The hot water of the shower does wonders for my sore body. At first, I want to hurry so I don’t miss Jenna when she comes in or Grumpy when he shows up. But as soon as the water hits me, I’m stuck. I have no self-control, and I end up staying under the spray for longer than I mean to. While in the safety of the shower, I allow myself to wonder about the horrible men who took me, Jenna, and the rest of the girls. No one told me what happened to them.
Questions race through my mind at a sickening speed. Are they alive? Did they go to jail? Will they stay in jail or get released on bail? What if they come after us again? What if they escaped and are planning their revenge? Staying in the shower won’t give me answers, but I need to get a grip before I have to deal with people again.
I allow myself a good, long cry while the water washes away the tears. It’s therapeutic somehow, like washing away all the bad crap. No matter what happened to those men, I know to be more careful and watchful in the future. I can’t do anything about them, but I can make the choice to be happy I got away and can live my life.
When my fingers become wrinkled, I reluctantly turn the water off and grab a towel to wrap around my body. Dr. Lenny managed to track down a hairbrush for me which I’m grateful for. My hair is a disaster. All the conditioner in the world won’t help the rat’s nest on my head. I start to brush out the tangles, but my arms quickly tire. My growl of frustration echoes off the bathroom tile. My body is too weak. Even brushing my hair is a daunting task. Maybe I can bribe Grumpy to brush it for me when he gets here. Then again, I want to have hair once he’s done. The man may be good at a lot of things, but he sucks at brushing hair and anything to do with being a girl.
The bathroom door swings open, scaring the ever-loving hell out of me. I spin around and screech like a banshee at the invasion, throwing the hairbrush at the intruder. Maverick searches the bathroom frantically, his eyes landing on me. “I heard you cry out. What happened?” Ignoring the brush as it bounces off his arm, he rushes toward me without warning, and I take a step back, confused and embarrassed.
“Oh my god, Maverick. I’m fine, get out!”
He invades my personal space in his rush to me. I press my palms against his chest and give him my hardest shove.
He barely takes two steps backward, which I’m sure comes more from shock than my incredibly puny push. “If you’re fine, then why’d you yell?”
My cheeks heat, and I turn my back to him. Oddly enough, standing in nothing but a towel in front of Maverick doesn’t bother me as much as admitting to him—to anyone—that my body is weak.
Heat radiates off Maverick, warming my back as he steps closer to me. “Taylor, answer me. Why’d you yell?”
Our eyes meet in the mirror, and I lose my train of thought. For a second, I think I see a flash of heat cross his features, but it’s gone so fast I’m sure I made it up. I don’t even know the guy. Of course, he’s attractive--I’m not blind--but that’s all there is to it. Shaking myself of my silliness, I take a second to remember his question.
Something he said registers with me, and I stiffen. “Hey, how’d you know my name?”
Maverick huffs, his mouth quirking up on one side. “The guy you called said your name loud enough for everyone in the hospital to hear. Now, answer me, Taylor.”
“Freaking Grumpy and his big mouth,” I grumble. I make the decision to tell him my issue as a distraction for myself. My name on his lips does funny things to me, and I can’t handle it at the moment. “Fine, I yelled because I’m pissed I can’t brush my hair. My arms are too tired, and my hair is too messy. Are you happy now, Mr. Bossy?”
“Oh.” He relaxes his tense stance. “We can fix that.”
“We? Fix?” I spin again to face him, and this time, he takes a step back without my assistance. “What the hell are you talking about? Are you going to shave my head?”
“You’ve got a visitor, Red!” Marak’s shout from the hospital room draws our attention.
Maverick rolls his eyes, though it isn’t clear whether it’s at me or Marak. He heads toward the door while he says, “We aren’t going to shave your head. Come on, Jenna is here to see you.”
Ratty hair forgotten, I rush past Maverick. Jenna sits cross-legged on the end of the bed. She’s clearly showered, and someone gave her normal clothes. Her eyes light up when she sees me come out of the bathroom.
She jumps up as I pull her into a firm hug, whispering to her, “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“It was the craziest thing, Taylor.” She sniffles and laughs at the same time. “Some of the girls had already gotten out, and they were running toward the woods. I followed them, and a bunch of cops were hiding out like they were ready to raid the place. They got us out of there so fast my head was spinning. By the time I was able to ask someone if you’d been found, we’d already made it to the hospital... I’m sorry it took so long to ask. I tried, but there was so much chaos. Then, no one knew you by name. Dr. Lenny came in and said someone was asking for me, I just knew it had to be you.”
