“You don’t know anything about my father!” he yells.
“Yeah?” I lift my brow. “I know he did nothing but drink and abuse women. He beat the shit out of the woman he claimed he loved. He almost raped and murdered her, and you think he’s worth giving up your life for?” I pause to let him think that over. “If you do this, it’s not going to end how you picture it. You won’t be walking out of here a free man. I will kill you for hurting my daughter.”
“I don’t care if I walk out of here at all. As long as I get to watch while everything you love is ripped away from you.” He applies pressure to the knife, and Em cries out as loudly as she can. Blood drips from a tiny cut on her neck.
I can’t stand here any longer. “What do you want? You want revenge? Then kill me, the man who killed your father. I was covered in his blood. I watched as the life faded from his eyes. And I fucking celebrate the day of his death every fucking year because I know that’s one more year that bastard has been dead and another year my wife has been safe.”
He screams and pushes Em to the side causing her chair to crash to the floor as he jumps toward me with the knife drawn. He tackles me to the floor, but I quickly gain the upper hand. I pull back my right fist and land a solid hit to his jaw.
His hand comes up, and I feel the burn of the knife slicing into my bicep. I let out a deep scream and throw an elbow, hitting him in the chin with so much force his head snaps to the side. He’s dizzy and on the verge of passing out, when I push him away from me, causing the knife to go spinning across the floor away from him.
He’s lying on the floor, in a daze, when I rush to Emma who’s still tied to the overturned chair. I pull the tape from her mouth. “Are you okay, Em?” I ask, wiping away her tears with my thumbs.
“Watch out!” she screams just as I’m tackled to the floor.
Tony is on top of me, nailing me with hit after hit to my sides, kidneys, and back. I thrash against him, trying any way I can to get him off of me. There’s a pause in the punches, and I take the opportunity to roll over, but as soon as I do, there’s a blinding pain in my stomach.
It feels like time freezes. I stop. He stops. We both look at one another, and then down to my stomach where I see the knife sticking out of me. Blood is soaking my shirt at an alarming rate. It’s puddling up underneath me. My ears ring, and my vision goes blurry. The room starts darkening around the corners, and the next thing I know, I’m covered in blackness.
I get quick flashes of people moving above me. I can hear crying. It’s Emma and Lennox. They are crying and screaming for me to wake up, but I can’t. I can’t move. I can’t talk. I’m lost.
I use all my strength, willing my eyes to open. I see the dark sky and feel the heat of the night. Red and blue flashing lights fill the sky. Many people are talking, but I can’t make out what they’re saying. My heart is pounding hard, but slow — I can hear it in my ears above all else.
Suddenly, the pain radiating in my stomach is gone. I feel nothing. I don’t hear my heart beating anymore. I can’t hear anything as the darkness swallows me up.
Chapter Twenty-One
Lennox
I’m pacing in the parking lot by the truck when I hear police sirens. I turn and look in their direction to see them speeding down the highway in front of the hotel. They slow and pull into the parking lot. Faster than I would think possible, the officers jump from their cars and run into the hotel.
“Oh, God,” I cry out as I take off in a sprint.
I quickly follow them to the second floor. They’re so focused on what they’re doing, they don’t even notice me. One stands beside the door, his back to the wall with his weapon drawn as the other rears back, kicking the door in. Then both rush into the room.
I slowly start walking forward, afraid of what I may see. People start to file out into the hallway from all the noise and commotion. I come to a stop directly in front of the open door and freeze in terror.
One cop is wrestling Tony to the ground. The other is checking on Mason who’s lying on the floor covered in blood. And Emma is tied to a chair on her side. I step forward, but I’m pulled back by a police officer as more rush into the room.
“Ma’am, please step back.”
“That’s my husband and daughter!” I shout.
He pulls me to the side, so I can’t see in the room, as he turns to face the growing audience. “Please, everyone return to your rooms. Let us do our job,” he says, shooing them off.
