by J. L. Perry
It also made me happy to know Brooke had found Logan because he was a great man. I loved that kid like he was my own. Even though we weren’t blood related, it didn’t matter to me. Michelle and Logan were just babies when I married their aunt, and I was proud of the people they had grown into. Thankfully, they had their mother’s sweetness, and were nothing like my arrogant brother-in-law.
After finally finding my daughter again, I knew I couldn’t just stand here and do nothing. I needed to try and save Brooke because I couldn’t bear it if something happened to her. I failed her as a father twenty-six years ago, and it was time I made that up to her. Even though I hadn’t known if Maree even decided to go through with the pregnancy all those years ago, I still carried a deep love for my child. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for her. It was time to make things right!
Logan
As Jake and I stood there staring each other down, I noticed movement out the corner of my eye. My uncle. He launched his body towards Jake, and the gun went off. My uncle fell to the floor with a thud.
I pulled the gun out of the back of my pants, but before I got a chance to use it, Jake raised his gun to the side of his head and pulled the trigger. In shock, I stood there as Mike bent down and grabbed Jake’s gun. I suppose he grabbed the gun out of habit because there was no way Jake was getting back up. There was a gaping hole in the side of his head.
Mike quickly moved over to my uncle, who was now lying in a pool of blood. “He is still alive,” he said, pulling out his phone to call an ambulance.
I ran over to Brooke and scooped her off the ground, placing her on the bed. I untied her hands and kissed both her wrists. They were red and swollen, but she was still alive.
I softly brushed my lips against hers, and I could feel the warm tears running down my cheeks. She had a large gash on the side of her head, and the blood was running down her face, getting in her hair. My heart was breaking to see her hurt like this. I put my hand on the side of her head to try and stop the bleeding. She had lost a lot of blood, but she was alive. My baby was alive!
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Brooke
My brain felt like it was about explode. I had never experienced a headache this bad before. I needed to open my eyes because I could hear somebody calling my name, but the pain was stopping me from doing that.
“Brooke, baby, wake up,” I heard someone say in the distance. My head was thumping, but I forced myself to open my eyes. Logan’s beautiful face was looking down at me. He had tears running down his cheeks. I tried to remember where I was and what had happened, but I couldn’t. Logan gave me a huge smile, even though the tears were still falling down his face.
“Oh, thank god, baby,” he said as he put his head on my chest and started to sob.
I tried to sit up, but Logan wouldn’t let me. He lifted his head up from my chest and kissed me softly. “Don’t move, baby,” he said. “There is an ambulance on the way. Just lie there until it gets here.”
“What happened?” I asked. “Where am I?”
“Everything is okay,” he assured me, stroking the side on my face. “Jake brought you here, but I’ve got you now and you’re safe.”
I tried to sit up again, but he held me down. “Don’t, baby. Please,” he said. “Just lie there.”
“I want to sit up,” I said.
“You can’t, Brooke. You’re bleeding,” was all he said, but I knew there was more to it.
Logan
She was so stubborn and kept trying to sit up. The last thing she needed to see was her father shot and bleeding on the floor, and her ex-husband’s brains splattered all over the wall. I didn’t know how I was going to get those images out of my own mind. She had already been through enough today, and I certainly didn’t want her to see what I had just seen.
I wanted to ask Mike how my uncle was doing, but the paramedics and police had just come into the room. They asked me to move out of the way, but I didn’t want to leave her. Brooke smiled at me and said she was fine, so I reluctantly moved to the other side of the room. The police officer told me to step outside, but I told him that I wasn’t going anywhere.
The other paramedics were working on my uncle, and he looked like he was in a bad way. I felt like an arsehole for the way I had treated him tonight, especially after he had put his life on the line. I was also still trying to come to terms with the fact that he was her father. How in the hell did that come about?
I heard one of the paramedics say he was critical, and they asked one of the officers to call ahead to the hospital to let them know they were on their way.
As they were about to wheel him out, I grabbed his hand. “I love you, Uncle John,” I said. “I will never forget what you did for Brooke tonight.”
He gave me a weak smile. “I love you, too, kiddo,” he said, and it made me smile. He used to call me that when I was a boy.
“I will be fine,” he said weakly. “Stay here and take care of our girl.”
“I will,” I said and smiled down at him. As they wheeled him out of the room, I called out, “Hang in there, okay?”
As they put Brooke on the stretcher, I was thankful that the police had covered up Jake’s body. They couldn’t move him until forensics arrived, but I was glad Brooke didn’t have to see him.
One of the officers told me I would have to stay behind to make a statement, but Mike interrupted and said that I needed to go with Brooke. Mike told the officer that he would answer any questions he had. The officer seemed happy with that, but told me he would come down to the hospital when he was finished here to get a statement from Brooke and me. I thanked him.
I turned to Mike and hugged him. “I owe you big time, buddy,” I said. “I’ll never forget what you did for me tonight.”
“I was just doing my job,” he replied. “But I am happy I could help get her back for you. Give me your keys. I’ll have one of my guys move your car to my house and you can come and get it later.”