“Hey, shut up, crazy girl.” I pull back, locking eyes with hers. “I’m fine, I made it out.”
“We both did, just like you promised.” She sniffles again, but her smile remains. She shakes her head like she’s shaking the bad thoughts away. “Hey, I heard the hair brushing issue. Can I do it for you?”
“Uh...” I bite my bottom lip and glance around the room. Maverick and Marak stand in the far corner, talking quietly together. With them distracted and Grumpy not here yet, I don’t see why we can’t relax. “Hold that thought.”
I rush back into the bathroom, close the door, and dress in the horrible green gown. Dr. Lenny found a matching green robe for me as well. At least, my ass will be covered.
With a quick push of my foot, my towel slides to the corner of the bathroom. After scooping up the brush from the bathroom floor, I throw the door open again and toss it to Jenna, who already sits comfortably back on the hospital bed. Quickly making my way over to her, I drop down on the bed in front of her, presenting my messy hair. “Go for it.”
The two of us spend the next twenty minutes chatting about hair, the luxury of a hot shower, and real soap, while she carefully takes the tangles from my hair. When the conversation fades, I muster up the courage to ask Jenna some questions I need to know the answers to. “Jenna, do you need a place to stay? I have my apartment. It’s a one bedroom, but it’s not a crap-hole. You’re welcome to come to my place.”
“Oh, Taylor.” She hugs me tightly from her position behind me, and I chuckle at the awkward angle. “You’re the best person I’ve ever known. I adore you for the offer, but I found out some things since I got here yesterday. They have a ton of people working with us to get us settled, and they looked up my family history. I have an aunt in Mississippi. She didn’t know about me until they called her earlier.”
“What’d she say?” I hold my breath for the answer, hoping her aunt didn’t dismiss her. The girl had enough bad things happen to her in her short life. She deserves nothing but the best from now on, and if this aunt of hers isn’t willing to give it to her, I will.
Jenna brightens, bouncing slightly in her seat. “She wants me! She said she’s flying out to meet me as soon as there’s an available seat. She was so shocked to learn about me, just like I was to learn about her. But she said I’m family and she wants me to stay with her.”
“Honey, that’s amazing. I’m so happy for you.” My shoulders relax, and I hold her arm tight as she continues to hug me from behind. Jenna deserves a happy home, and hopefully, this aunt of hers can give her one. A thought occurs to me, though. “But please, never ever hesitate to call me if you need me, Jenna. If things don’t work out in Mississippi, you’ve always got a place with me, okay?”
“You’re the best, Taylor. Thank you for everything, and I promise I’ll keep in touch.” She sets the brush down next to me on the bed and gives me one more hug. “I’m going to get back to my room. My aunt said she’d call me soon with her flight info, and I don’t want to miss her call. I’ll come back and see you before I leave. My aunt wanted to meet you and thank you for keeping me safe.”
She skips out of the room, and my heart squeezes with joy. Watching her smile and laugh is the best I’ve felt in over two weeks. I lean back and rest my eyes for a few seconds, but it quickly gets interrupted by a tapping on my door. I perk up, hoping Grumpy finally made it, but deflate when Dr. Lenny comes in followed by two unfamiliar men. They’re similar in age to Maverick and Marak.
The three of them are deep in conversation, so I’m able to look over the two newcomers silently. With Dr. Lenny speaking casually to them, I know they aren’t a threat, but I still watch them and their interactions. The first man stands about as tall as Maverick, and he has the same amount of muscle. His shoulders are broad, and his hips are narrow. His dark blond hair is shaved on the sides and nicely combed back on top, not a strand out of place. His face is free of facial hair, showing off smooth, perfect skin most people would die for. His eyes glow chartreuse green. His style is preppy but classy at the same time, with a burgundy sweater covering his ivory button-up shirt and dark tan slacks.
Behind him, the second man walks in and his hair grabs my attention before anything else. His longer hair is a complete mess atop his head, but it works well for him. The messiness isn’t what draws me in and brings out a smirk. It’s the fact his hair is blue—not an obnoxious neon blue, but a softer, sexy silver blue. The color matches his eyes exactly, and I wonder if he did it on purpose. He clearly spends plenty of time outside if his tanned skin is any indication. His eyebrows give away the fact his natural hair is nearly black in color. His style is simple with a gray shirt under an open plaid button-up shirt and some dark-wash jeans.