He turns back to me when everyone has cleared the hallway. “Can you tell me what happened here?”
“Are they okay?’ I ask with tears streaming down my cheeks, my breathing picking up from fear.
“Ma’am, please, tell us what’s going on.”
I nod my head and take a deep breath. I tell him about Emma and Tony, about how Tony led us to believe he was someone else, how Mason and I tracked them down, but I don’t know what happened after he left me in the lobby.
Two EMT’s come running down the hallways with a gurney and dart inside the room.
“Please, can I check on them?” The tears are back, running down my overheated face.
“Let me see what’s going on,” he says, taking a step back to peek into the room. “Alright, come on.”
I push past him and rush up to Emma who’s just been set free. I wrap my arms around her and pull her against me.
“I’m so sorry, Mom,” she cries in my ear.
I shake my head but don’t release her. “It’s okay. We’re here. It’s all going to be okay.”
She pulls back, and I look into her tearful eyes. “But Dad.” She turns her attention to the EMT’s loading him up on the stretcher.
I place my hand on her cheek and turn her eyes back to mine. “I’m sure he’ll be fine,” I say, trying to keep calm. I know if I get upset, she’ll be more upset. I need to be strong for her right now.
There are two policemen walking Tony out of the room, and two EMT’s taking Mason down, leaving us alone in the room.
“Where are your things? We need to follow him to the hospital.”
She’s holding her torn shirt together in the middle as she grabs her bag from the floor.
“I’ll be right outside, talking to the police. I need to find out what’s going on with your dad. When you get dressed, come out. Okay?”
She nods with tears still pouring out of her eyes.
As I walk into the hallway, she steps into the bathroom to put on clothes. Just the thought of him laying a finger on my daughter has my blood pressure rising, but I don’t have time to be angry right now. I need to find out if Mason will be okay. My heart is already breaking just from thinking that I won’t ever get to hold him again.
“Excuse me. Can you tell me where they’re taking him?” I ask the police officer that’s watching the EMT’s rolling him away.
“Probably to the closest hospital for emergency surgery.”
“Emergency surgery?”
He nods. “I overheard them saying they think his spleen has ruptured from the stab wound.”
Oh my God. I rush back inside and pound on the door. “Emma, we have to go!”
She rushes out of the bathroom, fully clothed, and we chase after Mason. Everything seems to be in fast forward as we run beside him, begging him to wake up. When they load him in the back of the ambulance, we’re told where to go.
I can’t even remember driving to the hospital, my mind was completely lost to worry as I kept pace with the ambulance all the way. We haven’t gotten to talk to a doctor yet. They rush him straight to surgery.
Emma is sitting in the chair with guilt written all over her face, while I pace back and forth waiting for Dane and Alissa to get here. I feel like I’m ready to collapse with grief.
“Are you Lennox Reynolds?”
“Yes,” I say, spinning around to face a nurse.
“I wanted to let you know that your husband is in surgery now. The knife went in the upper left quadrant of the abdomen, und
er the ribs and punctured his spleen. He’s lost a significant amount of blood. But the EMT’s did a good job and got him here very quickly.”
“Will he be okay?”
“It’s hard to say at this point. We almost lost him when he went into cardiac arrest, but they used the defibrillator and got him back. Right now, it’s a matter of getting a look at how badly the spleen is damaged. The doctor may be able to repair it, or it may have to be removed completely. I’ll keep you updated as often as I can.” She rubs my arm gently before walking away.
They have to remove his spleen? I fall to the floor on my hands and knees. Emma rushes to my side, pulling me in for a hug. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I knew I shouldn’t have gone away with him.”
I hug her close. “It’s not your fault, Em,” I cry out.
“It is my fault, Mom. I never should’ve gone with him. Now, Dad is lying in a hospital bed getting surgery!” She pushes away from me and rushes out of the waiting room.
Inhaling, I take deep, calming breath. I have to go after her. I have to tell her, and make her believe, that this isn’t her fault. Tony knew what he was doing. He tricked us all. He sought us out with the intention of hurting us. She did nothing wrong.
