Misha: Lanning's Leap (4 page)

His dad hadn’t wanted a mate
…wanted children less, he supposed. Every time he sired a son, he would spend a little less time at home and more with his buddies. It wasn’t until Phillip had been born that he’d told them he wasn’t returning until one of them had something to offer him. Misha had no idea what that might be, and after twenty-four years, he didn’t really care anymore.

After dozing for a while, Misha woke to find himself alone.
There was a note on his shirt from his mom telling him she’d gone for tea. Misha stood up to stretch and made his way to the nurse’s station. Hannah had been in surgery for well over two hours, and he was curious as to how much longer they would be.

“She’s in recovery now, Mr. Lanning.
Your mom said she’d wake you when she returned. Miss Oliver hasn’t been out long, ten minutes I think. The surgeon was able to remove the shards of metal from her cheek and repair any lasting damage she might have had. He said that she will have very little in the way of scars. Her back….” She pulled up the chart and read it before continuing. “There was a great deal of old and newer scar tissue there that he was also able to repair. He notes here that she had been beaten severely before, but no work was done to close some of the deeper cuts. Doctor Hudson said that was what took him the longest, stitching up the places where he had to cut away her old scars.”

Misha wasn’t surprised that she’d been beaten before last night
, but he was that she’d gotten no care. According to what Rider had found so far, she’d been treated every time when her mother had been. He frowned and thought about all the things this was telling him when his mom touched his shoulder. He told her what the nurse had said.

“Then I’ll go home.”
She started away when he told her he’d go as well. “You won’t stay here with her?”

“No. I have things to do and sitting around waiting for her to wake won’t get them done. I have a couple of the younger ones from the leap here
, but there is no reason for me to be here when I have things to do.”

“Misha, she’s going to need someone here to explain to her what’s going on.
She’s going to wake alone and hurting. You don’t want to be here for her?”

“Mom, I’m sure she’s done this countless times. I have
to go to the office and finish paperwork on our last case. She’ll be fine. As I’ve said, there will be others here if she needs them.” His mom huffed, and he smiled. “You should get that taken care of. It sounds very serious.”

“I hope she gives you a wonderful time with this.
And in the event you don’t understand me, I’m being sarcastic.” He told her he’d gotten it but wasn’t worried. “She’s going to make you dance a jig around her, and I’m glad I’m going to be here to see you fall flat on your face. You’re going to be so twisted up over her you’re not going to know which way is up.”

“Never.”

Misha took his mom home and then drove to the office. He wasn’t surprised to see two of his brothers’ trucks there and went inside, closing his door behind him to his office. He was hoping for some peace and quiet, and knew that so long as his door was shut, they’d give it to him. He was sitting at his desk when he realized he’d left his phone in the car, but remembered that he’d given the nurse his office number as well if they needed him. Pulling up the first of many reports, Misha set to work.

He was deep into the last report when his brother touched his mind. It wasn’t a soft and gentl
e touch, either. Rider was frantic and upset. Misha stood, reaching for his coat even as he answered him.

Mother fuck, where the hell are you?
He told him he was on his way in.
The hospital has been trying to reach you for over thirty minutes. The fucking mother is here and she’s
demanding that we wake her daughter and let her go home with her. Shit, Misha, this is all wrong, way wrong. You should see this…person.

I’m coming.
Just…don’t let her go with her.
Misha backed out of the parking lot.
I didn’t have my cell, but they had the office number. I was right there. Why didn’t they try that?

The service is on.
When Phillip left, he said he turned it on and it wasn’t until he was in the lot that he realized you were still inside. Where is your cell?
Misha looked at it and saw that he had messages but not how many.
Get here now. She’s going to hurt Han if she tries to get her into the car she’s here in.

As soon as he was in the lot, he ran
to the front entrance. Misha went directly to the floor that Han had been transferred to and got off the elevator in time to see three big men moving the bed that Han was still in toward him. He stepped in front of the bed to stop them, and one of them actually growled at him.

“You don’t want to fuck with me
, buddy. I’ve had bigger than you for a snack.” The man was either stupid or just…well, stupid. When he rolled up his sleeves on his shirt and took a step toward him, Misha slammed his fist into his face, letting all of his cat help him. The man fell on his ass and didn’t move. Misha looked at the other two. “You want some of me, you’ll have to wait. I have to get Miss Oliver back to her room.”

“You
ain’t taking my little girl nowhere.” Misha looked at the woman who came toward him. A quick glance at his brother Rider behind her confirmed to him this was the mother. “She’s gotta get herself home and get another job. I’m not in any shape to make any money and she’s gonna pay me back for caring for her. Get on out of the way.”

