A Little Something Extra

He nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

Megan just shook her head as her phone buzzed in her hand. It was a text from her mother:

S.O.S The beast is loose. I repeat, the beast is loose.

“Better step on it,” she said as she rang her brother. “Or there won’t be a hospital to visit when we get there.”

Dimitri put his foot down while Megan spoke to Matt. “Pick up the pace,” she said when he answered. Mum says Grunt has gone full Hulk. This is a full-blown Code Green situation.”

Matt muttered something under his breath before raising his voice. “Stay behind me. I’ll clear the way.” There was a pause. “Please tell me you aren’t driving.”

Megan hung up on him.

They heard Grunt before they saw him. The whole hospital shuddered with his roar.

“It’s all under control,” Matt called as he led their group through the corridors toward the shouting. “Stay back.”

In front of Megan, and behind her brother, were Lake and Joe. Dimitri was on one side of her, Josh McInnes on the other. Behind her were Mitch and the rest of Lake’s Scottish team. She was surrounded by testosterone—and Josh.

“Remind me why you’re here again?” she asked the singer.

“Are you implying I’m useless?” He grinned like that was funny.

Her cousin Flynn, an ex-professional footballer, appeared beside them. “Sorry I’m late to the party. And nobody’s implying you’re useless, we’re saying it outright. You need to train, or you’re going to die during your next concert tour. Tomorrow morning, you come running with me.”

Josh tripped over his own feet, head-butting Joe in the back. “Sorry,” he said to Joe. “Run?” he said to Flynn like it was an alien concept. “For fun?”

“No,” Flynn said. “For fitness.” He eyed Josh, who wore an Iron Man T-shirt. “We’ll throw in some weights as well.”

“Yeah, I’m too busy to run,” Josh said. “Got to work on the album.”

“I’m sure Caroline could help clear your schedule.” Flynn grinned and the men around him chuckled. Josh’s wife had been trying for years to get him fitter.

“You’re all assholes,” Josh grumbled. “Except for you,” he told Megan. “You’re just scary.”

“Thanks,” she said as they rounded a corner and screeched to a halt.

Two hospital security guards blocked their path. Several nurses stood in doorways while patients and their families peeked out into the corridor through their windows. Two men in scrubs inched toward Grunt; their hands held out in front of them. Behind them stood another security guard, who looked like he was either about to run or wet himself. And, in the middle of all this, Megan’s mountain of a brother-in-law towered over everyone as he held a guy in a white coat against the wall by his throat.

“Grunt.” Joe elbowed his way to the front of their group. “What you doing, big guy?”

“Um, going Hulk on the medical staff,” Megan said.

“Samuel!” A screech filled the corridor, coming from one of the rooms. Claire wanted her husband.

Grunt’s hand tightened on the doctor’s throat. If he’d heard Joe, or even registered they were there, it didn’t show.

“My wife is in pain,” he said to th

e doctor in a low growling voice. “You need to stop the pain. My wife doesn’t have to deal with pain. Ever.”

“Oh, this isn’t good,” Flynn muttered.

“I told you.” The doctor clutched Grunt’s wrist, holding on as he stretched up on tiptoe. His face, which had turned red, was inching into blue. “It’s too late to administer pain relief. We just have to let nature take its course.”

“No!” Grunt roared.

“Big guy.” Joe stepped forward. “You need to back the hell off. You’re damaging Claire’s doctor, and she needs him.”