Mason will be okay, I tell myself over and over in my head. He’s in the best place he can be right now. What I need to do is pull myself together and go after Em. She needs me.
Placing my palms flat on the floor, I push myself up just as Dane rushes into the waiting room. He grabs me by the arm and helps me to my feet.
“How’s Mason?” Worry and stress are etched on his face, causing fine lines to appear around his dark eyes.
“He’s still in surgery.” I dust off my hands and legs. “I have to go after Em. Did you see where she went?”
“Alissa has her. She’s in good hands.”
I shake my head as a heavy breath leaves my lips. Collapsing into a chair, I lean forward and hold my head in my hands. “She thinks it’s her fault. I have to make her understand that it isn’t.”
Dane takes the empty chair beside me. “Alissa will do that. You need to stay here in case the doctor comes out.”
Tears sting my eyes as I look over at him. “What are we going to do, Dane?”
He places his arm around my shoulders and pulls me to his side. “Mason will be fine, and we’ll all get through this like we always have.”
“Mrs. Reynolds?” a doctor dressed in blue scrubs says as he walks into the waiting room.
“Yes?” I stand quickly, crossing my arms over my chest and praying for the best.
“I’m Dr. Brown. I preformed your husband’s surgery.” He holds out his hand to shake.
I quickly shake his hand. “Is he okay?”
He nods. “Your husband is very lucky. If that knife would’ve went any deeper, I’m afraid we would’ve had to remove the spleen. We managed to stop the bleeding and repair the tear in the spleen. He has a few stitches, but he’s going to be okay. However, he’ll have to take it extremely easy for a while. No strenuous activity, no lifting.”
I let out a long, relieving breath. “Thank you, Doctor. When can we see him?”
He looks at his watch. “He’s in recovery now but should be in a room soon. The nurse will bring you back when he wakes.”
“Thank you so much,” I tell him, holding out my hand again.
He shakes my hand, and then Dane’s before walking back through a set of swinging doors.
Finally, I can breathe. My shoulders visibly fall with relief. Dane pulls me in for a hug.
“I told you he’d be fine.”
A small laugh escapes my lips. “I need to tell Em,” I say, pulling away and walking through the doors to find my daughter.
It’s time for Em to leave for college, and this isn’t how I pictured it. I wanted the whole family to be here, but Mason is still in the hospital. I wanted to spend this last weekend together as a family, but I haven’t left Mason’s side until now, to see Emma off.
Preston helps load everything into her Jeep while Em and I set up her navigation. We get all the info put in and step out of the Jeep. Em walks up to Preston first, ruffling his hair.
“I’ll miss you.” She leans in and gives him a hug.
“Does this mean I can have your room?”
She smiles. “Not a chance.”
She releases him and moves to stand in front of me.
“Do you have your credit card and bank card?” I ask her.
She nods. “I do.”
“Did you remember to pack your phone charger?”
Again she nods. “I’ve got everything I need, Mom.”
I take a deep breath. “Okay.” My eyes start to tear. “I’m not ready for this,” I tell her.
She pulls me in for a hug. “Everything will be okay. I’ll be home in a few months for Thanksgiving anyway.”
I inhale her scent deeply and nod. “Okay. Don’t forget to stop by the hospital and tell your father goodbye.”
She pulls away. “I won’t.” She turns and gets behind the wheel, turning over the engine. “I love you,” she says through the open window.
I hold up my hand and wave while mouthing the words, I love you too.
She shifts into gear and slowly starts moving forward, without me.
I’ve always known that the time would come when I had to let her go, but I never could’ve prepared myself for this. It’s frightening letting my baby go out into the big world by herself. All I can do is pray that I’ve taught her enough to thrive out there on her own. And if I know Emma, she has everything she needs.
