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“Agreed,” Will said

“Round the clock guards onmy head back on the pillow “I’m awake,” I said as I closed my eyes “Just takin’ a break”

“Do whatcha need to,” Dragon said in understanding

“Round hiood hand into a fist It was infuriating that I couldn’t run the bastard to groundto be in any shape to do that for a long ass time, and my woman needed to be safe now She’d never be safe while Copper lived Sick fuck “Let Grease do it Then burn the fucker”

“That was oddly nonspecific,” Will said in amusement

I opened my eyes to look at him “I’et the job done the way I would”

“Fair enough,” Dragon said, getting to his feet “We’ll let you knohen it’s finished”

“Appreciate it,” I ain “Tell the nurse to send in some pain meds, yeah?”

“Pussy,” Will joked

I curledhts out Even the pain radiating through h to keep me awake

My hospital stay was a blur of visits from Rose, Kara, my parents, and nearly every brother and old lady in the club I was rarely alone once I wasPolice ca about how I’d gotten there or who had attacked me I had so many wounds, there wasn’t any way to prove that I reave up

Rose slowly lost the exhausted, hollow look around her eyes We didn’t talk about our time in the basement, but I knee’d have to at some point That shit would fester if we didn’t talk it out, and I wasn’t going to let that happen

God, I loved her Any doubts I’d had disappeared The knots I used to get in one She wasn’t going anywhere, and I kneith absolute certainty that it didn’tand she left me—she’d never leave my kid

Rose slept at the hospital o hoet some sleep in a real bed It seeet out of bed to piss without help I wasn’t sure how she did it, but by the tio home, Rose was completely oing to complain She was exactly where I wanted her

“What the fuck?” I asked as we stepped through the front door

“You’re not good on stairs yet,” she said, following ”

“There are three steps between the upstairs and downstairs,” I stated flatly The house was split-level, it wasn’t like I had to crawl up a flight of stairs