Rock Me Faster (Licks of Leather #4) - Jenna Jacob Page 0,76
me up as I crumbled.
“She’s not Lily,” Burk whispered softly against my ear so that only I could hear him. “Harmony is alive. She’s not leaving you or this world, brother. You’re not to blame for the wreck. And though you’ve beaten yourself up all these years, you weren’t ever to blame for the other. Let her go, man. It’s time you let her go.”
It was, but could I survive the aftermath?
A howl of anguish ripped from my chest.
Chapter Sixteen
Ross
Feeling drained and hollow, I wiped my eyes and slowly pulled myself together.
“Sorry,” I murmured. “I didn’t mean to… Maybe the shock of the wreck and being in the hospital again—”
“We don’t care about the why. It doesn’t matter because we love you, man. Love the good, bad, and all the pain you still carry inside you.” Deep understanding stamped Syd’s somber face.
I’d never seen such a profound level of seriousness in him before. Suddenly I realized I was staring into the eyes of a kindred spirit. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that hiding beneath every joke, one-liner, and smart-assed quip was a mountain of pain, guilt, and regret.
I wrapped a bandaged hand around his neck and gingerly leaned my bandaged, stitched-up forehead to his. “And I’m a lucky, grateful son of a bitch for it, my brother.”
Tears glistened in Syd’s eyes as a crooked smile tugged a corner of his mouth. “Can Daddy kiss you now?”
“Only if Daddy wants to have his balls kicked to the back of his throat.”
“Daddy’s gonna pass on that,” he said with a laugh and clapped me on the back.
“Sharp family?” a woman called.
Heart in my throat, I whipped around and marched straight toward the fifty-something nurse.
“Yes.” The word rolled off my tongue without an ounce of hesitation.
“Are you her…husband?”
“No, I’m…” My mind went completely blank. Friend? No, too casual. Boyfriend? Too clinical. Lover? If it hadn’t been for that fucking trash truck, I would be by now.
“She’s freelancing for me…for us…I mean, for the band,” Quinn interjected, stepping in beside me as he whipped out his cell phone and handed it to the nurse. “Her father is on a plane from Kentucky as we speak, but I have this.”
I held my breath as the nurse read the document on Quinn’s phone. With a subtle nod she handed the device back to him. “If you’ll come with me, Mr. MacKinnon, I’ll be happy to fill you in on Miss Sharp’s condition.”
“No,” I barked. “Tell us here…now.”
The nurse arched her brows as a look of confrontation stormed across her face.
“She can’t,” Quinn replied. “Breathe, man. I’ll get the info.”
Biting back a snarl, I clenched my teeth, ignoring the pain throbbing in my brain.
“Sorry, Miss.” Quinn smiled weakly, as he led her a couple feet away. Thankfully, I was still able to hear their conversation. “Miss Sharp hasn’t been with us long, but she’s earned a place in the hearts of our little family.”
“Very well,” the nurse replied. “Miss Sharp is out of surgery and in recovery. The doctor was able to repair her arm. Her knee has been reset and fitted with a brace to keep it immobilized. There’s nothing we can do for her fractured ribs, but rest and limited movement will help them heal. Once she’s released, she’ll need to follow up with her primary care physician, who’ll need to set her up with a physical therapist.”
“When will she be released?” Quinn asked.
“Definitely not tonight. Maybe tomorrow or Sunday. Depending on how the doctor on duty thinks she’s doing.”
Crawling out of my skin, I ate up the distance between Quinn and the nurse “Can I see her now?”
“We’d rather her not have any visitors until she’s taken up to a room—”
“Let me rephrase that. I have to see her now,” I ground out, squaring my shoulders and narrowing my eyes. “Or do I need to speak directly to her surgeon?”
“She’s still sedated. Miss Sharp won’t even know you’re—”
“Find her surgeon. Bring him to me,” I said in a low, impatient growl.
“Let him go back, ma’am,” Sofia pleaded. “We’ve been through quite an ordeal tonight. Ross didn’t get to see his girl before she went into surgery. They’ve been together for a very long time.”
When I’d first met the copper-haired drill sergeant, I’d prayed we guys in the band would find a way to make her quit. But she and Burk had captured one another’s hearts, and right now, she’d captured mine. I wanted to lift her up in my arms, hug