Page 102 of Rev

I trace the curve of his shoulder. “You told Bets you’d been stabbed.”

“Have. Few times.” He touches a scar I remember seeing, low on his left side, and then up high on his right pec. “Here and here.”

“In the war?”

He shakes his head. “Nah, streets.”

“Did it hurt?” I roll my eyes immediately. “Sorry, dumb question. Of course it did.”

“It’s not, actually. Stabbed, yeah, that sh—that hurts. Burns, but…cold, sort of. I dunno.” He taps the round puckered holes on his left shoulder. “Hurt worse than these. Getting shot was just…kinda like a hard punch, at first. Just an impact, sort of hot. Didn’t even really hurt till quite a bit later. Adrenaline, I guess.”

I touch his forearm, the smaller circular scars there. “Is that what those are?”

He shakes his head. “Nah. Those are from cigarettes.”

I frown, gasps. “What?”

He growls, shrugs. “Last foster. Got off on holding me down and putting his butts out on me, see if he could make me scream. When I stopped screaming, it stopped being fun.”

“Ohmygosh, Rev. That’shorrible.”

He shrugs. “Wasn’t great. Better than gettin’ my ribs kicked in.”

This whole conversation is muttered between us, not quite whispered, but quiet enough not even my cousin Derek, sitting beside Rev, could hear us. Not that anyone could, since the overall volume is nearly as loud as the nightclub at full swing.

Rev lets out a breath. Eyes me. “Mind if we go outside?”

“A bit much in here, huh?” I say and take his hand. “Yeah, come on. I’ll introduce you to Uncle Julian.”

This turns out to be the best thing I could have done—Uncle Julian is Mom’s oldest brother, who was a career Marine until he retired last year as a lieutenant colonel. He served in both Iraq wars, and was part of a UN Peacekeeping detachment to Sarajevo during that conflict. So, if anyone here could put Rev something like at ease, it’s Jules. And he does. They settle into easy conversation, falling into a highly technical conversation about…I don’t even know what, just that they used a lot of jargon and acronyms.

While they talk, I catch up with June and Mal and their husbands, discussing their upcoming double wedding.

We’ve been here an hour and a half before the previous visitation shift returns, which means it’s our turn. Rev and I find ourselves in the back of my brother Jordan’s minivan, his wife Callie up front with him, Ana and June in the second row, heading to the hospital.

Even in rotations, Dad’s only allowed two people at a time, so we wait in the waiting room—it’s quiet and cold. Rev slumps down in a chair, stretches out his legs, and closes his eyes. Immediately, his breathing changes, as if he can simply will himself to sleep.

I decide I’ll have to have him teach me how to do that. I rest my head on his shoulder and doze while waiting for my turn to see Dad.

It’s my turn, eventually. Rev stands up with me, but I wave him off. “Knowing Dad, he’d rather wait to meet you when he’s not laid up in a hospital bed. You can stay here, if you don’t mind.”

He lifts his chin. “Fine by me.”

I lean in, touch my lips to his in a brief, soft kiss. “Be back soon.”

Ana, having just come from her turn with Dad with June, watches this, and follows me down the hallway, corners me before I get to Dad’s room. “You’re kissing him in public already?” Ana is the spitting image of Mom, down to the build and the messy hair—and the tendency to nosiness.

“Yes.”

“You aren’t living in sin with him, are you, Mike?”

I don’t know whether to laugh or be angry. “Ana, that’s none of your business.”

She widens her eyes at me. “Myka Donovan. Really. I’m only looking out for you. After what you went through, I can see the temptation to…wander, but it will only lead to heartbreak.”

I take her hand and squeeze. Hold her gaze and let her see how serious I am. “Anastasia Lancaster. Really. I love you. I appreciate your concern, I really do. But I’m an adult and what I do and with whom is no one’s business but mine, and that person’s.”

“You are. I can tell. You wouldn’t be so defensive if you weren’t.” She frowns, eyes disapproving. She knows she’s right, because I’ve never been able to hide anything from her.