Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 68500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
“That’s where I came in,” Mackson said. “This guy went to the nurses’ station and started barking at whoever would listen. I heard him from your room and came to take a look. I’m ashamed to say I didn’t even know anyone else needed anything. We were all so focused on you.”
“That’s bullshit,” Quincy said. “Because some of them knew. Every nurse in the ER could’ve told you, as well as some of the doctors.”
“Agreed,” I murmured. “Some of them need to be reminded of their Hippocratic Oath.”
“You can’t blame them all,” Val sat up, hair wild from allowing it to dry. “They were pissed as hell. And the dude on the floor was an accomplice in getting one of their favorite doctors hurt.”
“Agreed,” Quincy said. “I’m just glad you didn’t leave him there.”
She wiped the sleep away from her eyes, then noted the other two men in the room.
Her face flushed.
Then she turned to me. “Are you okay?”
“All drugged up nicely. Nothing hurts right now,” I promised.
As long as I didn’t move, anyway.
I’d learned that one the hard way as I’d tried to resettle due to her head being on my forearm. When I’d tried to lift it, something had pulled in my side, and I’d immediately resigned myself with knowing that I wouldn’t be moving until she woke up.
Even now the feeling was starting to come back to my left hand.
“Liar.” She rolled her eyes and stood up. “I have to use the bathroom.”
Then she disappeared into the ensuite bathroom.
I watched until the door fully closed behind her before I looked at Mackson and said, “I want the hospital director’s job.”
He tilted his head slightly. “The actual job? Or do you want him out of the job, and anyone’s good enough to replace him?”
I thought about that one for a long moment and said, “Either or.”
He shrugged. “I can talk to some people,” he said. “But you’re right. Today shouldn’t have happened.”
That was the understatement of the century.
The door creaked open, and a nurse’s head popped in.
“Um, Mr. Carter?” she said to Quincy.
Quincy looked up. “Yes?”
“You have several very handsome men out here waiting to speak to you.” She flushed. “They look just like you.”
I chuckled as Quincy rolled his eyes.
Quincy stood up and headed toward the door. “I’ll check on you later, Kent.”
I jerked my chin at him just as the door opened and five men and one beautiful woman—who, might I add, wasn’t mentioned—pushed through the door.
“We want to thank her real quick,” one of them said.
He was the one that was the spitting image of Quincy.
Maybe Quaid or Quinn.
The door to the restroom opened, and then Val stared in shock at all the men staring at her.
Then, one by one, they all gave her a long hug.
Much longer than I felt was necessary, but I didn’t complain.
She deserved the thanks.
She was amazing today, and everyone knew it.
The last to hug her was the woman.
“My name is Ande, and if you ever, and I do mean ever, need anything, I’m your woman.” She smiled. “Garrett is the baby of the group.”
“You’re the baby.” Quincy curled his arm around his sister.
That’s when the door pushed open for a second time and Keene, as well as all of Val’s sisters, came into the room.
“You do know that the ICU is only supposed to have one visitor at a time, right?” Val drawled.
Ande leaned away from her brother toward Val and said, “Who is that man?”
‘That man’ was Keene, who was looking at the crowded room with a grimace.
“My brother.” Val’s eyes widened. “Do you want to meet him?”
But before she could say anything more, Keene disappeared out of the room.
Snorting, I looked at all my visitors and said, “Thanks for coming to check on me.”
It was Zip who put me in my place. “We didn’t come for you, dude. We came for Val.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course you did.”
CHAPTER 23
You only think I’m mean. Wait until I don’t like you.
-Val to Felix
FELIX
I was heading back to work, and it felt fuckin’ divine.
“Do you have your lunch?” Val said as she picked up her lunch box.
I held mine up to show her, barely containing the eye roll.
The babying was real, and I really, really, really didn’t like it. The first couple of days, maybe a week, was fine. But now I just felt like a child she was taking care of. Another pet she had to look after.
And today was the day that I would show her I was a man, and not the poor thing she’d been babying over the last six weeks.
“Good,” she said as she crossed the room and gave me a kiss. “Bye!”
It took me a few seconds to comprehend that she had her own car keys in her hand, and she was walking out the door.