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I turned my head, wiping my nose on my shirt before leaning in closer to Tanner. “This probably isn’t the best time to yell at you, but you never seemed to hear me unless I was shouting.” I stroked his beard with my free hand, scratching through the tangled tufts. “How the hell did you get in this mess? Huh?”
His eyes cracked open again, a pained smile lifting his lips slightly, making blood bead on them anew. I wiped it away with my thumb. “I’m always gettin’ into trouble, baby. Whaddya talkin’ ’bout?”
Matt placed a cool, damp cloth in my hand, and I used it to wipe across Tanner’s lips. “You’re going to have to calm that down now, mister,” I scolded gently. “Your son needs you around too much for you to keep up the troublemaking like this.”
His eyes drifted shut. “Whatever you say, Jos. Just sit there and touch me, ’kay?”
“When you’re better, I’ll bring him to see you,” I told him as I kept stroking his face with the damp cloth, wiping away dirt and blood. “He looks just like you. I may have stirred up some trouble when I got to the clubhouse the other day. Rory doesn’t like me all that much because of it.”
“Rory?” he said with a pained grunt. “Where’s Matt?”
“Right here, brother.” Tanner’s eyes opened enough so he could see the man standing behind me.
“Where’s Rory?” he asked, sounding weak.
“Back at the clubhouse. She’s okay. Don’t worry about her.”
“She not treating Jos okay?”
Matt sighed. “They’re not fighting. Just avoiding each other. Your kid kind of took us all by surprise, man.”
“There’s that word again,” he mumbled. “This is the most fucked-up dream I’ve ever had.”
Chapter 5
Jos
It took another hour before the doctor was finally finished cutting away all the decayed flesh on Tanner’s back. No sooner were the nurses cleaning up, than the ICU team was there to take him upstairs.
All three nurses appeared to be in their late thirties, early forties. They each had their hair neatly pulled back from their faces. Two of the three didn’t even blink when they saw Tanner’s state, letting me know they must have seen some crazy medical shit over the years. The third one took one look at Tanner and blanched, but she also seemed to be the one in charge.
Feeling his bed moving, he clutched at me with his four-fingered hand. “Don’t leave me,” he whispered. “Every time I open my eyes somewhere new, you’re gone.”
I leaned over him, kissing his cheek. “I’m not going anywhere,” I promised.
The nurse in charge made a disapproving sound and started to say something, but the ER doctor pulled her aside, whispering something to her. Her eyes scanned over me disdainfully, taking in my pajama pants and long-sleeved sleep shirt. Both had holes and stains on them thanks to my son, but at least I had on a bra.
With a twist of her lips, the nurse gave him a nod and didn’t protest when I walked with them out of the room and down the hall to the elevators.
“Jos!” Tanner shouted weakly, only to groan in pain.
I bent in the cramped space of the crowded elevator so we were on an even eye level, my hand skimming over his shaggy, dirty hair. “I’m right here. Shh, shh. I’m right beside you.”
He blew out an exhausted breath. “You’re so pretty.”
I lifted my lips in a halfhearted smile. “Only pretty? You called me beautiful earlier.”
“Beautiful. Pretty. Gorgeous. The sexiest female I’ve ever seen in my entire life.” He seemed to lean into my hand, wanting more of my touch. I didn’t know what to make of what he was saying. Tanner Reid wasn’t one to go around tossing out compliments on a woman’s beauty unless it was about how nice her tits were.
Seconds later, the elevator stopped, and the three nurses pushed the bed forward. I followed behind them, while Tanner kept calling my name. I rushed to keep up, following them straight into the ICU ward and to the room directly across from the nurses station. The three women worked quickly, getting him hooked up to everything again, checking both IV sites, confirming all his information through me since he wasn’t in the right frame of mind to answer for himself.
Once he was finally sorted, two of the three left, and Tanner was starting to struggle on his bed.
“Jos,” he growled. “Where the fuck did you go?”
I leaned over him, kissing his brow. “I’m here. Stop moving around so much. You need to save your energy.”
He blew out a relieved exhale, his four-fingered hand tucking mine against his heart. “Stop fussin’. Ain’t no need, baby. Gonna die soon.”
