The buzz of fluorescent lights filled the silence, broken only by the occasional voice over the intercom or the rustle of paperwork behind the front desk.
No one looked at her. No one cared who she was or why she looked like she was ready to tear the place apart. Here, she was just another body waiting for news.
Her leg bounced.
She tried to stop it. Couldn’t.
She told herself Sayer would be fine. He was tough. Stubborn. A royal pain in the ass with a smile that didn’t know how to quit. He could take a hit.
But he lookedbadin that truck. Like he was fading. And she couldn’t stop seeing that look in his eyes before he passed out—like he was trusting her to fix it.
Her throat tightened. She dropped her head into her hands.Come on, Sayer. Pull through. Don’t make me face your brothers without you, asshole.
Squeezing the phone between her hands, she knew she needed to call Nova. Sighing heavily she dialed the number to Nova’s burner phone and waited.
“Diamond.”
Tears welled up in her eyes hearing her best friend’s voice. Knowing she could speak freely the words spilled out. “We were jumped by Carla’s ex and his brother when we went back to the barn for the truck. Sayer was hurt, I tended to his wounds but then… I’m at the hospital, Sayer’s being checked out for a concussion. He’s been unconscious since I cleaned his wounds.”
“Where are you?”
Diamond gave Nova the hospital’s name and address, but when her veep said she and the Harlots were on their way she shut it down. “It’s bad enough the Bastards are on their way. We don’t need tempers flaring right now.”
“I can come alone,” Nova told Diamond.
“No. Stay there. We have to much at stake for our entire network to go down.”
Footsteps approached. Soft, quick. She lifted her head just as a nurse appeared, a tablet clutched in her hands and a careful expression on her face.
“Diamond?”
“Hold on Nova.” Diamond stood. “Yeah. That’s me.”
The nurse gave a small nod. “He’s stable. He regained consciousness a few minutes ago. Vitals look good. There’s some bruising, a mild concussion, fractured ribs… but no internal bleeding. No brain trauma.”
Diamond exhaled, sharp and shaky. Relief hit her like a freight train.
“He’s asking for you,” the nurse added gently.
That nearly brought her to her knees.
“Nova.”
“I heard the nurse. Call me back later.”
“Will do.”
Hanging up Diamond followed the nurse down the hallway, her boots echoing dully against the linoleum. The buzz of the ER faded into the background, her focus narrowing with every step. She didn’t care about the smells, the cold fluorescent lights, or the quiet murmur of voices behind closed curtains.
She just needed toseehim.
They turned a corner, and the nurse gestured to one of the rooms.
“He’s in there,” she said softly, giving Diamond a small smile before stepping aside.
Diamond didn’t respond. Her hand was already on the door.
She pushed it open.
