Shifting Life (Skull Shifters MC Book 1)

by Tricia Wagner

  I laid there for who knows how long just holding Brantley. Could I live without this man? Even with everything that has happened I don’t blame him for how everything went down. He saved me. That I’m sure of. He had to be the one that got me out of there. Would he be able to look at me without thinking about what happened to me? I sit here a while longer and realize the nurse was right about one thing. As the day went on, I was able to peek out of my eyelids. Everything was brighter than I expected it to be, but I saw when a nurse came into the room and lifted my finger to my mouth to make sure she knew to be quiet. “Melanie, Its Jennifer. I really should ask him to get down from there.” I look to Brant, “I know, but he hasn’t slept in days. That’s on me. Please? He isn’t hurting me I promise.” This was all whispered and I could see the nurse giving me a smile. “That man loves you.” “WHAT?” That was louder than it was supposed to be. “I mean what?” Luckily Brantley didn’t stir. “He does. You should have seen him every time someone tried to tell him to go home and they would stay with you. I mean his boys have been camping out in the waiting room off and on for the past five days, but he literally has left your side three times, and that was forced. Someone finally told him you wouldn’t want to smell his stank if you were to wake up so they made him shower.” Wow. Is it possible he really did fall in love with me the way I fell in love with him? “Wow.” This was breathed more than it was said. “Yeah girl. Now the doctor is going to be in any second to check your eyes. I see you have them slightly open. How do they feel?” I explain, “They hurt, but it’s manageable. I think I’m straining though, because I am getting a headache. After the Dr. leaves can we dim the lights or something?” She smiles again, “Sure thing dear.” I hear a voice say, “Hi, Melanie?” I swing my head to the door, “Yes?” “I am Dr. Ferguson. I’m glad to see you awake and I see your eyes are slightly open.” I nod, “Yes, I was just telling Jennifer that I was getting a headache just because I think I am straining my eyes.” He gets closer, “Sure, we will check out your eyes, dim the lights for you, and then get you some pain medication. I need to ask the man on you though to move, so I can check your eyes.” I sigh lightly thinking of my ribs, and slide my fingers down his face to wake him easily. “Brant, honey. The doctor needs to check my eyes. They want you to get down.” He’s instantly alert, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep. Hey, I was supposed to be holding you.” I smile at him and I think he couldn’t help but smile back. “Oh Sweet Lord is it good to see you smile.” I forgot anyone else was here until I heard, “Ok Romeo. Off the bed.” I give a look to the doctor because really? Does he know who he is talking to? “I’m moving I’m moving.” He must have moved a little too quickly because I wince at the pain and he stops moving. “Baby, I’m sorry. Are you ok? I told you this was a bad idea.” I sort of roll my eyes at him, “It’s fine I’m just not used to not being able to breathe, or move, or sigh.” He shakes his head as he moves the rest of the way out of my bed.

