“Nothing outside the common cold.”
“And she’s up to date with her vaccinations?”
“She is.”
“Perfect,” he said, finally looking up from his clipboard. “We should be ready to take her up in around ten minutes. You can both go with her, but I’m sorry to say that only one of you will be able to stay with her once she’s settled.”
“Her mother will be staying,” Dante said firmly.
“That’s absolutely fine. I take it that’s you, Miss Brooks?” He said, raising his feet slightly to look over Dante’s shoulder. I nodded my response.
“And have you had your bloods done yet?”
“Not yet,” I said, coughing to clear my throat.
“We can get those done at the same time as Bee has hers then,” he said, smiling a kind smile. “I’ll leave you two alone for a minute. The nurse will be in shortly to take you to the ward.”
We said our thanks and waited until he left before speaking again.
“You don’t want to stay with her?” I asked, as Dante turned back around to face me.
“I do,” he replied, tapping my arm, indicating for me to stand up. I got to my feet, and he took the seat, pulling me down onto his knees. I wrapped an arm around his neck, hissing slightly as the movement stretched my burnt skin, and settled in nestled against his chest. “But it’s best if you stay. I don’t know what the situation with the club is, and I want you both here where you’re safe. Trent and Chris are going to stay in thelobby keeping guard, and Ant and Sunshine are going to stay outside the ward.”
“You can spare four people?”
“We didn’t have much choice,” he chuckled softly. “It took Crash threatening to murder the entire club to stop them all from turning up here and standing guard.”
“I don’t blame them,” I smiled back and turned my head to look at Bee. “She’s a very special girl.”
“She is, but they’re not just here for her, Rachel. No one will forget what you did for her tonight. Regardless of what happens between me and you, the club will forever be in your debt.”
“I only did what anyone else would do.”
“But it was you that did it. Don’t sell yourself short. You saved her life, and if I lived a thousand lives, it would never be long enough to thank you properly.”
“You don’t need to thank me. I love her.”
“I know you do,” he said softly, resting his head against my shoulder, his face nuzzling into my neck.
“Dante?”
“Hmm?”
“Is your surname really King?”
He raised his head to grin at me. “We’ve only slept with each other a million times, Rachel. You’ve been here for over a month, and you still haven’t figured out my surname?”
“There’s been a lot going on.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Well, fuck me,” I said, whistling softly. “It’s no wonder your ego is through the fucking roof with a surname like that. What a ridiculous bloody name.”
“You can call me ‘Sir’ if you like,” he laughed, his head going back to nuzzle into my neck.
“Aye, right. It’ll be a cold day in hell before—”
“Miss Brooks?” A nurse called, opening the curtain to the cubical. “We’re ready to take you onto the ward now.”
