“He’s going to be pissed if he wakes up without a beard,” Molly said, trying and failing to act nonchalant.
“I think the missing fingernails will probably bother him more,” I replied as the doors opened.
Lily’s arm wrapped around my waist as I headed for Kara, and I welcomed the support.
“He’ll be okay,” Lily whispered. “If for no other reason than he wants to make sure you’re safe.”
I stopped in my tracks and turned my head to look at her.
“Tommy said he asked for me,” I said quietly.
“Leo told me that he just kept repeating your name,” she confirmed.
My knees buckled.
“Tommy,” Lily called, barely getting her arms around me before I hit the floor. “Shit!”
“Come on, little sister,” Tommy said, scooping me up. “The floor is filthy.”
He carried me to one of the couches, and I wanted to say thank you, but the words felt trapped in the back of my throat. Panic choked me as Kara curled up against my side, her head on my shoulder.
I couldn’t lose Mack. We couldn’t lose him. God, I was so angry that we’d wasted so much time arguing about hypothetical kids. I’d thought I could walk away because he wouldn’t give me what I wanted, and it had seemed so rational at the time that I’d felt proud for standing my ground. How could I have been so stupid?
I’d give up anything to keep Mack.
“Rosie,” my dad said, coming to kneel in front of me.
I looked at him, but I couldn’t respond.
“I know you’re scared,” he said gruffly, placing his hands on my knees, his thumbs rubbing in small circles. “I know.”
His face grew blurry as my eyes filled with tears.
“I been right where you are,” he continued, squeezing my knees. “I couldn’t check out and neither can you.” He looked pointedly at Kara and I followed his gaze.
Her eyes were closed and her hair was covering most of her face, but what little was showing was blotchy and red from crying. I ran my fingers through her hair, and bit my lip as she shuddered a little, burrowing closer.
“It’s going to be okay,” I said, resting my cheek on her head. “The waiting is the hardest part.”
“That’s my girl,” my dad said quietly, getting to his feet. “Chin up, eyes forward.”
We sat like that for a long time as the waiting room grew crowded with Aces and their old ladies. Coffee was handed out. Quiet voices filled the room. Molly made trips up to the desk to find out if there was any news, shaking her head at me each time she came away with nothing.
We’d been there for two hours when Howie and Louise stepped off the elevator, their faces pale and scared.
“Look who’s here,” I told Kara.
She lifted her head to look, and I expected her to run to her grandparents, but she didn’t move.
Louise’s gaze searched the room as they walked forward, and just as her eyes landed on me and Kara, Dragon stopped her. He spoke quietly to Mack’s parents for a few moments, and I watched them nod their heads. Then, they came straight for us.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Lou said as she bent to wrap her arms around me and Kara. She pressed her lips against my forehead and held them there for a long moment, then moved to Kara and did the same thing.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I said as she moved back so Howie could hug us.
“I’m sorry it took so long,” she replied, wringing her hands. “We were in Montana, and there were no flights that could get us here faster than driving.”
“You shoulda seen your nana cursin’ a blue streak,” Howie told Kara, giving her a small smile.
“Dad’s in surgery,” Kara said, swallowing hard. “He’s been back there a long time.”
“Best place for him,” Howie said, crouching down so he was eye level with Kara. “Doctor’s know what they’re doin.’”
“What if they mess up?” she asked fearfully.
“C’mere,” Howie ordered, opening his arms. For the first time in hours, Kara let go of my waist and lurched into her grandpa’s arms.
I watched them as he carried her to a chair in the corner of the room. My side felt cold without her pressed against me, and I forced myself not to follow them.
“How’re you doing?” Lou asked as she sat down in Kara’s spot next to me.
“I’m okay,” I replied hoarsely.
“Well, I don’t believe that at all,” she said with a sigh as she leaned back against the couch. “But I’ll let it go for now.”