  I move back to the middle of the bed and the doctor moves in to look at my eyes. “This is probably going to hurt a little, but I need to open your eyes the whole way.” I nod my head and prepare for the pain. He starts with the left and I didn’t expect it to hurt as bad as it did. I let out a little squeal and I think I hear Brant growling beside me. “Brant, honey?” He grinds out, “Yeah.” I needed him to not be here for this. “Can you go get me some ice chips please? My throat is still not that great.” He looks around the room and nods his head as he gets up and heads out the door. “Sorry, I just figured it will be easier for you to do your job without my guard dog.” Both the nurse and the doctor laugh at me as he moves onto the next eye. That one hurts more than the other but I’m prepared for the pain this time. “Good, well it looks like I was right in assuming your eyesight will be fine.” While Brant was gone I needed to know, “Can I ask a question? Did they say what happened to the man who was holding me captive?” Both the doctor and the nurse share a look and I’m unable to read what it means. “I don’t think I’m ready to talk about everything that happened to me yet. I just want to know that I really am safe.” “He won’t touch you.” This came from Brantley. My head swings to the door. “Brant, honey. Ice chips?” He walks up to the bed, “I have them, but I assume you don’t really need them. You know you can ask me about all of this.” I need him to understand, “I know, but I didn’t want you to overreact. Please just come sit down. He is just finishing up the exam and then we can talk.” He nods and comes back to sit by my side. The doctor finishes quickly and both he and the nurse head out. “Brant, what happened with Jack? How did you find me? Was it you who came to get me?” He gets close taking my hand, “You ready for this babe? Because I gotta few questions myself.” I nod slowly. “Ok. Well, first Jack is gone. You don’t need to worry about him anymore. Second, I found you through your assistant. Third, of course it was me to come and get you. I was in on the operation.” I needed more than that, “Ok. So, when you say gone…you mean, gone as in dead or gone as in he’s going to show up someday and remind me of all of this?” He kisses my hand, “Gone, as in you don’t need to know the details. I don’t need you to be an accomplice to anything.” Great. “Ok. And Veronica and Justin?” His face gets tight, “Veronica is in prison. And Justin?” My whole body instantly starts to shake. He didn’t know about Justin. “Justin A.K.A. Timothy Benedict?” He looks baffled, “Jesus, was he there?” I start shaking more and grab onto his arm scratching at it trying like hell just to crawl into his skin. Justin is still out there somewhere. “H-h-he helped b-b-beat me. And he tried to r-r-rape me.” To that I heard a feral sound come out of Brant’s throat. “Baby, look at me. We will fix this. I didn’t know he was there. I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I have to make a call. Hang tight.” I grab onto his arm as best I can, “Please, stay. Make the call here. I don’t want you to leave me.” He nods and pulls out his phone. “Jason, find Justin Branson.” He paused and then, “Yeah, he was in on it with Jack. Right. Thanks.” He holds me until I calm down and asks, “Ok. Anymore questions?” I finally get out, “Yes, operation?” He chuckles lightly. “I told you a lot of us are ex-military. I called in a few markers and set the operation in play.” I nod. That’s probably all I’m going to get. “Ok, last one. Going forward are you going to be able to look at me without thinking about this? Also, could you please stop blaming yourself?” He runs a finger over my cheek, “Babe, I will be able to look at you and still see the most beautiful woman I ever had the pleasure of knowing. I don’t know if I can stop blaming myself, but I will try. For you. Now can I ask you some questions?” I nod slowly again because I don’t know if I can relive all of this. “Did he touch you?” Jumping right to the hard stuff I see, “You mean as in…” He interrupts, “Yes.” I lightly sigh, “It wasn’t as bad as what it will sound.” I feel the whole room fill with tension as he waited for me to continue. “He and Justin took turns beating me. Jack touched me inappropriately with his hands and fingers, but never went the whole way with it. Justin tried, but he stopped him. Said he doesn’t share. I only saw Veronica once when I was there. She brought me a change of clothes and escorted me in and out of my room.” When I look at Brant he looks far away as he says, “I had his throat in my hands. I was crushin his windpipe. I heard you whimper and I had to get to you. I stood down or that motherfucker would be dead.” Retreat! “I think I’m done talking now.” He nods as he can see in my eyes that the pain killers are kicking in. “I think I’m going to fall asleep. Please get some rest honey?” He nods, “I will. I have some calls to make. I need to make sure Justin is brought in. We had no idea…” His voice trails off and he shakes his head. “It’s ok. I love you.” I didn’t get to hear if he said anything back because sleep took me over.

