Mercy (Salacious Players Club, #4)(91)

“Are you okay?” I reply.

“I’m fine.” When she pulls back, she inspects my head, giving me a grimace as she notices the nasty-looking stitches and swelling above my left eye.

“I’m lucky that dickhead didn’t bash my skull in.”

Tears fill her eyes as she winces. I shouldn’t have said that. Although it’s true.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” I ask. She looks rough. Her hair is a mess, makeup smeared across her face, and there are heavy bags under her eyes, which means she must have spent a lot of time crying.

She still looks beautiful, though.

“I’m okay now,” she says, sitting on the edge of my bed. I don’t want to let her go. My hands cling to hers, and I wish this mean nurse would fuck off, so I can pull Maggie into this bed with me. Just to have her close.

“They’re not letting me go home,” I say with a huff. Then I glare angrily at the nurse again.

“You need to be monitored and get better. Don’t worry about going home.” Her fingers are stroking my knuckles as the conversation grows quiet. The air gets thick and I realize just how tense she is.

She’s not telling me something.

We wait a few moments, not saying anything, until the mean nurse finally ducks out of the room. As soon as we’re alone, Maggie squeezes my hand tighter.

“What’s going on?” I ask, demanding to know what she’s not telling me.

“Your dad is here.”

My eyes search her face for more. My doped-up brain is taking too long to connect any dots. What the hell happened while I was out?

“He knows?” I ask.

“He knows.” She still has tears in her eyes. Part of me really wants to go to sleep now. I don’t want to face the truth, and I definitely don’t want him coming in here and asking me a million questions or lecturing me about this.

“What did he say? Was he mad?”

Her eyes widen, and I take that to mean yes. “He was very mad.”

“He’ll get over it,” I reply bluntly.

“Beau…”

“I’m serious. He will. I had to get over him and Charlie. He’ll get over me and you. He doesn’t have a choice.”

She forces a smile, and a tear slips over her lashes, plunging to the bed and landing on the scratchy white sheet. The sight of her crying is all wrong. I hate it, so I quickly wipe it away from her face and pull her against me again, using her body to keep me warm.

When she feels me shiver, she snaps upward. “You’re freezing. You need a blanket.”

“I’m fine,” I reply, tugging on her again, but she doesn’t budge. Instead, she stands up in a rush. Marching over to the door in her black gown and someone else’s black jacket, she tears open the door and starts barking orders at anyone who will listen.

“Excuse me,” she yells, “my boyfriend is in here freezing. He needs a blanket.”

I hear voices out in the hospital answering her, and I smile as I watch Maggie scowl at the nurses who left me lying in here cold as hell. When she returns and notices me grinning at her, she pauses.

“What?” She perches back on the edge of my bed.

“It’s hot as fuck watching you boss people around like that.”

She rolls her eyes and takes my hand again. “Well, don’t start thinking I’m bossing you around anytime soon. You’re getting a nice long break from being bossed around.”

“You’re going to dote on me and shit, aren’t you?” I ask as I squeeze her fingers.

“Yep. And you’re going to let me.” With her other hand, she strokes my cheek, sending a buzz of warmth down my spine. Then I bring her fingers to my mouth and kiss her knuckles.

My brow furrows. “Did you tell him about Phoenix?”

With a nod, her lips tighten into a thin line. “Yeah. I think it was a lot for him to take in at once. But when you’re ready…you’ll need to have a talk with him.”

“Can’t wait,” I groan. My head is starting to hurt again. Just then, the mean nurse returns, covering me with a warm blanket like it’s fresh out of the dryer.

“Well, I’ve got good news and bad news,” she announces as she tosses the blanket over my legs. “Your scan came back clear.”

“What’s the bad news?” Maggie asks as she stands.

“Visiting hours are over, and he needs to rest. Once we get him to his room, you can visit him there, but for now, you gotta go.”

I shift in my seat. “I’ll rest better if she’s here.”

Maggie looks down at me with a stern expression. “No, you need to sleep.” When she leans down to press her lips to mine, she softly pulls back and adds, “Behave.”

With a scoff, my brow tightens. “Yes, ma’am.”

Then, she kisses me again. As she stands up, she glances at the nurse. “Don’t let him give you any sass. He can be a real brat.”

“Oh, I’ve noticed,” the nurse replies with a laugh.

“What the hell…” I groan.

“When he woke up, he was shouting at everyone. He wanted to know where you were,” the nurse says, nodding toward Maggie, whose expression softens as she hears it. “He barely let the doctors stitch him up. He wouldn’t listen to anyone.”