by Amanda Perry
“That’s fucked up,” Talen growls, sitting down on the opposite side of Lochlan.
“Yeah,” I agree, adjusting my position in Lochlan’s lap. He groans quietly and holds me tighter, preventing me from wiggling. I don’t understand why he doesn’t set me down if holding me causes him discomfort. Shaking my head, I refocus my train of thought and continue on. “The first doctor that came in wasn’t anything special. He looked over my arm and told me to wait and he’d be back in. So, I waited and a different doctor came in not long after. He was mean and scary. He told me to come with him to a different room to get the cast put on. I didn’t think much of it, and I followed him until we got to the elevators that lead to the parking garage. When I asked him where we were going...” My voice breaks, and I shiver at the memory.
“What did he do, Babe?” Lochlan asks, for once not growling as he speaks, though his voice is tight.
Dominic kneels next to Duncan in front of me and puts a hand on my knee. “Please tell me you got a purple cast instead of a pink one and that’s why you hate doctors.”
I bark out a laugh and shake my head. “I wish that was the case. He told me to shut up and grabbed my bad arm. He dragged me into the elevator, and when I tried to scream, he put his hand on my throat. He told me if I made a sound he would kill me. He… touched and grabbed me, and I tried to fight against him. He stopped when the elevator doors opened to the parking garage. He dragged me to a car, and I started screaming again. I didn’t really care if he killed me at that point. I refused to get into that car.”
Duncan’s grip on my hand tightens as does Lochlan’s hold on me. Dominic stands and paces the room, muttering in Spanish. Declan turns an ugly shade of purple as he glares at the floor. Talen curses under his breath and tightens his fists. Austyn curses loudly and kicks a chair in the corner.
They need time to calm down, and I do as well. Remembering that monster always gets my heart racing and my mind spinning. Declan buries his face in my hair, putting an arm around me and hugging me awkwardly. It wouldn’t be awkward if Lochlan didn’t refuse to give up his hold on me.
“What happened next, Starshine?” Austyn demands, visibly upset.
With a deep breath, I glance around and decide to continue on when I find everyone slightly calmer. “He hit me a few times, trying to get me to shut up. I refused to stop screaming, and someone heard me, thankfully. They started shouting out to us, and the guy pushed me out of his way and onto the ground. He hopped into his car and before he drove away he said ‘If you tell anyone, I will murder you. This isn’t over’. It was a nurse on a break that heard me calling for help. She got me back inside and asked me what happened. I was too scared to say anything. I never told anyone until now. I just avoided doctors and hospitals. I figure it’s where he’d look.”
“Muñeca,” Dominic sighs, taking his position next to me again.
I snort humorously. “Logically, I know the guy probably forgot all about me. This was like four years ago. But I don’t want to risk it. Please, can I just go home?”
“Unfortunately, no,” a voice calls from the doorway, startling us all.
A male doctor comes into the room and dread overtakes me. “I’m Dr. Jarvis. It’s good to see you awake, Parker. Though I do wish you were lying down in the bed and not sitting on the lap of this young man.”
Lochlan grumbles, but takes the hint and lays me in the bed. He takes a step back, but my grip on his shirt won’t loosen. “Don’t leave me,” I beg, staring wide eyed from him to the others. I grip Talen’s arm with my other hand as he tries to slide off the bed.
“Never,” Talen promises from my other side. He leans down and kisses my forehead as my grip on Lochlan’s shirt eases enough for him to stand up straight. Once off the bed, he takes my free hand.
The guys surround me, leaving only the foot of the bed for the doctor to stand at. He glances at them curiously, but doesn’t comment. Instead, he turns his full attention to me. “How are you feeling, Parker?”
“Fine,” I lie smoothly, though unable to look him in the eye. “Can I leave?”
“Unfortunately, you’ll have to stay a few more days” He picks up a clipboard at the end of my bed. “The surgery went well, but you’re still on antibiotics. Do you remember anything?”
