Page 55 of Parrish
I did it once before, I’ll do it again. I’ll search the whole damn world for a cure if it meant I got to spend the rest of my life loving her.
Tears spill from the corners of my eyes and I quickly brush them away with my thumbs. With one hand on the bed rail, I lay my other over the blanket covering her legs and I give her the words I know she’s wanted to hear for so long.
“I’m out, baby. I handed in my patch. Wolf has the gavel now, and that’s irreversible. I also told Ritzer to shove his deal where the sun don’t shine. I’m finally all yours and you and I, we got a lot more livin’ and lovin’ to do. You just need to open your eyes and take me. Take my hand, Reina and let’s finish writing our story.”
She doesn’t open her eyes.
She doesn’t squeeze my hand.
She remains perfectly still and lets the machines do the livin’ for her.
The woman who fought to survive a devastating fire and broke free from the horror of the scars that haunt her, she’s giving up.
Giving up on me because of me.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I’m so fucking sorry, Sunshine.”
I’m sorry for failing you.
For putting you second.
For breaking your heart.
For walking away and letting you get in that car.
For the bastards who did this to you.
I’m sorry for everything.
So fucking sorry.
More tears fall from my eyes and this time I don’t brush them away. I give her knee a squeeze and lean back in the chair. Closing my eyes, exhaustion settles over me and soon I’m lulled to sleep by the steady rhythm of my wife’s heart rate.
When I finally awake, the room is darker than when I first entered, and Reina is in the same exact position as she was when I poured my heart out to her and promised her the world. Feeling a little disoriented myself, I reach into my kutte and pull out my phone to check the time.
Twenty hours ago, I left the house with every intention of surrendering. I didn’t think I’d see the light of day for thirteen years. Now, I’m sitting vigil at my wife’s bedside, waiting for her to open her eyes and vowing to right my wrongs. If that ain’t proof life can change in the blink of an eye, I don’t know what is.
Noticing I have several missed calls, I scroll through the list. There are three from my lawyer alone and two from my therapist. Another from Lacey and one from Wolf. However, it’s the missed call from Scout, the president of the Charon MC that surprises me most. I had meant to call him before I left this morning, to fill him in on my impending sentence and inform him that Wolf was now in charge should he need anything. But between saying my goodbyes and the mania, time got away from me and I forgot about him.
Instinctively my thumb moves to swipe across the screen and return the call, but I remember the promises I made to Reina and I stop myself.
Anything he has to say can wait.
Reina first.
From this point going forward…
Always first.
Pocketing my phone, I rub the sleep out of my eyes and lean forward. I glance at the machines, trying to recall if there is any change in her vitals when I hear someone knock on the glass partition. Glancing over my shoulder, I spot Blackie. He shoves his hands in his pockets and tips his chin, signaling for me to join him.
Torn between my wife and my brother, I sigh and turn my attention back to Reina. The promise to put her first weighs heavily on me but I know Blackie wouldn’t intrude on my time with her if it wasn’t important. There’s also the fact that Danny’s been traumatized and with Wolf’s wife since he was discharged. The kid is probably scared, and Reina would want me to comfort him. Hell, she’d demand it.
Taking her hand, I lean forward and brush my lips across her fingertips.
“I’ll be right back,” I tell her.
Rising from the chair, I drop her hand and press another kiss to her forehead before turning and walking out of the room.
