I could hear the roar of engines in the distance, and I knew it wouldn’t be long until Mitch, and the other two cars would come screeching across the finish line.
“You OK?” Luke asked me.
I nodded my head. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Thankfully AZ hadn’t touched me, but it still felt like he had when he eyed me up. I grabbed my beer, downing the rest of it and tossed the empty bottle in the empty bucket Luke had in the back of his truck. The roar of engines and squealing tires loudened and then Mitch came tearing around the corner with the two other cars right on his tail.
Mitch roared across the finish line, and the crowd cheered and crowded the street as the last two cars crossed the finish line. I watched Mitch slow down the car then turn around and head into the crowd. He stopped his car in front of the truck, and I hopped down from the tailgate.
I weaved my way to the car and threw myself into Mitch’s arms. I wrapped my arms tight around him and held on.
“You happy I won?” Mitch laughed. All I could do was nod my head. Mitch tilted my head back and frowned at me. “Why the hell are you crying?” He asked as he wiped my tears from my cheeks.
“She’s fine. It just appears AZ took a shine to her.” I turned my head and saw Luke, Violet and Leelee had followed me.
“He touched her?” Mitch growled,
“No. I didn’t let him. He came over talking shit and said he had info on Kurt, but the only way he would tell us is if we gave him something he wanted.”
“He better not have laid a fucking finger on Scar, Luke. I’ll fucking kill him if he did.” Mitch wrapped his arms tight around me.
“He didn’t, I swear. I pushed him up against the truck before he could get to Scarlett.” Luke put his arm around Violet and pulled her close. “You know I wouldn’t let anything happen to Scarlett.”
Mitch nodded his head and pressed a kiss against the side of my head. “You find out what he knows about Kurt.”
“He says he’s in California. I don’t have many connections out there, but I’ll see what I can dig up. He obviously doesn’t want us to find him, so I don’t know how hard I’ll dig.”
“Just find him and make sure he’s OK, Luke.”
Luke nodded his head and pulled Violet back in the crowd. Leelee wandered off in the other direction and Mitch looked down at me. “You swear he didn’t touch you, right?”
“I promise. It was just the way he looked at me, Mitch.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you, Scar. All that bullshit of being hurt is behind you. I’ll kill anyone who puts a hand on you,” Mitch vowed.
I reached up, cupping his face in my hand, stood on my tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I believe you. Thank you.” I had never had that before in my life, and I knew now that no matter how logical I wanted to be, that was something you didn’t throw away. Whether you had known the person a month or ten years. Mitch was giving me everything I had ever wanted, and there was only one thing I could give back to him; my heart. “I love you, Mitch.”
“I love you, too, Scarlett. Till my last breath, I’ll love you and Levi. Nothing will stop me.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead, and I leaned into him.
This was it. This was what I always wanted and needed, and I wasn’t going to let it go, ever.
______________
Chapter 35
Leelee
I grabbed my phone off of the dresser and saw a number that I didn’t know. My first thought was that something was wrong with Jay, but I had programmed all of the camp’s phone numbers into my phone so I knew it couldn’t be them.
I glanced at the time and saw that it was half-past two. Any phone call after ten o’clock at night was not a good one, and I was afraid to answer. I swiped left and put the phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“Hello, this is Grace from St. Peter’s Hospital in Burbank.”
Burbank? St Peter’s hospital? What the fuck was going on? “Um, OK,” I mumbled into the phone.
“I’m calling because your number was the only one we could find on a Kurt Jensen.”
I jack-knifed off the bed and clutched the phone in my hand. “Kurt? Kurt is in the hospital?”
“Yes, ma’am. There’s been an accident, and we’re looking for his next of kin. Is that you?”
Was I Kurt’s next of kin? “Yes, I’m his wife.” At least on paper I was.
