H e led us into a smaller waiting room and closed the door once I was inside. My looked at him with wide eyes. “What is it ?”

“Stone is going to be fine. We had to remove the bullet, and it’s going to take some time for him to recover. There wasn’t any major damage. He’s lucky it hadn’t been worse. Terry, these kids need to be more careful,” the doctor said using my dad’s name .

That confirmed my suspicions about them being well acquainted. No one used my dad’s first name. The only people I’ve ever heard use is name was his father, my grandpa before he passed, my mom and the Sheriff. It was as if someone had to earn it. Clearly the doctor had earned it because my dad didn’t punch him in the face for saying it .

“Oh, thank God!” my mom said hugging me. “You had us worried there, doc .”

It almost sounded as if my mom was scolding him which seemed a bit strange considering they were probably around the same age. He didn’t seem to be bothered .

“We can we see him?” my dad asked, but I knew he wanted more information about what happened. Information he hoped Stone would have. My dad and the club was desperate, they needed to find Stretch as soon as possible .

“Now, Terry, he’s going to have to talk to the cops about what happened. I have to report this… you know that,” he said tapping his clipboard .

“Understood. Get the Sheriff.” My dad nodded in a strange way. It was almost like it was some kind of secret code. Maybe something the doctor would pass along to the Sheriff to get this sorted out in a way my dad would be OK with .

I didn’t even want to know. Besides, maybe I was just imagining it all. Maybe there was no secret code .

The doctor gave us directions to Stone’s room, and I followed my parents as they twisted through the hallways. When we finally got to Stone’s room I paused not sure if he’d even want to see me .

I probably shouldn’t have come. I was developing a bad habit of showing up where I didn’t necessarily belong when it came to Stone .

My mom and dad walked into the room but I waited in the doorway. When he saw me standing there, he waved me forward. He was smiling although he looked a little under the influences of whatever painkiller the hospital had given him during the bullet removing procedure .

“You scared the shit out of us there, Stone,” my mom said hugging him gently and placing a light kiss on his forehead .

“Don’t do it again,” my dad said pointing his finger at him. He looked angry, but I knew he meant well. Stone knew it too because he was grinning at my dad .

“I’ll try my damnedest not to ever do it again,” Stone said glancing at me. “Glad you came .”

“And I’m glad you’re OK,” I said quietly. My mom looked back and forth between us but then turned back to Stone as if she was dismissing whatever thought had crossed her mind .

My dad’s phone buzzed before he could question Stone about what had happened. He quickly dashed out of the room. I wondered if it was because he didn’t want to talk about Stretch in front of Stone. He didn’t want him to know he was MIA. At least not yet while he was recovering from a gunshot wound .

“I’m going to go check on him,” my mom said as she held Stone’s hand and kissed him on the forehead in the exact same spot. “Do what the doctors say, you hear? Be good, Stone .”

“Yes ma’am,” Stone said watching my mom as she walked out of the room .

Stone started to lift his arms so he could put them behind his head when he remembered he’d just been shot. He winced and slowly put his arm back down. I couldn’t help but smile at him .

He grimaced, “Aw fuck .”

“Does it hurt?” I said stupidly asking a question I was pretty sure I knew the answer to. I stepped closer to make sure he hadn’t messed up his bandages .

“Yeah… it really fucking hurts,” he said as he reached over and grabbed my hand. “But I feel so much better when you’re close to me sweetheart .”

“Oh please,” I said rolling my eyes at him. “I know that’s the painkillers talking .”

“No, I mean it,” he said and pulled me down so I was sitting on the bed next to him .

“I shouldn’t sit here,” I said trying to get up. “I don’t want to cause you any pain .”

“The only pain I’m in is when you are away,” he said putting his finger on my chin .

I narrowed my eyes at him, “What do they have you on ?”

“I’m not sure but I hope I can some of this shit to go,” he said with a laugh. “Drugs or not, the truth is… I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I think when I was out during surgery I was even dreaming about you .”

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked as my heart fluttered against my will. After he’d stopped things telling me this just didn’t seem fair .

“Christ Josie,” he said looking deep into my eyes. His eyes were glassy, and I didn’t know if he’d even remember anything he was telling me. “If I could physically do it, I’d bend you over this bed right now and finish what we’d started .”

His words were like fire. They ignited my blood, and it started flowing quickly through my veins. Every part of my body was started to fire up in response and he hadn’t even had to touch me .

When I looked down to avoid eye contact with him, I could see that he was feeling the same. His body was working just fine even though he was on pain killers and was just out of surgery .

I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his being careful not to pull on any of the tubes or wires he was connected to. My fingers lightly twirled into his hair before I pulled myself away .

It felt like I was losing my mind. I wanted him so bad, yet I wasn’t going to let it happen. I couldn’t. Everything felt like it was spiraling out of control. I was helplessly falling for him and I knew it the minute I had heard he was in the hospital .

“I need to get back to work,” I said standing up and awkwardly moving towards the door .

“But your dad is the boss. He’ll give you time off,” he said as if that would somehow change my mind. Instead, it only reminded me of every reason this should go any further .

What it my mom and dad would have walked back in and caught us kissing? My dad would have tried to strangle him right on the hospital bed. At least he would be in the right place for when my dad attempted to murder him. But my dad was probably quicker than the hospital staff and Stone would be dead before their monitors even alerted them to his distress .

“Sorry you were shot… get well soon,” I said and slipped out of the room. I wanted to hit myself for saying something so dumb. Thank God he was drugged up and probably wouldn’t remember anything I had said anyway .

Since my parents had been my ride to the hospital I had to wait for them in the waiting room. Some of the Brother’s came in and out but no one went down the hallway to see Stone .

The hospital probably wasn’t allowing them back to see him because they weren’t technically family. They had only made an exception for my dad because of who he was. But it wasn’t like they could let the whole club in .

I was about to call my dad when Pike sat down next to me. “He left with your mom like thirty minutes ago,” Pike said as he adjusted his bandana .

“Oh… great. Of course they did,” I said trying not to show just how pissed off I was that they just left without telling me .

“He told me to bring you home,” Pike said in his low, gruff voice. “Whenever you’re ready .”

“I’m ready,” I said standing and taking several steps away only to notice he wasn’t following me. “Pike ?”

He forced a smile. His mind was probably on his best friend. I wasn’t even sure if anyone updated him on Stone’s condition .

“He’s going to be fine,” I said softly .

“You know he talked about you the other night,” Pike said keeping his eyes focused on the floor .

“He did ?”

“Yeah,” Pike said with a sigh. The way he was acting it didn’t seem like whatever they had talked about had been good. “I don’t want him to get in trouble with your old man, you know ?”

“Of course. I don’t either,” I said with a nod. I didn’t really understand what they had talked about, but I did know my dad. I didn’t want there to be trouble in the MC .

This just solidified everything I had already known… getting involved with anything MC related would be a mistake. Pike knew it too. He was just trying to warn me… what he didn’t know was that I already knew better. He’d probably seen women go down this path with Stone a thousand times. But I wouldn’t .

“Ready?” I said gesturing towards the door. The sooner I was out of here the better .