Tanner
Jos’s hand was in mine, but her body was turned away from me. Two men and a woman I didn’t recognize stood before her, and from the tension coming off all four of them, I knew they were trying to take her away from me.
The skinny blond guy shifted toward her threateningly, and every instinct inside of me screamed to protect what was mine. Every movement felt like it would be the one that finally ended me, but I sat straight up in bed and pulled Jos down across my legs, using the top half of my body to protect her, cradling her back with my busted-up arm that was in a splint.
The woman shouted in surprise and rushed forward, but I lifted my head enough to glare at her, stopping her in her tracks. “Get…the…fuck…back!” I panted out, already seeing spots.
Fuck.
I was going to pass out on top of Jos. I couldn’t leave her alone and unprotected from these assholes.
“Where’s Matt?” I gritted out to the beautiful woman on my lap.
“He’s in the waiting room,” she assured me. “Tanner, please, lie back down. It’s okay. No one will hurt me.”
“That one would have,” I nodded toward the blond security guard who was staring at me in open-mouthed terror. “Yeah, you little pussy-ass bastard. Get out of here. Go find my little brother.”
“T-Tanner, your b-back.” The nurse was falling all over her words, but the way she said my name confused me. Like she knew me and was upset. My gaze raked over her again, but nothing about her rang any bells. “L-Let m-me—”
“Jos will take care of me,” I snarled at her, and her face paled. “Get out of here.”
The blond guard was backing out of the room, his face turning green. If I looked as bad as I felt, whatever he was seeing must have been turning his stomach.
“Ma’am.” The other guard was trying to stay calm. “I think it’s best you get who the young lady was asking for. I’ll wait for the doctor and the administrator with the patient and his friend.”
“O-Okay,” the woman continued to stutter as she backed out of the room, tears filling her eyes as her gaze stayed glued to me.
As soon as she was gone, Jos grumbled something under her breath. I looked away from the only remaining person in the room long enough to look down at her. “What?”
“I’m not even going to ask if you fucked her. She’s so your type.” Her lips pressed into a firm line, her eyes narrowed on me, and I found the strength to grin.
“You jealous, baby?”
Her jaw clenched, and she lowered her lashes so I couldn’t read what she was thinking. “Maybe,” she said so quietly I had to strain to hear her.
“Don’t be.” The spots around my vision were getting worse, and I knew I was only seconds away from blacking out. “Jos,” I muttered, fighting the darkness. “Don’t…leave…me.”
--
The next time I lifted my eyelids, the room was dim. My heart started pounding as I glanced around for Jos.
Seeing her slumped down in a chair, snoring softly, I let out a relieved breath. Her hair was in her face, her arms crossed over her chest like she was cold. I shifted in bed, wanting to cover her with the blanket that was on me, but even that small movement made my body protest.
My involuntary groan was loud enough to wake her, and she sat up straight, pushing her hair back from her beautiful face. “What do you need?” she whispered as she stood and leaned over me. “Is the pain worse? Should I get the nurse?”
I caught her hand in my right one and pulled it to my chest. “I’m good,” I lied, pretending I wasn’t in complete misery, and forced a smile to lips. “Want to lie down beside me and sleep?”
“No way,” she said with a shake of her blond head. “That is your bed. You need your space and sleep. Your heart rate is starting to get better.”
I scanned my eyes over the parts of her body I could see with her leaning over me like she was. The top she was wearing wasn’t the one I remembered, but at least it was long-sleeved like the other one. Even in the dim lighting, I could see a stain of some kind across her amazing tits.
“You turn into a messy eater?” I teased, lifting my splinted arm so I could skim my fingers over one tit, my thumb playing with her nipple as I traced part of the stain with my index finger.
She gasped and covered my hand, pushing it away. “Funny. Don’t start something you’re in no shape to finish.”
Sighing, I pulled my hand away, only to grasp the back of her hair and tug her down closer. Her mouth fell open as I stopped her an inch from mine. “Just thinking about you makes me ready to prove you wrong, sweetheart.”
Her lips pressed to mine, surprising me. But before I could kiss her back, she was pulling away and stepping back. “You’ve been in this ICU ward for five days, dummy. During that time, you’ve had some crazy-as-hell hallucinations and a fever that only broke yesterday. You died twice and had to be brought back. The doctors thought you wouldn’t even make it through the fucking night after that first code.” Tears spilled from her eyes, surprising me even more than the kiss. “When you get out of this fucking hospital, I’ll let you prove it as many times as you want. But until then, save all your energy and focus on getting back to the Tanner I remember.”
Her tears were killing me. “Baby, don’t cry,” I pleaded. “It hurts me.”
She quickly wiped her eyes and nose on the sleeve of her shirt. “Sorry. I’ve just been really worried about you. The last five days have been hell. And every time I tried to so much as leave this room, your hallucinations only got worse.”
I patted the edge of the bed, beckoning her to sit beside me. When she did, I tugged her head down to my chest, forcing her to stretch out beside me to be comfortable. “I’m sorry. But thank you for not leaving me.”
“As if I could,” she grumbled with her face pressed into the hospital gown covering my chest.
“What does that mean?” I whispered, my heart stopping as I waited for her answer.
