Page 21 of Toxic

“But my grandpa…”

“Being next to him while you’re sick is too dangerous in the condition he’s in, Honey.” Her blue eyes were warm and full of sympathy.

I swallowed back the tears, but nodded. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to him because of me.

“Do you have someone you can call?”

“I do,” I told her. “Can I have a friend sit with him?”

“During visiting hours, yes,” she told me. “But only family can stay overnight.”

“Okay.” Misery settled in my gut. This was not happening. I needed to be here with him.

She patted my knee. “I’ll step out and let you make that call.”

My hands shook as I pulled out my cell phone. I didn’t want to make this call, but I forced myself to hit the number.

“Billie?”

“Toxic,” I choked out, hating myself for how weak I was being, but this was just another damn thing that was piling on. I was just so tired. “I’m sick. They…they won’t let me stay with Gramps.”

There was silence for a moment before he spoke. “I’ll turn around. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.”

“I don’t want him to be alone,” I told him.

“I know. I’ll handle it, Billie.”

Hanging up the phone, I gave the nurse a wavering smile as I walked out of the room. “My friend is coming back to pick me up. Someone will be here to sit with my grandpa.”

“We’ll just need their name and a signature from you.”

“Okay. As soon as he gets here, I’ll fill that out.”

“You can wait over there,” she said, pointing toward a little waiting room. She handed me a mask that I put on. I understood, people staying in here couldn’t afford to get sick on top of whatever else they had going on. I was hoping I was just a bit run down and that I’d recover quickly enough to be back tomorrow.

“Thank you.” I sat down, dropping my head into my hands. How was this all happening right now? I was a boring girl. With a boring life. Who minded her own damn business. And now I had people after me and my ranch. My grandpa was injured. I was sick. And a gorgeous biker was taking over everything. Andsecretly? I sort of loved that he was. I wasn’t about to say that quiet part out loud, though. To anyone.

CHAPTER 8

Toxic

Shit.I thought she’d looked a little rough around the edges, but the woman was so damn jumpy I didn’t want to point out that she looked like she wasn’t feeling good. I’d been hoping it was just a bit of motion sickness.Guess not.

I flipped a U-turn then pulled up my contact list on my phone. Watching for traffic, I pulled back out onto the frontage road so I could head back to the hospital.

I hit Smoke’s number, focusing on the road as ringing filled the cab. “Would you and Dani be able to do me a favor?” I asked when he answered. I figured if Keely knew Billie that Dani might as well. If nothing else, it would probably make Billie’s grandfather feel better to wake up to a woman instead of a tattooed biker.

By the time I pulled up to the hospital, all the arrangements were made. Striding into the building, I checked in at receptionand was told to go to the third floor. I ignored the women smiling at me, my mind focused on getting to Billie.

I found her sitting in a small waiting room, looking miserable. Damn near broke my heart to see a woman I knew was strong and proud looking so helpless. “Come on, Sweet Girl,” I said, pulling her to her feet.

“Wait…” she said, her voice a bit muffled by the mask, as I walked her toward the elevator. “I have to let them know who’s coming to sit with him.”

“I called Dani and Smoke. They’ll be here within thirty minutes.”

She led me over to the nurse’s station and I wrote down their names, then she signed hers.

“Okay,” the nurse said, her eyes landing on me. “Take care of her. Once she’s not running a fever anymore she can come back.”

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