I pressed my lips together because that assessment was more dramatic than the way Dr. Silverman put it.
“Har, she’s going to be fine. Don’t scare her.”
He turned toward Dr. Silverman. “How soon can I take her home?”
Dr. Silverman pursed his lips while he deliberated.
“Twenty minutes, maybe less if you let my nurse get in here and help her.”
SANDY BUSTLED INTO Har’s room to bring me my phone. “I’m so glad they got to you in time, sweetie. You gave me at least four new gray hairs. And, I’d love to tell you all the missed calls are from me and Joules looking for your phone, but Block had to tell Volt about you being MIA. Which means, Turk told your sister. Figured you’d want to put her mind at ease.”
“Nobody’s called to tell her I’m fine?” I asked while I pulled up Suzy’s contact.
Sandy patted my shoulder. “Oh, Brute called her when Doc got you fixed up, but if you were my sister, I wouldn’t rest until I heard from you directly.”
I nodded. Even though my phone showed the time was half-past midnight and therefore one-thirty in Jacksonville, I called my sister.
“Stephanie Joy! It’s about time you called me! You can’t scare me like that ever again.”
I sighed. “Seeing as how I didn’t have it planned to begin with, that shouldn’t be a problem.”
She paused. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have flown off the handle like that, but you can’t get hurt, Stephanie,” I heard her sniffle before she added, “You’re all I have left.”
My eyes welled, but I forced myself to keep it together. “I know that, sissy. But, I’m here and—”
“And I’m gonna be there in five hours is how that sentence needs to end.”
“Honey, you don’t need to drive all the way out here. It’s all good.”
“Tough. Turk loaded me up, and we just passed I-75. We’re comin’ and that’s that.”
Har stepped out of his bathroom as I rolled my eyes. “Turk shouldn’t have done that,” I muttered.
“I told him to,” Har said.
Susan heard him and laughed. “See. Take that. We know what we’re doing. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Where are you staying?” I demanded.
“My little sister has a room at the casino she works at. We’re getting the key from Har or Brute when we roll in to town.”
At least my room wouldn’t go to total waste. “You know check-out’s at eleven.”
She chuckled. “Yeah. We already extended your reservation. Don’t worry about it. I’m leaving you some cash to cover the bill.”
I heard Turk in the background say, “The hell you are. I got that shit covered.”
“Don’t listen to Turk,” she said in a lower voice.
“Whatever. It’s out of my control, clearly. Tell Turk to drive safe. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Stephie.”
Chapter 27 Wear My Patch
Stephanie
HAR FOLDED A PILLOW behind his head, but laid on his side facing me. I moved to mirror his posture and he shook his head with a stern look on his face.
For a moment I stared at the ceiling. I turned my head so I could look in his eyes. “Thank you for saving me.”
He tucked my hair behind my ear. “You’re welcome.”
My chest burned with anxiety, but I breathed through it. “You’re everything to me, too.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
My eyes widened. “How can you ask that?”
His lips quirked. “I’m joking, baby. Fact you knew I would save you told me everything I needed to know. But it’s still nice to hear you say it.”
My neck hurt keeping my face turned to his, so I faced forward. “What happened to the bastard who took me? I can’t even remember the name on his cut. You’d think I’d remember that kind of thing. You gonna feed him and Dixon to the gators in a nearby swamp or something?”
He chuckled. “And you say you love the water. If you’re half the beach bum I think you are, you should know you don’t feed the seagulls, which means you damn sure don’t feed the gators for the very same reason. Besides, I’m not fond of swamps any damn way.”
I gave a nod.
He grabbed my hand. “You’re my Old Lady now.”
My head whipped toward him. “What? You just told me you love me like ten hours ago or something.”
While he chuckled, he scooted closer to me. “Yeah, but as a few of my brothers pointed out, I’ve been acting like you’re my property for much longer. If you’re not down with joining my world – fully joining my world – you gotta tell me now. Not saying I’ll agree, because I’m more likely to wear you down, but say so. Otherwise, Sandy’s ordering your cut first thing in the morning.”
His gaze was intent on me for a moment before he looked to the wall and back to me.
“Actually, knowing her, she’s probably already got it on order. But, I mean it. You got reservations, say so now.”
“I don’t have reservations, but—”
“But what?”
I grinned. “Let me finish, Michael.”
“Here we go. She breaks out the real name when she wants to butter me up.”
I gasped. “I do not. Whatever! Do I have to wear it when I’m riding my bike by myself, like to work?”
His expression turned calculating and I wished I hadn’t asked.
“You don’t want to worry about my patch when you go to work, you drive. You ride that bike of yours, you wear my patch. You’re on the back of my bike, you damn sure wear my patch, Miss Priss. I have to wonder if you understand why I want my patch on your back.”
I looked at him through my lashes. “I know why. I’m your property. That—”
“The cut says you’re my property, but that isn’t how I think of you. You’re my world, baby. Told you before, I take my woman’s back, which means the symbol of me has to be on your back. Are you with me?”
“I’m with you, but