“I don’t think so.” She put her hands on her hips and
glared. “I don’t think you understand how injured she is. She needs to have care so that—”

“I know how
hurt she is. I was there when we did it, dumbass.” Misha looked at the security team that was standing behind Carter. The woman had just confessed to nearly killing her daughter. “I had to do something. She was hurting me.”

“Hurting you?
You look just fine to me.” She smiled at him, and Misha felt his belly jump. She was a predator, more dangerous than he was. When she ran her hand down her body and moved toward him, he took a step back. “Stay away from me.”

“You don’t want some of this? I assure you, I’m much more experienced at pleasing a man than my daughter is. Besides, she’s not right in the head.” She looked
down at Hannah and sneered. “I had hoped this time that…. Well, that didn’t happen.”

“What didn’t?”
She shrugged, and Misha put his hands on the end of the bed and shoved it toward Rider. He took the bed and started own the hall again. Mrs. Oliver looked at him like she was going to claw his eyes out.

“You
ain’t gonna be able to keep me from my little girl, you know. I gots rights and she is coming home with me. I’m calling the police.” Misha braced his arms over his chest and waited. “Well? Go and get her.”

“No.” He watched her as her anger built up. He
could see the exact moment when she realized he was bigger than her and she would never win. “You might want to leave here now and take your goons with you. And if you so much as enter this hospital with an injury again while she’s here, I will have you jailed on attempted murder charges.”

“You
can’t do that. I’m her caregiver. I gots it in writing that I can take care of her for the rest of her life.” Misha was going to look into that as soon as possible. There was no way this woman was giving care to anyone but herself. “How the hell do I make my rent payment and get my hair done if there ain’t no income? You gonna pay me for her?”

“Hardly. You are just going to have to fend for yourself.” She asked him what that meant.
“Get a job and leave Hannah alone.”

She started forward again
, but one of the goons she’d brought held her back. The man had no idea how he’d just saved her. The instinct to kill her to protect his mate was overwhelming, and he felt his cat race along his skin to be set free. When the elevator closed behind the four of them, Misha made his way to Hannah’s room.

The staff was hooking her back up to the monitors. One of the nurses was grumbling about an IV site being hurt
, and Misha lifted Han’s hand to his mouth and licked the bloodied wound closed. The nurse nodded at him…she understood him as she was a shifter as well, and told him she’d be able to work now. Misha stepped into the hall with Rider and Carter.

“She’s going to come back.”
Misha nodded at Rider as he continued. “There is something else you should know. I’ve found out something that might interest you. Han saw a shifter once when she was a child. And in turn, she saw him be brutally killed by another one. It’s what got her admitted to the hospital in the first place.”

“They thought she was making it up.”
Rider said they thought she was insane for believing it. “But no one has since tried to talk to her about it? No one of our kind went to her aid? Surely there was someone at that place that was a shifter that could have helped.”

“
If there was, they didn’t come forward.” Rider looked at Han, then back at him before he spoke again. “She’s your mate and you left her here to be hurt again. Why?”

Misha felt bad enough
, and he didn’t need his brother telling him he’d fucked up. Instead of answering his question, even if he’d had an answer, he told them he was there now and for them to go home. Neither said anything, but Rider left. Carter sat in the chair on the other side of the bed from Hannah and ignored him. Misha took the other chair and sat down. It was going to be a long night.

Chapter
4

Maribel Lanning looked at her future daughter-in-law. She’d been in the hospital for three days now and had not once moved. The nurses came in a couple of times a day and rolled her from one side to the other, but Maribel wanted her to wake up. She had no idea why she thought that the girl and she would get along, but she wanted them to. Putting down her knitting, she stood over the bed and took her hand.

“My dear, I’m so sorry for what you’ll have to endure with Misha. He’s a good man
, but he’s had his heart frozen over by his daddy and he is determined not to let you in. I hope you can make him see reason and love him.” Maribel sat back down but held her hand still. “My sons will protect you now. You’ve no worries on that score, I promise you.”

The door behind her opened and Maribel
turned to look at the nurse. She’d been in their leap, their group of leopards, for about two weeks now. Maribel smiled at her when she told her that she was going to check Han’s pressure. They’d been doing that every couple of hours since she’d been brought to this more private area of the hospital.

When
Carol left, Maribel picked up her knitting and started on the next row. As soon as she had the count right, she heard a noise and looked up. Han was turning her head toward her.

“
Who’s there? Mother?” The fear in Han’s voice made Maribel’s cat stir to protect, but she calmed her. “I can’t see. I can’t see.” Maribel stood up and took her hand. Han latched onto her hard and fast.

“I’m Maribel Lanning. You know my son, Carter.
You can’t see because of the bandages on your face. They will be removing them soon, I think. It’s to protect you against infection.” Han didn’t say anything, so Maribel continued. “You’re in the hospital at Mercy General. You were hurt very badly. Do you remember what happened to you?”

