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“Yes. But forget them – how are you feeling? You had us all so worried.”
Letting that mystery go for now, I tell her the truth. “I’m sore and tired. It hurts to just talk or take a breath. I don’t want to even try to move…”
“You don’t have to talk or move. Just rest. I’ll leave you alone now that I know you’re okay.”
“Good. Thanks. And Lyla?” I stop her before she walks out the door.
“Yeah?”
“Will you tell me all that stuff you just told me again when I get out of here?”
“Tell you what exactly?”
“About RJ and Jordan.”
“Ah, sure, hon. Get some sleep. You’re safe here. There will be someone watching over you day and night.”
“Okay,” I reply before I let the darkness take me under again to escape the burning.
Even through the pain, there’s a bright spot of happiness.
Hope, even.
I really hope I remember that the next time I wake up.
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
RJ
“Iwant to go back to the hospital,” I tell Jordan the next day at work.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?” I ask, leaning my back against the doorframe that leads from the office to the garage. “You were the one encouraging this shit!”
“Dude, calm down. All I meant was that you need to cool it for a while. The Devil Hounds, hell, even your brother thinks you want to kill Thane. Are you ready to come out of the closet?”
“Hell no. I haven’t done anything yet.”
“Eh. You’ve crossed a few lines already.”
“So? Nobody needs to know that.”
“I’m not suggesting you tell the world. But if you start showing up at the hospital every day, you’ll only have two choices here, man. One, come clean and tell everyone you only have romantic intentions. Or two, pretend you want revenge. The second one will get your ass kicked. The first, you may not be ready for that much honesty just yet.”
Before I can even consider his opinion, he adds, “And we’re getting way behind here at the shop.”
“It’s my shop.”
“And I’m your employee. I’m trying to make sure you keep customers, not blow them off until they get pissed and come get their vehicles to take them somewhere else.”
“This sucks,” I tell him as I lean my head back against the doorframe.
“Yeah. I know. But the good news is that Thane is going to live, right? You’ll have plenty of chances to see him after he’s home and fully recovered. And you can get updates every day from Lyla after she sees him, can’t you?”
I hate to admit that he’s right. Lyla is staying with Bear, so I’ll probably see her every night long enough to ask for an update. That shouldn’t be suspicious. Just a concerned…friend? Associate? Rival?
What other choice do I have than to sit back and wait?
