Page 88 of Deathless
“Welcome back,” Hudson said softly. He started to rise. “I’ll get Torr and the others—”
“No, wait.” My protest was a breathy whisper, so I tried again. “Wait. Not yet. Give me... a few minutes before they all rush in.”
Hudson froze on his way to the door, then rushed over as I started to sit up. “Here. The bed moves so you don’t have to.”
He pushed a button on the side of the bed and the head started to lift me into a sitting position, making me chuckle in embarrassment. “Oh, that’s right. They can do that.”
“I can raise your feet too. I can also see if it’ll make you breakfast, but I don’t think we’re there yet.”
That kept me smiling. “That’s okay. I’m good, thanks.”
Hudson nodded and resumed standing awkwardly next to me. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
“Me too. Drugs are awesome like that.” We laughed a little together before silence returned. “Did I say anything funny while I was under?”
“Uh, well.” He rubbed his jaw, trying to hide a smile. “You woke up a couple hours ago saying no one better tell your mom you were here because that’d be embarrassing. Torr broke the news that your mom already knew, and then you started talking about building a house on the moon to hide from your family.”
“Wow.” I laughed. “That’s absurd but also makes total sense.” My eyebrows lifted. “Have you met my mother yet?”
“Not yet. Someone said she was helping the pediatricians do check-ups on the kids.”
“That sounds like her.” I noticed his face going remote. “Hey, you okay?”
“Yeah, just...” He dragged his chair closer and dropped into it with a sigh. “They’re going to run DNA tests and I know...”
He didn’t have to explain it. Some, if not most of those children, will have been fathered by him.
“Hudson, look at me.” It was hard to ignore my heart beating faster when those blue eyes lifted to mine. “My mother understands. Everyone who was there with us is behind you. No one is going to force responsibility or anything onto you regarding those kids.”
“I still feel responsible,” he admitted. “They’re here now. They’re people who exist in the world. What kind of person would I be to not at least acknowledge my part in that?”
“Well, you don’t have to decide right now. But anyway, I haven’t asked yet. How are you? How’s everyone?”
Hudson shrugged and gave a small shake of his head. “We’re all fine. Just worried about you. Torr and Santos haven’t slept since before we hit the settlement. I told them to go find a bed somewhere, but I think they crashed in the hallway.”
I laughed at that mental image. “It’s sweet of you to stay with me.”
He shrugged again like it was no big deal. “Told ‘em I would.”
“So Devin’s good? The Hunter? Paige?”
“Everyone is alive and well. We all got checked out by doctors. Some of the guys are staying at the hotel down the street, checking out the town.” His gaze got heavy. “Just waiting for their president’s orders.”
I scoffed, looked at my right arm in a sling and my right foot elevated and in a cast. “Don’t think I’m riding for a while.”
“You’re still our president, though.”
“That ‘our’ sounds an awful lot like you’re including yourself.”
“I am.” He was dead serious, his face solemn and his gaze steady. “Your dad’s with your family, but as soon as he’s free, I’m getting my Vengeful Gods tattoo. I’ll follow you anywhere, Rori.”
My throat tightened with emotion, and I blinked rapidly to keep the tears at bay. Did he have any idea how significant this moment was? He must’ve. The amount of trust he was placing in me was beyond my wildest dreams. It almost felt too good to be true.
“Why?” I asked. “You know you can be with Devin without following me. I would never ask you to—”
“I had a choice,” he cut in. “When we cleared out the settlement and were looking for you… We swept over the field where the holes were hidden. I was the one that found you.”
Hudson brought his palms together, eyes focused on his fingertips. “I looked over and saw her hitting you over and over. You were limp, just taking it. You must have been unconscious already. And I realized something.” He paused as if he had to push himself to continue speaking. “I could’ve let her kill you, and no one would’ve known. Then I’d kill her myself. That would have meant two less women in the world, and the old me would have found that something to celebrate.”
