“Fuck that. Get up here.”
Even though she’s gentle climbing into bed, I almost scream when the mattress dips and she settles next to me. Any pain is worth having her close though.
Once we arrange ourselves, she kisses my cheek. “I was so worried about you,” she whispers.
“How long was I out?”
“Two days.”
“You been here the whole time?”
“Karina sat with you yesterday so I could shower and change, but otherwise…” She swallows hard before finishing. “I wanted to be here when you woke up.”
Any follow-up questions I have are stopped when my father enters the room. “Thank God,” he mutters as he comes closer. “How you feelin’ today, son?”
“Not sure yet.”
His gaze strays to Kady. “She hasn’t left your side.”
“I’m so sorry—”
“Not your fault, Kadence,” my father says. He tips his head toward the door. “Give us a minute, honey.”
My arm tightens around her middle. “No.”
After a minute, she loosens my hold and rolls off the bed. “I need to run to the bathroom anyway. Talk to your dad. I’ll be right back. Promise.”
She leans over and presses a kiss to my forehead, and even in my weakened state, I want to bury my face in her cleavage.
Reluctantly, I watch as she leaves, closing the door behind her.
Before I have a chance to glare at my father, he steps closer. “I’m sorry.”
That’s a first.
Not that my father’s unkind or wasn’t a good dad, but he’s a hard man. Molded by years of leading the Savage Dragons MC. Before that,hisfather ran the club. So, no, my father doesn’t apologize often. To anyone.
“I shouldn’t have given any weight to Santa’s story about Kadence. I know better. Plenty of signs he’d been coming unraveled for a while now. Didn’t think he was capable of such deception, though. That’s on me, son.”
“You find him?”
“It’s been handled.”
I don’t have to ask any follow-up questions. We won’t be seeing Santa again. I imagine on top of the betrayal, the loss weighs on my father. Especially if he had to be the one to end Santa.
“We know why?”
He lifts his shoulders. “What else? Money.”
Christ. None of us are rolling around in piles of cash, but everyone earns well. Everyone’s comfortable. Or should be. To betray the brotherhood for greed goes against everything we believe in.
“He distanced himself from almost everyone over the last few months, but even so, we need to watch everyone a little closer.”
“Thorn is solid, Dad. You know that.” While Hammer pissed me off with his accusations against Kady, I understand his reasoning, so I add. “Hammer, too.”
He nods. “You gonna patch your girl? She’s certainly earned it.”
“You know it. Soon as I get out of the hospital.”
