by Brook Wilder
I snorted. “I didn’t ask to be treated.”
“Tough shit,” Noah shot back. He pressed his good hand to my shoulder and eased my back. “Don’t worry about Amber. Liz is with her now. She’ll keep us updated. Amber’s going to be okay.”
I had thought I had been helpless when Fernandez had been beating me. That was nothing compared to now. I couldn’t be there for Amber. And that made me feel awful.
For the third time in as many minutes, I found myself crying again.
Chapter Forty Four
Diesel
Mason was right. Cassie and Noah were right. I was in no fit state to see to Amber. In any case, she had been wheeled into surgery, so not even Liz could be at her side. She was pacing around in the waiting room, and the wait could be a while. I could do nothing at this point, even if I had been able to stand up on my own two feet.
I didn’t like it, but I would have to stay where I was. I didn’t fancy getting sedated again, so I had to bite the bullet and stay in the bed. Throughout the night, Cassie, Mason and Noah switched places sitting with me. We didn’t say anything—I wasn’t in a talkative mood—but their presence was something of a comfort.
I may not have wanted to talk, but I didn’t want to be left alone. The television was left on, blaring out nonsense that made me want to chuck it out the window. But it was better than nothing.
I wanted to stay awake and wait for news on Amber. Not knowing what was going on was frightening. I hadn’t been in this position before, and it wasn’t nice. But the pounding pain in my head was just too damn much, and I found myself closing my eyes. Just for a moment, so I didn’t feel as though my head was about to split apart. The doctor had confirmed that I had a pretty bad concussion, and everything felt like being underwater.
When I opened my eyes, sunlight was coming through the partially open blinds. Mason was sitting on the cot bed laid out against the wall, checking his cell phone. He looked like he hadn’t slept. I knew how he felt. I had clearly been unconscious for hours, and even now, I felt like a man with a foot in the grave.
Mason looked up when he realized I was watching him. He put his cell phone aside and stood, approaching the bed. “How are you feeling now?”
“Like shit.” My mouth was dry. “Everything is burning.”
Mason went to the tray at the foot of the bed, poured out a glass of water, and handed it to me. “Drink this.”
I chugged the whole thing down. It was very cold and very refreshing. I gasped as the cold shocked my system.
“Better?”
“A little.”
“I’m not surprised you’re feeling like shit.” Mason put the glass back on the tray. “Fernandez and his men did a number on you.”
“They were enjoying themselves.” I could still hear the laughter in my mind. Ricardo and Miguel had been treating it as a bit of fun, and Fernandez… Well, he was sadistic, and this was how he got his rocks off. I thought I could take it, but…”
I rubbed a hand over my face, careful of the IV line. “I found that I couldn’t. I was close to giving in and letting them win when we heard you come charging in.”
Mason grinned. “You can thank Amber and Kayla for that.”
“Kayla?”
“She called me and told me what was happening. Amber had given her my number. And Amber…” Mason spread his hands. “Well, I saw what happened to Fernandez. One of his men had witnessed what she did to him before you bashed him into oblivion. You’ve got a gutsy girl there. And a resourceful one.”
That made my chest swell with pride. It made me feel good that my girl could hold her own.
My girl. That had a nice ring to it.
“She’s stronger than she makes herself out to be.”
“That she is.” Mason sat on the edge of the bed, his smile fading. “Kayla also told me what Amber did. Khloe lied to her, and Amber made a mistake. You need to forgive her for that.”
“I already have.” I had made my peace with her, once I had realized that Fernandez had been instrumental in it all. “She’s pregnant, Mason. It’s not easy to be in the right frame of mind. Anything that isn’t bullets whizzing past your head is enticing.”
Mason winced.
“You’d better not let any pregnant women hear you say that. Cassie would throttle you for that comment.”
“Let my throat get better before she does that.”
I knew better. I wasn’t that stupid. Cassie and Liz would certainly go for me, if Amber didn’t already get me first.
I didn’t want to contemplate Amber not surviving. She was strong. If she could handle being kidnapped and beaten up, Amber could survive being shot. I couldn’t wait to hear if she had pulled through, but Amber, as far as I was aware, was still in surgery.
That was far too long for her injuries, surely?
“Where…” I swallowed. “Where does this leave us now?”
“Well, Fernandez is dead. We allowed the remains of the Cartel to take his body away, and his second-in-command Antonio said they were no match for us. We seriously depleted their ranks in that raid.” Mason grinned. “They pulled out, Antonio promising they would leave Eden as soon as they could.”
“Really?” I sat up. “I didn’t think they would ever go.”
“According to Antonio, most of them wanted to leave. They knew things were too much. But Fernandez made everyone stay. He was ambitious like that. And Antonio said they believed anything Fernandez said, including that they could take Eden for themselves. The problem was that Fernandez also believed he was invincible, and that sucked the life right out of the Cartel once you killed him.”