“Thank you,” I replied. I meant it. I knew that at some point, I was going to lose it. I could feel the fear and anxiety building with every beat of my heart. But I couldn’t let it happen yet. Not in the middle of the waiting room. Not when Kara was only a few feet away.
“Hey, sweetheart,” my mom said, walking toward us. “I brought you some coffee. It tastes like shit, but I added a bunch of creamer, so you should be able to choke it down.”
“Thanks,” I replied, taking it from her hand. I wasn’t sure when the last time I’d slept was. Yesterday? The day before? Our time in the basement was already starting to blur together.
“I’m Callie,” my mom said, holding her hand out to Louise.
“Rose’s mom?” Lou said, getting to her feet. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Instead of shaking Mom’s hand, Lou pulled her in for a hug. I almost smiled as Mom’s eyes widened at me over Lou’s shoulder.
“Careful, Mom,” I said. “She’s a kisser.”
“I wait until the second date for kissing,” Lou said as she let go. She opened her mouth to say something else, but snapped it shut again as two policemen stepped off the elevator.
“Showtime,” my mom said under her breath. “You up for it?”
I got to my feet without replying.
“Somethin’ I can help you fellas with?” Dragon asked, planting himself between our group and the cops.
“Man, you knew there were gonna be questions,” the younger cop said. “Don’t give us shit, and we can be out of here quick.”
“Ask your questions,” my dad said, getting up from his seat.
“For starters,” the older cop said, “how’d your man end up here, looking like he’d been tortured and covered in stab wounds?”
Lou inhaled sharply, but kept her shit together.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Dragon said emotionlessly. “He got dropped at the gate in that condition.”
“That’s the story you’re going with?” the younger cop asked, surveying the room.
“Only story there is,” Dragon replied.
“What happened to her?” the cop said, gesturing toward me with his chin.
Dragon turned to look at me. “What?” he asked innocently.
“Woman’s been beaten,” the cop said in disgust. “Miss, can you come over here, please?”
I knew it would happen, but I still felt my heart pound as I made my way toward the officers. Surprisingly, Lou went with me, her shoulder brushing mine.
“Yes?” I asked when I reached them.
“What happened to your face, ma’am?” he asked kindly.
“The eye?” I asked, cocking my head to the side like I couldn’t figure out why he was asking.
“Yes.”
“I got elbowed in the face,” I said with a shrug, “wrestling with my cousin last week.”
“Wrestling with your cousin?” he asked dubiously.
“She’s thirteen and she tried to steal my remote,” I replied.
“You leave any marks on her?” he snapped.
“Over a remote?” I said in disgust. “Of course not.”
He stared at me for a long moment. “Ma’am, is there a reason that you haven’t seemed to um, bathe—”
“Now, that’s just insulting,” Louise snapped.
“I apologize,” he stuttered.
“We done here?” Dragon asked.
“Not quite,” the older
cop replied. He looked at me, and I swear he saw right through our story. “You can go back to your seat, miss. I’m sorry my partner bothered you.”
I held my shoulders straight as I walked back to my seat, the feel of their eyes on my back burning like a brand.
“You’re sticking with your story?” the older cop asked Dragon.
“Got dropped off at the gates,” Dragon confirmed. “Brought him straight here.”
“We’ll be back,” the cop replied with a sigh. “Gonna need to talk to Mr. MacKenzie when he wakes up.”
“You do that,” Dragon said with a nod. Then he turned his back and walked away, showing exactly how much he cared about their presence.
I let out a sigh of relief when the police officers disappeared behind the elevator doors.
A few minutes later, Molly strode toward me, her face emotionless.
“Tell me,” I ordered, getting to my feet.
“They’re almost done,” she said.
“How did it go?” I asked.
“We won’t know that until they come out here,” she said sympathetically. “The surgery didn’t take as long as I thought it would.” She looked at Louise then met my eyes again. “That could either mean that it went very well, or that they decided not to put his body through any more trauma.”
“Jesus,” I muttered, staring blankly at the floor.
