I shook my head. “Goddammit, Ben.”
Havoc chuckled. “Yeah. The stupidity of youth had that one by the shorthairs.”
“Are you afraid of retaliation?” I asked. “Is that why you’re all here?”
Havoc scoffed. “Please. I wish they would try something. We could save the taxpayers some money. No, my brothers are here because they’re nosy-ass sons-of-bitches who have to be in on the action.”
“And you?”
“I’m here to make sure she recovers. I’m fixin’ to be Santa next week.”
I barked out a laugh despite myself. “Priorities.”
“She’s gonna be fine.” He leaned forward and clapped me on the shoulder. “You did well today, Doc.”
21
Landon
IT WAS LATE Sunday night when Mercy had finally come out of surgery. I lied and told the nurse I was her fiancé, a claim backed up by the handful of bikers who remained, so I could stay in her room. The patient slept all night, and most of the next morning, as I slowly went insane. Then shortly before noon on Monday, movement caught my eye, and I rushed to her bedside.
Gorgeous blue eyes startled at the sight of me. “Landon?” she rasped. Eyes widening, she took in her surroundings. “What’s going on? Why am I in the hospital?” She moved to sit up, but pain pinched her features. She let out a curse as I bent and held her down.
“Easy. You were shot in the shoulder and had to have surgery. Don’t you remember?”
“I….” She winced, cradling the side of her head. “I think so.” Again, she looked around. “Where’s Ben?” Her voice took on an edge of panic. “He was with me, and… ow. Fuck.”
“He’s okay,” I assured her. “They also brought him in an ambulance, but none of his wounds were life-threatening, so they released him late last night. The bikers took him back to their headquarters to get him fed and cleaned up.”
She stiffened at the mention of the club. “He’s not old enough to drink.”
My eyebrows shot up. This was her concern? “They know.”
“Or for club girls.” Pink splashed across Mercy’s cheeks, and she looked away.
At eighteen, Ben was technically old enough to have sex, but I wouldn’t argue the point. Especially when we had more important matters to clear up. “Mercy?—”
Someone tapped on the door as it opened. The nurse who entered looked from me to Mercy, and then smiled and hurried in. “Good, you’re awake. Let me chart your information, and then I’ll let the on-call doctor know.”
I eased back, knowing our conversation would have to wait, and took a seat. The nurse flitted around Mercy, taking her vitals and asking a dozen questions. After she left, we shared a two-minute and thirty-two-second window of alone time. I’d watched the clock, wondering how long it would take for me to grow a fucking pair and start the conversation.
I knew what I wanted.
It had taken me far longer than it should have, but I’d made up my mind, and now I needed to fill her in on the plan. But I couldn’t seem to sack up before the doctor entered and took the option for conversation out of my hands. He kicked me out, and before he even finished his exam, the feds showed up.
My cell phone buzzed with an incoming message from a Seattle number I didn’t recognize:
: Meet me in the cafeteria if you want to try the best burger in the PNW.
It had to be a biker. Wondering which one, I hurried down to the cafeteria where lunch was in full swing. I hadn’t left Mercy’s side since she’d come out of surgery and hadn’t eaten since noon yesterday, but I doubted anything served here was the best of anything.
Sitting in the corner and going to town on a giant, artery-clogging burger that had definitely come from a real restaurant, Sage was difficult to miss. So was the second unopened burger container waiting across the table from him. I hadn’t seen this asshole since Mom had sicced him on me shortly after I’d come to town, when he’d done nothing but insult me. He hadn’t been at the wrap party, and he hadn’t been in on the op to rescue Mercy. The burger felt like a trap, but fuck it, I was hungry.
He clocked me as I approached, swallowing his bite. “Hey, Doc. You hungry?” He nodded at the box.
“Depends. Did you do something to it?”
He shook his head. “You think I would do that?”
