Page 54 of Lick

“Lift not working?”

“It’s hit and miss. And given how often I have to pee, I’d rather not take the chance of getting stuck in it. Besides, you never know who you might get trapped with.”

He pauses at that and looks at me. “That’s something you need to think about living here, huh?”

I try not to get defensive, but it’s hard. I’m judged for my circumstances, but Dan is never held accountable for the ones that led me here.

“It’s not a postcode thing. It’s a woman thing.”

“I doubt women in five-star hotels think that way.”

Pausing so I can look at him, I tap my foot impatiently. “Likely because she’s in a place filled with people and cameras.” I don’t tell him that I could scream my head off here, and nobody would even bat an eye. That would just prove his point.

He opens his mouth to say something, but I roll my eyes. “I could name a dozen powerful men who preyed on women in fancy hotel rooms. And if you can’t, then you haven’t been paying attention.” I start walking. This time my footsteps are laced with frustration as I make it to the top and pull the door open.

“You always this combative?” He sounds amused, which just makes me want to push him down the stairs.

“No, turns out it’s just a Royal Bastard thing.” I stomp to my door and shove my key in the lock.

“You know, Lick’s a lucky bastard.”

I whirl on him as he takes in my fiery indignation with a smirk. “Lucky? Are you fucking kidding me? The man was shot, Henny. Shot, not once but twice, and he’s lying in a hospital bed somewhere⁠—”

“Knowing you’ll be waiting for him to come home. Empty houses don’t motivate people to stay alive, Em, trust me. It’s the people. He’ll fight, for him and the club, sure. But it’s you and that kid that will bring him back to us.”

“How can you be sure?” My voice sounds choked.

“Because if it were me in his place, there isn’t a thing on this earth that would keep me from you.”

24

Lick

Beeping and the sound of hushed, angry voices wake me up. Everything feels off, though I can’t place why. I feel numb­—my body, my head—like I’m awake but disconnected from the world. I try to focus on what’s being said, hoping it will give me a hint as to where I am. But as the voices get louder, I drift further and further away.

Eventually, I must lose consciousness. When I’m next aware, there is nothing but silence. With it comes clarity and, unfortunately, pain. I groan as I open my eyes to a dark room, the smell already keying me into where I am.

“Lick?” I turn my head and see my father rubbing his eyes beside the bed. “Fuck, it’s good to see you awake. I thought I was dreaming for a minute.” His voice sounds strained, something I’m not used to hearing from him.

“What happened?” I hiss as I try and fail to sit up.

“Don’t try to move. You’re healing, and you don’t want to undo all the doctor’s hard work. Let me get you some water.”

I stay lying down and stare at the ceiling, trying to piece everything together. A straw comes into view. He presses it to my lips, and I take a few greedy gulps before I turn my head away. “Tell me what happened.” When he doesn’t chafe at me giving orders, I know it’s bad.

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

I let my eyes drift closed and sift through the hazy, drug-infused fog to remember anything significant. “We were playing a gig. It was at an old theatre where—” My eyes snap open as I remember the gunshots, the chaos, and the pain. “Gunshots.”

My father sighs and sits down in his chair beside the bed. He looks like he’s aged overnight or hasn’t slept in days. Wait…

“How long have I been here?”

“Eight days. You had to have surgery, and then they put you in a medically-induced coma. You’re being transferred back home tonight. I wanted to do it sooner, but that wasn’t an option.”

“What’s wrong with me, and who the fuck was shooting?”

He runs his hands through his hair in agitation. “Guy’s been IDd as Stuart Jones. He's twenty-three. He was born here after mom got pregnant while studying at Derby University on a student visa. He has dual citizenship. Split his time growing up between mom, who went back to the states, and dad, who lived over here.”