“But we’ll know soon,” she said. “I’m so sorry, Rose.”
“Don’t be,” I said, reaching out to pat her shoulder. “It must suck being the only one who knows what the hell is going on around here.”
“How’s your arm?” she asked quietly.
“Fine,” I replied. “Bandage is still doing its job.”
“Let me know if it starts seeping through,” she said. “I brought some extra supplies in my purse.”
“Thanks, Mol.”
I sat back down as she walked away.
“What’s wrong with your arm?” Louise asked, her brow furrowed with concern.
“Just a scratch,” I said, shaking my head as I watched the doors to the operating rooms.
“It sounds worse than that,” she argued.
“One thing at a time,” I said tiredly. Thankfully, she dropped it.
I stared at the doors for at least a half hour, silently begging them to open, my knee bouncing up and down. The longer we went without news, the harder it became to keep calm. When they finally opened and two doctors came out, I was almost too afraid to stand up to meet them.
“Family of Jacob MacKenzie?” one of them asked.
“That’s us,” Will said.
The doctors looked around the room. “Immediate family?”
“Here,” I said, striding forward with Louise and Howie on my heels.
“I’m Dr. Halstead and this is Dr. Mark.”
“You don’t rate a last name?” Howie asked. He wasn’t joking.
“My last name is hard to pronounce and Dr. Mark is easier to remember,” Dr. Mark said, giving Howie a tired smile.
“How’s our boy?” Louise asked, giving Howie a warning glare.
“Ma’am, your son’s injuries were extensive and he’d lost a lot of blood,” Dr. Halstead said. He crossed his arms over his chest, gripping his biceps. “But we’ve repaired the worst—the wounds in his chest and thigh. We had to remove part of his lung—” Louise inhaled sharply. “His hands may require another surgery at a later date, but the lacerations on his face have been stitched. He has a concussion and his cheekbone is broken, but those will heal on their own in time.”
“Okay,” Louise said shakily.
“Our biggest concern now is infection,” Dr. Mark said. “So we’ll have him on a large dose of antibiotics and we’ll monitor him in the ICU for a few days.”
“Thank you,” Howie said, reaching out to shake hands with both men.
“Absolutely,” Dr. Mark said.
“You should be able to go back and see him soon,” Dr. Halstead said. “Only a couple people at a time.” He looked around the room. “Maybe stick to just a small group.”
“Only a few of us will go back,” I said, my lips curving into a small smile as I glanced back at the crowded room behind me. “They’re all here for us.”
Dr. Halstead nodded, then both doctors turned and walked back where they came from.
That’s when the crash I’d felt coming on for hours hit me. I looked up and met Lily’s eyes as I spoke to Louise. “You’ll tell Kara?”
“Sure, honey.”
I kept my shit together until Lily led me into the small bathroom down the hall. Then, with a gasp, I let myself fall apart.
“Here,” Lily said, pulling off her hoodie. She rolled it into a ball and shoved it in my face.
The scent of her laundry detergent filled my nose as I pressed the sweatshirt hard against my face and screamed. All of the pain and fear and helplessness and rage poured out of me as I wailed against that blue sweatshirt, the noise barely muffled in the fabric.
By the time I was finished, I was gasping for air.
“All done?” Lily asked, wetting a paper towel in the sink.
“For now,” I rasped tiredly.
“Good,” she said, handing me the towel. “Wipe your face and get your shit together, because you need to go see Mack.”
“You’re such an asshole,” I muttered, cleaning off my face.
“If I tried to console you right now, we’d never leave this bathroom,” she said, knowingly. “I’ll hug you and cry with you later.”
I opened the bathroom door just as Louise raised her fist to knock on it.
“They said we can go back to see him,” she said. “He’s one floor up.”
The hallway and waiting room passed by in a blur, and the elevator felt so stifling I wished I’d taken the stairs. I could barely stand still as the nurse signed us into the ICU and gave us little stickers with Mack’s room number on them.