Music to my fucking ears. No more looking over my shoulder, wondering if I was going to be ambushed. No more fights, as far as I was concerned. The Cartel would vanish.
“And the Russians?”
“Torchev isn’t interested in us. He was only involved because he was getting something he wanted out of the deal. And he’s a sadistic fucker who loves a fight, but at least he knows when he’s fighting a losing battle.” Mason’s eyes were shining with delight. “Now the Cartel’s gone, he’s taken his business back to Las Vegas and Carson City. We’ve got Eden back.”
Before, this would have had me delighted. And there was delight, but not as much as I would have expected. It was as if it had been sucked out of me. “Great.”
“You don’t sound as excited as before.”
“How can I be, Mason?” Mason thumped the pillow behind him. “I’m stuck in this bed, I can’t walk… And I don’t know how Amber’s doing.”
“Liz has been texting everyone about her progress. Amber is still in surgery, and they’re focusing on the baby. She’ll let us know as soon as she hears anything.”
“I hope so.” I felt my chest tightening again. I didn’t intend to burst into tears again. That wouldn’t do. “I want to see her. I won’t believe Amber’s okay until I see her.”
Mason gave me a sympathetic look, resting a hand on my shoulder. “I know. But you’re going to have to be patient. Now, try and rest. I’ll let you know when I hear anything.”
I didn’t want to sleep, but there was nothing more I could do. Talking hurt, and the television was showing something I couldn’t stand watching. So, I did as I was told and closed my eyes.
I had no idea how long I had been asleep, but I was aware of being shaken awake. The jerking made my head hurt. I swatted at the hands on my shoulders. “Fuck off!”
“Then open your eyes, you fucker.”
I rubbed my eyes before I opened them. Mason was standing over me, wearing a big smile. “What?”
“Liz just texted me.” Mason held up his phone. “Amber’s out of surgery and is in recovery right now. The bullet went through her back and out her chest. It nicked the heart but missed the lung. The doctors say she’ll make a full recovery, providing she stays on bed rest.”
That was like music to my ears. The tension I hadn’t realized was on my shoulders disappeared. But not
all of it. “And the baby?”
“The maternity ward is monitoring her around the clock, but everything is looking good. The baby’s fine.”
The rest of the tension left, I slumped against the pillows, and started shaking. “Thank God. Can I…?”
“Can you see her?” Mason chuckled. “The nurses will have a fit if you try to leave.”
“That’s my baby and my girl. I want to see them.” I grabbed Mason’s shoulder. “Please.”
“I never thought I’d see you pleading for anything.”
I grunted. “There’s a first time for everything.”
Chapter Forty Five
Sam
When Sam had agreed to help out the GRMC, he hadn’t expected to come across what he had. Going around the back of the brothel, he had found Kayla and another woman sprawled at the bottom of the stairs. The other woman hadn’t been moving, but Kayla had been. Only barely.
That had frightened Sam more than he would have expected. In those few hours he had been in Kayla’s company, he had seen past the face she put on for everyone else and saw someone softer, sweeter. Too gentle for this harsh life she had gotten herself into. He found himself struggling to walk away when he had brought her back.
Now, after having held her in his arms as he ran back to the street, Sam hadn’t been prepared to walk away anymore. Kayla was alone. She needed someone, and Sam wanted her to need him.
It had been a foolish thought, but Sam couldn’t help himself.
He had managed to get her into a passing ambulance in the next street. They had promised to take her to the hospital but wouldn’t let him come along. Maybe it had been because of the weapons Sam had on his body. Sam hadn’t been about to argue; he was needed.
Once the fight at the brothel had been wrapped up, with Diesel being carried out along with the girl he had refused to let anyone near when Sam first met them, Sam made his excuses and left as soon as he could. Kayla would have been at the hospital for over an hour. Maybe she had come around, and she would be scared. He wanted to be there.
What was it about this girl that had him all turned inside-out? No other woman had done this to him. Not since Roberta. But Sam wasn’t about to think about the bitch right now.
He parked haphazardly at the hospital and hurried into the ER. The waiting room wasn’t as busy as he had expected, but Sam was sure that would change once the GRMC and other gang members came traipsing in. A fair-haired nurse in her twenties was behind the desk, along with a buxom woman with black hair in black scrubs. They both turned to Sam as he approached the desk.
“Yes, sir?”
This was from the black-haired woman. Sam gave them a smile as he leant on the desk.
“Hey. I’m looking for Kayla? She came in about an hour ago. Fell down the stairs.”
“Are you her family?”
“No, I’m the one who got her into the ambulance.” Sam could see both women now looking dubious. “Please, I need to know.”
The nurse and the receptionist looked at each other. Then the nurse spoke.