I thanked him as I handed him the keys. I also handed him my gun because I wouldn’t be needing that anymore. After shaking his hand one more time, I followed the paramedics as they wheeled Brooke out of the room.
While they were putting her in the back of the ambulance, I called my mother. When I explained to her that John had been shot, she started to freak out. I tried to calm her down and told her she needed call my aunt, and that I would explain everything when she got to the hospital.
I climbed into the back of the ambulance and held onto Brooke’s hand. “Logan, I need to know what happened,” she said.
“Let’s just get you fixed up first,” I said. “Then we can talk.” It had been a long day, but it was far from over.
Brooke
I was still trying to piece together everything that had happened today because I knew there was more going on. I couldn’t understand why Logan wasn’t telling me. My head was pounding and thinking was only making it worse. I just wanted to close my eyes.
Unfortunately, when I closed my eyes, the nausea set in and I suddenly felt like I was going to vomit. Sitting up quickly certainly didn’t help, either. “I think I’m going to be sick,” I said.
Logan started to panic and he asked the paramedic, “What’s happening? Is she going to be okay?”
“She is probably just concussed,” he said. “She must have hit her head pretty hard to split it open like that. We will know more after we arrive at the hospital and the doctors run some tests.”
Logan got up and knelt down beside me. He held my hair away from my face and rubbed my back, while the paramedic held the bag for me to vomit into. Any other time I would have been embarrassed by this but, right now, I was too sick to care.
Logan
When she started to vomit, I panicked. I was worried that maybe her injuries were a lot worse than they appeared. Jake could have done anything to her before we arrived. As I looked at her, I noticed a large bruise on the other side of face that I hadn’t seen before. I also let the paramedic kn
ow that Brooke had been drugged before she was kidnapped. Her eyes widened when I said that. I was so glad that fucker was dead; otherwise, I would have killed him myself!
When we arrived at the hospital, my mother and aunt were already there. My mother took one look at Brooke before putting her hand over her mouth. “What in the hell is going on, Logan?” she snapped. “John has been taken in for emergency surgery and they won’t tell us anything. Now Brooke got injured, too?!”
“It’s a long story, mum,” I said. “Let me get Brooke fixed up, then I will come out and tell you everything.”
The doctor came in to assess Brooke, while the nurse cleaned her head wound. There was dried blood all over the side of her face, in her hair, and down her neck. The poor thing had to get fifteen stitches. The doctor told her that it was close to hairline and that, over time, she would hardly notice the scar.
Seeing her like this made my chest ache!
She started to vomit again. “I’m going to send her for a CT scan and X-ray,” the doctor said. “I want to make sure she has no fractures or swelling on her brain. I’ll also order some blood work to check if there are any drugs in her system.”
“Can I go with her?”
“I’m sorry, no. She’ll be done in thirty to sixty minutes.”
I kissed Brooke on the lips. “I’ll be here when you get back, baby. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she whispered.
After they had wheeled her out of the room, I made my way out to the waiting room so I could explain everything to my mother and aunt.
My mum moved so she was sitting beside me and I started to tell them what had happened earlier tonight. I left out the part about John being Brooke’s father because it wasn’t my place to tell them that. My mum was horrified, but my aunt didn’t say anything. She was a cold-hearted bitch so I wasn’t really surprised. She just sat there like she had a stick up her arse, and was totally void of any emotion.
I felt my body start of tremble again. I think the shock was wearing off and reality was starting to settle in. As I put my head in my hands, I felt the tears start to fall down my face. Apart from the tears I have shed tonight, I don’t think I have cried since I was a child. My mum reached over and put her arms around me.
“I am sorry you had to go through all that tonight, honey,” she said. “You should have told us what was going on because you know we would have supported you and Brooke.”
“I thought I was going to lose her, mum,” I whispered as the tears fell down my cheeks. “I love her so much, and I don’t think I could survive without her.”
“You didn’t lose her, son,” she said softly. “Be thankful for that, and make the most of the life that you will have together.”
“Thank you, mum. I need to get back to her room. I want to be there for her when she gets back from the tests.” She stood up and wrapped her arms around me. I hugged her back. Even though I was a grown man, sometimes a mother’s hug still helped.
“Let me know how Uncle John is doing as soon as he’s out of surgery,” I said.
“I will, son,” she assured me. “Now, you go in there and look after Brooke, and we will let you know when we hear anything.”
“I love you, mum.”
“I love you, too, son,” she replied as she gently rubbed my back. “I also love Brooke,” she added with a smile. “I am happy that you two have found each other.” Out of the corner of my eye, I swear that I saw my aunt’s eyes roll.
Stupid bitch!
Waiting in the room for Brooke to get back was hell, and I was worried what her tests might show. Thankfully, when they wheeled her back into the room, she looked a lot better. The doctor came in a few minutes later. “Okay, well, apart from the concussion, everything appears to be fine. The brain scans show no swelling, and there appears to be no skull fractures.
“She’ll have to say in the hospital overnight for observation, but if all looks good in the morning, she can go home. Try and get some rest. The nurse is on her way in with some medication to help with the pain.”