The swooshing sound of a sliding door opening had me tightening my hold on Jos as a tall woman in scrubs walked into the room with determined steps. The light over my head was switched on, bathing the room in bright light. I blinked at the harshness of the fluorescent bulbs and shot the woman a glare.
“Go the hell away,” I snapped at her.
“Mr. Reid, I’ve told you a dozen times already that the bed is for you and you alone.” The woman, I couldn’t tell if she was a nurse or a doctor, sounded like a patient schoolteacher trying to explain the rules of the classroom. Her face was kind and only slightly wrinkled by time. Her hair, lightly sprinkled with gray, was pulled into an old-school twist at the back of her head. She reminded me a little of Aggie, and I found myself relaxing a bit.
“Ma’am, if you had an angel who was as pretty as Jos, wouldn’t you want her to share your bed too?” I asked in my best charming tone, winking up at her. Pleased when she blushed, I grinned. “Besides, it makes me feel better when she’s this close.”
Jos pushed away from me and sat up before standing. “Dr. Gregory, I’m sorry. I know—”
The doctor lifted a hand, shaking her head, the pink beginning to fade from her cheeks. “It’s okay, Joslyn. I’m just glad he seems to be feeling better today.” She lifted a chart I hadn’t realized she was holding and glanced over the words before her. “I’m really impressed with the improvement he’s made. His heart seems stronger now, so I would like to get ortho in to do the first surgery on his arm.”
“Excuse me,” I groused from the bed. “I’ll just lie here and let you two talk about me like I’m invisible.”
The two females shared a look, then the doctor walked over to the bed. Pulling her stethoscope from around her neck, the doctor pressed it to my chest. “I’m thinking of writing a paper on the strength and tenacity of the average MC member and how stubborn they are not to stay dead.”
“I’m not the average member,” I boasted with a wink.
She shook her head. “I don’t suppose you are, Mr. Reid.”
“Name’s Tanner, sweetheart.”
Jos grumbled something under her breath.
“Speak up, baby.”
“I said, I’m standing right here, dickhead. Stop trying to pick up your damn doctor.” She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring down at me, hurt radiating off her in waves. I tried not to grin again, but I couldn’t stop my facial muscles from lifting into one.
It only seemed to piss her off more.
“You know what, I think you’re doing much better.” Jos turned for the door. “I’ll see you later.”
“Jos!” I bellowed her name, my heart pounding at the thought of her leaving. She turned to face me, a mutinous look on her beautiful face. “I’m sorry. I’ll stop flirting. It didn’t mean anything, I swear. Just don’t go, okay?”
Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “No. I need something to eat and a cup of coffee. I’ll be back in an hour.”
I sat up, ready to throw my legs over the side of the bed and follow her. The world began to spin before I could put weight on my legs, and I dropped back down. The doctor urged me back against the mattress, and I went, feeling as weak as a newborn kitten.
Dr. Gregory patted me on the shoulder. “Take it easy, Mr. Reid. She needs a few minutes to herself every now and then to eat and take care of herself. Joslyn has rarely left your side the last few days.”
“Yeah,” I muttered, closing my eyes as I tried to picture Jos in my head.
Fuck, I need her beside me.
It was easier to breathe when she was with me. At least when she was, I didn’t have to worry about fucking Fontana. Over and over, that bastard had tried to break me, and the only time he got close enough to doing it was when he threatened Jos.
It was my own fault. I must have said her name during one of the times I was passed out, which had been often. It was a curse I’d had since I was a kid, talking in my sleep, and now it could possibly put the only woman I’d ever loved at risk.
Once Fontana had the one name that would really tear me apart, it took everything I had not to spill secrets. But those threats he made, telling me in detail how he would rape her, how he would make her scream his name and then plead for me as he ripped her in half, made me shake.
“Get her back in here,” I gritted out, sweat beading on my brow. “I need her back.”
The look on my face must have told the doctor some of what I was thinking, and she patted my arm again before stepping back. “Don’t worry about the girl. There is an army of your brothers out in the waiting room. The two that are in here during visiting hours, especially, will watch out for her.” She smiled kindly down at me. “They look a lot like you, so I’m assuming they are brothers or cousins.”
“Bash and Matt,” I muttered. “One of each, actually.”
“They will take care of your girl. Rest until she comes back, and then you can apologize again.”
Over the next few minutes, she examined me from top to bottom, spending the most time checking over my back. It did feel slightly better, but that didn’t mean much.
“You’re healing well, Mr. Reid,” Dr. Gregory assured me. “And as I was telling Joslyn earlier, I think we should get the ortho department in to start on your first surgery. Your arm might not ever be the same again, but they will do their best to get you as close as possible.”
“Will I be able to ride my motorcycle again?” That was the only thing I wanted to know. They could do as many surgeries as they wanted, as long as it meant they could fix me enough so I could ride again.
“Eventually, I’m sure,” she said with a small smile. “But it’s going to be a long recovery. Don’t try to rush anything.”
“Yeah. Okay. Now, go get Jos.” I needed her back in here so I could protect her.
Sighing at my one-track mind, Dr. Gregory snapped the chart closed and pocketed her pen. “I’ll see what I can do.”