Thinking it over for a second, I recall the last thing I remember. “I know Declan came to check on me. He called for help. He carried me to the car and... That’s all I remember.”
“Your appendix burst,” Delcan explains, patting my foot. “They had to do emergency surgery and get it out.”
“So that’s what the pain was.” I roll my eyes, knowing I should have said something sooner. The idea of going to a doctor kept my mouth shut about how badly I hurt. Though at first I really did assume it had to do with my period. “It’s gone now. Just my side hurts, I assume where they cut me open.”
“Ew,” Austyn mutters, wrinkling his nose. “Can we not with the cutting open comments?”
“Wimp.” I grin cheekily when he shoots a glare my way.
He flips me off, though he can’t fully hide his amusement. “I’m going to find Mom and Dad to let them know you’re awake. They went for coffee, and my guess is they got lost or fell asleep.” He points to me sternly. “Be good.”
“I’ll be back to check on you before my shift is over. The nurse should be in with some pain medication shortly.” Dr. Jarvis nods to the guys and me before exiting the room with Austyn.
With the doctor gone, I allow my body to relax slightly. “Can we please leave?” I plead again, glancing from one guy to the next, hoping for someone to side with me. “I’m fine and I don’t need to be here anymore.”
“No.” Dominic sighs, plopping down in the chair Austyn kicked earlier. “But someone will always be with you. We’ll keep you safe, Muñeca.”
The nurse interrupts us long enough to give me some medication in my IV. My body warms up, and my eyes become heavy. “What’s that mean, Dominic?” I ask with a big yawn.
He frowns. “What does what mean?”
Closing my eyes, I wave my hand in the air trying to remember the pronunciation. “You know, the Monica or whatever the word is.”
I hear a few of them chuckle. I want to glare, but my eyes are too heavy.
“Muñeca?”
“Yeah, that.”
“It means doll. I guess I haven’t taught you that one yet.”
“Oh,” I mutter, though my voice slurs, even to my own ears. “How old were you when you came to the states?”
Dominic remains quiet for a few long seconds. At first, I don’t expect him to answer, but he finally speaks up. His voice sounds closer, and I realize he’s moved over to be next to me. “My mother died during child birth. My father raised me for five years. He wasn’t made for fatherhood. He wasn’t really a bad guy, just not father material. He decided to turn over custody to my uncle in the states. I lived with him for only a year before he died in a car accident. My father had disappeared by that time without a trace. Social services put me into foster care, and I was placed with Maggie, Jack, and Collin. I called them my parents from day one. It just felt right when I got placed with them.”
When he pauses, I manage to pry open my eyes. He watches me careful as he continues on. “I was lucky, I had Maggie and Collin and Jack to show me how real families should be. I knew my father wasn’t a good parent, and I knew from being with Maggie, Jack, and Collin that I didn’t deserve what he did to me. He had no excuse for ignoring me during my early childhood then ship me off to an uncle I’d never met.”
“Were you sad?” I whisper when Dominic doesn’t say anything more.
His brow furrows as he mulls over his answer. “I wasn’t sad that I lost my father as much as I was sad that I lost the ability to tell him how I felt and hope he would care, even though I know he wouldn’t have. I was young at the time, but I knew he would never change. I was somewhat relieved to not be sent back to him when my uncle died. I have a real famil
y now, and I know it’s where I was meant to be.” He smiles fondly as he speaks of his family.
I smile with Dominic, glad he found the place where he belongs. My eyes drift closed again without my permission. I drift off to sleep thinking he must not know how incredibly hot it is when he speaks in Spanish.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The next time I wake, I crack my eyes open to find Dominic and Declan quietly playing cards on a small foldout table in the corner of the room. Maggie, Jack, and Collin lounge around them, chatting quietly. Someone mumbles my name, grabbing my full attention. My eyes flutter closed again but I strain to hear the conversation.
“We get it, Mom.” Declan sighs, pushing his hands through his hair, making it stick up sporadically. “We all talked about it last night after she fell asleep. Some of us just need time to decide. We won’t say or do anything until everything is straightened out.”
