by Kayce Kyle
“Thanks Big! I know where that is! Owe you one!”
Ending our phone call, I slam to a near-screeching halt as my tires skid across the pavement before I turn around simultaneously. “Fuck, Blaine!” Emmit hollers out, with his fingers firmly wrapped around the ‘bitch bar’. “You’re gonna kill us before you get her back!”
“Fucking Gwen, Em! Her car is at Gwen’s!” I roar, feeling the rattle of the growl in my throat. “That crazy bitch! Don’t you dare say a fucking word right now either about this!” I firmly warn him. He can save any need to express how right he was about Gwen for another time. Now is not it.
We turn down the dirt road that Gwen’s house is located on and turn my headlights off, only keeping my parking lights on. “What’s our plan, bro? We just gonna kick her door in and beat her ass? I mean we can’t do that. Gwen’s a twisted bitch for this shit, but she’s still a woman.”
The impulse to snap her fucking neck does cross my mind. Female or not. As we approach, immediately I notice the back of Tara’s car nearly hidden behind Gwen’s house. “Blaine! Look!” Emmit points to a red truck parked behind Gwen’s car in her driveway. “Is that…” I sharply cut him off.
“Fucking Ray! Hand me my nine-millimeter from the glovebox, Em.” He reaches in and hands it to me hesitantly.
“Blaine. You’re not really gonna kill anybody are you?”
I turn my parking lights off and pull over in between some trees, shrouded by tall brush. “Call Sheriff Hall, Em. Stay here, but I’m getting Tara back.”
“You’re not going in alone.” He grabs the shotgun hidden behind my front cab and cocks it. “Let’s go get her.”
Crouching down, we walk through the brush as we cautiously approach the house. Ray’s a sadistic fuck, so we have to be cautious. If we die, Tara’s as good as dead and I won’t let that happen. We lean our backs up against the siding of Gwen’s house, stopping occasionally as we hear noise from inside. I can hear Ray and Gwen arguing. Looking at Emmit, I place my finger over my lips, ordering him to remain silent. Pointing upward, I notion to him to listen from the window above our heads.
“What exactly do I get out of this besides playing with little miss princess in there?” I hear Ray ask. My veins constrict at the thought of him touching her at all with his grimy hands.
“What do I care? Once I convince Blaine the baby I’m carrying is his, he’ll have no choice but to be with me.” Gwen replies, and I feel my eyes narrow. That lying, scandalous bitch. She truly is crazy. I wore a rubber every damn time. One-hundred percent foolproof? No. But I know she gets around, too.
“And if he demands a paternity test? Not to mention, my genes are strong. You know this kid’s gonna come out looking just like me,” Ray’s admission clears that right up.
“Blaine’s a broke ass, small town bar owner. You really think he’s gonna waste money on a paternity test? It doesn’t matter. I’ll figure it out. Once I’m back in with him and Emmit, I’ll slowly begin to plant some of Karen’s things around his room. This isn’t gonna happen overnight, Ray. Just trust the process. I’ll have Sharla doubting Emmit in no time. That’s when you can swoop in and be her ‘knight.’ Not Emmit.” I hear Gwen giggle before it turns into a muffled sound combined with some gurgling.
“Don’t fuck me over, bitch. I’ll come and kill your ass. Pregnant or not,” I hear Ray spit out with venom.
There’s some sort of struggle inside and I’ve heard enough. “Ray’s always carrying a gun, Em. You know this. I’ll kick the door in. I’m not sure what happens after that, but once I lock eyes with him, it’s over. He’ll draw his weapon and I have to kill him before he kills me,” I whisper to my brother.
He nods. “I’m right here. I’ve got your back. Literally. This is buckshot, right?” he asks in a whisper, and I nod.
I motion forward, and we approach the front door slowly and quietly with our guns aimed and ready. I look at my brother one last time before I tip my head. Using my entire body and leg strength, I smash the front door in a single kick, nearly removing it from the hinges. My nine is aimed in front of me as I point it in the direction I heard these two sick fucks arguing. Sirens echo around us, getting closer. My eyes make immediate contact with Ray. His eyes grow large and I notice and sense the fear clouding them. He turns quickly toward the back door and runs. I race after him and watch him run on foot like the little bitch he is through the open land behind Gwen’s house. “I’ve got Gwen,” Emmit hollers out. I glance over my shoulder to see him holding her in his sight with the shotgun. Her hands are up in the air while she pleads for instant forgiveness. “Sheriff’s here and all the deputies. Go find Tara.”
