Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 27069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
“Just do what she said,” Damon demanded, his hand moving to her lower back in support.
“Yes,” Andrey yelled. “Do it or I pull your insides out of your ass.”
The doctor’s eyes widened as he glanced over at Andrey.
“Ignore him,” Reverend Pat said, whacking Andrey around the back of his head.
“Right, well, um. As I’m sure you know, Mr. Lochlin was in a car accident. He was rendered unconscious. He’s had an MRI and it showed that there is no bleeding on his brain or swelling. He’s bruised and sore, but he’s now awake and asking for Millie, which I assume is you?”
“Y-yes, that’s me. He’s really going to be all right?”
The doctor’s face softened. “He is. We’ll keep him overnight for observation, but I’m confident he’ll be able to go home tomorrow. You’ll need to keep him quiet for a few days. He shouldn’t be stressed or spend too much time on his phone or other screens. His brain needs rest. But yes, he’s fine.”
“I can . . . can I see him?”
“Uh, yes. But just two people.” He eyed everyone in the room again.
“You and Damon go,” Grady said to her. “Effie and I will take Reverend Pat and Andrey home.”
“We’ll all go too,” Duke said. “Give you some time with him. But, Millie, you let us know if you need anything, understand?”
She nodded gratefully, waving goodbye to everyone. Damon said goodbye to Effie and Grady. Then he took her hand as they followed the doctor to a private room.
As soon as she stepped into the room, a sob escaped. She tried to hold it back. She really did. The last thing she wanted was to upset Spike. But she just couldn’t help it.
Seeing him lying there on the bed, looking so bruised and in pain . . . it was killing her.
“Millie,” he groaned.
The room was dark. There was just a small light on in the bathroom. But she could still see that his face was etched tight with pain.
“Oh, Spike,” she said quietly.
“Come here, baby doll.” He held out his hand and she rushed to his side, taking hold. “I’m all right, baby.”
She nodded, aware that there were tears sliding down her face. She had to get herself under control. Had to be brave and strong for him.
It was so freaking hard, though.
This was Spike. The man she loved more than anything.
“Baby doll, you’re killing me here,” he grumbled.
“Sorry.” She wiped at her cheeks with her free hand. “Sorry. I’m good. I’m fine. I was just worried about you when you didn’t come back from the airport. And then Andrey and the others turned up in an Uber. Then I got a call from the hospital to say you’d been in a car accident. But when we got there, they wouldn’t tell us what was going on. I was just . . . scared.”
“Hey, hey, hush. I’m fine,” he said in a raspy voice.
Shoot. She had to stop talking. The last thing he needed was her crying and upsetting him. It was time that Millie took care of him rather than the other way around.
So get it together, girl.
“Come here.” He tugged at her hand.
She stared down at him, not quite understanding what he wanted. “I am here.”
“No, get up on the bed so I can hold you.”
Her eyes widened. “Daddy, I can’t get on the bed with you.”
He was injured. And the bed was tiny. He took up most of the space on it already. There was definitely no room for her even if she wanted to get up on it.
“Baby doll. Up. With. Me.”
“Quillon, she’s worried about hurting you,” Damon said reasonably. “Let her sit in the chair beside you.”
Spike looked like he was going to argue.
“Please, Daddy. You’ve got a concussion and the doctor said you’re bruised. I don’t want to hurt you further.”
“You won’t.”
“And I don’t want to get kicked out of the hospital when they find me lying in the bed with you.”
His face darkened. “I’d like to see them try.”
Shoot. She wasn’t doing well at keeping his stress levels down. Or her own.
“Easy, man,” Damon told Spike as he gently pressed her shoulders to get her to sit in the chair. “She just wants to do what’s best for you.”
“What’s best for me is to hold her,” Spike grumbled. “She’s upset.”
“Because she’s worried about your ugly mug,” Damon shot back.
Spike turned his head toward her, wincing.
“Careful. Don’t hurt yourself,” she cautioned.
He squeezed her hand. “Baby, you aren’t going to hurt me. You could never.”
A sob escaped her despite her best efforts to smother it. “I thought you’d died. I didn’t know what had happened. Reverend Pat and the others turned up in an Uber and then we got a call for a hospital. I was so scared.”
“Fuck, I forgot I was on my way to pick them up. Are they okay?”