After the nurse left the room, Brooke moved over on the bed and tapped the space next to her. I smiled at her as I removed my suit jacket and slipped off my shoes, then climbed into the bed next to her. I wrapped her in my arms and held her tight.
“I am so thankful you are alright, baby,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “I am sorry it took me so long to find you.”
“Shhh,” she replied. “Just hold me.” I pulled her tighter against me and kissed her head. Exhaustion took over and we both fell asleep.
During the night, my mum came into the room. “Logan,” she whispered. I opened my eyes and looked at her. “Your uncle is out of surgery and is in Intensive Care, but is stable. I just wanted to let you know.”
My mum grabbed hold of Brooke’s hand and she opened her eyes. “How are you feeling, Brooke?”
“I’m feeling better, thank you.”
My mum smiled. “That’s good to hear. Well, your aunt is with your uncle so I’m going to go home and get some sleep. I will come back first thing in the morning,” she whispered and kissed us both. She told us that she loved us before she left the room. After she left, Brooke started to cry.
“Don’t cry, baby,” I said.
“Your mother is amazing. She said she loved me.”
“You are very lovable,” I assured her.
She smiled slightly, then said, “What happened to your uncle?”
“He tried to unarm Jake. Unfortunately, he shot him,” I added. “He told me tonight that he was your father, Brooke,” I said. “I know you have a lot of anger towards him, but he put his life on the line for you tonight. I don’t expect you to forgive him for abandoning you and your mother. I would, however, like you to remember that tonight he was willing to give his life to save you.” She started to cry again, and I knew how hard this must be for her. It broke my heart.
“Just remember that I love you and will stand by you and support you, no matter what.” I brushed my lips softy over her forehead.
“What happened to Jake?” she asked. “Did the police get him?” I didn’t know how to tell her what happened because I knew she wouldn’t take it well. I was quiet for a few minutes as I tried to figure out how to gently break it to her.
“Just tell me, Logan. Please. I can handle it.”
I took a deep breath. “He is dead, Brooke. After he shot my uncle, he turned the gun on himself.” Brooke started to sob and I just held her tight. I could feel the tears falling down my cheeks, as well. What I saw tonight was probably going to haunt me for a long time.
After a few minutes, her sobbing stopped. “I am sorry you had to see that, Logan. I’m sorry for everything I have put you through,” she said.
“Oh, baby, you have nothing to be sorry for because you had no control over what happened tonight. I am sorry that I wasn’t there to protect you today because if I had been home when my uncle came over, none of this would have happened.”
“I love you so much,” she whispered, then she started to cry again. It was killing me to see her like this and, more than anything, I wanted to take all her pain away. Needless to say, neither of us slept much that night.
****
The next morning, the doctor came in to see how Brooke was feeling. After a quick examination, he said she could go home.
Ten minutes later, he came back into the room with the discharge papers and a script for some pain medication. The doctor explained that she would need rest for the next twenty-four hours, and she would have to come back to the hospital in a week to have her stitches removed.
As we were getting ready to leave the room, my mother knocked on the door. She walked over and gave us both a hug. “How are you feeling today, Brooke?”
“I’m feeling much better and can’t wait to get out of here. How’s Logan’s uncle doing?”
“He’s still in Intensive Care in critical, but stable, condition. He was shot in the stomach. The bullet had lod
ged near his spine, narrowly missing his spinal cord. It missed any vital organs. He’s very lucky.”
I looked at Brooke. “Would you mind if we saw him before we left?”
“Of course,” she replied. “I would like to see him, too, if that’s alright.”
“Are you sure you’re up to it?” She nodded. I noticed my mother looking at us with a puzzled look on her face.
“Brooke, would you mind if I told my mum what my uncle told you yesterday afternoon?” She looked at my mum and nodded.
Brooke
His mum had been so kind to me, and I was worried what she would think when Logan told her that John was my father. I sat down on the chair next to the bed and listened as Logan explained everything to her. After he had finished, she sat there quietly for a minute. I think she was trying to process everything.
As I watched her sitting there in silence, my heart raced. When she lifted her head up and looked over at me, I was surprised to see tears in her eyes. She got up off her chair and walked over to me, wrapping me in her arms. When she started to cry, I didn’t know what to do. I stood there for a few seconds before I wrapped my arms around her, too.
She held me tight for a minute before standing back to look at me. I could see the sadness in her eyes, eyes that looked so much like Logan’s. “You poor baby,” she said. “I am so sorry for everything you have been through in your short life.” I could feel my own eyes filling up with tears.
I didn’t know what to say to her so I whispered, “Thank you.” She was so sweet.
“If you ever need someone to talk to, or just want some motherly advice, call me or come over to the house,” she said. “You are always welcome, and I am here for you if you ever need me.” She kissed me softly on the cheek.
Once we had left the room, Logan intertwined his fingers with mine as we walked towards the Intensive Care Unit. The nurse told us that John could only have two visitors at time, and that we could only stay for five minutes. Logan’s mum waited outside for us as Logan and I went in.