“Where is she?” I ask aloud, walking through Gwen’s house frantically opening doors. “Where the fuck is she you bitch?” I roar.
“Basement, Blaine!” my brother hollers out.
The last door I open has stairs and I quickly locate the switch to turn the light on and race down the stairs while I holster my gun in the back of my jeans. “Tara! Tara!” She’s bound and gagged to a chair in the corner. Her head is hung low and she isn’t responding. I tilt her head back quickly and check for a pulse on her neck with shaky hands. “Come on, fancy pants!” That’s it! Yes! She has a strong pulse. Her hair is matted with dried blood to the side of her face. Removing the gag from her mouth, I encourage her to speak to me as I untie the rope from her wrists. Her skin and clothing is drenched from sweat. She’s not waking up and I need to get her help quickly. Scooping her into my arms, I carry her up the stairs as I shout and holler with determination for someone, anyone, to help her.
One of the deputies meets me at the top of the stairs. “Medics are on the way,” he tells me as he notices the frail state my girl’s in.
“She’s got a strong pulse, but she’s not waking up!” I continue past him, making my way outside in time for the paramedics to pull up. I run toward them with her in my arms and watch them jump out, opening the back doors of the ambulance. Climbing in with her, I carefully place her on the gurney inside and watch helplessly as they begin to speak to her and check her vitals while doing numerous things to help her. Powerless, I watch as my future is being decided before my very eyes. They order me to step away to allow them more room to work on her. From my peripheral, I catch a glimpse of Gwen being escorted in handcuffs into a police cruiser.
“How’s she doing?” Emmit approaches me from behind, placing a hand on my shoulder and I momentarily step out of the ambulance, never removing my eyes from Tara.
I feel myself begin to nervously chew on my lower lip as I watch the EMT’s try to wake Tara. “I-I…” my stifled words get lodged in my throat as I feel my eyes begin to water and I force them back down.
“We’re going now. She needs to see a trauma doctor. We’re taking her to RCMC. Sir, are you coming?” the female medic asks me.
I slyly pull my gun from the back of my jeans and pass it behind me to Emmit before I toss him my keys. “You know where we’ll be,” I tell him before I load up in the back of the ambulance with my girl. My eyes trail up her legs to her arm that has an IV now placed in it as they give her fluids. An oxygen mask covers her nose and mouth and she’s strapped firmly to the gurney, still not awake. What have these monsters done? I wanna cry. I wanna scream. I wanna beat the shit out of anything in this moment. I just wanna feel anything other than…this. Taking her hand into mine, I silently pray that wherever her subconscious is in this moment that she can feel me. Hoping she can hear my heart as it begs with every beat for her to come back to me. I glance out the back window of the ambulance and notice they caught Ray and he, too, is being escorted to a police cruiser. Lucky fucker. Whatever punishment he’s given will be far less than what he deserves.
Once we arrived, the trauma team asked me several questions most of which I had no clue of how to answer before kicking me out into the waiting area. Sheriff Hall showed up right behind us, questioning me. We decided that I would come down to the station and give my offic
ial statement after I knew Tara was gonna be okay. The near-vacant waiting area of this cold, sterile environment quickly fills with my friends and family.
“How is she?” Ma asks with tear-stained cheeks, and I wrap my arms around her.
“She’s gonna be okay, Ma,” I reply, hoping to convince someone because that hope is all I have in this moment to hang onto.
“Why aren’t they letting you back there?”
I shrug. “I’m not family? Not by their policy standards, anyway.”
“Like hell!” My ma walks over to the nurse’s desk and I follow behind her after receiving quick hugs from everyone. “Excuse me?” The young, blonde nurse looks up. “Who’s Tara Billings’ doctor?”
“Are you family?” the nurse asks, with a hint of snark in her tone.
“You’re damn right I am. I’m her ma and I demand to speak with her doctor now.” She slams her purse up on the desk.
