“Copeland, it’s over now, right?”
He looked down at her, a flicker of emotion in his gaze now. Sympathy. Relief. “Yeah, Franny. It’s over.”
THE BEEPING WASgoing to drive him insane.
It was the first coherent thought Royal’d had in what felt like a very long time. When he blinked his eyes open, nothing fully made sense except if that beeping didn’t stop he was going to…
Well, not a whole lot because he couldn’t seem to move the way he wanted to. He could turn his head, and when he did, he came face-to-face with his sister.
“Chick.” His voice sounded rough.
Brooke smiled, but she’d been crying. It was all over her face. Red eyes and puffy cheeks. “You’re really getting shot way too much for my personal comfort.”
“Had a vest this time.”
“Thank God.”
He tried to shift in the bed, but he didn’t feel in control of his limbs just yet, and he realized one of said limbs was in a cast. His left arm. He stared at it, not fully making sense of it. A broken arm. Must have been from the accident.
Accident. “Franny?”
“She’s doing all right. They stitched her up. She had to stay overnight, but they released her today. Just a nasty gash on herhead, but otherwise she’s fine.” Brooke scooted closer to the bed, peering at him. “She’s waiting to see you. Refuses to leave until they let her. They were only letting family sit with you while you were coming out of the anesthesia.”
“She should go.”
Brooke frowned. “She wants to see you. Why should she go?”
He had answers for that, but he couldn’t seem to find them in the swimming feeling in his brain. “Am I dying or something?”
“No. Broken nose, broken arm, concussion, bruised and cracked ribs, honestly too many bumps, bruises and lacerations to count, but you’re going to be okay. If I have to personally see to it.”
“You need to take care of yourself, Chick.” She waspregnant. She shouldn’t be worrying over him. She didn’t say anything to that, just frowned disapprovingly at him.
Royal sighed. It hurt, but not the way ithad. Pain killers, probably. Or that anesthesia Brooke was talking about. How long had he been out of it? He kind of remembered arriving, but everything around that was a blur.
One thing was clear though. “I wasn’t fast enough. Not the first time. Couldn’t get the car out of the way. I should have seen it coming. I should haveknown.”
Brooke studied him for a long time, that serious study that always felt like she saw more than he’d ever understand. She brushed at the hair on his forehead, like she had when he’d been a little kid. Before they’d been separated.
“You are incredibly brave, Royal. A hero. The people you’ve saved in your life would havediedotherwise. So you don’t get to be hard on yourself.”
He didn’t argue with her. Hewantedto, but he supposed now wasn’t the time.
Hero? With them all beat up like this? He didn’t think so.
But he heard Franny’s words in his head.You cannot tell me you aren’t good or brave, because that is the heart of who you are. Period.
Brooke stood. “I’m going to go get Franny.”
“What if I don’t want you to?” He had things to work out, and he wasn’t strong enough to stand up to how much he wanted… So much he wanted…
“You’re wrong,” Brooke said simply. “And you’ll have to tellherthat. I’d suggest not.” She swept out of the room. Mad at him. Which wasn’t fair.
He didn’t think.
Didn’t matter. He had to think of the right words to get Franny to leave, and his brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders, so it’d be a challenge.
She came in, clasping her hands together. She had a bandage wrapped around her head, and the clothes she was wearing were too big for her, clearly not hers. Hers had been ripped and bloody.
