. ”
Merrick paced to the window. “You think it’s that simple? Flip a switch, forgive a brother who broke the code?”
“It is that simple. He loves me. I love him. Just think about it, OK?”
His expression softened, just for a fraction of a second. “I’ll consider it.”
Hatchet strode in a moment later with a plastic tray filled with Jell-O cups and a ginger ale.
“Doc says liquids only,” he announced, setting the tray down. “Non-caffeinated.”
Merrick squeezed my hand. “I’ll come check on you in a few hours.” He shot Hatchet a look as he left, still sharp-edged but maybe a degree less murderous.
I scooted toward the edge of the bed, biting back a wince as hot fire lanced through my abdomen. Schooling my face neutral as it dulled into an ache, I patted the spot beside me.
Hatchet hesitated. He flicked his eyes to the monitors and then back to me before sliding beside me carefully, like he was afraid I’d break.
I peeled open the raspberry Jell-O and dipped my spoon in it before taking a bite. The sweetness hit my tongue. I swallowed hard, my throat burning as it slid down, then held the spoon out to him.
He took a bite. “I’ve had more hospital Jell-O than anyone ever should at this point.”
“At least you’re not the one hooked to monitors this time.”
He brushed a hair behind my ear. “I’d take your place in a heartbeat.”
We traded bites in silence.
He cracked another open and handed it to me. “If you close your eyes and use your imagination, the lime tastes like a margarita.”
I took a bite and closed my eyes. “I think I need more drugs. It just takes like plastic.”
Hatchet huffed a laugh. I offered him another bite, and he shook his head. “Move in with me.”
My heart stuttered. “We’ve barely been together a month.” I searched his face, finding the plea in his eyes. The pain from the night before.
“I never want to wake up without you by my side again.”
I considered what it would look like. Making waffles while Jessa hassled Hatchet. Chaos bullying me for a piece of bacon. Coming home from a long shift at the hospital and curling up on the couch with him. Weekend hikes and alone time when Jessa went to a friend’s house for a sleepover.
“OK,” I agreed. “But only if Jessa is fine with it.”
He scoffed. “Jessa would rather live with you than me. She’ll love it.”
* * *
The next morning, bright sunlight slanting through the blinds woke me before the bustle of morning rounds. And, right as visiting hours opened, Kenna, Rhetta, and Eva breezed in, arms loaded with balloons, books, and what smelled like contraband tacos.
“Hadley said not to tell Dr. Patel about the breakfast tacos,” Rhetta said conspiratorially.
Eva plopped into the chair beside me. “You look like you died.”
“I did,” I said dryly.
“Yeah, Merrick told Reaper, and he told me.”
“No fucking secrets in the club.”
“Never,” Kenna confirmed, perched on the edge of the bed. “So, we were thinking about moving some things around on the first floor. I don’t think you’ll want to climb up and down the stairs when you’re discharged.”
“I’m moving in with Hatchet,” I said casually, my gaze shifting between the three women while I waited for the inevitable reaction.
Eva’s face split into a grin. “Damn, you guys move fast.”
I raised a brow at her.
Eva held up her hands. “I know, pot meet kettle. I honestly can’t believe you guys didn’t get caught.”
I snorted. “Especially considering the time he fucked me against the tree outside the clubhouse.”
Rhetta gasped. “When?”
I smirked. “The night of his birthday party.”
“You dirty girl,” Eva said. “Last night, Reaper spread me out on the picnic table like a spatch-cocked chicken and ate me like I was a gourmet dinner.”
Rhetta cackled while Kenna covered her face with her hands.
I held my side and tried to hold back a laugh. “Please don’t make me laugh that hard. I’m never going to look at him the same again.”
Kenna shook her head but stayed silent.
Eva glanced at her and scoffed. “Don’t act like you haven’t fucked in the great outdoors. Your first time with Merrick was outside after a picnic.”
Kenna’s pale cheeks flushed.