Page 30 of Shattered Rhythm

Did he just call me baby, or am I tripping?

“We should take you to the hospital, Liv. We think you have a concussion.” The seat beneath me shifts slightly, but then I realize it’s not a seat. Chase is holding me on his lap in the back of a car.

I lift my head and meet his deep blue gaze, noticing River beside us. Jaxon is in the driver’s seat, with Ryder riding shotgun. My head throbs at the thought of going to the hospital, and I try to push away the fear that grips me. I can’t let them take me there. Even if I never set foot in a hospital again, it would be too soon.

“No, I’m okay, really,” I say, trying to sound calm. “Thank you for the rescue. I’m glad you guys were there, but I can go home now.” River frowns, and I know he’s onto me.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, but if you insist on going home, you should have someone there to wake you up every hour or two to make sure you’re good. Do you live with your parents or a roommate?”

Damn, why is he so attentive?I do agree with him that I might have a minor concussion, given how my head is throbbing.

“It’s fine, River. I’m going to set an alarm for every hour.”

“And who will check on you when you don’t wake up from it?”

“I…” Fuck, he has a point, again, but Jaxon has other ideas.

“Fuck that. You’re coming home with us. End of discussion,” he says, then Chase’s eyes meet mine, and I feel a flutter in my chest.

“Liv, please come home with us and let us take care of you? Just for tonight,” he asks. “You can have my bed, and I’ll sleep on the couch.”

I frown, feeling guilty about imposing on them like this, but Ryder speaks up.

“She can have my bed, and River and I can have a sleepover like old times.”

“Take whichever bed you want. We don’t give a fuck where you sleep as long as you’re with us tonight,” Jaxon says, his voice firm. I can see his knuckles are red and bruised, making me feel guilty for causing him pain.

“Jaxon, are you okay?” I ask.

“I’m fine,” he grumbles, his eyes fixed on the road.

“Do you have ice at home for your hand?” I ask.

* * *

Jaxon

I tighten my grip on the steering wheel, feeling frustration boiling inside me. She’s asking me if I’m okay? Me, a former MMA fighter with sore knuckles, while she has a band of angry-looking red and purple fingerprints on her neck? I can’t even muster up a response without losing it.

“He’s fine, Liv. He just gets grumpy when he cares,” Chase answers for me, his voice calm and reassuring. “We have ice at home, and we’ll make sure he’s taken care of as soon as we get you settled in.”

“Even grumpier than usual?” she stage-whispers, and I let out a gruff laugh, unable to hold it back.

“If the only version of Jaxon you know is grumpy, that should tell you something, baby,” Ryder chimes in, a sly grin on his face.

He called her baby.Again.I shoot him an irritated look, but he just laughs, as if he knows exactly what he’s doing. Liv isn’t the type of girl who needs to be called baby. She’s so stunning, it seems like the world lights up whenever she’s around.It’s like she’s sunshine incarnate,even when she has shadows in her eyes.

I pull up in front of our house and get out of the car, but Ryder already has the backdoor open for Chase. He scoops Liv up in his arms, and River joins me as we make our way to the front door. I unlock it and disarm the alarm, ready to settle Liv in and tend to my sore knuckles.

* * *

Ryder

The house is a grand display of modern technology. We control all the lights and electronics with a panel and an app which each one of us has installed on our smartphones. It’s every guy’s dream house, and I owe Jax a debt of gratitude for making it possible. I don’t know where I would be without him.Probably living under a bridge somewhere.

After setting up the alarm again, Jaxon quickly disappears. Liv looks at the panel with a confused expression.

"Don't worry, we're not trying to trap you. The code is 182026," Chase reassures her, and she nods in response.

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