Page 94 of Nicki's Fight

He laid a final kiss on the tip of my nose, which sent butterflies winging through my stomach.

“Any word about the boys?” I asked as I sat up. Kaine swung his legs over the side of the bed and grabbed his phone.

“Mama D sent a text about an hour ago,” he answered, scrolling through his notifications. “Everything is the same. They are keeping Hicks sedated for the time being, but Sonny is awake for short periods of time as the pain meds wear off.”

“Do they have any idea who hit them?” I asked.

Kaine shook his head. “They didn’t mention anything. Lee said the EMS guys who brought them in thought it might have been a hate crime.”

“What?” I exclaimed. “InOhio?”

“Unfortunately, it seems like it happens everywhere, now,” he sighed.

“Any news on Mason? How is Lee doing?” I asked.

Kaine shrugged.

“Mama D didn’t say anything in her text, and I just woke up about ten minutes before you did,” he responded.

“Well, IguessI can forgive you for not beingall-knowing,” I teased.

Kaine laughed and went to stand, intent, I think, on grabbing some clothes from the dresser but I saw him freeze and wince.

“You okay?” I asked, concern squeezing my heart. I scrambled across the bed to sit next to him. Had I hurt him?

He flashed me a smile, a pink blush staining his cheeks. “Yeah, a little sore, but in all the best ways.”

We kissed again, then took turns cleaning up in the bathroom. A joint shower might have been the verybestway to wake up, but I would never have made it to work if we did

“I can drop you off at work,” he offered. “I’m going to go hang out at the hospital for a while and give the ‘rents a chance to get some sleep.”

“Would you mind dropping me off at my apartment? I need to grab my uniform, and Viv will drop me off at work.

Kaine had just pulled a white t-shirt over his head that clung deliciously to his muscled chest. His blond hair was dark with the water from his shower, the short ends pointing up.

“What time do you get off work?” he asked.

“Should be around three,” I responded, grabbing my phone to check my schedule. I noticed an email message notification and I clicked on it absently.

I froze, and it was his turn to look at me in concern.

“What is it?” he asked, his eyes dark with concern.

I stared at the screen, unmoving, until Kaine reached out and touched my shoulder, making me jump.

“Shit, sorry. The, um, the woman from the attorney’s office just messaged me. She said my mom’s attorney came back early and wanted to know if I could stop in to see him at five,” I answered, turning off the phone and shoving it in my pocket.

“How do you feel about that?” he asked, his gaze intent on me.

I sighed.

“Anxious? Worried? I mean, I was supposed to have lunch with her, with Rhiannon, one day this week. She worked with my mom for a couple of years and knew her well. I was looking forward to the chance to find out a little of what Mom’s life was like these last couple of years,” I answered.

“Can’t you still do that?” Kaine asked.

“I guess… it just seems… different? Like meeting with the attorney is a lot bigger deal than just meeting with a friend of my mom’s. I just wasn’t expecting it.”

Kaine reached out and cupped my cheek with his hand.