“All I’m saying is I won’t tell if you don’t,” The blue-haired man speaks up, humor in his voice.
Dr. Lenny shakes her head. “I’m not letting you borrow scrubs to get a staff discount at the cafeteria, Syn. You’re crazy if you think I would.”
I snort at her scolding, and the two new men turn their attention to me. “Hey, you’re awake!”
Marak throws his hands in the air. “You assholes never check your phones. Mav and I texted you over an hour ago to say she woke up.”
“If we’re being honest, I have no idea where my phone even is,” the blue-haired one, Syn as Dr. Lenny called him, admits with no remorse while patting at his empty pockets. “But, it’s good you’re up. Do we know your name yet?”
“They do,” I inform him, pointing to Marak and Maverick. “You don’t.”
Marak hoots with laughter, and the other new one chuckles as he introduces himself and his friend. “I’m Allistar, that’s Syn.”
“I’m—”
“Taylor!” Hearing my name shouted by that irate voice brings tears to my eyes once more, and I hop off the bed quickly.
The four men in the room must mistake my excitement for fear because they swarm the door, refusing to allow the source of the shouting in. “Get yer overgrown paws offa me ‘fore I break yer damn hand, boy!”
“It’s fine!” I call out to them and rush over to the door. I’m oddly touched by their unnecessary protectiveness. I just met them all, yet they’re willing to keep me safe from potential harm.
“He’s not a bad guy, he’s fine.” I place my hand on Marak’s back as I reach him first, and he spins around, eyes wide. His reaction startles me, and I jump away from him, wondering if I crossed some weird line by touching his back.
I don’t have time to analyze Marak’s weird behavior before Grumpy pushes his way past the four men and scoops me into his arms. “Tayter-Tot, holy hell I near had a damned cow these last few weeks. What in the devil happened to ya? Are ya hurt? Are they takin’ good care of ya here? Who’re those four yahoos tryin’ ta keep me outta here? Can I hit ‘em?”
I hug him tighter for a second before pulling away and holding him at arm's length. “Grumpy! Calm down. You’re giving me a headache.”
“I’m givin’ you a headache? I should make ya go pick yer own damned switch fer scarin’ the ever-lovin’ hell outta a little ol’ man. Now answer my questions ‘fore I lose my damn mind more’n I already have.” He leads me over to the bed and sits down at the same time I do, refusing to let my hand go.
Taking a long, dramatic breath, I launch into a short and not-so-sweet explanation. “I’m not hurt, the doctor and these guys are helping me. It’s kind of a long story, but I was on my way home from work that night you called me. My car stopped running. I have any idea why and don’t even start in with the I told you to get a new car crap. I wanted to try to fix it before I called you for help, but as soon as I opened the hood, I realized it was a dumb idea.”
“Yeah, yer a damn talented gal, but ya don’t know yer ass from yer elbow ‘bout cars, Tayter-Tot.” I glare at him for interrupting, but he isn’t fazed. “Also, I told ya ta git a new car.”
“Anyway,” I emphasize the word with an eye roll, “I heard some yelling and thought maybe I could help. Some jerk was trying to push a young girl into the back of his car. I managed to get him in the nads, and we tried to run, but there was a second guy in the driver's seat of the car. He cut us off, and they took us both.”
“Where’d they take ya?” Grumpy’s tone is serious and scared now. He doesn’t want to hear what I’m saying as much as I don’t want to talk about it, but he should know. Maverick and Marak are part of the people who rescued us girls; maybe this can count as my statement so I don’t have to repeat myself.
“They drugged us, but it didn’t work well on me. I was out of it but awake. They shoved us into a van and drove forever until we got to a warehouse.” My body vibrates as I remember the next part. Grumpy takes my hand in his, holding onto me firmly.
“They took our clothes, then photographed us. I managed to get away for a split second, but I took a wrong turn. I went into some office where one of the freaks was talking to some older man. It slowed me down enough for them to catch me.” Grumpy’s grip on my hand tightens but not painfully. “There were a bunch of other girls they were trying to sell to perverted bastards. Jenna, the girl taken with me, was the only one that stayed with me the whole time. I did my best to keep the both of us safe. I think it helped they hated me. They also said some guy had picked me, and on the last day I was there, he was supposed to come for me.”
