“Who says I don’t plan to just lie here and enjoy myself?” I slip my hands behind my head and grin, even though I think she knows I’m all talk at the moment. But her cheeks turn pink and her tongue darts out to lick her lower lip, and that’s all it takes for my blood to start rushing south.
“See what you do to me, Doc?” I say when the covers over my groin twitch on their own.
She shakes her head. “Mason, I mean it. You can’t so much as lift anything heavier than ten pounds until you’re healed. Walking is it, okay? Don’t fuck around.”
“Is that shitbird causing trouble already?” comes a deep, familiar voice that makes me jerk my head up in surprise.
Lo and behold, my older brother Maddox comes walking through the door, a bouquet of flowers in one hand and an overnight bag in the other. He drops his bag, then sets the bouquet on the table and grins at me. I reach out and grab his outstretched hand, then yank him in for a hug.
“Jesus, Mad. You’re the last person I expected to see here.”
“The doctor called and told me what happened, so I made arrangements and caught a flight. Don’t worry, Elle and Sam are still in LA with Mom. They think I’m on some errand for Flores.”
“I’m working on getting back there too,” I say. “Just had a bit of a setback.”
“I suppose I should be grateful you hooked up with a surgeon, all things considered,” he says, nodding and smiling at Callie. “I think this is the first time you’ve spent more than a night with the same woman.”
Callie lifts an eyebrow at me and I throw her a cocky smile. “Better get used to it. I’ve decided I have a fetish for blue scrubs.”
“Just as long as you don’t make a habit of flirting with death, you got it?” Maddox says. “I’d rather not have to give Mom more bad news whenever she wakes up.”
“What are you really here for, man? I know it isn’t just to kick my ass about my apparent death wish. You know I’d do anything to get my life back.”
He and Callie share a look, and that troubled expression of hers is back, raising all kinds of internal alarms. Before I can call them on it, a knock sounds at the door and Nina pokes her head in.
“Oh good, he’s here!” she says, then pushes the door open and steps inside. Booth is right behind her looking fresh as a daisy, his right arm bound in a sturdy blue sling. He and Maddox shake hands, and then all attention returns to me.
“You’re starting to worry me, guys, so what gives? Did you find out I have a week to live or something?” It occurs to me that my brother’s presence can’t just be to wish me a speedy recovery. Booth knows Mad is one of the few people I’ll actually listen to, so if they need him to rein me in, then whatever they have to tell me is big.
Callie takes a deep breath. “Mom called last night. She’s on her way back to Denver today. She got the okay to make the deal with Zavala.”
I’m already halfway out of the bed before my brother steps in and grips my shoulders. Callie grabs the hand I’m using to grip my IV line, keeping me from ripping it out of my arm.
“Brother, you need to chill out,” Mad says, urging me back.
“I’m not staying in this bed when I need to be on the way to fucking Mexico the second I get that thumb drive back.” I glare at him, but I’m not strong enough to fight him at the moment.
Callie’s blue eyes flash with worry and she shoots a beseeching look at Maddox, then at Booth. “Has he always been this stubborn?”
“Pretty much,” Booth says, and my brother snorts.
“Don’t fuck with me, guys. You know I have to go.”
“No,” Maddox says. “What we know is that you were nearly fucking paralyzed and you need our help to finish this. I’m going to Mexico. You’re staying the fuck in that bed until you’ve recovered. I’ll bring your daughter home.”
“The fuck you will!” I yell. “Goddamnit, Maddox! I’m not letting you risk your life for me. This is my issue. Zoe is my daughter. I’ve got to see this through! You want me to stay in this bed, you’ll have to fucking chain me down.”
“Mason, please!” Callie begs. “Are you really willing to risk paralysis to do this? It’s too soon! I know you don’t want to waste time getting to Zoe, but you can’t do this yourself.”
“The fuck I can’t.” I glare at her, then at the others. There’s no way in hell I’m letting any of them walk into Zavala’s compound for me. I’d never be able to live with myself if it went wrong.
“Let me have a few minutes alone with my brother,” Maddox says, glancing at the others before settling his steely gaze back on me.
I set my jaw, ready to dig in. He looks like Dad right now, except without the raised fist ready to strike. Callie’s last anguished look before she closes the door behind her sinks in like a knife in my gut. I don’t want to hurt her, but she doesn’t understand that I have to see this through myself.
“There isn’t a goddamn thing you can say to change my mind, and you know it,” I tell him, scooting to the edge of the bed again and succeeding in jerking the IV out of my arm finally. Except there’s still another tube attached that trails beneath my arm to another port taped to my ribcage, and I remember the catheter that’s stuck into my spine. I stare at it, the urgency slipping away as the reality of my situation sinks in.
“Yeah, you’re kind of fucked,” Maddox says.
“You can’t just leave me here to wait.
