"Sorry. Evidently I'm a little more hungry than I realized."
"Don't worry, I brought Aaron with me and there's a whole breakfast platter for you in Cass's room," Linc says, setting Mindy's breakfast down on the bed tray.
"I'll take that as my cue," I say, rising from the couch with baby Maverick in hand.
"And I'll takethat," Linc says, swooping Maverick from my arms.
I lean in and kiss the top of Mindy's head. "Love you."
"Love you," she mumbles through a mouthful of food.
The hospital feels eerily like a casino in terms of you can never really tell what time it is. I walk back to Cass's room and find him scarfing down a plate of eggs and bacon. Digger is sitting in the chair across from the foot of the bed, looking dead on his feet. "You should go get some sleep," I tell him.
"I'm good. I'll be here until they release him."
I shrug and sit down on the couch. My breakfast smells divine. Chicken fried steak with hashbrown casserole and a side of bacon. My mouth waters as I chew a bite of bacon.
"Mmm," I hum.
"Oh yeah?" Cass raises his brow in my direction.
I nod enthusiastically. "I didn't realize how hungry I was."
We eat in silence, the only noise the low volume coming from the television and the sound of Digger's soft snores.
"Hey, Dig?" Cass says.
"Hmm?" he answers, eyes still closed.
"Go home."
Digger opens his eyes and stretches his arms above his head. "Okay, Prez."
We're left alone again and with a full belly, I'm going to crash. "Listen, I would love to snuggle up with you in that bed but I'm going to sleep on this couch," I tell him, grabbing the sheet and pillow that are folded neatly on the wide window ledge behind me.
"Like hell you are. Get in this bed," he growls.
I sigh, but rise from the couch and walk around the bed to curl in beside him. I know there's no use in fighting it. If I don't, he'll get his stubborn ass up and carry me to this bed, so may as well go ahead and give in now.
Somehow, even with Cass sleeping like a damn starfish and the nurses coming in and out all day, I manage to actually get some sleep. We spend the day sleeping off and on and watching movies, pretending that the world outside doesn't exist. Somewhere in the midst of movies and naps, the nurse comes in to discharge us. Linc is still here with Mindy so once Cass is free and clear, Linc offers to drive us home. I am still exhausted and I can't wait to snuggle my Bud dog and crawl into our bed.
Chapter Thirteen
Cass
After entirely too many hours in a hospital, nothing feels better than crawling into my own bed with Lilly on one side of me and Buddy lying across our feet. Tomorrow, when I wake up and have the capacity to deal with business, I've got a laundry list of shit to take care of, starting with tracking down Gater and finishing this feud once and for all.
He has fucked with me and mine for the very last fucking time. I will exhaust every resource I have until that lowly snake is in my reach. It's been a long time coming and I cannot wait to wrap my hands around his fucking neck. Gaterwillpay.
The pain meds the doctors prescribed me knock my ass out and I sleep like the dead. The sound of motorcycle pipes drawing near slowly drags me from my deep sleep. I'm on alert, listening intently. Lilly nor Buddy are in the bed with me. I bolt upright, immediately regretting it as pain shoots through my shoulder.
"Ahh!" I grip my shoulder as if that will stop the pain somehow.
Lilly walks into the bedroom with a tray in hand. She sets it down on the TV tray beside the bed. A TV tray I don't recognize.
I raise a brow at her.
"Who's here?"