“I’ll go check, ma’am,” the nurse says, as she stands and walks away.
“Little blonde bimbo. No offense, Sharla,” my ma says, turning around.
“None taken, Ma. My fellow blondes are giving us all a bad reputation today,” Sharla responds before the nurse comes back with a grin showcased on her face.
“Doctor Wells will be out here shortly to update you all,” she informs us.
Ma looks at me. “James Wells. I sort of figured. That’s why I asked. If not, I was gonna call him. We graduated the same year. Last time I saw him was years ago at mine and your father’s high school reunion.” She cups my face. “Tara’s in good hands, honey.”
“Margaret?” the tall grey-haired man inquires approaching my ma. “Now, we both know that’s not your daughter in there. But, she must be someone important to have you out here stirring up the nurse,” he says in a teasing manner. I feel myself growing more pissed by the second.
“Yes, she is someone important. She’s my girlfriend and I’m growing more agitated by the second not knowing what’s going on back there. So, if the two of you could catch up over coffee later, that’d be great. For now, I need to know what the hell is going on,” I say, raising my tone, alerting him to my anger and building frustration.
Everyone crowds around, casting inquisitive eyes on the doctor. “She’s dehydrated, so we’re giving her fluids. She’s just been taken to CT to have a scan done. It appears she’s had some sort of blunt trauma to her head. Her vitals otherwise are nice and stable. Now, boyfriend, do you have a name?”
“Blaine Knight. Her son.” I nod my head toward my ma. “When can I see her?”
“If you want to come back to her room now, she shouldn’t be too much longer. Now, it will take a few minutes until we have the results from her scans, but I’ve put an obvious rush on it,” he answers me, and I waste no time making my way to those double doors standing in my way.
“Let’s go, doc. I wanna be there if she’s awake. Or at least when she wakes.”
He turns to face me, but briefly turns back to my ma. “Can’t blame a man in love.”
Love? Impossible. Sure, she means a lot to me, but we barely know one another. Am I acting like a man in love? Do other’s see something that I don’t? Fuck. Am I in love? No, it’s too early to declare this as love. Right?
Chapter Nine
BLAINE
Doctor Wells escorts me to Tara’s room and I race through the door in hopes that her beautiful face will be on the other side to greet me. It’s not. There’s a large empty spot in the middle of the room where her bed must go. It’s quite dark in here aside from the few machines that I have no clue what they are or used for.
“Your ma’s a friend of mine,” Doctor Wells tells me.
Letting out a heavy sigh, I reply, “So I hear. High school. Look.” I rub my hands down my face. “Can we just cut the shit, please? I’m asking nicely. Forget all the medical terminology. Explain this to me in layman’s terms, huh?”
“Well, Blaine, her vitals are all normal and stable. She’s breathing entirely on her own. Her labs, or bloodwork, all look normal. I can’t say with certainty until we have the CT scan results back. I’ve been doing this a lot of years and the last thing I want to do is give a loved one false hope. But, off the record, it’s my opinion that she probably has a concussion due to the blow to her head. Which did require several stitches, but nothing drastic. Combine that with her being dehydrated, and that’s exactly what this looks like it could be. Meaning, I think she will regain consciousness once her body is hydrated and rested…off the record,” he emphasizes. “Again, I should know more soon.”
“Will she suffer from memory loss?”
“Far too early to tell. But I don’t think so. Off the record again, of course,” he answers.
Folding my arms across my chest, I nervously chew on my bottom lip as I nod. It feels as though my heart leaps into my throat with optimism, though. Of course, there’s always that chance, like he just said. Refusing to let the negative thoughts invade and take up residence in my head, I replace them with faith. Pure, and completely full of hope. It’s all I have, and she’s got to be okay, so I can apologize for the rest of my living days for lashing out on her and leaving her alone.