The End
BangShift
Chapter 1
Leelee
“Ma'am, I’m going to have to ask you again to put your phone away. We’re about to take off.” Flight attendant Barbie glared at me as she motioned for me to turn it off. I could tell her patience was all but non-existent, but I didn’t give a fuck right now.
“I just need to try one more time to—” I gasped as the ballsy flight attendant grabbed my phone from me and crossed her arms over her chest.
“I know you might not care about the safety of everyone on this plane, but I do. If you continue to use your phone, I’m going to have to notify the air marshal.”
“Well, seeing as you just snatched my phone from me, it appears that won’t be a problem anymore,” I snapped. I was at my wit's end trying to figure out what the hell was going on. I couldn’t get a hold of Luke or Mitch and Violet and Scarlett both had their phones turned off. “Can I please have my phone back? I promise not to crash the plane by sending a text message.”
She thrust my phone back at me and flounced down the aisle back to the area where they served their little drinks from. I quickly hit send on my last message to Luke then powered down my phone.
It was six A.M., and I was on a plane about to take off for California to help the man who had saved my life not so many months ago, but who now hated me. To say my life was complicated was a bit of an understatement.
“First time to California?” the guy seated next to me asked. His dark blue pinstripe suit was rumpled, and he looked like he had been awake for six hours.
“Um, yeah. That obvious?” It was my first time flying, but I didn’t want to admit that. There weren’t too many people who had reached the age of twenty-six and hadn’t flown before.
“Nah, I just like to make conversation. Helps the flight go by faster.” He pulled his laptop out of his slim briefcase and set it on his lap. “Visiting family?”
Jesus Christ, wouldn’t you know the last ticket to California was seated next to Motormouth Marty. “Um, yeah.” I could technically say Kurt was family, although I’m sure he would argue ‘til he was blue in the face that just because we were married didn’t make us family. But that didn’t apply to the state of Illinois, though.
“Man, I wish I could remember what it’s like to travel for fun. Nowadays, I’m on a plane as much as I’m on the ground.”
“Yeah, that must be rough.” I wished like hell I could bury my nose in my phone and not have to talk to this guy. I had a three-hour flight ahead of me that I was already dreading. Add in this tool, and I would be amazed if I were sane by the time I landed.
“I can still remember the first time I went to California. I was amazed how green everything was, but when I got in the big city, I couldn’t believe how much concrete there was everywhere. Although, you’ll have that no matter what big city you go to.”
Suit kept droning on and on, not waiting for me to answer or reply. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the headrest, willing myself to fall into a coma for at least three hours.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. I’d like to welcome you aboard flight 5462. Non-stop to Burbank California. At this time, we will be putting on the seat belt light, and we ask you not to move about the cabin until we are at cruising altitude. Sit back and relax. We should be in sunny California in three hours.”
I leaned over, rummaged through my purse, and pulled out my headphones I had thankfully remembered to grab.
As I popped them onto my ears, a flight attendant stood at the front of the plane demonstrating the seat belts and what to do
if we crashed. My stomach was in knots, worried about Kurt but also because this was my first time flying and I had no idea what to expect. I was anxious on top of concerned. A winning combination for a first-time flyer.
I snapped my belt into place, making sure it was extra tight and took a deep breath. I was headed to California to help a man who hated me. This was exactly how I had seen my day going. Not.
The flight attendant scurried off to what I assumed was her seat up by the captain, and the plane started to move. I gripped the armrest and glanced out the window. I had been lucky enough to get a window seat, although I was rethinking my luck as the plane made a wide U-turn and then started down the runway. The plane picked up speed fast, and before I knew it, the nose of the plane lifted, and my stomach went to my knees as we climbed into the sky. It took everything I had not to start hyperventilating and clutch onto Suit’s hand.
The seat belt light went off, and the pilot’s voice came over the speaker again telling us it was safe to move about the cabin.
