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“Until then, I want to see you up walking throughout the day like you have been. Your muscles were starting to atrophy, which is what I’m the most concerned about at this point. But you’re doing great considering…”
“Yeah,” I muttered.
Considering I’d been tortured for three weeks, kept alive with an IV that pushed fluids into me, and given zero food. My body had been put through the kind of pain that would have easily broken a lesser man in minutes. Fontana was a sadistic bastard. He’d gotten off on making me scream, but he didn’t get what he wanted. Even when he threatened Jos, I’d somehow kept my mouth shut.
I craved his blood.
I wanted to be his Angel of Death. Wanted to watch the life fade from his eyes when I put a bullet in his head.
“After you’re released, I still want you to have regular physical therapy,” Doc continued. “I think twice a week for a month should be good, and then once the cast comes off your arm, your surgeon will want you to have some PT on that as well.”
“Whatever you say, Doc,” I told him, pushing down my hate for Fontana to give the doctor a careless grin.
His expression turned more serious, and he opened the door to glance out before shutting it again and coming closer to the bed. Lowering his voice, he looked at Bash. “Bates has been asking me about Tanner having a skull fracture.”
“What have you told him?”
Doc shrugged. “That I can’t discuss my patient’s condition with him. He asked me if it was possible Tanner has amnesia.”
“And?”
“I told him it was possible. Why the hell is the sheriff asking me about this?”
Bash scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “Don’t worry about it, Doc. He’s just being nosy. If he keeps asking, just tell him Tanner has a skull fracture, and you’re unsure when he is likely to regain his memory of the accident.”
The doctor’s gaze went from Bash to Matt and finally settled on me. “Bates has a vested interest in you not remembering?”
“Something like that,” I answered.
“Right. Well, I hope you get him taken care of soon.” He put his iPad in his large coat pocket. “Keep up the good work, Tanner. I’ll stop by again tomorrow to check on your progress.”
The three of us were silent until the door shut behind the man.
Alone again, Matt released a vicious curse. “We gotta take out Bates soon, man. We can’t just sit back and let that motherfucker run loose. He’s a danger to everyone.”
“We have to play this smart, though,” Bash reminded him. “I’m just as hungry for his blood as you are, but the bastard can’t disappear right now. It would be too obvious we did it. Plus, he could lead us to Fontana. We have eyes on him, so for now, we have to bide our time.”
“Fuck, I hate this shit.” Matt stood, stabbing his fingers into his hair as he walked to the window, glaring out at the darkened sky. “I feel useless as hell right now.”
“Save your energy for when we find Fontana,” Bash said. “And don’t let your guard down for a single second.” His blue eyes landed on me. “You keeping that gun close, right?”
There was a gun in the hidden compartment of my rolling table. I put it unde
r my pillow when I went to sleep every night. Knowing that it was close helped me sleep easier at night. “Don’t worry about me. You just keep Jos and Reid safe.”
“We sent five brothers with her, plus her dad, to get her things from Oakland,” he assured me. “She’s safe, cousin. Don’t worry about her.”
“I’m more worried about the threats closer to home than in Oakland.” If Bates touched her, took her and my son to Fontana, I would crush his skull with my bare hands. “Bates is getting nervous if he’s asking Doc about my condition. I’m a liability to him right now. One he would be all too happy to make disappear for a second time. But there are brothers guarding my door day and night. He knows he can’t get to me in here. Jos is a different story, though. She’s making noise about getting Uncle Chaz’s business commitments taken care of and I’ve been able to hold her off, but that stubborn female isn’t going to listen much longer.”
“I’ll watch over her myself,” Bash promised.
“Me too,” Matt vowed. “Stop worrying about her, brother. We’ve got your woman covered until you’re able to do it yourself.”
That made me relax a little, but I couldn’t stop worrying about her and Reid. Whenever she wasn’t with me, I was on edge.
“It’s getting late. We should let you get some rest.” Bash stood, gathering up all the cards and putting them back in the poker set we’d been playing with since dinner. “Spider is going to be guarding the door tonight. If you need anything, just yell out for him. I’ll bring you breakfast in the morning.”
“Thank fuck. Those eggs they try to make me eat here are nasty as hell. I don’t know how people don’t die from food poisoning when they’re in the hospital.” I leaned my head back into the pillows. They were my own from home, so they were comfortable, unlike the flat ones the hospital used. “Bring Jos with you tomorrow.”