Two nurses appear with Tara, still unconscious in that bed. Looking at her in this condition wrecks my soul. I race to be at her side and take her tiny, fragile hand in mine. “Hey, fancy pants. I’m here.” I bring her hand to my lips and press them firmly against her soft skin, closing my eyes. “I don’t know if you can hear me right now or not, but it’s time to wake up, okay? They say it’s probably a mild concussion. You’re safe now. I’m never leaving your side again. I just need you to give me one more chance to prove that. This…this thing between us…I’m not sure yet what it is exactly, but I can tell that I’ve never in my life felt this way about anyone else. Ever. Sounds fucking corny, I know. We’ve known each other only a few days, but I can’t quit you. I won’t, Tara. Please?” I squeeze her hand a little firmer. “I need for you to open those gorgeous eyes that engulf me, leaving me paralyzed and at their mercy.”
“W-who are you?” Tara’s stammers out in a raspy, dry voice. “Do I know you?”
My eyes shoot wide open and find hers. Relief washes over me as I exhale, but her words gut me. It’s as if someone has reached inside my chest and completely ripped my heart out and I physically feel my body as it slumps over in the chair. “Tara it’s me, Blaine.” I swallow hard, praying she remembers me. Us. Anything about us and these past few days.
Doctor Wells walks back in. “Oh, our lovely patient is now awake. I’m Doctor Wells and I need to check your pupils.” He takes a miniature flashlight and shines it in each of her eyes. “Perfect. Do you know your name?”
“Of course. I’m Tara Billings,” she answers, proudly.
“Tara, do you know where you are?” he asks her, and I snap my eyes from him back to her, desperate for each answer to jog her memory.
“Judging by the fact that you’re a doctor and I’m hooked up to a ton of equipment with an IV in my arm…my guess is a hospital,” she replies before a grin curls up on her lips. “My head.” She reaches for it as she winces out. “Damn it hurts.” She shifts her gaze to me. Her eyes harbor a hint of something mischievous. “That bitch named Gwen hit me over the back of the head with a heavy ass flashlight. And don’t even get me started with that nasty waste of human space named Ray. Blaine Michael Knight, I hope you took care of him. Leaving me all alone in your truck with nothing but darkness.”
“Yes, you’ve got a mild concussion all things considered. A few stitches. But they’re on the scalp. Should heal up nicely and nobody will ever be the wiser,” Doctor Wells informs her.
She remembers me. She remembers us. My heartrate picks up in pace as I feel an enormous smile cross my face. “So, you were just faking? You remembered me the entire time?”
“Yes.” She grins before she giggles that harmonious tune I prayed to hear once more. “Listen, buddy. You got played for all of one minute. I
was knocked out and kidnapped. Hell, I’ve got a concussion and stitches to top it off. I’d say in comparison, you got off easy. Plus, how could I stop you? You were all but promising yourself to me forever.”
I grin before a chuckle breaks free and I lean up, kissing her forehead. “I have no idea what you speak of. Must be the concussion.” She bats at my arm but winces out in pain. “Easy there, fancy pants. I take it back. I just need you to rest. And for the record, I meant everything I said. And absolutely none of what I said earlier before all hell broke loose.”
Her eyes blink slowly, as she begins to fall back asleep. I wanna beg her to stay with me longer, but I know her body is exhausted and needs rest. “I know. If that’s your apology, I forgive you,” she finishes before she closes her eyes one final time.
Gently and carefully, I push a strand of hair away from her face. “Rest. Just remember to come back to me.”
TARA
My eyes invite a throbbing that rivals the worst hangover I’ve ever had. Yep, I’m still in the hospital. This wasn’t a terrible nightmare, but the silver lining is that everything that Blaine said while he thought I was still unconscious was real. As I try to focus my hazy vision, I feel Blaine’s hand on top of mine. He’s asleep in a chair, but his head lays on the side of the bed next to me. This man. My heart. How is this possible? I’ve never simply looked at someone and felt my entire body explode inside with such a warmth. This is what fairytales and movies are made of, not real life. It seems impossible that I could love or be in love with him after such a short period of time. We still know next to nothing about one another. Yet, I can’t deny that this feels different than anything I ever felt for Preston. This goes much deeper. Is this what it really feels like to love someone? I knew I cared deeply for Blaine but looking at him vigil at my bedside stirs up something deep within me that I’ve never felt before. He looks so peaceful right now it would just be downright sinful to wake him. I know I’m the one in the hospital bed, but this looks like it’s taken far worse of a toll on him than me.
