Page 82 of Decoding Morse

His eyes focused on something over my shoulder, and the respect and admiration shining in his eyes told me he was staring at his wife. That’s how he’d looked at her in his office, too. These biker men really loved hard.

“Any update on Rabbit?” I asked.

Link glanced at his phone. “A small head wound. Havoc and Julia were having dinner nearby, and they’re with him. Havoc said the wound looks like it’s from the butt of a gun. The piece of shit must have hit Rabbit from behind and knocked him out cold. They’re getting him prepped for stitches. He probably has one hell of a concussion, but he’ll live.”

“How’d they get a gun into the hospital?” I asked, remembering the metal detector we’d gone through.

Link gestured at the door, which notably had no obvious security features.

Feeling like a dumbass, I nodded. “Ah.”

“Rabbit’s ol’ lady is on the way. I only hope the cops haul Eric out of here before she shows up.” Link leaned against thebuilding, folding his arms. “There’s something else you should know.”

I had a feeling I knew why he’d grown so somber. “Eric put the hit out on me, didn’t he?”

“Tap and Morse both believe so.”

“Why? I’ve never met that asshole until today.”

“We’re still trying to figure that out. But until the cops convince him to cancel the hit, you’re not out of the woods. Since Morse can’t be with you right now, a handful of his brothers will be around to monitor shit.” He straightened, waving to someone behind me.

I turned to find a biker I hadn’t yet met. He had dark hair and eyes and appeared to be of Asian descent. When the biker reached us, Link introduced him as Sage.

“Sage will take you in.” Link was still eyeballing my face, making me wonder if Eric’s slap had left a handprint. “You should hit the ER and get checked out.”

That was the last thing I wanted to do. “I’m okay.”

He arched an eyebrow at me. “You sure?”

“Nothing’s broken or bleeding. Just some bruises.” I’d already missed visiting hours but hoped I could talk a nurse into letting me see Carol, if only for a minute. A visit to the ER could take all night.

“I’ll keep an eye on her, Prez,” Sage assured him.

We went back into the hospital and took the back elevator up to Carol’s floor. I spent the ride preparing my sob story. I’d beg and plead if I had to. Anything to keep Carol from dying alone.

Thankfully, the nurse behind the desk was expecting me.

“Amelia?” she asked as we approached.

“Yes. I’m here to see Carol Landry. I’m so sorry I missed visiting hours, but I….”

The nurse held up a hand to stop me. “Say no more. She’s been expecting you and asked that we send you back immediately.”

Had the patient been anyone other than Carol, I would have been surprised. Sage and I followed the nurse through the patient doors and down the hall. When we arrived, Carol was asleep.

Careful not to wake her, I padded to her side and covered her hand with mine. Man, she looked awful. She'd shed more weight in the two weeks since I’d last seen her. With sunken eyes and skin so pale I could see the blue of her veins, my friend looked rough. An elephant sat on my chest as tears prickled the backs of my eyes.

Sage lingered by the door, giving us privacy, while the nurse flitted around, checking machines and making notes.

“How’s she doing?” I asked.

It was a stupid question, considering that Carol was dying, but the nurse humored me with a response.

“She’s a fighter.”

“That she is.” She’d already been fighting this fucking disease for a year longer than the doctors had initially given her. But looking at her now, I knew time was running out. Despite everything, returning to Seattle had been the right move.

“Stubborn, too,” the nurse added. “She made me promise to bring you a bed so you can stay.”

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