This woman. This woman was everything to me.
I would never let her go again.
Several hours later, we lay curledup together. There’d been no question Cori would spend the night. If I had my way, we’d be figuring out how to spend every night together from then on. My place. Her place. It didn’t matter.
Bastardo made his way back onto the bed, settling himself next to Cori, who he’d apparently forgiven. I could get used to this. Sleeping next to a magnificent woman, having someone to care about at the end of a long day. Making a family with my temperamental cat.
This could be real. This could be a life. My life.
A rattling phone cut through the early morning darkness like a bullhorn.
“Has to be yours,” Cori drawled sleepily. “Mine is still in my purse in the living room.”
“It’s fine. Whoever it is will call back.”
I pulled her into my arms.
The phone shook again.
Silencing it required me to leave the cozy cocoon of the bed, since I’d left it on the dresser. But when I turned it over, something compelled me to answer the unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Hello. Is this Mr. Arturo Decker?” the harried voice asked.
I cleared my throat. “Yes.”
“This is Natty Garfin. We’ve been trying to get ahold of your wife, but she isn’t answering her phone.”
My wife? My… Oh… Oh fuck.
“She’s here with me.”
“That’s helpful. Well, I’m a nurse at Everett General. We’ve been trying to get ahold of Ms. Cori Raney—I suppose you two have different last names—but now that I have you on the line, I’m sorry to have to inform you that your brother-in-law is in our intensive care unit.”
“Wait. What?” I pulled on my boxers as I held the phone against my ear with my shoulder. “What’s happened?”
“Something’s wrong?” Cori asked from the bed. I turned to her, and she diagnosed the look on my face immediately. “Johnny,” she mumbled.
I nodded softly as she began getting dressed.
“Mr. Johnny Raney is in the ICU,” Natty said again, very matter-of-factly. “We can’t be sure until all the tests are back, but we believe he’s had a cardiac incident. The doctor also suspects an overdose. I’m very sorry to have to tell you this over the phone, but it’s important that you and Ms. Raney get to the hospital as soon as possible.”
“We’re on our way.”
“Good. And…you should hurry.” The first flicker of emotion entered Natty’s voice. “Again, I’m very sorry.”
Cori was already dressed. “Where is he?” she asked.
“Everett General.” I paused before deciding there was no shielding her from the truth. “And baby, it doesn’t sound good.”
Chapter thirty
Cori
Iresented how eerily familiar the hospital waiting room felt. Hated that I’d been here less than six weeks ago, sitting in the same vinyl chairs, sipping the same tepid vanilla latte.
Waiting to find out if my brother would die.