“I fell.”
Maribel didn’t comment on the lie. It was more than likely something Han said a great deal to others when they asked. “I need to leave please. I don’t have a job.”

“You’ll stay right there until the
doctor claims you’re fit.” Han cringed from her words, and Maribel felt horrible. “I’m sorry, child, I should have a care when I speak. You’re not going to be able to leave for some time now. There is a great deal of harm to your body.”

“I fell and I need to get home before
Mother worries.” Maribel could only nod. The poor child was terrified and she could smell it. Instead of talking about her leaving the hospital, Maribel spoke of things that were going on. Things she’d done that day.

“I had to make breakfast for all
of them this morning. Six grown men, and they’d rather eat cereal than a good hot breakfast. Each of them can cook, mind you, but they rarely do it anymore. Misha said it’s too much work when he can just order out. Rider will cook, too, but he’s more of a throw-it-on-the-grill-and-eat-it-from-the-cutting-board eater.”

“Where am I?” The question startled her for a moment
, and Maribel was worried until Han spoke again. “Mercy won’t take me because they say I’m a degenerate. I had a job, but I can’t afford the insurance. So, please don’t lie to me. Where am I? Have they…did she have me committed again and you’re my warden?”

“No
, child. You are at Mercy General. You were admitted the day you were hurt and my eldest son is caring for your bills.” She started to tell her that she was his mate, but Misha had told her about the wolf she’d seen as a child. “I’m not your warden, but Misha had to go on a hunt and he and his brothers are out of town. He asked me to keep you company.”

“I don’t know him. Nor Carter. I remember the name Lanning
, but…I don’t know from where.” Her fingers began to loosen on her hand, but Maribel didn’t let her go. When her hand fell from hers, she knew that she’d fallen back to sleep. The poor thing. All Maribel could think of was how a mother could treat her own child this way. When she thought she could speak to him, she reached out to Misha and told him she had woken up.

Good. Did she ask for anything?
I won’t give her the world, but I can get her whatever she needs. Just make a list and I’ll make sure she gets it when I can get back.
Maribel wanted to tell him she needed him but didn’t.

She didn’t ask for anything but where she was. I told her. She seemed to think I was her warden.
She’d meant it as a joke and had hoped that Misha would laugh, but he didn’t
. You aren’t going to hurry home, are you? You’re not going to talk to her now that she’s awake?

Mom, I don’t know if you realize this or not
, but I have to work in order to make some money for her. I know I have plenty, but she’s going to demand things that are going to cost me. Like a house, and new furniture. Do you have any idea how much that’s going to run? And I don’t plan on dipping into my savings. That’s for if I get hurt.

Like you did before.
She’d not meant to bring that up, but he’d pissed her off.
How much good did that do you when you were laying there with all those bullets in your chest? How did it keep you from nearly dying twice? I’m so happy to know that you have your priorities straight, Misha. That will go a long way in making your mate happy you’re so frugal when she’s sitting all alone at home.
There was silence and she knew that she’d gone too far. But when he spoke again, she felt her heart break just a little.

I
didn’t ask for this and it’s unfair of you to think that just because she’s my mate, it’s going to change a damn thing.
Another long pause.
I have work to do. Make a list of things she wants and I’ll see to them when I get back. If she needs it now, contact me and I’ll have someone get it for her.

The connection closing down was akin to a phone being slammed onto the cradle.
Maribel looked at Han and wondered if she’d be able to love such a hard man. She wondered if she’d even try.

“I tried my best to shield the others from what I was feeling when their father was around. Misha is so…he could read me better than a book. He will be difficult for you to love, if you ever will be able to
, and harder for you to understand. I’m sorry for that as well. I should have taken better care that he never knew what I felt. But…I was so lonely.”

Maribel picked up her knitting and finished an entire row with so many tears in her eyes that she wondered
how she’d not dropped every other stitch. When she set it down again, she went to the window and looked out. She’d done this a great deal when Misha had been shot.

“The man who
tried to kill him was high on something. Misha had been hunting people for a long while and hadn’t been able to rest like they usually do when they are on a hunt. The man didn’t just kill the women, but he’d do things to them that…well, it was horrific. But when Rider and Misha found him in his own lair, bodies of the dead all around him, the man went off the edge and started shooting. I’m not sure what all happened there. Rider was out, and Misha won’t talk about it. I know it was worse than that, but…. The man was dead, and he said that was enough. But there is more, much more, and when he finally has to deal with it, it’s going to be terrible for him. Misha has…I know you won’t believe this, but he has a tender heart.”

