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Anger prickled her skin as she lifted her chin and glared back. “Where the fuck wereyou?” She placed her hands on her hips. “I’ve been her caseworker for the past six weeks and never once met you.”

He growled and stepped forward, his lips curling in a feral smile as he came within inches of her face. “Don’t youeverinsinuate that I’m not there for my daughter. You don’t know shit. You’re just one of many the county has assigned in the past four years. It doesn’t mean a damn thing to me.”

“Apparently it doesn’t since you never bothered to get in contact with me even though I left my card at your daughter’s house many times.”

His eyes grew darker at her show of defiance, and fury etched across his face. “You wanna know where I was? At the clubhouse, like the fucking county has dictated.Youdetermined I wasn’t a good bet for my daughter because of my lifestyle. Fuck that. If she were with me, she wouldn’t be lying here on the brink of death.” His voice broke just slightly on the last word, and Breanna, pissed as she was, felt her heart melt a bit for him. No parent should see their child fighting for her life.

“I know you’re angry right now, Mr. McVickers, but this is hardly the place to discuss the what-ifs of the situation.”

“Fuck off, lady.” He turned back to Chenoa and slipped his hand inside his cut. He withdrew something and touched his daughter’s forehead, nose, eyelids, chin, and ears with it, then placed it under her hand.

“What’s that?” Breanna asked as she inched closer to the bed.

“A Navajo talisman. We use it for healing. It’s a bear claw and a turquoise stone.”

She stared at Chenoa’s serene face. “I’m sorry this happened, Mr. McVickers. I’d been so hopeful that your daughter would’ve reached the milestone in her recovery. I had no idea she was using heroin. Did you?”

His face hardened. “No.”

“She’s a tough young lady. She’ll pull through, and when she does, I know of an excellent rehab center that I think she’ll thrive in. We can talk about it later, but I think—”

“I don’t give a damn what you think. I’m gonna be honest with you—I don’t like or trust you. I don’t trust any government worker. You don’t give a damn about my daughter. She’s just another fucking case number to you. As long as you draw a paycheck, you’ll go through the motions. You don’t fool me at all, so stop with your fake-as-hell sympathy. Once Chenoa pulls through this, I’m in charge, and I don’t give a fuck whether you or the county likes it. I have nothing more to say to you.”

He turned away and Breanna just stared at the words “Night Rebels MC” on the back of his leather vest. She didn’t know what to say. Part of her chalked up his contempt of her to his obvious upset over his daughter, but a larger part knew that this was who the man was. Hard, fierce, and proud. She was just ready to respond when Chenoa’s mother walked in, her face tight with worry.

“Breanna, what happened?”

Before Breanna could answer, Chenoa’s mother glanced at Steel and then made her way over to him, reaching out her arms. He pulled her into a tight embrace. “Mika,” he whispered. Her arms were around his narrow waist and she buried her head in the crook of his neck. “She’s gonna be okay. Fuck, shehasto be okay.”

Mika answered back in whimpers.

She then pulled away, grabbed a tissue out of the box sitting on the hospital tray, and went over to Chenoa, stroking her forehead. She leaned down and whispered something in her daughter’s ear, then turned to Breanna and smiled faintly. “Thanks for being here. I don’t know what happened. She was doing so well,” Mika said softly.

Steel stood next to Mika. “So you know her?” He jerked his head in Breanna’s direction, his eyes riveted on his daughter’s placid face.

“Of course. She’s Chenoa’s social worker. She’s been helping her out.”

“Why the fuck doesn’t anyone tell me anything?” His jaw jutted out.

“Because you’re always consumed with the Night Rebels. I haven’t seen you in over a month.” Mika grabbed their daughter’s hand. “She’s gonna make it, isn’t she?”

“Yeah. There’s no way I’m letting my baby girl leave this world.”

“She’ll pull through. The doctor said I got to her in time. Besides, she’s a strong girl,” Breanna said. Steel scowled at her. She licked her lips and shoved her hands back into her hoodie’s pockets. “I’m going to find the nurse. I have to talk to her.” She turned around and walked toward the door.

As she left the room, she heard Mika’s voice. “Really, Steel? You’re checking out the social worker’s ass while our daughter’s lying in a hospital bed? You never change, do you?”

His deep voice washed over her. “I wasn’t doing shit. Did you know Chenoa—” At that point he was out of earshot as Breanna walked over to the nurse’s station.

I can’t believe he was checking out my butt.A strange tickle in her stomach pissed her off.Why am I flattered by it? He’s an angry, rude biker. He probably checks out every woman’s ass. He’s despicable.The head nurse came over and helped her with some of the information she’d need to finish her report. As she sat there writing her notes, she sensedhim.Glancing sideways, she saw him lean against the counter.

“I want to talk to the doctor. Now,” he commanded, his voice like a whip.

The middle-aged nurse picked up the phone. “I’m paging him, sir.”

That’s when Breanna saw him look in her direction. She shifted her eyes back to the report she was writing, accidentally knocking over a cup of coffee the nurse had given her. “Damnit,” she muttered under her breath as she pushed her chair back from the small desk. She grabbed several tissues and sopped up the brown liquid leaking onto her report.

“Here.” His voice was gruff and rumbled from deep inside him.