  I wake up a couple hours later and Brantley is still dutifully by my side with his head down on his hands. I slide my fingers on his hand and his head snaps up. “Hey beautiful.” My eyes are more open than they were earlier and I’m able to take more of him in. E
ven with everything he has gone through the last almost two weeks he still looks amazing. “Hi honey. You didn’t sleep anymore did you?” He shakes his head, “No, had to take care of a few things.” Ugh. I was so uncomfortable, “When can you take me home?” He kisses my fingers, “When the doctor comes back in to check on you we will know more.” I nod slightly. “I’ll call for the doctor if you just give me one minute.” Ugh. “Wait before you do that, what do my lips look like?” He gets close, “They’re a little cracked and a little swollen baby. Do they hurt?” Hmmm. “No, I just wasn’t sure if they were kiss worthy. I could really use a kiss.” He gives me his “I wet all panties” smile and says, “Of course they are. I would never turn that down baby.” He leans down and gives me a soft long non probing kiss. I sigh with content, but wince at the pain in my ribs. “Baby, you have to take it easy ok. Let me go get the doctor.” I nod again as he walks out of the room. Dr. Ferguson comes back into the room and greets me with a smile. “It’s good to see those pretty eyes peeking out at us Ms. Doran.” I smile slightly, “It’s good to be able to have them peek out Dr. Ferguson. Any thoughts on when I can go home? I promise to take it easy.” He looks at me hard for two seconds and then shoots a look to Brantley. What was that about? “Ms. Doran, do you know how to take it easy?” Oh, so that’s what this is about. “I’ll learn. I promise to be a good patient. I will only work from home. I wouldn’t want any of my clients to see me like this anyways.” He nods slightly, but still looks to Brantley for guidance. “Do you live alone Ms. Doran?” Uh oh. “Yes.” He nods, “Then how about we take our time at getting you out of here. I don’t want you to get dizzy and fall or not be able to see completely and have something happen to you.” Brantley chimes in with, “She will be staying with me. That won’t be a problem.” My head snaps to look at him. We didn’t discuss this at all. “I am?” The doctor cuts in with, “Excellent. In that case I think we could probably get you out of here in a couple of hours.” Hold on a minute. “Wait, wait, wait, did he put you up to this?” The doctor looks to me, “What do you mean?” I point at Brantley, “Did he tell you to tell me that I couldn’t go home alone, but I could leave here if I went home with him?” Brantley says, “Melanie.” I look to him, “Brantley. I can take care of myself.” He nods, “Yes, but it’s ok to need help.” Well, that’s true. I just don’t know how I feel about being forced to move in with him. “How long is recovery?” The doctor gets serious, “With your face it will heal in time. A couple weeks maybe. With your ribs that may take a little longer, but you will get stronger every day. Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do with broken ribs so we will just wrap them.” I nod again and look to Brantley. “You really want me as a roommate for however long this could take? I can call Kris, or Soph, either one would be more than willing to let me stay with them.” Brantley gets close, “Baby, I haven’t had you in my bed for almost two weeks. You aren’t stayin anywhere else. That reminds me, doc? How long til she will be physically able to…” I whip my eyes to the doctor, “That will all depend on her ribs. Don’t rush her with that. We will have a couple follow up appointments with her eyes and we can follow the progress on her ribs then too.” This is so embarrassing, “I wasn’t worried about rushin her I’m more worried about her rushin me.” I glare at him, “Are ya’ll done talkin about me like I’m not sitting right here?” They both chuckle and the doctor says he will start my discharge paperwork.

  It doesn’t take long before they are forcing me into a wheel chair to be rolled out of the hospital. All I want to do is shower. That’s all I can think about right now. Brantley wouldn’t let me look in any mirrors which mortifies me. He said any impending breakdown I had was going to be had in the comfort of our home. Don’t think I didn’t miss him calling it “our” home. Is he insane? I said temporarily and he said “we’ll see.” You’re damn right we’ll see. “Do I need to be in this stupid thing? I look ridiculous.” Brantley chuckles, “Yes, you have to be in it. It’s policy. And you look adorable.” I shake my head because I know he’s just being nice. By the looks I’m getting in the hallway I look like someone’s worst nightmare. I do my best to hide my face as Brantley gives my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Your friends are all dying to see you, babe. They’ve been in and out while you were sleeping, and once you woke I told them to wait until we got you home. I figure you can get your shower and people will probably start stopping over. You’re lucky I delayed them off this long.” I had thought of that, “I was going to ask that. I’m shocked that Kris took that for an answer.” I hear him as he pushes me say, “It took quite a bit to convince her to not come once you’d woken up. I knew you’d be going back to sleep soon so it would be pointless. Plus, I was kinda hoping they would let you come home.” Well here goes that conversation, “You’ve said that twice now.” It was more under my breath I don’t even know if he heard it. “What was that?” Retreat! “Nothing.” He wheels me out the rest of the way and I see my car sitting there. “You didn’t bring your truck?” He points out the obvious, “Babe, it’d probably be a little hard for you to get up in my truck.” This is true. I nod as he opens my door. I go to stand up when he starts talking “Hold on Melanie. God, just let me take care of you. Don’t move.” Seriously? “I’m not an invalid.” He sounds pissed when he says, “Yes, I know, but I’m here to help so let me.” Whatever. “Ok. Geeze.” I sit there and wait for him to help me stand up and I start to walk toward the car. Very gingerly I get one leg in and scoot the rest of my body into the car. “All in?” I give him a nod and he shuts my door, makes his way to the driver’s side of the car, and gets in.