Page 18 of Iron Will

7

Rourke

Sure enough, when we step out into the hallway, Mickey is here, surrounded by the Lords. He’s shouting and gesturing, taking feinting half-steps forward, like he’s gonna hit Dante.

Even though I’m mad, I bust out laughing at what a dipshit he is. Dante could fuckin’ flatten Mickey’s dumb ass with one punch.

Laney cuts a sharp look at me, but doesn’t ask why I’m laughing. When we get to the crowd, Dipshit sees me and starts yelling, “This is a free country! I got every right to be here.”

“Sure as shit is,” I agree, coming to a stop in front of him as Dante and Rogue grab him by the shoulders. “Ain’t no one stopping you from being in this hospital.” I nod at Paisley’s room. “Right up to that doorway, there. The second you cross that threshold, you’re dead meat, son.”

“You ain’t got no right!” he yells.

“No? Well, I’m still doin’ it.” I cross my arms. “You gonna calm the hell down, or do I have to have my brothers take you outside andconvinceyou to calm down?”

“What is going on here?”

A male voice I don’t recognize booms out in the hall. I turn as a skinny guy with slicked back nineties hair and an expensive suit comes charging toward us.

“Who’s this little prick?” mutters Dante.

Beside me, Laney groans. “Blake Barber,” she answers, half to herself. “He’s the main hospital administrator. Basically, my boss.”

“What is going on here?” Blake Fucking Fancy Motherfucker Barber says again as he comes to a stop in front of us. He skims over all of us with his eyes, then addresses Laney like we’re not even goddamn here.

“Who are these people, and why are they causing a disruption in my hospital?”

Myhospital.Oh, brother.

“This asshole is the one causing the disruption,” Rogue growls, shaking Mickey by the shoulder. “We’re just makin’ sure hestopsmaking the disruption.”

“Get your fuckin’ hands off me!” Mickey yells, starting to struggle. But even though he’s ripped from the obvious hours he spends pumping iron at the gym, he ain’t got the fighting skills God gave a duck. Rogue grabs his arm and yanks it behind him, bending his elbow up hard. Mickey cries out and stops struggling instantly.

Fuckin’ pussy.

“See what I mean?” Rogue grins. “Causin’ a disruption.”

“The hospital has security on staff,” Blake Fucking Barber retorts. “It’s their job to take care of disruptions. Not yours.” His eyes narrow. “And right now, you people are doing your share of disrupting yourself.”

I swear to Christ, if he says that fuckin’ word again, I’m gonna shove my fist straight down his throat.

Laney swallows and speaks up. “Blake,” she says in a soothing voice. “These men have every right to be here. They’re visiting their friend, in that room there. They’ve been nothing but respectful of the rules. If there’s a problem here, I’m sure they didn’t start it.”

Huh. A day ago, I’m pretty sure Laney would have sided with the administrator asshole. She probably would have been glad to see all of us thrown out on our ears.

Looks like she’s figured out we aren’t the enemies here. Maybe she’s not as stuck up as I thought she was.

The administrator guy’s eyes slide down to Laney’s tits. She notices it, too.

By the way she purses her lips in response, it’s pretty clear she doesn’t like it one bit.

And by the lack of surprise on her face, it’s also pretty clear it ain’t the first time.

Finally, his eyes go back up to her face. He sucks on his teeth for a second, like he’s evaluating something. Laney’s eyes flicker, but she doesn’t look away.

“You all need to break this up,” he announces, looking at my brothers. “I cannot have gang fights going on in my hospital.” He turns to me then, somehow deciding I’m the leader. “You will not loiter in the hall. Here or anywhere else. Am I understood?”

I will hand it to this self-important prick. He actually seems to think my brothers and I are gonna listen to him. He seems to thinks we give a fuck what he thinks.

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