Dare’s green eyes shifted to his little brother. “Why were you trying to get out of bed, dipshit?”

“They’re going to shave my head!”

Dare chuckled and tousled Trey’s hair affectionately. “Is that really your biggest concern?”

“Do you think I want to look like a total douche?” He lifted a hand in Sed’s direction. “Like him?”

“Hey,” Sed protested. Yes, he kept his hair very short. But he didn’t look like a total douche. Did he?

“No offense, Sed,” Trey added.

Sed ran a hand over the soft fuzz on his scalp and eyed the long bangs covering one of Trey’s eyes. He’d never pull off an emo hairstyle like Trey’s anyway. Too much maintenance.

“You’ll wish you had that much hair when they’re finished with you,” Brian said. “Cue balls will be jealous of your shiny dome.”

Trey covered his head with both hands. “Shut up.”

A nurse nudged her way through the congregated friends. “You all have to leave. I need to prep him for surgery now.”

Trey eyed the razor in the nurse’s collection of frightening implements and started to climb out of bed again. Sed widened his stance, prepared to force him back down if necessary.

“If you move from that bed, Terrance, I’ll tell Mom why the last pool boy quit,” Dare threatened. “She and Dad are on their way, you know.”

Trey’s eyes widened and his entire body sank into the bed. “Don’t call me Terrance,” he muttered.

Brian chuckled. “Deflowering virgins again, Trey?”

“He liked it.” Trey’s ornery grin made an appearance. “And I really liked it, but I don’t want my mother to know that.” He glared at his brother. “I have a bunch of shit on you too, you know.”

Dare chuckled and an ornerier version of Trey’s grin spread across his face. “She’ll never believe you. Mom thinks I’m her angelic son.”

Brian burst out laughing. Sed didn’t know Dare well enough to understand what had Brian in hysterics. He could only imagine what acts of debauchery the lead guitarist of Exodus End might pursue.

The nurse squeezed around Sed to stand next to the bed. “I need to get this done.”

Trey turned on the charm. “Yeah, you guys get out of here. We have some shaving to do.” He lifted an eyebrow at her suggestively. The nurse dropped her gaze and blushed.

Sed wondered if Trey would actually be able to talk her out of shaving his head. Surely not. The woman was a professional.

Sed grabbed Trey’s hand in a firm handshake and patted him vigorously on the shoulder. “We’ll see you on the other side.”

Trey paled, his nose freckles appearing in stark contrast to his light skin.

Sed supposed he shouldn’t have reminded Trey what was about to happen. He should just keep his mouth shut and defer to Brian, who was an expert at placating Trey.

Myrna kissed Trey affectionately right on the mouth. “Cherry pie and cherry cobbler when you get home.”

“Now you’re talkin’,” Trey said.

Sed grinned. Midwestern women and their way of trying to feed their love to people. Perfectly fine by him. The woman could cook her ass off. A skill Jessica had not quite mastered.

Jessica.

Shit. He’d just left her out in the hallway all by herself. She was going to be pissed. And he wasn’t sure why that thought excited him.

Sed found Jessica leaning against the wall outside Trey’s door. Eric stood beside her. She had her head resting against his muscular upper arm and he was stroking her long, wavy hair with one hand. Sed buried a spike of inappropriate jealousy. He knew Eric wouldn’t make a move on his woman. Eric valued his life too much.

“Sorry I left you out here by yourself for so long,” Sed said to Jessica.

Eric cleared his throat loudly.

“It’s okay. Eric was keeping me company.”

“You could’ve come inside.”

She shook her head slightly. “I didn’t want to upset anyone.”

Sed drew his brows together. “Like who?”

“Brian.”

Sed shrugged. “Eh, he’ll get over it.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Eric said.

“Why does he hate me so much, anyway?”

Sed loathed the look of hurt in her eyes, but was glad he wasn’t its direct source.

“No idea.” Like he was going to tell her he’d seduced Brian’s girlfriends to make himself feel better about his own lonely, miserable existence. Uh, yeah. That was sure to win her back.

Eric sent Sed a disapproving stare, shook his head, and then pushed off the wall. “I’m going to go see Trey.”

Jessica turned into Sed’s bare chest and wrapped her arms around his waist beneath his leather duster. “Trey’s going to be okay, isn’t he?” Her voice sounded small, igniting his need to protect.

He pressed his lips to the top of her head. “He’ll be fine. I guarantee it,” he murmured against her silky hair.

The elevator at the end of the hallway dinged, and repetitive squeaking advanced toward them. Jace slid around a corner and raced in their direction. Sed hadn’t known the dude could move so fast. Winded, Jace skidded to a stop in front of Sed.

“Just got. Eric’s. Message.” He gulped several breaths of air. “Trey?”

“They’re prepping him for surgery right now.” Sed nodded toward the open door to his left.

“Surgery?”

Eric came out of the room, followed by the rest of Trey’s visitors.

“Took you long enough.” Eric reached over and peeled something off the side of Jace’s neck. “What is this? Wax? What have you been up to, little man?”

Jace flushed. “Can I see Trey?”

“We got kicked out,” Brian said. “We’re supposed to wait in the waiting area until he’s out of surgery.” He nodded toward the lounge area near the elevators.

“Surgery?” Jace repeated. Typically a master of hiding his emotions, Jace looked like someone had punched him in the stomach, knocked him flat on his ass, and then pissed on his forehead. “I can’t let him go into surgery without seeing him.”

He didn’t wait for permission. He just barreled right into Trey’s room. “What the… You can’t be in that bad of shape if you can do that.”

Sed turned his head toward the open door. Do what?

Dare suddenly jetted across the hall and grabbed a tiny woman, who was dressed in green scrubs, in an enthusiastic embrace. He lifted her off the floor and bounced her up and down in his arms. “Dr. Angelo. Thanks for rushing here so quickly.”

She smiled. “My pleasure, Darren.”

Sed had the urge to demand the woman’s credentials before she went mucking around with Trey’s brain. As hard as it was for Sed, he knew he had to stand back and not interfere.

“You okay?” Jessica asked.

Sed nodded. She kissed the center of his bare chest tenderly, her fingers splayed over his rib cage. His heart thrummed against her lips.

Eyes on Jessica, Brian made a sound of frustration and stalked off toward the waiting area with Myrna on his heels. What the fuck was he so pissed about?

Dr. Angelo entered her patient’s room.

“Dr. Angelo!” Trey’s voice carried into the hall.

“Why haven’t you shaved his head yet?” Dr. Angelo said sternly. “And who are you? You have to leave.”

“S- Sorry.” Jace came out into the hallway, his face red.

The doctor’s sudden, no-nonsense attitude made Sed feel a hell of a lot better. He smiled and took Jessica’s hand. “Trey is going to be fine,” he said as they walked toward the waiting area.

“Of course he is.”

“Let’s go, little man.” Eric grabbed Jace in a headlock and hauled ass down the corridor.

When they entered the waiting room, Brian turned his back on the group and wiped his damp face on the hem of his T-shirt. Sed had never seen Brian cry and they had been through some seriously horrible shit together. Brian’s earlier nonchalance, his teasing, had all been an act for Trey’s benefit. Sed’s heart sank. If the levelheaded one of the group had come undone, things were pretty bad.

Myrna took her husband’s head between her hands, her fingertips curled behind his ears, and pressed her forehead against his. She murmured to him, “He’ll be fine, sweetheart. You have to believe that.”