Page 80 of When Kings Fall

More than even that. They were a unit. A close-knit team.

It was exactly the kind of support that all four of them needed.

I was aware of each of their individual issues, but together now, with the strain gone that had been there for a good long while, those issues were manageable. They weren’t transcended, because that wasn’t realistic, or true to life, but they were soothed by their foursome structure.

“Thanks, Dad.”

I stepped up to him and Brianna eased back, starting to pack up the medical supplies I’d given her. “Let me see,” I said, grasping his jaw and angling his face so I could get a look at the deep three-inch cut across his left cheek. It had been bleeding so profusely that it had required stitches. Very impressively done stitches. “This is impeccable work, Miss Walker.”

She shrugged. “Unfortunately, I’ve had a lot of practice.”

“Fixing up your father’s club members?”

“During what I called the transition period where my dad tried to go to war with Malcolm Lynch and it cost him a third of his club members, before he then shut it all down.”

“I see. I’m sorry you had to bear the brunt of that, my dear.”

“Nothing compared to what she had to bear prior to that, the thing that caused that ill-advised war,” Levi muttered.

He eased from my grasp, and I saw his hands shaking.

It was that rage.

Before I could react to calm him, Brianna surprised me as she was there, stroking his hair and nuzzling his good cheek. “Shh, lovely. Today was actually a victory. With Royce out of the way, it clears the path to Lynch. One major complication down.”

“I… yeah. It was another barrier blown away.” He reached out and took her hand, holding it between them. “You got hurt, though.”

“Superficially.”

“It doesn’t matter. Somebody still laid hands on you.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m not a fragile little flower then, isn’t it?” She beamed at him. “Good thing I’m your Wildflower instead.”

The smile he gave her… I hadn’t seen it in so long. So incredibly long.

He hugged her to him, then eased away and told us, “I need to deal with the flash drive I got from Nico.” He went to push off the stool, but I slapped my hands down on the arms. “No. Not tonight.”

“What? To say this has skyrocketed in urgency doesn’t really cover it.”

“I agree. However, you’re injured and exhausted. You require rest. Or you won’t be any good to anyone. A couple of days, son. That’s all I’m asking.”

“One day and we’ll see how it goes.”

“Fine.”

“I see you drive a hard bargain even with your dad,” Brianna commented.

I shook my head to myself. “You have no idea.”

“She does,” Levi admitted, wincing. “Some things may have gone down that gave her an excellent insight to that side of me.”

“Poor girl.”

“Hey, you’re supposed to be on my side.”

I ruffled his hair. “Go wash up. Dinner in thirty minutes. In the dining room, not the den.”

He gave a nod, then I watched him and his girlfriend head out of the kitchen.

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