“She’s got pneumonia. And those injuries she incurred aren’t helping. We’ve put her on an IV to hydrate her. She’ll be moved up to a ward shortly.”
Pneumonia? Sam hadn’t realized Kayla was that ill. He thought all she had suffered from was a fall down the stairs. Although the injuries to her face didn’t look like those from being bashed on concrete steps…
Some bastard had been beating her up. Sam’s stomach churned at the thought. He swallowed.
“Is… Is she going to be okay?”
“With time and proper medical treatment, yes.” The nurse narrowed her eyes at him. “Do you have any idea where she got those facial wounds from? They were at least a day old.”
“She’s one of the prostitutes at the local brothel.” Sam inwardly winced. “One of her clients must have got a bit too rough.”
The receptionist gasped and made a sign of the cross on her chest. The nurse’s eyes widened.
“Jesus,” she murmured. “She’s lucky she got out of there at all.”
“You don’t need to say that twice,” Sam grunted. “Listen, any bills Kayla gets, let me know. I’ll pay them.”
“You sure, sir?”
“Absolutely.”
The nurse nodded. Then she beckoned Sam to follow her. They went into the corridor, and soon it opened up into the ER, with lots of cubicles lining the room. Almost all of them were full, with doctors and nurses hurrying around at the desks in the center. Sam had to sidestep a bed that was being wheeled out by two porters.
Kayla was in the cubicle in the corner. She was propped up, an IV in her hand, and she was wearing a nasal cannula. She looked shrunken, almost a faint shadow of her former self. Sam couldn’t believe this was the same person. The injuries to her face looked worse under the harsh lights than in the shadows of the alley.
The nurse left him alone, drawing the curtains behind him. Sam approached the bed. He wanted to touch her hand, stroke her hair, but he was scared of hurting her. Her breathing was rattling. It sounded like it hurt to breathe.
“Kayla?”
Kayla opened her eyes. She looked up at him, giving him a smile as relief filled her face.
“Sam. I was beginning to think something had happened to you.”
She had woken up briefly as Sam had been carrying her away. She had recognized him, begging him not to leave her. Then she had passed out again as Sam had put her in the ambulance. Sam grabbed a stool and drew it close, taking a seat.
“I had to do a bit of cleaning up… The usual.”
“I know.” Kayla licked her chapped lips. “Are the girls okay?”
“They’re fine, within reason. None of them was hurt in the raid.”
“What… What about Amber?”
Sam remembered the girl who had come out with Diesel. She had been covered in blood, barely responsive to the paramedics.
“She… She’s here right now. I don’t know the extent of her injuries.”
That was half-truth. Sam would be surprised if Amber survived at all. That would be nothing short of a miracle.
Then Sam saw Kayla looking away from him, looking anywhere around the cubicle but at him. She was shrinking back from him, looking like a little girl who had been caught pinching apples.
“Kayla?”
“I… I can’t.”
Sam sat forward, touching her arm. Her skin was hot.
“Come on, Kayla. What’s wrong?”
A tear escaped Kayla’s eye and trickled down her cheek over her bruises. Kayla sniffled.
“I’m feeling ashamed now. Normally, I don’t really care about what I do for a living. But now… I just feel ashamed.”
Sam wanted to hug her. But she looked like she was about to snap in half. He settled for slipping his hand into hers, running his thumb across her knuckles.
“You have nothing to be ashamed of,” he said gently. “I know how tough it can be, trying to survive. You did what you could to keep going. Fate just dealt you a bad hand.”
Kayla glanced at him. She didn’t look as though she believed him.
“Hopefully, I can find the trump card soon and not a joker,” she mumbled.
Sam grinned. As far as he was concerned, Kayla had certainly found the trump card. He knew he had.
Kayla started coughing again. It sounded awful. Sam sat her forward as Kayla’s coughing continued, rubbing her back. When the coughing subsided, he eased her back onto the pillows, adjusting them around her.
“Thank you.” Kayla drew a raspy breath. “They’re going to move me up to a ward shortly. Monitor me until my pneumonia’s gone and my bruises have gone down. I just hope I don’t have to stay long.”
“Is there something wrong with the care you’re getting?”
“Nothing at all. Everyone’s been very kind, and I’m sure they know what I am.” Kayla bit her lip. “My bill, though, is going to be too big for me. I won’t be able to afford it.”
&nb
sp; “You worry about getting better. Let me deal with everything else.”
“What?” Kayla stared at him. “I can’t ask you to pay my bills!”
Sam held up a hand to stop her protests.
“Let me do it. Focus on you, not on money. Okay? Can you do that for me?”
Kayla looked like she wanted to argue. But she settled back with a scowl. Clearly, she wasn’t happy. Sam knew she would come around to it soon. He wasn’t going to be backed away from this. One less thing for Kayla to worry about.