“Ya got gumption, Tayter-Tot.” Grumpy smirks, obviously hoping to lighten the mood. The sadness in his eyes remains, though.
“I get that from Grammy,” I quip with a light nudge to his shoulder.
Grumpy sobers up, as do I. “Did they hurt ya, Taylor?” His tone turns deadly.
“They hit me,” I admit with a deep sigh, avoiding the real meaning behind his question. “It was mostly some beatings when I tried to protect the other girls, but it was worth it.”
“I hate to interrupt,” Dr. Lenny murmurs quietly from the corner of the room where she and the four men remained while I talked with Grumpy. “I really need to get this IV into Taylor. She’s quite dehydrated, and we really need to get some fluids into her.”
“Well, what in tarnation ya waitin’ fer?” Grumpy shouts, startling the poor doctor. “Git the girl set up with tha good stuff. Why in the hell don’t she already got one of them tubes givin’ her what she needs.”
“She did until she woke up and tore it out,” Maverick pipes up. He doesn’t budge even as I pin him with my meanest glare.
Grumpy lightly presses my shoulder, making me lie down on the bed. He then goes about tucking the blanket in from my feet to my waist. Dr. Lenny proceeds with the IV in my good arm and sends amused glances to Grumpy. All the while, I laugh at Grumpy for making me into a burrito with the blanket. If the man had a staple gun on him, I have no doubt he’d staple the blanket down so I can’t get up. As a kid, any time I had an injury or illness, Grumpy would tuck me into a blanket as tight as possible. For a while, I thought it was a secret cure-all. The older I got, the more I came to realize he had no idea what would make me better, so he rolled me up and told me he’d go get Grammy. The real cure-all was the love he and Grammy gave me and how they simply cared for me when I was hurt or sick.
Dr. Lenny finishes the IV, then stands. “It was a pleasure to kind of meet you, Grumpy. I’ll be back to check on Taylor later.”
She sends a wide smile to Grumpy, who turns red and drops his eyes to the ground. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Grumpy blushed at Dr. Lenny’s attention—something I’ve never seen him do.
As soon as she’s gone, Maverick takes her spot on the stool sitting to the left of my bed. “Do you know the name of the man who was supposed to come for you?”
Maverick doesn’t appear to be the type to wait for a convenient time to do things. He wants information, and he’s going to get it. I can appreciate impatience. I have a hard time waiting for a Hot Pocket in the microwave.
“Nope.” I shake my head for emphasis. “They kept calling him the big boss. It’s the guy I saw when I tried to run that first day.”
Marak’s head shoots up. “You saw his face?”
“Yeah, he turned around when I ran into the area.” Lying my head back, I close my eyes as exhaustion hits me hard. “I guess he decided he liked me after seeing me. Sick bastard.”
“Fuck.” My eyes pop open again at Marak’s muted curse. I raise a brow, silently asking him to explain. “Taylor, you need to be careful. This guy is still out there, and we don’t know what his role in the whole thing is or was.”
My stomach drops at the news. “You didn’t catch him?”
“No.” Allistar enters the conversation, coming up with Syn to stand at the end of my bed. “We didn’t know about him until now. The other three men won’t be an issue ever again, but we didn’t know this one existed. The others didn’t make it out of that warehouse to tell us about him. I’m going to call the bureau now and let them know. We have security set up all over this floor, so you’re safe and so are the other girls.”
“Wait just one cotton pickin’ minute now, boy.” Grumpy holds up a hand to stop Allistar from talking. “If ya didn’t know ‘bout tha other guy, why the damn security, ‘n can someone tell me who in the hell y’all boys is?”
Maverick stands, holding a hand out to Grumpy. “I’m Maverick Harding. This is my team, Marak, Syn, and Allistar. We’re SWAT, and we helped in the retrieval of Taylor and the other girls who were being held against their will. We didn’t plan to take any risks until we were able to interview all the girls and ensure no one else was involved.”
Grumpy eyes Maverick for a while before finally grabbing his hand in a firm shake. “Thank y’all fer savin’ ma’ girl.”
“Our pleasure.” Maverick nods to Grumpy as Marak winks my way.
