AllFreeNovel
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“Here we are.” As the front gates to her property appeared up ahead, they were the only break in that twenty-foot-tall stone wall, and she snapped the turning signal upward even though there was no one behind them. “We have medical staff on standby for me—I mean you. You.”
“Well, I don’t need them.”
“And neither do I.”
Hey, two could play at being defensive.
Hitting the brakes in front of the security checkpoint, she was ready to crash through the iron bars as a way to release some tension. So she twisted around, popped an eyebrow, and continued to pick fights.
“You sound like a toddler being asked to eat his veggies.”
“Fuck you, Phalen.”
“Back at you, Joseph.”
As the gates began to open, she refocused on the steering wheel and didn’t wait until the two halves were fully wide before hitting the gas. On the far side, the allée of trees that had been planted bythe property’s previous owner was a green chute directly to her sprawling stone fortress’s front entrance, and as she stopped under the porte cochere, people in white coats and surgical scrubs streamed out into the gray daylight. The flow of doctors and nurses swamped the SUV, and the guard next to her got out and opened Daniel’s door like he was a bellhop.
Conversation layered up as the medical staff clustered around Daniel like he was liable to go into cardiac arrest at any moment. And naturally, the worst patient in the world refused to cooperate—especially as a wheelchair was brought out.
Batting at his own personal 911 medical response, the man’s mouth started running. Because of course, fight with an offer of help: “Get off me, I don’t need that, where is—”
“Lydia’s right behind us,” C.P. cut in over her shoulder. “Relax.”
At the sound of her voice, everybody paused—which was what happened when you were paying all the bills: People listened to you, did what you told them, and went where you ordered them to go. She liked that part of her life.
Gus had been the only one who hadn’t marched to her tune.
As her hand went to her lower abdomen again, she forced her palm back onto the wheel. Why thehell did she always do that whenever she thought of him? It wasn’t his baby, after all—
The Harley’s deep-throated growl grew louder as the motorcycle was piloted through the allée—and then there the wolven was, no helmet, hair streaked back, eyes keen on the chaos convention at the front door, looking for the man she loved.
For a split second, C.P. renewed her appreciation for the woman. Wolf. Whatever the hell she was.
Nothing was going to keep her from her man.
“Mr. Joseph, I’m going to have to insist—”
“If you would just let us assess you—”
“Let’s get you into the wheelchair—”
The volume on the medical chatter got turned up again, and she rolled her eyes. “He’s not going to fight you people anymore. He has what he needs now.”
Although Lydia had maintained she’d never driven a bike before, she handled the halting like a pro, pulling up in front of the SUV, hitting the brakes, killing the engine. After she kicked out the stand and put it in a lean, she took the keys with her as she dismounted—and by way of greeting, she stepped through the sea of staff and gave them over to Daniel.
As her eyes searched his face, he did the same to her, like the pair of them had been away from each other for years.
“How’d you like it?” he asked weakly.
“Now I understand.” The wolven brushed his face. “The bike is freedom.”
“Yes.” He closed his eyes and sank into the SUV’s seat. “That’s right.”
“He doesn’t want that,” Lydia said to the nurse with the wheelchair. “He’s going to walk into the house himself. Aren’t you.”
As Daniel nodded and put out his hand for Lydia to help him, the medical staff didn’t force the issue—then again, they’d been dealing with him for how long? Six months now? They knew what the angle of his chin meant.
Well, and then he had his woman.
