Page 19 of Lyon

“Brutus. I told them he was a service dog, so they let him in the hospital.”

I felt my eyes closing, smiling inside because my Lyon was already mine.

9

Lyon

I paced the waiting room,my frustration mounting with every second. Tomorrow, I was supposed to leave for a mission, but now, out of nowhere, Niki had been rushed into emergency surgery. They couldn’t get her fever down—something I’d been telling them for days.

The sound of footsteps near the door made me look up. Max and his parents stood there, their expressions a mix of surprise and concern.

“Lyon? What are you doing here?” Max asked.

“I’m here because Niki is. They just took her in for surgery again, but they won’t tell me why because I’m not family.”

Raeann's face tightened. “I just spoke to the doctors. Apparently, they missed another bullet the first time around. Do you know why she didn’t call us?”

I exhaled sharply. “Because you, Nick, and Max have been through hell. She didn’t want to put more on your shoulders.” I hesitated. “How did you find out she was here?”

“My neighbor saw it on the news,” Raeann said. “I called Joseph, and he admitted Niki told him not to say anything. She’s getting an earful from me when she wakes up.”

Max chuckled. “Mom, you’re starting to sound just like Grandma when she worried about you working for the FBI.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll shut up,” Raeann muttered, already marching toward the nurse’s station. “I want answers. Why was my daughter taken back into surgery?”

“Are you Niki’s mother?” the nurse asked.

“Yes, that’s what I just said.”

The nurse sighed. “Her fever kept spiking, so the doctor ordered a CAT scan. That’s when they found another bullet hidden behind her kidney. She’s in surgery now.”

I clenched my fists, my pulse hammering. “How the hell did they miss that the first time? That could’ve caused an infection—could’ve killed her!”

“Sir, the doctor ordered the scan because he was concerned about Miss Bannon’s fever,” the nurse replied calmly.

I inhaled sharply, willing myself not to lose it. Without another word, I turned and stormed outside, counting to a thousand to cool down. I took Brutus to use the bathroom.

By the time I returned, Niki’s family was gathered in the waiting room.

“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice rough. “I was just—angry. I knew something was wrong, and they waited three damn days to do anything about it.”

Nick Bannon studied me for a moment. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Didn’t you and Niki just meet when you both went to Afghanistan?”

I hesitated. “No. We met when I was fifteen. Some guys jumped me in an alley. Niki saved my ass. Max was there, too.”

Max’s brows lifted. “Wait—you were that kid? I remember that. Niki dragged us to the rough part of town without telling Grandma. She was hell-bent on helping people.”

Nick crossed his arms. “So, is something going on between you two?”

“Not yet,” I admitted. "But when she gets out of here, we’re going to dinner."

Before Nick could respond, a doctor entered.

“Are you Niki’s family?”

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