It surprises me, and I find myself wondering what it means. The only time I’ve ever been winked at was by lewd construction workers on my way to work as a teenager. One of them pinched my ass, and I socked him in the nuggets. No one winked after that day. Marak isn’t lewd or a construction worker, though.
Before I can give it much thought, Syn distracts me by tapping a light rhythm on my blanket-covered toes. I ignore him and listen to Maverick and Grumpy chatting, but Syn continues to tap in a rhythm almost like he’s playing a tune only he can hear. I finally look up and find him completely spaced out as he taps on my toes. He must not even realize what he’s doing. Marak notices Syn’s odd tapping, and at first, he smirks at his friend. His eyes shoot to mine and widen. I stiffen, wondering what could be wrong and watch as Marak pushes on Syn to gain his attention.
Marak glares at Syn, who stops his drum-tapping and pulls his hands away like I unexpectedly caught fire. “Sorry. It’s a habit.” He backs away a few steps, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
“What?” I look from Syn to Marak, searching for answers to their odd behavior.
Allistar answers for them, “He knows better than to touch you. He’s generally more vigilant of his fidgeting habits when we’re working.”
My brow wrinkles in confusion. “Is that a SWAT thing or something?” It sounds like an odd rule, but I won’t pretend to know anything about SWAT and how any kind of law enforcement works.
“It’s part of our training.” Allistar shoots Syn a meaningful look. He sounds like he’s reading from a textbook as he continues, “You don’t touch a victim of abuse without permission, especially someone who has been through sexual trauma.”
“Syn should know that more than any of us since he’s our team’s medic.” Maverick shoots Syn a hard stare, and the poor guy blushes.
I raise my hand like I’m in a classroom. “Erm, I wasn’t . . . I mean, I didn’t go through . . . They didn’t touch me like that.” Saying the words out loud is harder than I anticipated. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for some of the girls who weren’t nearly as lucky as me.
“Are you sure about that? You could have been unconscious or drugged.” Syn’s tone is soft, and he remains at a distance. It doesn't sit well with me. I liked him drumming away on my toes to a song in his head more.
I nod to him, a blush staining my cheeks. “I’m sure. I was never unconscious long enough. Except for that last time when you guys found me. They gave me something different that time, something stronger.”
“Maybe we oughta get that lady doctor to check on ya’, Tayter-Tot. Just in case n’ all.” Grumpy frowns down at his hands; his shoulders tense.
I relent easily because I’d rather have proof from a doctor also. There’s always a small chance that I don’t remember. “We can ask her, but I’d rather not have everyone in the room for it.” I avoid eye contact with everyone.
“Yer darn tootin’!” Grump sputters, much to my amusement. “Ya know I’d never let ‘em boys stay ‘round fer somethin’ like ‘at. Yer barely legal for Christ’s sake.”
I roll my eyes and press the call button for the doctor. “I’m nearly twenty-five, Grumpy. Nice try though.”
“The hell ya are,” he grumbles, standing up from his seat. “Ya won’t never be more’n a day over twelve ta me, girl.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I wave him off but laugh when he sticks his tongue out at me like a child. “Which one of us is twelve again?”
“Hush up, or I’ll make ya pick yer own switch when we get ya home.” If I had a nickel for every time Grumpy threatened to make me pick my own switch, I’d be able to use the money to buy myself a brand-new car. Of course, he’s never once followed through with his threat, but he loves to use it. My theory is he thinks it makes him sound tough. In truth, he’s a big, mushy, teddy bear, at least when it comes to me.
Dr. Lenny comes into the room as me and the four guys chuckle at Grumpy’s antics. He’s much less amused than we are, but it doesn’t stop me. “What can I do for you, Taylor?” She sends a quick wink to Grumpy who sputters, then pretends to not notice. What the hell is happening to him?
“My grandfather and these guys think I should get checked... Erm--” I hesitate for a moment, mortified to be talking about this in front of four strange men—four sexy strange men at that. I might have gone through a rough two weeks, but I’m not blind or dead. Even if I was, I’d probably still notice the four of them. “Get checked for trauma I might have missed.”
“Let’s step out, men. We could all use a cup of coffee anyway.” Maverick stands and ushers everyone out the door. Grumpy clearly wants to stay, but one look at my bright red cheeks, he follows the four men into the hall.
Dr. Lenny pats my arm gently as the door closes. “We already did an exam on you when you first showed up, Taylor. It’s standard for cases like yours and the other girls. We also did some labs. There was no sign of any sexual trauma.”
