The orderly brought Gabe back to his room for now with the promise he'd bring him the paperwork to go home within minutes. Now he'd find Megan and leave, but as the doors opened to his room, he saw both of his parents holding each other and resting on two chairs next to the window. The second he was wheeled closer to them, his parents stood.

If he didn't follow protocol at a hospital, they might not let him leave. Once the orderly left, he stood and hugged them both. "Mom, Dad. I'm okay."

His mother brushed her hands against his cheeks, but he stilled, and she checked his head and continued lower. She assessed him all the way down to his toes. "You just came out of surgery."

The bullet grazed him, so physically he was fine. Mentally, was another story. He needed to talk to Megan. Her brother triggered more memories that came to him hard on the drive. His pulse began to race again while he thought about her sweet face and how she was almost killed in this mess until he answered his parents, "I wasn't in surgery. It was a thorough examination."

"And?" His father placed his hand on his mother's shoulder and she stepped back.

He grabbed his ripped shirt from the bed and tugged it back on now, so no one else saw his scars. "And they are releasing me. I'm having you both moved to your home tomorrow with Harrison as your bodyguard."

His father said, "We can leave now. Maddox Murdock was arrested. We are free."

The police arrest should have satisfied him, but images of the desert while he struggled to get his USB from Maddox replayed in his mind. Again he saw in his mind’s eye where Belle screamed to get Colt out of the wires, this time had even more faces in the moment. James and Harrison had fought a man clearly trained in martial arts who then disappeared. The memory then flashed to when Conner had pulled him out of the fire and the same time Conner screamed about Jax Romero.

More had happened out there that he pushed from his memory. All of this might affect his family. Until he figured everything out, his family needed protection. Hopefully he was just being overboard and his parents were right, but right now he needed to find Megan but he answered, "No. I don't want his lawyers to find out you’re alive. Not yet."

His father patted his shoulder. "None of this matters, son. We have security. We will be fine."

No. Everyone in his family needed protection. He had to talk to his friends who were protecting them but most of all he had to ensure Megan was safe. "Humor me. Tomorrow, follow Harrison's instructions."

"What about you? Whose taking care of you when you get home?" his mother said while he finished with his shoe lace.

Megan's voice rang in the air. "I am."

Gabe jumped off the bed, but his heart thumped. She was here. She held a brown paper bag in her hand that must be her lunch. His lips ached to kiss her again and again.

But the moment lapsed and he glanced at the clock behind them. She was early, though with her here he felt a sense of belonging. "Megan, I thought you went to get lunch."

"I'm back." Her gaze narrowed at him and he felt like he said the absolute wrong thing. Then she shrugged and held out her hand to greet his father and mother. "Nice to see you both again."

"Nice to see you too." His mother ignored the handshake and hugged Megan. "Gabe hasn't looked at a woman like he looks at you before."

Megan swayed on her feet as the hug ended. "What do you mean?"

Gabe stepped closer to them and put his hand on Megan's back. "Mom!"

His mother winked and turned toward his father. "He likes you. It's good to see. We'll leave you both now."

Gabe’s eyes widened.

His father kept his hand on his mother’s back but met his gaze. “Don’t worry son. Harrison ensured the public believes us to be out of the country on an extended holiday and he told your board of directors you went out of town on business.”

Good. He trusted his friends and it was good they all remained underground.

Neither Megan or he moved until the door closed. Silence stayed for another few moments until Megan adjusted her brown paper bag with her lunch and the crinkle echoed in the room. She coughed and asked, "Why don't you want your parents to go home or talk to lawyers?"

He sat on the edge of the bed while his mind imagined how his parents were nearly gunned down in the middle of the street, again. He massaged his temples to make the image disappear but nothing did. In the corner of his vision he saw how Megan put her things down, smoothed out a wrinkle in her pants, and sat next to him. "They will. I just want to know they are safe. Once I hear them bickering about the same old things and they offer me a cup of coffee on a visit, I'll probably start to lose the knife I feel in my stomach every time I think they might have died on me."

She held still and though she sat close, she felt far away to him. He reached for her hand. She sighed and held him close. "My brother was wrong. If you don't want to see me anymore, I understand."

Now he grew cold at the idea she might leave him. He turned his good leg onto the bed and stared at her. "I thought you were taking care of me when I check out of here."

Megan reached for his hand, but the orderly who wheeled him here and returned in a huff and shuffled the paperwork from the nurse's station. Megan tugged her hand away and folded them in her arms while she looked at the linoleum floor.

Gabe stood and read the nurses papers. "Thanks."

The orderly left.

Without supervision, Gabe stood and offered his hand to Megan. She raised herself but locked her arms under his. "You're getting out?"

Good. When she was with him, the world was right. Now he needed to go home. "The bullet did not penetrate the skin. I was grazed and didn't need surgery."

"That's great." She reached out and opened the door. They walked in step to elevators and neither said anything with the crowd around them. Once the elevator arrived and they were alone, she shook her brown bag in her hand. "So why did you want me to go get lunch when the doctor arrived?"

The last time he saw a doctor about his burns, they told him it was time to leave the Marines. He had to face the doctor alone. All of that scared him. "I didn't want you to worry."

"I was more worried because you didn't want me here." She patted his arm.

"I wanted you." There was no one else in his life that made him feel complete. The past blurred, because his only focus was her. The elevator dinged and the doors were about to fly open as he asked, "Are you coming home with me?"

"Is that what you want?" The fluorescent lighting of the first floor flooded the elevator.

"Yeah."

They walked in step together but the moment they passed the emergency room he saw a skinny teenage boy with a fresh burn on his upper arm and a frantic mother who spoke to the nurse. His own scar felt the heat of what happened to him instantly.

Megan checked his forehead and with her palm on him, she stepped right in front of him. "Is everything okay?"

He needed her with him. The moment she lowered her hand, he reached out and pressed his forehead on hers. "We'll talk when we get home. I hate the sound of machines that make me feel like I'm sicker than I am."

"Is that because of what happened with my brother in the desert?"

"You've seen my sides and chest so you know I was burned."

Her gaze flickered to the boy and, the moments until they passed she held her breath. Further away, she regrouped, laced her arm with his again and guided him to walk forward. He followed her directions. "Yeah, but I told you that your battle scars were sexy."

He led her and followed the exit signs. "It didn't feel sexy at the time and I hate hospitals."

"Then let's get you home."

Home was only good if she was there. "Megan, I've never met anyone like you. Don't change."

As they walked outside, he hailed his car service from work. At least being the CEO had perks and they didn't wait.

Seconds later, the driver was there and opened the black town car door for them. Megan scooted in. "We'll have to learn to live without the adrenaline rush that came from my brother and just be peaceful."

His usual methods with a woman was gifts and he’d take his physical pleasure. All of that seemed surface level compared to Megan, though he needed to be with her. He traced her leg while he whispered in her ear. "You'll have to learn what it's like to actually be mine."

A smile grew on her lips. "Now that sounds promising."

Agreed. He'd have to do whatever it took to ensure she was his. He'd not let her go.