in the stack of magazines and coloring books. He was a decent way through it, too.
"All okay?" he asked us, his gaze flicking up from his book when he noticed us there.
I nodded and gave a small smile. "You're fine to go home," I told him. "You look wrecked."
His gaze flipped between Kody and I before he replied. "Nah, I'm good. I'll hang out in case you guys need something. I've heard how much coffee you go through, Madison Kate. You might need a refill soon."
I snorted a laugh, shaking my head. "Suit yourself. And it's MK. Only people I don't like call me Madison Kate."
James bobbed a nod, a hint of red creeping up his neck. "MK. Got it." Then he shifted his gaze to Kody, and his eyes turned hard. "Don't take your eyes off her."
Kody just nodded and nudged me over to the elevators. He kept his face neutral until the doors slid closed, then his lips curved in a wide grin as he glanced over at me.
"What?" I asked, suspicious as fuck.
He snickered a laugh. "Babe, I reckon your dad might actually kill us if you get hurt again. He's got that whole protective papa-bear look nailed."
I rolled my eyes, shaking off his teasing. "Stop it. James probably finds this whole dynamic just as weird as I do."
Kody shrugged, sipping his coffee. "Maybe, but I think he's adapting pretty well. But for the record, he wouldn't need to kill us if you got hurt again." His joking demeanor evaporated, and his tone darkened. "I'd do it for him."
The elevator doors slid open on Bree’s floor, and he took three steps out before noticing I was frozen to the spot. He turned back to me, a small frown creasing his brow.
"You coming, beautiful?"
"Yeah." I forced my feet to move, swallowing past the seriousness of that moment we'd just had. I knew exactly what he was feeling, though. It was the same thing I’d felt watching Steele and Archer both nearly die in front of me.
Joining Kody, I leaned into him as he wrapped his free arm around my waist. My hands were occupied holding coffee and wearing a plaster cast, but I still appreciated the half hug as we headed down the corridor to Bree's room.
Her door was closed, so I tapped lightly before cracking it open to check if she was asleep. To my relief, she was awake already and eating breakfast with her TV on.
"Hey girl," I greeted her, pushing the door open fully to enter.
She looked up with a wide smile, which quickly fell when she saw the state of me. Crap. I hadn't even told her about the showdown with Zane and Kruger. Hell, I hadn't even turned my phone on since before the wedding.
"MK!" she shrieked, her face a picture of panic. "What the hell happened? Oh my god, you look like you've been run over by a truck!"
I smiled and quirked a brow at her pointedly, and she scowled.
"Not funny," she snapped back. "I wasn't run over. Just run into."
"Okay, semantics," I said on a snort of laughter. "I'm fine, though. Just bruised."
Bree glared at Kody, who'd followed me into her room. "Why the hell does Kodiak Jones look like he just woke up from a lovely, refreshing sleep? Where was he when you got beaten the hell up, girl? What fucking use are three boyfriends if they can't keep you safe?"
Guilt and regret flashed over Kody's face, and a flicker of anger passed through me. "Bree, stop it. Kody saved my ass, multiple times. He just always looks good; you can't hold it against him."
The smile Kody shot me was doing little to hide his guilt over me getting hurt, but that was something for us to work through ourselves. Hopefully naked.
"Anyway, I wanted to come see how you were getting on with everything," I told Bree, changing the subject. "How's baby doing?"
She shot Kody another warning look, not dissimilar to the way James had just eyed him. But then she refocused and smiled as she rubbed her growing belly.
"Baby is happy and healthy. This bed rest bullshit is suiting him nicely, that's for sure. I'm dying to get out of here, though." She groaned a bit like being trapped in the hospital was physical torture.
I smiled, knowing all too well there were a million worse places to be. "What did your doctors say about your bones setting? Are they happy with everything?"
She nodded enthusiastically. Her wrist was still bandaged