“Me and your nana are going to go first,” I told Kara, smoothing the sticker onto the chest of her jean jacket. “Then one of us will come out and get you, okay?”
“Maybe I should go with you, and Nana can go with Grandpa,” Kara said, her eyes wide and scared.
“We’ll be right back,” I said softly, cupping her cheek in my hand. “Promise.”
I stepped away as Howie wrapped his arm around Kara’s shoulders, then me and Lou followed the nurse down the hallway.
“I could’ve waited,” Lou said softly.
“I want to make sure it won’t scare her,” I replied, my eyes on the nurse in front of us. “And I need to be calm before she gets in there.”
I held my breath as the nurse stopped at a sliding glass door and gave us a small smile.
Then all breath left my lungs when I got my first look at Mack.
Louise made a small noise of sorrow, but I couldn’t comfort her. I was too busy staying on my feet.
He was gray, his face slack and clean shaven. It was the first time I’d ever seen the shape of his jaw or the small mole low on his cheek. There were tubes and wires everywhere. They hung from beneath his blanket, filled his mouth, and disappeared beneath the skin on his arms. It was terrifying, but as air filled my lungs again, I realized it wasn’t half as terrifying as the moment I’d left him tied to that chair.
I moved toward him without conscious thought, and my nose stung with unshed tears as I laced my fingers with his.
“I’m here,” I whispered, leaning close to his ear. “I love you. I’m here.”
The constant beep of his heart monitor comforted me as I stood straight again.
“Oh, son,” Louise said with a sniffle from the other side of the bed. Her hand rested gently on Mack’s forearm above the bandages that completely covered his hand. “You’re going to be alright, Cubby.” She smoothed his hair away from his forehead. “Rest now.”
She covered her mouth with her hand and squeezed her eyes shut as a silent sob ripped through her body.
“I’m going to go get
Kara,” she said softly. “You stay here.”
“Okay,” I said, nodding. I looked back at Mack as Louise left the room.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there when they came for you,” I murmured quietly, running my thumb over his knuckles. “But you knew they wouldn’t let me come back, didn’t you?” I let out a watery chuckle. “You should have seen me, baby. I plowed right through the front gates.”
One of the machines made a weird noise and my head snapped up to look at it, my heart racing, but nothing else happened.
“Everyone was looking for us,” I said, tracing the stitches on his face with my gaze. “But they had nothing to go on. I think my dad nearly shit himself when he saw me drive up.”
“Rose?” Kara’s small voice called from the doorway, making me turn.
“Hey, sweetheart,” I said. “Come on in.”
“Is he okay?” she asked, her eyes bewildered as she stared at the tube in Mack’s mouth.
“They’re just helping him breathe right now,” I said, letting go of Mack so I could pull her toward me. “But he’ll be okay.”
“He looks really young,” she said.
I glanced back at Mack. She was right. Without the beard, Mack had a baby face. He didn’t look much older than me.
“Maybe that’s why he wears the beard,” I said, smiling.
“Hi, Dad,” Kara said, her hands fidgeting at her sides. She looked at me. “Can he hear me?”
“I don’t know,” I replied honestly. “But I wouldn’t spill any secrets, just in case.”
Kara scoffed, her eyes brightening a little. “I don’t have any secrets.”
“Good,” I said. “Let’s keep it that way.”
“What—” she paused, her gaze roaming over the blanket covering Mack. “Where is he hurt?”
“His leg,” I said, watching her carefully. “And his chest.”
“And his face,” she whispered.
“Yeah,” I confirmed. “And his hand.”
Kara’s eyes shot to Mack’s bandaged hand on the opposite side of the bed.
“That’s the hand he writes with,” she said.
“He can still write with it,” I said, even though I had no idea if that was true. “Once it heals.”
“What happened?” she asked, meeting my eyes as hers filled with tears.
Craving Rose (The Aces' Sons) Page 23
