He scoops up my bag. “You and I have somewhere special. The others are nearby. Same town, different building.”
“Same town?” I narrow my eyes at him. “Mercs, where are we going?”
He laces his fingers through mine, warmth instantly traveling up my arm. “You’ll see. But let’s go… everyone’s waiting.”
The nurses are gathered in the corridor with a wheelchair ready. I thank each of them sincerely as they wheel me out. These people kept me alive, and that’s not something I’ll ever forget.
At the hospital doors, I pause and glance back. “Thank you,” I call out.
Once outside, I stand on my own. There’s no way I’m letting paparazzi snap photographs of me looking fragile. Mercs slipsan arm around my shoulders and walks me toward a stretch Hummer waiting at the curb.
Flashes erupt to the right, where the paparazzi are corralled behind barriers. I lift a small wave and smile so they know I’m okay. The cheering that follows is oddly comforting.
Inside the Hummer, everyone’s here—my band, my parents, Tank, Jay, Luke, Raoul. Mercs slides in beside me, and I lean into him instinctively.
“Welcome back, baby girl,” Dad beams, his grin wide enough to light the entire vehicle.
“Thanks, Dad. I feel more like myself.”
He pulls Lettie close, kissing her temple. “Whole family together again… plus a few stragglers.” He elbows Luke.
Luke looks up from his phone with a sigh. “I was finalizing theSwift Divisiondetachment. It’s done. The contract is void. Financial arrangements are null thanks to Jett’s little knife incident. Now I have to find a replacement band without knowing when we’re relaunching. Easy, right?”
Mercs squeezes my knee gently.
Dad rolls his eyes and slings an arm around Luke. “Lucas, my boy… you’re wound tighter than a drum. Let some of that tension out before your head explodes, and I’m not talking about the one on your cock.”
Laughter ricochets through the car, loud and immediate. Luke groans under the weight of Dad’s arm while Lettie swats him hard in the chest for good measure. Alana however, goes pink beside the window, suddenly fascinated by absolutely nothing outside.
“Always educational, Donny,” Luke mutters, trying and failing to look unimpressed.
Dad just grins as the Hummer eases away from the curb, gliding into traffic like none of us just had our dignity publicly assaulted.
“So,” I say, looking around. “Is anyone going to tell me where we’re going?”
“It’s a surprise,” Andi sings from across the seat.
I glare at Mercs. “And you all know?”
A collective “Yep” answers me.
I fold my arms dramatically. “Rude.”
“Relax,” Mercs murmurs, his eyes dancing. “You’re going to love it. I promise.”
The confidence in his voice settles something inside me. Whatever they’ve planned, it’s meant to protect me, to help me heal. So I lean back against the seat, slide my hand into his, and let the unknown feel exciting instead of terrifying.
For once, I’m not rushing toward the next stage.
I’m just going to enjoy the ride.
Chapter Seven
EFFA
As we head further out of Pittsburgh, I start to get the faintest inkling of where we might be going, but I refuse to let myself get carried away. I’ve learned the hard way that hope can feel fragile. It’s not until I see the sign reading ‘Welcome to Ligonier’ that my smile stretches so wide it almost hurts.
I turn toward Mercs, placing my hands on his chest, and grin up at him. “Are we staying with Gran and Kiera?” I ask, and he chuckles, giving me a subtle nod.