Even though I was pretty sure that was the case, I deflate at the confirmation. “That’s good news.”
Dr. Lenny nods her agreement, heads for the door, stops a few feet away, and turns back to me. “Your grandpa seems like a nice guy.”
Words elude me. All I can manage is a nod. Where is she going with this?
She chews on her lip for a second, then changes directions with the conversation. “Do you know Maverick and his team? Have you met them before?”
“Not before today, why?” I frown at her odd question even as my curiosity piques.
She waves her hand dismissively. “Just curious. I’ve known those boys for a long time. I used to babysit Marak when he was a baby. He introduced me to Maverick, Allistar, and Syn. They’re like surrogate nephews to me.”
“Oh.” I don’t say more because I’m not sure why she’s telling me about this.
Dr. Lenny leans against the door frame and crosses her arms, a small smile playing on her lips. “I just find it interesting the four of them have stuck around here all night and day.”
Her words strike me hard, my frown deepening. “Should I tell them to go home? Do you not want them around me or something?” Just because I was kidnapped and came in a dirty mess doesn’t mean I’m a piece of trash.
“No!” Her volume startles me, and I think she shocks herself as well. “I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all, Taylor. It just surprises me a bit. They’re a great group of guys. It’s not typical for them to hang around, that’s all. They usually make sure the people brought in are going to be okay, then they go home. I think they might want to befriend you, which doesn’t surprise me. You’re a nice girl. Just don’t get scared off by their weirdness and how close they are. The four of them can be crazy sometimes. I love them to death, of course. They’re family to me—”
“What are you rambling about, Trish?” Marak strolls into the room with a big coffee in one hand and a brown bag in the other. “You only do that when you’re nervous.”
“Shut it, Marak. I’ve got to go check on my other patients.” Dr. Lenny—Trish—spins around and rushes out of the room without another word.
Marak watches her leave and chuckles. “She’s fun to mess with. I love that lady.”
“She mentioned she was your babysitter when you were little.” I eye the bag, wishing I’d asked Grumpy to grab me something.
Marak plops down in the chair next to my bed. “Yeah, she watched me nearly every day until I started kindergarten. She was married then, and her husband wanted her home rather than working. She found a way around it by babysitting me. Our families are close, and she came to stay with us for a while after she ditched the douche she was married to.” He pauses long enough to take a sip of the coffee. “What did she say?”
For a second, I think he’s asking about her questions involving him and his friends, but I realize by his abrupt seriousness he means the exam she was supposed to do. “Oh, I was right, and everything’s fine. Apparently, she checked when you guys brought me in.”
Marak’s shoulders sag visibly. “That’s good news.”
“What’s good news?” Syn strolls into the room along with Grumpy, Maverick, and Allistar.
Marak takes another quick sip of his coffee before responding, “Trish said everything’s fine.”
“Oh, good!” Syn smiles widely, and my cheeks darken. It’s embarrassing to talk about such a thing with all of them.
“Thank the Lord fer that,” Grumpy agrees, clearly as uncomfortable as me. He changes the subject quickly by holding out a brown bag to me. “I gotcha food, Tayter-Tot. They didn’t have nothin’ fancy, but I got ya one a ‘em turkey sammiches on the fancy bread ya like so much. They had cheese fries, too, ‘n I know you’d live on ‘em greasy things if ya could.”
“You’re the best ever.” I snatch the bag from him and peek inside, inhaling the savory aroma of fries and a turkey croissant sandwich. I glance back up at Grumpy for a second and bite my lip. “Did you happen to find any—”
“I got yer damned diet crap,” he grumbles, pulling a bottle from his jacket pocket and handing it over to me. “That poison’s gonna be the death of ya. ‘N if ya hadn’t just gone through hell, I’d’ve never bought that shit.”
Waving off his complaints, I open the soda, take a long swig, then moan out loud. “Oh god, that’s so freaking good.”
“Well, damn, I never wished I was a beverage until now.” Syn smirks and wiggles his eyebrows, making me laugh.
Maverick elbows him in the side, and Grumpy pins him with a glare. “Watch it, boy. I may be old, but I can still tan yer hide if ya get outta line.”
Syn clears his throat, appearing contrite though also failing to hide his laughter. “Sorry, sir. Won’t happen again.”
