“Can Nik come to visit? I could do with the company.”
“No. Devil will keep you company.”
“Ugh. You are such a pain. I like Devil and all, but I’m fairly sure he’s bored out of his brain talking to me.”
“Yeah well, he’s all you’ve got. You’ll be back at the clubhouse in a few days hopefully.”
The last thing I heard as I exited the room was her mutter, “Men. Do the guys in your life give you this much hell, Lily? Tell me I’m not the only one who has to live with this kind of stuff.”
I didn’t catch Lily’s reply. My mind was already on the next fire I had to put out. I didn’t give a fuck if Skylar felt like I gave her hell. All I cared about was protecting her.
Lily
* * *
Do the guys in my life give me that much hell?
I laughed. “Where do I begin?” Honestly, I felt like maybe they didn’t, because her brother seemed way over the top, but at the same time, I experienced as much frustration with Linc as she did with King.
I wonder what his first name is?
God, why was I even thinking about him? The man was rude and demanding, and I had no space in my head for people like him. But, good lord, he had something that sparked my interest. Tall and built with muscles for days, he’d commanded my attention as soon as I entered his space. His piercing eyes had hit me
instantly. They looked like eyes that hid a thousand secrets. God, I’d even liked his dark hair that was a little longer and a little more unruly than I usually preferred. Not to mention his beard and tattoos. King looked to be everything in a man I’d never had but had always wanted to try. I’d found myself wanting to pull him into line for being so rude while also wanting to talk a whole lot more with him.
And that scar on his face.
I wanted to know who did that to him and why.
Skylar cut through my thoughts. “Are you married?”
I steadied her while she did the exercises I’d prescribed. She was fit, so I had high hopes for a speedy recovery. With any luck, she’d be out of here fast. “Not anymore. After twelve years of marriage, I discovered my husband was cheating on me. We’re divorced now, but he still gives me headache after headache.”
“Fucker. I’d cut his balls off. Like, literally. But then, I’m as crazy as my brother, so I’m not really a sane person when it comes to being crossed by people.”
I liked her honesty and the easy way she allowed me to work with her. Some patients struggled with their rehab and fought it every step of the way. So far, Skylar had done everything I’d wanted her to. And it had impressed me that her brother seemed invested in her recovery. Family support was a huge key to success in this journey.
“Trust me, I dreamt about doing that to Linc. I’ve got three kids, though, and parenting from prison didn’t seem like a good option, so I let him keep the balls. But let me tell you, this week, I’m this close to slicing them off.”
“That’s gotta be the worst—still having to have him in your life after what he did to you.”
“It’s definitely hard. And bittersweet some days.”
She frowned. “How so?”
“Linc and I were high school sweethearts. I’d always thought we’d be together forever. The fact I still like the guy underneath all the bullshit means it hurts to have him around, knowing everything we’ll never have.”
“Yeah, I can see that.”
She was beginning to tire with the exercises, so I manoeuvred her to the chair. “I think we might be done for now. How are you feeling about everything?”
Taking a seat, she said, “I’m over it already, but I know I have to do the work, so I’m not complaining. Please just tell me if there’s anything I can be doing to speed everything up.”
I took a seat next to her and smiled. I really did love her desire to do what needed to be done. “Time is a big factor in all this, Skylar. As is you continuing to do the exercises I give you. Please don’t put any pressure on that leg today. Wait until tomorrow and I’ll assess it then. I think, though, that you’ll be ready for it tomorrow.”
Another man joined us, blasting me with the kind of smile any woman would love sent their way. “How’s she going, Doc?”
I returned his smile. He must have been the man King referred to as Devil. Interesting names these men had. I’d never had anything to do with bikers, though, so I had no idea about how they chose them. The only thing I knew about bikers was what I read in the newspapers, and lately their club had been mentioned a lot. That was how I knew what the name on the back of their jackets meant. “I’m not the doctor, but she’s going well.” Standing, I said, “I’ll be back later this afternoon, but remember what I said about no standing on that leg.”