Page 165 of Fire Fight

“I’m sorry, miss. We can’t let you back there.”

“But that’s my?—”

Mywhat? Fresh tears fell. Crew and I had never taken a second to define what exactly we were. All I knew was that he was the love of my life, and that had to give me some privileges where his medical care was concerned, right?

The woman gave me a sad smile and directed me to the glass walled waiting room, settling me in a chair and kneeling in front of me.

“The doctor will be out to give you an update when he hasone,” she assured me. “I’m going to bring you some water. Is there anyone you want me to call for you?”

“I—”

Didn’t get to finish that sentence as the cavalry appeared, the brothers filing into the room in order of age: Trey, Lane, Finn, West. Additionally, a teenage boy was with them, tall and gangly-limbed with a mop of curly, dirty blond hair. The twins sat on either side of me, simultaneously reaching for my hands. Trey and Lane took seats in the row across from us, the boy between them.

“Who’s the kid?” I asked.

“Oh, this is Parker,” Lane said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “He’s the one responsible for the dumpster fire.”

Parker groaned. “I thought we let that go.”

“Never.”

“Broooooooo,” Parker said, dragging out the word dramatically. “I almost got burned alive. Cut me some slack.”

“Fair enough,” Lane murmured, then to me said, “Any news?”

“They just arrived,” the nurse answered for me. “The team is examining him now. As I was telling Miss…”

“Aspen,” I croaked. “His girlfriend.”

To hell with it. The man was mine in every sense of the word, the least I could do was call myself his girlfriend.

“Aspen,” she nodded. “I was telling Aspen that the doctor will be out with updates when the care team has more info.”

“So…we wait,” Finn said.

She shot him an apologetic smile, turning and pointing to a hall that branched off the intake area in the opposite direction of the ER. “Feel free to use the cafeteria for drinks and snacks while you’re here.”

The guys murmured their thank-yous, and the nurse left us alone.

“Did someone call Mom?” West asked.

“I did on the way here,” Trey supplied. “She and Ari probably aren’t too far behind us.”

As though the words had conjured them, Birdie and Aria rushed into the lobby, and I watched as Birdie approached the desk, her voice carrying to us as she asked for news on her son.

“I’ve got it,” Lane said, rising to his feet to greet his mother.

I could hear Aria’s sobs from here, though they muffled as Lane folded her and their mom into a hug, murmuring to them.

All I could do was put my hands in my face and weep.

“Crew Lawless’s family?”

My head snapped up. I must’ve fallen asleep because my neck ached from resting at an uncomfortable angle for too long, and a scratchy hospital blanket someone had thrown over me drifted to the ground when I shot to my feet.

“That’s us.”

“He’s stable,” the doctor began, and a collective sigh of relief echoed from us all. “He suffered trauma to his skull, both some sort of blow to the back and the gash on his forehead, which I closed with stitches. There wasn’t a brain bleed that we could find, and there’s only minor swelling. He’s also got a few broken ribs, a dislocated right shoulder, which we have reset, and deep bone bruising to his right hip. He’s going to be in significant pain and completely immobile for some time. We’ll be keeping him for observation for a few days, but I don’t see any reason why he won’t make a full recovery.”