Page 102 of Thornhill Road

Staring into her hazel-green eyes, I tried to absorb all she’d said. Mustang and I had never discussed the Stallions' relationship with law enforcement, and I hadn’t given it a ton of thought. What I knew was what I had always known from afar—the Wild Stallions didn’t make headlines; and now that I was thinking about it, it made sense that in order to avoid making headlines, they couldn’t get caught.

But no matter how careful they were, I knew things sometimes got messy. Lance being the perfect example. So, if they did get caught, there must have been some way for them to get out of it.

“I know we’re both exhausted; but, honey, you don’t look at all surprised by this,” murmured Jenna with a concerned frown.

I didn’t like keeping things from my best friend, but the Stallions' secrets weren’t mine to share. Rather than lie to her, I came at the truth from a different angle.

“Look, I’ve met Mary-Kate’s mom. Well, sort of. What I mean to say is, when Mary-Kate is with Mustang, she eats up his attention and his affection like she’s starved for it. I don’t have to be a social worker to see Trix isn’t going to be nominated for mother of the year—and what happened yesterday was awful but not altogether shocking. If CPS is going to revoke her parenting rights, good. Whatever handshakes were exchanged were not in vain. The safest place Mary-Kate could ever be is with Mustang.”

Jenna’s frown still tugged at her eyebrows, but she nodded as she folded her arms across her chest. “That I believe. He hasn’t left her side. I don’t think he’s slept, either. And in spite of our reassurances that she appears to just be sleeping it off, he’s as worried now as he was when you first showed up.”

“I should go check on him,” I replied, now more anxious than ever to be with him.

“Hey,” said Jenna, her brow finally relaxing. “He’s a badass, and I wouldn’t want any of my friends to go up against him in a fist fight, but I can see he’s a good man underneath that leather vest.”

“He is,” I agreed on a whisper.

“Text me when she wakes up?”

I nodded, and she offered me a tired smile of her own.

“We’ll reschedule that pedicure for when she’s all better.”

“Absolutely.”

We parted with another hug—her finally heading home, and me headed to the pediatrics clinic. It wasn’t that far of a walk, but it felt like it took me forever to get there. When I came upon Mary-Kate’s room, Mustang sitting alone in a chair pulled up close to the bed, my heart swelled with love.

He looked my way as soon as he heard me open the closed door.

“Hi.”

“Hey, sugar.”

I didn’t stop until I was standing next to him. He reached out and curled an arm around my hips. As I combed my fingers through his hair, he propped his forehead against my abdomen, and that was all the sign I needed. Using both hands, I repetitively made my way from the top of his head down to his neck, gently scraping his scalp with my fingernails.

“How you doin’, babe?”

It was a question I asked so often with my patients, always willing and hoping I could help. Never before had I wanted so badly to be of use, all the while fearing I’d fall short.

“Tired of waitin’, Tess. It’s been sixteen hours.”

In an effort to be encouraging, I reminded him, “In a non-drug induced sleep, she could easily be out for ten. She’ll wake up, sweetheart. I know she will.”

He didn’t get a chance to respond before my stomach growled. On an exhale, he lifted his head in order to look up at me.

“You haven’t been home,” he muttered, as if he’d just noticed my scrubs.

“Not yet.”

“You should go get some food in you. And you haven’t slept.”

I moved my hands until they framed either side of his face and replied, “Rumor has it, neither have you.”

“I’ve been sittin’ here all night. You’ve been workin’.”

“Mustang? I’m not going anywhere. Not without you.Bothof you.”

For a long moment, he said nothing, his hazel-blue eyes—tired and worried, but vibrant as always—fixed steadily on me.

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