Page 102 of 12 Months of Mayhem

“Jesus, Quill,” I muttered, scrubbing a hand over my face because now I felt like a fucking asshole. If I wanted to be the president of this club, I needed to stop letting bullshit like my hatred for Dime get in the way of me giving a damn about my men.

The doctor cleared his throat again. “We’ll make sure he gets everything he needs before discharge. But I’d recommend having a serious conversation about managing this condition. It’s not something to take lightly.”

“Why the hell didn’t you tell us?” Rune finally asked, his voice low but firm.

Quill shrugged, avoiding our gazes. “Thought I could handle it.” Quill shifted, wincing as he adjusted himself against the pillows. “But if it weren’t for those two girls who found me when I passed out...”

“They’re still here if you’d like to thank them. They’re in a room just down the hall,” the doctor said as he flipped through his notes. “Calli and Shay. Shay’s a nurse, which was extremely helpful in getting him in here on time.”

The name hit me like a sucker punch, my entire body tensing.

“Calli?” I asked, my voice low and dangerous.

Rune’s eyes darted to mine, his expression guarded. “The Calli?”

He was the only one who knew.

The only one I’d trusted to tell the truth about the woman who nearly destroyed me.

“I don’t know, but I’m gonna fucking find out.” Unfortunately, hearing her name was all I needed, like a red flag to a fucking bull.

I was already out the door before anyone could stop me, my eyes searching from one door to the next down the hall.

I didn’t even know what the fuck I was doing.

I shouldn’t have given a shit that she was there. It shouldn’t fucking matter. It’s not like it’d been ten fucking years since I’d seen her. Since she’d taken her knife and placed it right between my goddamn shoulder blades.

It’s not like this chunk of my soul just needed to see her.

To see how she’d changed.

Whether she’d softened.

Or if she was still that beautiful, smart-mouthed bitch I fell in love with.

I slammed my palm against the final door, sending it flying and slamming back against the wall with a hard thump. Her body jumped, her beautiful long blonde hair flying around her shoulders as she spun toward me. She was standing at the window, the city lights sparkling in the distance behind her.

“Excuse me,” another voice protested, my eyes drawn to another girl sitting at the edge of one of the beds. She was short, had a heavy frown, and began moving protectively toward Calli. “I think you should leave before I call someone to remove you.”

Her eyes moved.

Flicking to the front of my club cut before widening just slightly.

“So, the princess is fucking back,” I growled, meeting Calli’s silent gaze and trying to fight the fucking sinking in my stomach. Even after all this goddamn time, my body ached to reach out and touch her. “The fuck are you doing here?”

“I have just as much right to be here as you do,” she announced, but that strength was gone. Her voice was soft, it didn’t hold the confidence I was expecting. “But it’s fine, we’ll get out of here and give you some space.”

“Guess that’s what you’re good at, huh? Running away.”

“Hey!”

Calli held her arm out, halting her friend’s attempted protest. “It’s fine. Let him have his say,” she responded loudly, standing a little taller, her eyes narrowing just slightly. “You feel better now, Mason?”

Mason.

Jesus, it had been a long time since anyone called me that.

“You feel good now you’ve got your cheap little jab in? Yeah?” she taunted, pulling her jacket a little tighter around her. She didn’t even give me the opportunity to respond. “Good. I’m glad. Now get the fuck out.”

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