Epilogue
Emma
Two Years Later…
School’s out for the summer, and it’s time to go home. Since I left for college, I haven’t been back home. I’m afraid to. When I left after what happened with Tony, I put on a brave face, so my parents wouldn’t worry about me, but I was a mess. The man I fell in love with tried to kill me. Nightmares about that night plague me. I have dreams where I’m in his arms again after we make love. Every emotion still feels real. I always wake up in tears from those dreams. I haven’t been able to really move on from Tony. Trust doesn’t come easily. Many guys have asked me out. And a few of them I actually went out with, but when it comes time to take the relationship further, I always run. I never want to fall in love again. It hurts too much.
The past two years, my mom, dad, and brother have come to visit me. They fly in for all the major holidays and a month in the summer, but this summer, I’ve been asked to come home. Preston is getting ready to leave for college, and they can’t take the time off with everything going on. I finally decided it’s time to put everything behind me, so I agreed to come home for the summer.
Thankfully, my parents sprung for my airline ticket, so I wouldn’t have to drive over eight hundred miles. Stepping off the airplane feels surreal. My smiling family rushes toward me with open arms. My brother has shot up. He’s tall and filled out with muscles. His normally shaggy hair is shaved short. He looks more and more like my dad as time goes by.
“Are you ready for the party, Sis?” he asks, picking me up and spinning me around in a circle.
“What party?” I ask when he places me on my feet.
“The cookout,” he says like that means something to me.
“We’re having a little party for Preston and Levi since they graduated and are going off to college in the fall.”
Great. This summer is going to start just like the last summer I spent here. At least I know I won’t be falling in love with any psychos this year.
When we pull into the drive, I notice Uncle Dane’s car and Aunt Sarah and Trent’s car in the drive, but there are also several I don’t recognize. Dad parks the car, and we all step out. I look up at the house that I grew up in but haven’t stepped foot in in years.
“Everyone is in the backyard,” Mom says, placing her hand on my shoulder and leading me back.
I walk into the backyard and find a larg
e group of people. Uncle Dane and Aunt Alissa are the first to greet me.
“We’re so glad you came home, Em,” Aunt Alissa says, pulling me in for a hug.
“You’ve been gone too long, kid.” Uncle Dane tugs me in his direction for a hug.
“I missed you guys too.” I smile at the both of them. It’s funny because everyone and everything looks exactly same, but so different at the same time.
Jax runs over and throws me over his shoulder, spinning me around.
I scream and laugh and slap his back until he puts me down. Immediately, he grabs me up in a hug. “It’s good seeing you again, Cuz.”
I crack a smile. “You too. How’s college going?”
He shrugs. “Alright, I guess.”
“Any special girls?” I tease. I should know better. Jax has always had special girls.
“You know it.” He grins smugly before tossing his dark, shaggy hair out of his eyes.
I put my hand on my hip. “Yeah? How many?”
He rolls his eyes like he was expecting this. “Only one.”
My brows skyrocket. “Only one?”
He nods. “Her name is Hadley.”
“Are you sick?”
He bites his lip, trying to hide his smile. “A little bit. I met her at a gig I was playing.”
“Hey, Em,” someone says behind me.
I turn, and I’m face to face with Levi. My heart freezes in my chest and my breathing stops. He’s grown so much, and he’s breathtaking. He’s grown at least a foot, towering over me now. His muscles have developed, and his jaw is sharp and prominent. His dark eyes meet mine, and my cheeks heat up under his stare.
“Hi, Levi,” I manage to get out.
Everyone must pick up on something I’m not meaning to put off, because they all wonder off in their own directions, leaving us alone.
“How’s college been going?” he asks, putting his hands in his pockets.
“Alright, I guess. What about you? Are you ready to go to college? Where are you going?” Whoa, slow down. Why am I turning into a babbling mess? This is Levi, the boy who’s had a crush on me my whole life. But he’s not a boy anymore. He’s grown into a downright sexy man. I shouldn’t be thinking this way. Breathe.
One More Chance at Forever (The Chance Series Book 5) Page 14