Move? Hell no. I stabbed at my phone, trying to find a song that would distract me. I scrolled through my huge playlist and settled on Stone Sour to keep me company during the long flight. I glanced over at Suit, saw he was typing away on his laptop and was thankful he had gotten the hint I wasn’t up to talking. He seemed like a nice guy, but I just didn’t have time for small talk. At least, not today.
The last time I had seen Kurt played through my head and I couldn’t help but wince remembering his face when his eyes had fallen on the date I had brought. Why the hell I had thought bringing Greg to the barbecue was a good idea? Kurt and I were already at each other’s throats; me bringing Greg was the final straw that had driven Kurt away.
I closed my eyes and rested my head on the window. I didn’t know what the hell to do anymore. What I had told Violet and Scarlett that night was the most truthful I had ever been about Kurt. I had messed up things between the two of us before we ever actually began. Things had happened so fast between us, and they were over even faster.
Kurt had become my knight in shining armor eleven months ago, and now, he couldn’t even stand to look at me without a sneer on his face and making me feel like everything between us was a mistake.
I just wished I could go back to that night and change everything. If I could, Kurt would still be working in the garage with his brothers where he belonged.
Instead, Kurt had stormed off two weeks ago, leaving behind his family all because the only thing I could think about was myself. A tear leaked from my tightly clenched eyes, and I quickly wiped it away. I was an idiot thinking Kurt and I could work together, and everything would be fine.
I was a fool back then, and I still was. But now, I had a chance to fix everything. Kurt for once needed me, and I had every intention of being there for him even though I knew he was going to fight me tooth and nail the whole way.
I was ready for every punch that Kurt was going to throw my way. After all, I owed it to him to fix everything. He had saved me not too long ago, and it was only right to repay the favor.
Kurt Jensen didn’t know what he was in for. He had wanted a wife all those months ago, and now, I was going to give him what he desired.
I only hoped I wasn’t too late.
********
Chapter 2
Kurt
Well, that fucking hurt. Note to self: Do not flip your car going seventy miles an hour. It does not end well.
I had yet to open my eyes, partly because my right eye was swollen shut, but I knew by the constant beeping and hum of machines around me, I was in the hospital. What a fucking way to end my night.
Everything had been going fine until I had hit that final ninety-degree turn and my two right tires left the pavement, and I knew I was fucked.
My arm was hurting like hell. I tried to move it, but it felt like a fucking Mac truck was sitting on it. Hell, my whole body felt like it had been run over by a Mac truck. I cracked my left eye open and looked at my arm, surprised as hell to see it wrapped up at a ninety-degree angle and resting at my side. “Fuck.” My right arm busted up meant there wouldn’t be any shifting for me for a while. Shit, who the hell was I kidding? It wasn’t like I had a car left to drive anyway. My Camaro was probably crushed like a tin can.
I closed my eye and leaned my head back against the pillow. Just opening my eye and turning my head a bit had drained all my energy. I had no idea what the hell time it was. All I knew was I needed to sleep.
The sound of the door opening didn’t even make me open my eyes. I didn’t know anyone in California, so it had to be a nurse or doctor coming into the room. I listened to them move into the room, figuring there were two sets of footsteps, but no one spoke. I tried to speak, but all that came out was a weak grunt. Fatigue hit me and I sunk into the darkness calling to me.
I didn’t care who the hell was in the room. Fuck, I didn’t care if I ever woke up again.
I was fucking done.
********
Leelee
“You can sit in the chair, sweetie. He hasn’t woken up yet. I know he looks rough, but he’ll be fine.” The nurse pointed to the chair next to the bed, but I couldn’t get my feet to move. Kurt was lying in the hospital bed, machines surrounding him.
“Um, are you sure he’s okay?” Kurt looked anything but good. His right arm was in a sling and wrapped in layers of white gauze while his right leg was elevated off the bed, also wrapped and in a sling. His swollen face had tiny, little cuts all over, and it looked like his right eye was so swollen that it would be a miracle if he could open it.
