I paced the living area as Jessa talked to Willow. It killed me that Jessa wanted to talk to Willow alone. That she'd asked I move away from the door even. Jessa didn't ask much, and since it was for Willow...I'd caved."Sit the fuck down, Penn. You're giving me a headache," Nico said as he came back into the room. "The smash, smash, smash of your shoes is like a jackhammer in my brain." He stalked to the seat he'd occupied earlier, eased down into its depths. He slouched down, rested his head on the back. "Sorry." I moved over to the couch Willow had been stretched out on. "How're you feeling?""Like shit," he mumbled. "Are we supposed to share our feelings and braid each other's hair now that Turo let you in the family?"I snarled, held up my hands. "Fine. Sorry. Damn." I was on edge. Tangling with Nico wasn't going to help calm me down either. I drummed my fingers on my thighs. Tried to will the women to hurry up. I wanted Willow in my arms. And I wanted her in my arms w

My phone buzzed in my pocket as our laughter died. I set her back, straightened my leg so I could get my phone. "Penn," I barked down the line as I thumbed away the streaks of tears off my girl's face. "Are you ready for the shitshow, you little fucker?" John Cavendish said down the line. I jerked as a low snarl purled from my throat. I pulled the phone from my ear, hit the recording button. "What shitshow, you bastard?"Willow snapped to attention on the couch. I laid a hand on her belly. Petted her. She narrowed her sage green eyes at me. I smiled. "Seems you're getting caught up with the local riffraff, Penn." He made little tsking noises. "You should know better than to associate with the criminal underground. Didn't your daddy ever teach you any better?"I barked a laugh. "The things my daddy taught me would make you shit your pants, Cavendish. What do you want?""I want the charges against Everette dropped," he snarled. "We've already had this discussio

The mangled car jetted forward as Ryker's foot must have been on the gas when he went unconscious. I unbuckled my seat belt as I tried to push him back. The phone slid to the floor. "No, no, no, no, no." I got him pushed back enough that I could move the steering wheel. We scraped the sides of no less than three cars as I tried to point us in the direction of the hospital in a runaway Range Rover. I slammed on the horn as we sailed through the intersection. A cop was sitting at the light. He flipped his lights on and joined in the run behind us, his sirens blaring. I stabbed at the buttons on the dashboard. There had to be some kind of remote alarm system. Something that connected me to a human in case of an emergency. "Land Rover InControl, what can I help you with?" a pleasant female voice said. "We've been in an accident. The driver has been shot. He's still currently in the driver's seat with the gas pedal depressed. A cop is following us. Please help!" I shouted.

I settled back against the gurney as the fireman stepped back to make room for the EMTs. "Previous arterial injury?" the female technician asked me.I nodded. Pushed the black clouds of pain from my mind as much as possible. "Arterial separation from sharp implement."Her brown eyes widened. "Where?"I pointed to my right hip. "Femoral artery."She yanked me flat, slapped an oxygen mask on my face. "I've got to cut your dress. Less chance it depositing anything into an open wound. You don't have any blood, but I need to do an examination."I nodded as she jumped up on the gurney with me. Her partner started running with us as she relayed medical terms I was completely unfamiliar with. "Good Shepherd is expecting us. Dr. Sweeten has been alerted. She's waiting for you," the female tech said. "Your incision looks good. No open wounds or even leakage. No irregular heat or redness. What kind of pain?""Like someone stabbed me and now they're wiggling the blade all around."He

"You keep wiggling around and I'm going to restrain you to that bed. I don't like my work being ripped open, Ryker Anthony Penn," Jessa snarled at me. "Then either bring Willow here or let me go to her and neither of us will have a problem, Jessa Rose Sweeten." I was seconds away from launching myself from this stupid hospital bed. I couldn't escape the feeling of phantom hands all over my body. Just the thought of it had my belly dancing a jig that made sweat bead on my brow. I just hoped Jessa didn't think it was because I was running a fever. The other, more important, horrifying thought settled in my brain again: I had been unconscious and lost Willow. Not only was she lost, she was out of my sight and hurting. I was the one who took care of her. Me. The only one allowed to touch her. I needed to see her. See with my own eyes that she was fine. I needed to feel her skin against mine. "Jamie is bringing her down this way for the CT scan. I'll make sure you can talk to