“I still don’t understand how you three figured it out so easily,” Dominic wonders aloud, glancing from one parent to the other. “The five of us only just talked about this last night for the first time.”
I’m able to crack my eyes open slightly.
“A mother always knows, Dom,” Maggie boasts, a cheeky grin directed at her husbands. “I knew about Austyn. I was just waiting for him to admit it.”
“I’m glad he told us.” Collin stuffs his hands into his pockets and leans his shoulder against the wall. “Though, I wish he’d have said something sooner. I hate that he assumed we’d never accept him for being who he is.”
“Agreed.” Jack nods thoughtfully, “It’s not like it changes how much we love him. But back to the original subject. Don’t do anything until the five of you have a plan in place. We don’t want Parker to be hurt.”
Hurt? Plan? What the hell is going on, and why can’t I know about it if it involves me?
Before I can stop myself, I let out a frustrated groan, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. To keep them from knowing I eavesdropped on their conversation, I act as though I’m barely coming around, yawning, stretching, and blinking rapidly.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Declan murmurs softly, jumping from his chair and striding over to me. “How do you feel?”
Trying to ignore the nickname slipping from his tongue more often lately, I stretch again and take inventory of my body. The incision hurts, but the pain is manageable now. “Tired, sore, but not terrible.”
Dominic gets to his feet and joins Declan at my bedside. Maggie, Jack, and Collin come to stand on the opposite side of the bed. Maggie pats my arm and smiles softly. “I’m glad to see you feeling better. The doctor said a few more days of intense antibiotics, and you’ll be allowed to come home.”
“Days?” My voice squeaks, and I struggle to sit up. “Can’t I just take a pill at the house or something? Why do I have to stay here?”
“Muñeca, I promise you will be safe here. We won’t leave you alone for even a second,” Dominic soothes my hair back.
My gaze shoots to Maggie, then Jack, and finally Collin. Understanding crosses each of their features and I turn to glare at Dominic and Declan. “You told them?”
“They only know you had some issues with doctors in the past and your fears are valid. We didn’t tell them anything else, sweetheart. We’d never break your trust like that.” Declan’s words placate me and I relax into the bed.
Taking my hand in his, Dominic kisses the back and winks.
My eyes widen, and my jaw drops, unable to believe he actually did such a thing, especially in front of his parents and Declan. Glancing from one person to the other, I frown at the mixed reactions. Declan simply rolls his eyes and smirks at his brother. Truthfully he can’t really say much since he sort of kissed my neck a while back. Maggie giggles happily. Collin snorts, and Jack coughs to cover a laugh. I’m not sure if they’re all amused by Dominic or my shock, but I brush it off.
“You promise?” I demand, squeezing Dominic’s hand. “You swear?” Locking eyes with him, I silently plead for him to understand.
He bends at his waist and puts his face impossibly close to mine, his breath ghosting on my cheek. “Te lo juro por mi vida, Muñeca.” His words wrap around me like silk, causing a shiver to run through me.
“Um,” I stutter, shaking my head slowly trying to remember how to form words. “I... What?”
“I promise, Muñeca.” He chuckles, standing to his full height again. “I know how much you like it when I talk in Spanish, though. I think we need to up our lessons so you can understand me.”
“How do you know I like it?” I challenge, narrowing my eyes.
Declan chokes on air, spinning around to face away from me. His shoulders shake with obvious laughter as he walks toward the chair he vacated moments ago. Dominic grins wickedly. “I believe your last words to me were ‘he must not know how hot it is when he speaks in Spanish’.”
It takes a second for his words to sink in, but when I realize he’s quoting my thoughts from before I fell asleep earlier, I gasp. “Oh for the love of God and all that is holy, tell me I didn’t say that out loud.”
Declan bursts into laughter, no longer able to hold it in. Maggie, Jack, and Collin quietly excuse themselves from the room, claiming to need coffee. They don’t fool me; they’re attempting to hold onto their laughter until they leave. I’d call them on it if I wasn’t so busy trying to disappear.
