Page 52 of Mac

Kate

The fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling were making the pain in my head excruciating, but I didn’t close my eyes. Instead, I lay there, watching the two most important men in my life sleep on the small sofas the nurses brought in for them after a couple of nights trying to sleep in the hard, plastic chairs.

They hadn’t left my side since I was rushed to the hospital with a bullet wound to the shoulder. I was lucky my injury hadn’t been more serious. Jonathan hadn’t been as fortunate. While a small part of me mourned the loss of a friendship I once held dear, it was clear Jonathan wasn’t the same person I once knew. Or perhaps, I’d never known the real him.

“How are you feeling, sweetie?” Meredith asked quietly as she walked into the room, careful not to wake the guys.

“I’m okay.”

I may have been in a considerable amount of pain, but I was alive, thanks to Mac and my father. Every time I thought about what they risked to save me, it brought out emotions that were difficult to handle. I owed them everything.

When I woke up after surgery and saw the two of them, I was so relieved neither had been hurt. I asked them if they were going to be arrested for killing Jonathan. I knew I wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt if either had to serve time because of me. They assured me it was all taken care of, but they wouldn’t give me details. They said it was club business, which drove me crazy.

“The doctor said you might be able to go home tomorrow,” Meredith stated, and I nodded my head.

“So, we’re busting out of here soon?” Viking asked as he stretched and slowly sat up.

“You don’t have to stay,” I told him yet again, which earned me a hard glare. Viking had already made it clear he wasn’t leaving until I did.

“Hey, baby,” Mac said. Our conversation must have woken him up as well. He got off the sofa and walked to my bedside.

“Hi.” I smiled at him. Every time I looked at him, my heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t believe I’d been lucky enough to not only find a family but also find the man I was meant to be with.

He leaned down to kiss me. He was being gentle, but I wanted more. I reached up and pulled him even closer. I moaned into his mouth, completely forgetting we had an audience until I heard my father clear his throat.

“We’re going to get some coffee in the cafeteria,” Meredith announced, pulling a reluctant Viking behind her.

“I’ll be right back,” Viking called from the doorway.

“No, he won’t,” Meredith stated emphatically. “You two need a little privacy.”

I heard my dad grumble all the way down the hallway and it made me laugh.

“That’s a beautiful sound, babe.”

I looked at Mac. “What’s a beautiful sound?”

“That laugh. I was scared out of my mind that I might never hear it again. Seeing a gun pointed at you nearly broke me.” I saw his eyes glisten with pure, raw emotion. “I knew then I could never live without you. I love you.”

Hearing those words had tears streaming down my face. “I love you more.”

And then I kissed my man with all the passion in the world. He may have been a bad biker…an outlaw. But he was mine, and I would forever be his.