Maribel turned to the bed and watched the girl sleep. She was her only hope
, and Maribel was going to make sure that she helped her son. And in turn, maybe the others as well. They were all hurting and there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

Three hours later
, Han woke again. This time she was screaming and it was all the nurses could do to get her to calm down. Finally they gave her something to get her to sleep, and Maribel held her hand once again. She didn’t even bother telling Misha, but he called not long after.

“Is she all right?” Maribel wanted to ask him why he cared but told him she was fine.
“I felt her fear. I don’t know what happened, but for a time there she was terrified of something so badly that I had to keep from shifting in the middle of a meeting. But she’s okay?”

“
They had to sedate her. She’d woken up screaming and they couldn’t calm her. But she’s fine now.” He started cussing, and she let him. There was only so much she could do from there. “Is there anything else?”

He was quiet for a long few moments before he spoke. “You weren’t going to tell me, were you? Why not?”

“I’m sure you know the answer to that as well as I do. You simply don’t want to care for her, so why should I waste my breath in telling you that she’s hurting? I’m taking care of her until you get back, and I get to judge when you should know something or not.” He was pissed, and as his mom, she knew it. But right now, Maribel didn’t care. “Oh, and you can shove your list up your ass, son. If she wants something, I’ll make sure she has it.”

Maribel took great satisfaction in hanging up on her son. She rarely got the last word in and it felt really good. As she sat there thinking about how much fun that had been, she looked at Han when she squeezed her hand.

“You should call him back.” Maribel started to ask her why when she spoke softly. “He could die this time and your last words will haunt you for the rest of your days.”

Maribel picked up the phone twice to
call him back. Han didn’t say anything else, but she did drift in and out of consciousness for the rest of the night and well into the morning. Maribel never left her side, nor did she let go of her hand. The child was going to mend things, she just knew it.

~~~

Han opened her eyes and tried not to panic. It was still dark to her and that frightened her more than anything. She kept thinking of being locked in a cell with the lights off and she had to breathe through it, telling herself she was okay. The warm hand holding hers was what kept her from screaming again.

Moving her body slowly, Han took a slow inventory of herself. She was hurting
, but she also knew that as soon as her mother came for her—and she would—Han would have to be able to move to leave or suffer more. Her leg was heavy, so she figured she was in a cast, and her left arm was heavy as well. Not like her leg, but still weighed down.

Breathing hurt
, and she tried not to think about not coughing, a sure way to induce a coughing fit, because she knew from past experience that she’d hurt more when and if she did. Broken ribs were as much a part of her life as wearing shoes. When she tried to turn her head, she felt the pain in her back and cried out from it.

“You have over ninety stitches in the upper part of your back
, and at least that many more along your legs and thighs. I would suggest that you lay very still for a few more days.” The man’s voice startled her and she pulled her hand away from who she had assumed was the woman. “Do you need anything?”

“No.”
He laughed and she felt her temper rise, but she kept it back. “When will they take the bandages off my face?”

“Today
, if you can stay awake long enough. They want to see if your eyesight was affected by whatever it was she hit you with. What was it?” She told him she fell. “Of course you did. And when you fell, did you happen to have a leather belt in your hand that you hit yourself with over and over, too?”

Han didn’t like his tone but said nothing. She had a feeling he knew a great deal more than she did about what had happened. After she’d passed out
, she remembered flashes of someone talking to her about what had happened, but she knew better than to answer those types of questions.

“They still have an IV in your arm that’s giving you something for pain and some juices or
something to keep you from being starved. They said you could have some ice chips. I can get you some if you want them.” She told him no thanks. “You’re going to be stubborn, aren’t you? Well, it won’t get you anywhere with me. You want something, I would suggest you stop playing around and tell me what it is. I’m not going to try and guess at what you want all the time.”

Han turned away from his voice and said nothing.
She wanted to be left alone, but she doubted that he’d leave. Instead, she lay there thinking about her last book. She wondered if her mother had found it and if she had, did she tear it up like she had a few of the others she’d gotten.

The man started talking
again and she realized that he was on a phone. Han felt her body begin to mellow out again and wondered if someone had slipped her more drugs. Just before she let sleep take her again, she heard a door open, then close.

“She’s awake but not talking to me.” The woman’s laughter made her smile a little. It was the woman from before and she found her laugh to be so soothing.

“You more than likely pissed her off, too. What did you say?” He relayed the conversation she’d had with him, and the woman laughed again. “Misha, do you ever think before you speak to someone? Why did you assume she wants something from you the first time you speak to her?”

“Everyone
wants something from someone. It’s the way of the world. But I’m not going to go around buying things for her to try and placate whatever weird woman ideas she has about me.” Han wanted to tell him to fuck off but kept her mouth shut. She didn’t want to get hit again right now. “I have to go out for a minute. Will you stay with her?”