“He needed a blood transfusion as well, but he will be okay. He needs rest though.”
“He’ll get it,” Bastian declares. If I weren’t so concerned about Tori, I would be considering how fun it’s going to be to watch that happen.
“I’ll take you back now,” the doctor tells me.
“What aboutus?” Dane demands. “You know? Her actual family.”
“We’ll let you up when we have her in a room.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? What the fuck kind of hospital is this?” he yells.
“God just shut the fuck up,” Maddox yells at him. "Yes, you're her brother but you're not the only fucking person that cares about her. In case you didn't notice, they were out there dodging literal bullets trying to save your sisters."
I hear Maddox continue his lecture as I follow the doctor down the sterile corridor until we reach a room with machines beeping. Tori looks so fragile lying there with tubes and wires coming out everywhere. It takes a lot for me not to completely lose it. I’ve seen this too much in my life too.
Sitting in the chair next to her bed, I take her hand in mine. Her hand is cold and clammy. Her skin is pale but her breathing and her heart is steady. I focus on that.
I close my eyes for a minute because I am fucking exhausted both physically and mentally.
The next thing I know, a hand is raking through my hair. I sit up from where I fell asleep at her bedside to see those beautiful dark eyes staring at me.
“Hi,” she says hoarsely.
“Hi,” I respond before I’m grabbing her hand kissing it. “If you ever do something stupid like that again, I’m going to kill you.”
She laughs at me and then I laugh at myself as I realize the ridiculousness of my words. “You saved me,” she rasps.
“You saved me first,” I respond. “I hate what you did, but that you were willing to do it, Baby, I don’t even know what to say.”
“Zoey needs you. Jax needs you. I need you. I couldn’t let anything happen to you. Not when all of this was my fault.”
I don’t know how she’s talking so much right now. After everything she’s been through, I’m shocked she’s even awake. “It wasn’t your fault, Darlin’. It wasn’t anyone’s fault but Rossi and DeLuca.” This entire situation has been shit. Everyone has been trying to take the blame, but the truth is the blame lies solely on DeLuca and Rossi.
She raises her brows at me. “What happ -,” she tries to ask before she starts coughing. I reach over for a glass of water helping her sip some.
“DeLuca’s dead. Rossi got away, but he won’t be back.” I don’t know how true that is but even if he does come back, he won’t slip in like he did this time.
“Cara?”
“She’s fine. She out in the waiting room with Maddox and Dane.”
“How did they find out?”
“It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you’re okay. Now get some rest.”
She nods with a smile. Within minutes, she is out again. I continue to hold her hand and send up a silent thanks that I didn’t lose her tonight.
Then I start planning the fastest way to get her moved from New York to River City.
Tori
I step into the penthouse wincing with each step. It fucking hurts to breath much less move. Leaning against Maddox, I let him guide me to the sofa.
Zane and Jax walk in behind us carrying all the boxes that Maddox packed and brought here for me. Dane is the last in still looking extremely pissed. Just like he has since the hospital.
He looks like hell. Zane doesn't look much better. I have a feeling they must've gotten into it. Judging by the damage, I'd say Dane found out that the pretty football player can do more than catch a ball.
But I don't think that's why he's angry. Honestly, I have no idea what happened to make him so angry, but I don’t feel like digging into that right now.
