“You don’t have to lie here with me.”
“You still having nightmares?”
She stiffened further. “Sometimes.”
“More like all the time. I haven’t been here for you these past few days because my head was up my ass. It’s not there anymore. Hate that it took you nearly being shot to give me a kick in the butt. I can’t change that. But I am gonna be here to help you.”
She relaxed into his embrace.
“That’s a girl. That’s my good girl.”
The words filled with a different sort of warmth. This one went deep and curled around her heart. If she didn’t already love him, she might have fallen in love with him at that moment.
“I was unable to see that my feelings for you went far beyond anything I’ve felt before. I told myself I’d never love anyone again. Never risk losing them like I’d lost Lana. Then, when I nearly lost you . . .”
A shudder went through him, and she tried to roll onto her back, but he held her still.
“When I nearly lost you, because I wasn’t there to take care of you, it was the shock I needed. Losing you would be the end of me.”
Warmth filled her with his words. “I’m all right, West. You didn’t lose me.”
“Only because you fought for yourself, for Beau. Much as I might wish you had less courage, I’m glad you’re brave. Because I know you’ll always fight.”
She wondered if he was comparing her to Lana in that moment, but that wasn’t a fair comparison. Lana had been young and had grown up in a family where her father was to be obeyed without question.
“Go to sleep, baby girl. You need to rest.”
He massaged her good shoulder lightly, and gradually she found herself drifting off to sleep.
“What the fuck we gonna do about O’Malley?” West asked as he walked into Alec’s office. All his brothers were there except Raid and Beau, the former with the latter at the hospital.
Tanner lay on the couch, his hat tipped over his head as though sleeping. Which, knowing Tanner, could be the case. West stomped over and pushed his legs off the couch.
“Hey!” Tanner sat up and his hat fell to the floor.
“Wake the fuck up, we’re having a meeting.”
“Fuck’s sake. Some of us didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“You think I did? I was at the hospital all fucking night, not out getting pissed and fucking around.”
“I wasn’t getting pissed and fucking around,” Tanner retorted.
“I had him watching O’Malley,” Alec drawled, sitting back in his chair. Jaret stood at the window, looking out. He turned to stare at West. Maddox was leaning against the wall on Alec’s other side, watching him intently. Butch looked up from the chair where he sat.
“What? Fuck. Right.” He clasped hold of Tanner’s shoulder in apology.
“Would rather have been getting drunk and laid,” Tanner muttered. “Spent all night out in the cold, and that bastard didn’t do a damn thing.”
“Someone watching him now?” West asked.
“Yeah, Duncan’s there.”
Duncan was one of Jake’s deputies. He didn’t know him well. He’d rather have one of his brother’s out there but he figured they were needed for this meeting.
“Where’s Flick?” Butch asked.
“Put her down for a nap.”