“Oh hell, just kill me now,” I groan, sinking further into the bed and covering my face with the blanket.
The sound of the door opening echoes through the room as Maggie, Collin, and Jack leave. “What the hell did you do, Dom?”
Upon hearing Talen’s voice, I throw the covers down and glare harshly at Dominic. “He’s being mean to me.”
Talen gapes at us for a moment before his eyes roam over to Declan who can hardly breathe through his laughter. Talen finally shrugs and plops down on the chair next to Declan. “I find that hard to believe, but I’ll kick his ass if you want me to.”
“Yeah, because you could take me.” Dominic rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “Think again, little brother.”
“I could easily take you on,” Talen grumbles, crossing his arms indignantly and glaring.
His pout is adorable, and I can’t help but giggle. He turns his attention to me and grins cheekily. “So, why is he being mean?” He asks, leaning back in his seat. He stretches his arms, linking them behind his head and my mouth goes dry. Talen’s arms are firm and strong and I want him to use them to grab me and-
Shaking my head free of my perverted thoughts, I jump back on topic. “Nothing,” I mumble, suddenly realizing I don’t want Talen to know what I said about Dominic. I was just thinking about how attractive Talen is, I can’t go about telling him how hot his brother is, too. “Never mind.”
Talen raises one brow and turns to Dominic for an explanation. He shrugs. “She likes Spanish.”
Clearly, Talen overheard my pain medication induced confession by the way his eyes light up. I grab my pillow and throw it at him, barely hitting his feet. Throwing isn’t easy right after surgery, apparently. With a growl, I drop down onto the bed and silently curse the three of them.
“I’m sorry, Muñeca.” Dominic chuckles and leans close to me, whispering in my ear. “Though I’m not sorry you find it sexy when I speak to you in Spanish. Encuentro todo lo que tu dices muy sexy.”
My breath hitches as my eyes close slightly. Dominic whispering to me in Spanish causes my body to react in ways I can’t control. He must know it, too, because as he backs up he gives me a sultry smile. After a subtle wink directed at me, he walks over to Declan and Talen without another word. At the same moment, a nurse walks into the room. Normally I’d hate to have her in here, but I welcome the distraction. “Medication time, Miss Parker.”
“I don’t need it.” I put my hand up to stop her from touching my IV. “I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?” She asks, skeptical. “You’re due for a dose.”
“I
’m good.” I wrinkle my nose at the syringe in her hand. “I’ll call if I need it.”
“Alrighty then.” She shrugs, writing something down on my clipboard before leaving.
The room remains silent for a few long moments; although, I can tell the guys are debating mentioning my refusal of the medicine. Lochlan and Duncan enter the room not long after the nurse leaves. The two of them quickly pick up on the quiet tension.
Lochlan opens his mouth, probably to yell or growl at someone, but Talen clears his throat, grabbing everyone's attention before Lochlan can speak. “Aren’t you hurting? You just had surgery less than twenty-four hours ago. You should take the meds.”
“I don’t like pain medication,” I admit quietly. “Or any medication that could be addicting.”
“You don’t want the medication? Why not?” Lochlan wonders, watching me closely through narrowed eyes. “Have you had problems with them in the past?”
“No, nothing like that,” I say quickly, shaking my head violently. “I’ve never touched drugs, and I never will. Drugs are why I have no parents and no family.”
“What do you mean?” Duncan sits down softly on the end of my bed.
With a tired sigh, I explain my start in life and the pathetic mother who gave birth to me. “I was born addicted to drugs because of my birth mother. She didn’t bother with me. She left me in the hospital which is fine because they wouldn’t have let her take me anyway. I had seizures and withdrawals because of her, though. I never want to end up like her.”
“What a bitch,” Talen mutters. His eyes widen and his head shoots up. “Sorry, I know she was your birth mother and all that. It’s just you were an innocent little baby, and she should have known better and taken care of you.”
