Lyrics on the Wind (Lost Kings MC 17)

“How do you feel?” he asks.

Groggy, dirty, fuzzy…“Bleh,” I mumble.

“You’re safe here,” he reassures me. “Your mom’s on her way. She should be here in a few hours.”

“Really?” Who told her what happened to me? How’d she make it here? My mother hates to fly, and we sure don’t have the extra money for plane tickets.

Sudden despair hollows me out and my vision blurs. “Please?” I whisper. I attempt to extend my hand toward Rooster. Sweat rolls down my forehead from the effort.

He shoots up and reaches for the buzzer. “What do you need?”

“You.”

His expression softens as he sweeps his gaze over me. Gently, he slides his arms under my body, shifting me just enough to give him room to stretch out by my side. My aching joints protest the movement but the satisfaction of Rooster’s warm, solid protection is worth the pain. He holds me to him as tightly as possible with all the wires and tubes in his way. He nuzzles my neck, the familiar tickle of his beard further grounding me. In his arms, I feel cherished, safe, and—most importantly—alive.

Chapter Ten

Rooster

“Psst, Rooster.” Ice’s hushed tone pulls me out of sleep.

Shelby finally seems to be resting comfortably and I hate to disturb her. Slowly, I extract myself from the bed without waking her and step into the hallway, quietly closing the door behind me.

“What’s up?” I stretch, wincing as my spine snaps and crackles into place with the movement.

“New York’s here,” Ice says. He lowers his voice and moves closer. “And Pants has some info you’re going to want to hear. In person.”

“Shoot.” I glance at the door. I really don’t want to leave Shelby, but she knows I was here and I wouldn’t leave unless it was important.

Ice lifts his chin at something behind me. I turn and find Murphy and Heidi walking toward us.

“Holy shit, you came too, Little Hammer?” I pull her in for a quick hug and mouth a “thank you” to Murphy over her head. While Shelby knows my brothers are here to protect her, I bet she’ll appreciate a bit of female companionship.

“Is she okay?” Heidi pulls away, staring up at me with worry dancing in her dark brown eyes.

“I think so. She woke up for a bit. Doctor says she needs to rest.”

“Wrath and everyone else are down in the waiting room.” Murphy jerks his thumb over his shoulder. “Staff was a little squirrelly about having so many bikers here.” He and Ice share a laugh. “Ice said you might need to run out. Heidi and I can sit with her until you get back.”

Maybe I’m tired but the offer chokes me up. Murphy somehow knows. Sure, Ice is a brother—I can trust him. Hell, every brother in Virginia has helped me out in one way or another over the last few days. But I’ll be a hell of a lot more comfortable with a NY brother watching over Shelby while I’m gone. That way if she wakes up again, at least she’ll be greeted by familiar faces.

“Thank you, brother.” I pull him in and slap his back. “Really appreciate you coming all the way down here.”

“Not a problem.” He searches the corridor. “Where’s Jiggy?”

“Probably on his way to the airport. He’s picking Shelby’s mom up for me.”

Murphy raises an eyebrow.

“He promised to behave.”

“Yeah, okay. First time for everything, I guess.”

After all the tension and misery of the last couple days, I laugh a little. “You sure you don’t mind…being here?” I ask.

Murphy spent a fair amount of time in the hospital not that long ago. Can’t imagine he’s eager to hang around one now.

He snorts. “Thanks for the concern, but as long as I’m not the one in the gown getting my hair and beard shaved off, I’m fine.”

“Now that you mention it.” I squint and rub my hand over my own beard. “That ol’ chin curtain of yours sure grew back awfully fast.”

His mouth twitches. “Heidi says it’s because I have an overabundance of testosterone.”

I roll my eyes Heidi’s way. “Of course she did.”

She grins at me. “It’s true.”

“There is another possibility.” I scratch the side of my head, like I’m deep in thought. “He’s part Sasquatch?”

“Anything’s possible.” Murphy shrugs.

I open the door, checking that Shelby’s still asleep. Murphy claps me on the shoulder. “Fill me in on all your adventures when you get back. I won’t let anyone near her.”

“Thanks, brother.”

He and Heidi quietly tiptoe into the room and I close the door.

Ice nudges me down the hall toward the waiting room.

He wasn’t kidding. The room’s bursting with Lost Kings and friends of the club.

Anya leans up and quickly hugs me. “If Shelby needs anything, let me know, okay?”

It’s a kind offer considering Anya and Shelby have only met one or two times. “Thanks, sweetheart.”

“Rooster!” Wrath picks me up in a big bear hug—possibly cracking a rib or two in the process—before setting me down. “How’s she doing?”