Page 105 of Lockout

“Those fuckers shot you in the back,” he said, sounding tortured. “Three times.”

“Oh my God. I couldn’t even really feel it.”

“Good. That’s something I’m grateful for,” he said as he sat in the chair next to me. “They worked on you for hours. Bullets exited your chest, so there was some damage to your lungs.”

I searched his eyes. “Anything…permanent?”

“No,” he gave me a small smile. “You just need to rest and heal. You’ll have some scarring.”

My hand fluttered up toward my chest, but he caught it and pressed a kiss to my palm. “Scarring?”

“It’s just going to show what a badass you are to the rest of the world,” he told me with a rueful grin.

I huffed out a laugh, then winced. “Okay, I felt that.”

“Let me grab the doctor. And the others…” But he didn’t move. He just dropped his forehead down to the bed.

Brushing my hand over his hair, I struggled with what to do. I had a feeling no one ever saw Lock like this. “Hey-”

“It’s fine,” he said, voice gruff as he lifted his head. “You’re fine. That’s all that matters.” He shoved to his feet and was out the door before I could say anything.

“You’re awake. That’s good,” an older man said, smiling as he walked into my room. I glanced at Lock, who came to my side and held my hand again. “Your young man here has been worried.”

Lock frowned at the doctor, but didn’t say anything. Probably couldn’t believe someone was calling him a young man when he was in his forties.

I had to bite back the giggle because that was going to hurt. “How long will I be here?” It took me a minute to get all the words out because I was huffing every third word or so.

“Sweetie, you took some serious trauma,” the doctor explained, his kind brown eyes holding mine. “You’re going to be here for a month or so.”

“Okay,” I said. I was too tired to argue.

“We put you in a medically induced coma for a week,” he continued on.

My eyes darted over to Lockout and he nodded. No wonder he looked so exhausted. I’d been sleeping for a week straight and he probably hadn’t gotten any at all.

The doctor fiddled with things. Hummed and hawed over my chart, then mentioned upping my pain meds to a nurse. Not long after he left, the horde arrived. I smiled, exhausted, but so grateful to see my family.

The nurse was at the door trying to control the chaos, but that wasn’t happening. Toxic was all but blocking her entrance to the room as the women and kids surrounded me and Lockout.

Gabby carefully flung herself across my waist, too afraid to hug higher, and sobbed. “I’m so sorry, Aunt Keely.”

I stroked her hair. “Honey,” I huffed as everyone quieted down. Jenny was holding her fingers to her lips to try to hold back her own sobs, while Priest had an arm around her shoulders. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“You were shot because of me,” she insisted, watery eyes looking up at me. “Instead of me.”

“And I’d take five more bullets for you,” I told her with a soft smile. “A hundred more.”

“I’d rather we didn’t do that,” Seek told the room, making everyone chuckle.

They all settled down and sat around, talking with me until I got tired. Once that happened the women shooed everyone out, promising to come back tomorrow for visiting hours.

Lockout stayed. He was quiet while everyone spoke, just watching over us like a guardian made of stone. But I knew he was relieved. I could see it in his eyes.

“Sorry,” I told him.

“For what, Keels?” He reached out and brushed my hair away from my face.

“For scaring you.”

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