I snort my disbelief, and Syn winks at me when Grumpy turns away.
“Alright, guys,” Maverick calls out with a roll of his eyes. “Taylor’s had a long day and so have we. We should give her and her grandfather some time to rest while we get some sleep.”
“Thank you all,” I mutter, picking at invisible lint from my sheet. “Thanks for saving me and for hanging around for a while.”
Allistar straightens up. “We can come back later if you’d like.” Normally, I’d assume his offer is only to be polite, but Allistar seems sincere. Marak and Syn nod eagerly at the idea. Maverick’s face remains impassive as he watches me, waiting for an answer.
Something about them piques my interest. They’re nice, and they rescued me, sure. But it’s the way they are together that makes me want to spend more time with them. They’re not like a typical group of friends. From what I’ve seen, they’re more like family. It reminds me of the relationship I have with Evelyn and Michelle. Maybe Dr. Lenny was right, and they want to be my friends. I could always use more friends, and if four hot men want to hang around with me, who am I to deny them?
Without diving deeper into my interest in them, I find myself nodding. “Yeah, if you guys want to come back and hang out, I’d like that.”
They agree to show up when they know I’ve had time to rest and relax. I thank them again before they leave and settle back into bed, holding my bag of food and soda close. Grumpy rolls his eyes at me as I take another long drink of my soda before touching my food.
“Yer impossible, Tayter-Tot.” He watches me shove an extra cheesy fry into my mouth. “Ya just had a horrible go of it, ‘n yer eatin’ fries like it ain’t no big deal. I’m fixin’ ta lose my mind if ya don’t talk ta me soon.”
“I’m fine, Grumpy,” I mumble around another bite of fries. I swallow hard and meet his gaze. “It sucked, it was terrifying, I was worried. It was all a big mess, but I made it out. The other girls made it out. It ended in the best way possible. You know I’m not going to sit here and think about all the bad things when there are too many good things to focus on right now. If I focus on the bad stuff, I’ll just turn into a jittery mess, and it won’t be good for anyone.”
“Ya always were a glass a sweet tea half-full kinda gal,” he muses with a rare grin. “Just like yer Grammy.”
“When life gives you lemons,” I start, knowing he’ll finish for me.
He doesn’t disappoint. “Put a slice in yer sweet tea.”
“She loved to say that when things weren’t great.” My chest tightens the way it always does when I think of my grandmother.
It took a long time for Grumpy and me to be able to speak of Grammy without tears, but we never stopped talking about her. She was the only mother figure I ever truly had, and I would never dishonor her by pushing her from my mind and memory. Grumpy agreed with me and never got upset when I wanted to talk about her. It was hard on him; they were married for forty-three years when she passed away. I know him well enough to know he would have rather run from the hurt he felt when we lost her, but he didn’t. We made a pact to remember her in every way we could and speak of her often.
“Ya always were just alike.” Grumpy sighs, rubbing at the stress lines on his forehead. “I know yer strong as hell, ‘n I know yer gonna bounce back real fast from this whole thing. But ya ain’t bulletproof, Tayter-Tot. Ya know ya’ve always got me ta talk at if ya need someone. I don’t care what ya need ta talk ‘bout or how uncomfortable it might-could get. Ya need me, I’m there.”
“I know, Grumpy, and I love you to the holler and back for that.” With a long sigh, I drop back onto my pillows. “Right now, all I want to do is eat this food, down this soda, give you a long hug, call Evelyn and Michelle, and then sleep. I’m really just too tired to think or talk about much more at this point.”
“Fair ‘nough.” He pulls his phone from his pocket with a wicked grin. “I’m gonna call ‘em two brats ‘n put on the speaker so I can hear ‘em yellin’ at ya fer waitin’ so dang long ta call ‘em, though.”
I glare angrily at him as he dials Michelle’s number. “You’re such a mean old man.”
An hour later, Michelle and Evelyn have finally finish yelling at me for not calling them first thing. Tears were shed by them and me. They relented on coming to visit right away, agreeing I need to get some sleep. They made me promise I’d call as soon as I woke up, so they can come see I’m not dead for themselves.
Grumpy was all too happy to listen to their yelling, but eventually, he grew bored and made his way to a table in the corner where a magazine sat. He’ll be occupied for a while, which is good because there’s no staying awake for me. It doesn’t take long after hanging up for me to drift into a deep sleep.