“Yeah. You thankfully missed all the waiting for tests to come back. His spine looks good and no internal bleeding. Just a broken arm and leg.” The nurse grabbed the chart from the end of the bed and began scribbling in it at as she looked at all the machines. “If you plan on standing ‘til he wakes up, you'll be standing for a while. He’s heavily medicated right now.”
“His leg and arm?” I gasped. I knew as soon as Kurt woke up and saw that, he was going to be pissed. No driving. Although, that probably wouldn’t stop Kurt. He would probably figure out a way. Hell, he’d probably get a foreign car where the driver sat on the right side so he could still drive.
“Yeah. Two breaks in the leg, and one break in the arm. He was lucky nothing else broke.” She flipped the clipboard shut and looked me up and down. “How long have you two been married?”
Huh, a question I thought I would never get asked because no one was supposed to know we were married. “Thirteen months,” I replied numbly.
“Oh, newlyweds. Still in the honeymoon stage, although I think this might be slowing you two down for a bit.” The nurse winked at me and slipped out of the room.
Honeymoon stage? Ha, she couldn’t have been any further from the truth.
Kurt hated me, and I, well, I wasn’t sure what I felt for Kurt. I knew I hated seeing him lying there, not moving and beat to hell. Fuck, I was confused as hell how I felt about him when he wasn’t in the hospital. This just threw a massive wrench into everything.
He had grunted when we walked into the room but hadn’t woken up. Now, I was left all alone with him, and I had no idea what the hell to do.
I dropped my bag in the corner of the room and ran my fingers through my hair. I was still in my pajamas and had barely stuffed my feet into my sneakers on the way to the airport. Everything had been a whirlwind these past six hours, and now, here I was. Now, what?
I had tried calling Luke again when I was in the cab headed to the hospital, but he had yet to answer the phone. I had left enough messages and figured it was up to him to call me now. I was beyond exhausted and didn’t feel like picking up my phone and trying once more.
“What the hell do we do now, Lee?” I asked myself out loud. “How about we stop talking to yourself,” I answered. Hell, I was losing my mind. My mom had always told me growing up that it was normal to talk to yourself, it was when you started answering yourself that you were bor
dering on crazy. Well, call me crazy.
I eyed up the chair next to the bed and wondered if that would be the best spot to be when Kurt woke up. I didn’t think I would be the first person he would like to see after a near-death experience. The ugly salmon color chair looked semi-comfortable and had a handle on the side which I assumed popped open the footrest.
My feet and back ached as I stood there, deciding if sleeping that close to Kurt was a good idea, but my fatigue won out, and I collapsed into the chair. “Welcome to California, Lee,” I mumbled. I had to admit; I had imagined the first time leaving the state of Illinois would be better than sitting in a hospital with a man who hated me.
My eyes wandered over Kurt, wondering how in the hell we got here.
Eighteen months ago, if you had seen Kurt and me together, you never would have thought we would end up hating each other and Kurt moving across the country to get away from me.
Eighteen months ago, things were so different.
Eighteen months ago, I fell in love with Kurt Jensen because he was my knight in shining armor who saved me.
Eighteen Months Ago...
“Two shots of whiskey and keep ‘em coming,” I mumbled to the bartender as I plopped down on the stool and opened my wallet. “Or at least, keep ‘em coming until this is gone.” I set a twenty-dollar bill on the bar, and I knew my plan of getting rip-roaring drunk was not going to go exactly how I had imagined.
I planted my elbows on the bar and rested my head in my hands. What in the hell was I going to do? Things were going so well. Well, as good as they can be when your parents are both drug addicts, and you’re left to take care of your fourteen-year-old brother while they take off and chase after their next high.
Jay knew not to tell anyone about Mom and Dad. I had repeatedly said that if the school found out Mom and Dad had left, they would try to take him away and put him in foster care. And I should have known it wouldn’t have been Jay who spilled the beans, but one of his fucking friends who couldn’t keep their mouth shut.
Skid Row Kings Complete Series Page 40
