"Then August it is, Mrs. King."
He kisses me passionately as our breakfast bacon burns to a crisp.
"And move all of your shit out of your apartment and in here by the end of the week."
I giggle to myself.
"Yes, sir."
CAMDEN
"Sit down. You're hovering and it's making me nervous."
"Ditto."
"What do you mean ditto?"
"You're making me fucking nervous too."
"I fainted, Cam. People faint everyday. You've got to relax. You're just in a pissy mood that you can't control this situation like you do everything else."
"Fainting is not normal. You shouldn't have gone to work. I shouldn't have let you go to work. You've been sick for days. Roman knew that shit. I should–"
"Roman is not at fault. I think I was simply overheated. It was hot in his house. Something about the compressor on the central air unit needing to be replaced."
"Jade...is it possible that you're pregnant?"
"What exactly are you accusing me of?"
"Did that sound like a fucking accusation? I'm just asking you if you're pregnant. In the family way. With child. Did I knock you up?!"
"Absolutely not."
"You seem shocked that I'm even asking about the possibility."
"I am a little."
"Why? We have sex– repeatedly."
"I also take the pill– daily."
"The pill isn't foolproof, but let's table this discussion for now. I don't want you to get overheated again."
"Funny."
Some doctor with a fucked up last name, Jeremy Dick MD, comes in the room with another man and woman following closely behind him. Both in scrubs and white coats.
Penn is a teaching hospital, so it's to be expected that there will be more than one person in the room, but I don't like it. I asked for a department head not an attending physician and his flunkies.
Dr. Dick glances at his clipboard in a very perfunctory way and then looks at Jade over top of his reading glasses.
"Miss Barlow."
"Yes."
"Heard you had a fall today."
"Yes."
"How are you feeling now?"
"A little weird but not as badly as before. I think I'm just dehydrated or something."
"Stop trying to diagnose yourself, Meredith Grey, and let the doctor here do his job,” I say in a sarcastic voice.
The two residents try suppressing a few giggles at what I've said, but Doctor Dick ignores me as if I'm not even in the room and continues with his questions. Yeah, I definitely don't like this dude.
"Do you work out, Miss Barlow?"
"Yes."
"What do you do?"
"Running. Weights. Spin. Sometimes pilates."
"Did you work out today?"
"No."
"She hasn't been feeling well for days," I interject.
Again, he ignores me.
"Have you been taking your pill regularly?"
"Yes."
"Have you ever had any problems with the pill or any other kind of birth control?"
"No."
The doctor makes some notes, flips through some of the papers on his clipboard for a moment, and then speaks again.
"I'd like to talk about your family history a little now."
"Okay."
"Are both of your parents living?"
"No. My mother is deceased and my father...well he's actually dying."
"Of what?"
Put some sympathy in your voice, Dr. Dickhead.
"Cancer."
"What kind?"
"I don't know exactly."
"And your mother. What was the cause of death?"
Jade pauses for a moment. Swallowing hard. It's hard for her to talk about her mother. Sometimes I forget that Cutter and I got to have a bit longer with our mother than she did with hers. So we have memories. Jade doesn't have many good ones. All she remembers is her mother being sick.
"Ovarian cancer."
Dr. Dick gives Jade a look that chills me to the bone.
"Do you get regular pap smears, Miss Barlow?"
"Yes."
"Have they ever come back irregular?"
"No."
He glances at me for the first time, then my tattoos, and then back at Jade.
"Any venereal diseases?"
She clears her throat. "No."
I'm ten seconds away from choking him with that fucking stethoscope.
"Okay, well I think we're going to need to do a little more testing. Dr. Keller here is going to take your blood pressure and the nurse will be in here shortly to take some more blood and run an IV. Then we're going to send you up to gynecology. I'd like to get another pap smear."
Oh, shit.
Does he think she has cancer?
Jade turns her face to me, and I see the fear in my heart reflected back in her widening pupils. I cradle the side of her face with my hand and wipe the one lone tear running down her face with my thumb.
"It's going to be fine, baby."
She nods her head, but I can tell she's terrified.
"I'm ruling things out, Miss Barlow," the jackass says. "There are a ton of medical reasons why you could have fainted today. None of them serious, but it doesn't hurt to rule everything out."
"How long are these additional tests going to take?" I ask.
"The nurse should be in shortly. Gyno may take another thirty minutes. Then we have to wait for the results. So expect to be here for most of the day."
I hate hospitals.
"Don't call Jana," Jade asks while the male intern gets the blood pressure cuff ready. "She'll freak, and we don't know if there's anything to freak out about yet."
In my panic, I called everyone, but there's no way I'm going to let Jade know that. I can hold Jana off.
"No problem. I've got you."
She nods her head with relief.
"Thank you."
Jade is sitting on the edge of the examination table. Her hands gripping the edge of it. Her legs dangling off of the side. She looks more vulnerable than I've ever seen before.
I want to wrap myself around her and protect her from the world right now. My tough girl holds it together for all of us all of the time when inside I know she's soft as butter.
"No thank you's are necessary between us, baby."
I lean down and press my mouth onto hers. Saying a silent prayer to myself, to God, or to whoever will listen as I do.
Please let her be all right.
Please don't take her from me.
"Listen, I'm going to step out while they take your pressure and all of that. I'll be right back." I give the two interns a stern look. "Unless you don't want me to leave."
"Go ahead," Jade chuckles while squeezing my hand. "I'm fine."
"Okay, baby. I'll be back in thirty. I love you."
"Ditto." She smiles.
CAMDEN
My brothers and I were supposed to meet later tonight at the tapas lounge about the Provident job, but I'm meeting with them in the hospital cafeteria instead. That's the great thing about family. At least this family. They always have your back.
"How is she?" Cutter asks with concern etched in his face.
"We don't know much yet. They're still running tests."
"Stone's not here yet?"
"No, he's on his way."
"So she passed out at Roman's?"
"Yeah– Roman said she was fine when he went to give Elizabeth her lunch, but when he got back to the room Jade was on the floor unconscious."
"Shit that's scary."
"Yeah."
"And uh, Roman makes lunch?"
I crack a smile at that.
"I guess he does. So listen, I wanted to talk to you about something real quickly before Stone gets here. He's about five minutes away."
"What."
"Our first client out of Provident is a ball player."
"Sweet. Who is it. Anyone I know?"<
br />
"Not a professional. It's a kid. Plays for LaHova. Name is Tommy Newton."
Cutter's face drops.
"Please tell me that he has nothing to do with that party and Sloan's father,” he says.
"I'm afraid that is has everything to do with him."
"What's a Division Two kid like that doing with Provident's level of legal representation?"
"He's not being represented by the talent division but rather the criminal division."
“So he probably killed the girl."
"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking."
"Why else would he hire a firm so high-powered?"
"Samar got access to a few conversations they had. Not much. But what he did hear disturbed me. The kid has a few NBA teams interested in signing him which explains why Provident is involved. It seems as if the kid and his lawyer are trying to build a defense naming Dan Pearson as the one who hit the girl, and getting as many people as they can to support his statement. He may have already got four kids to roll on Pearson already."
"Fuck me."
"What has the glamazon said about it?"
"She talked to her father and is convinced that he has it all under control. That he has the truth on his side.”
“So she’s delusional.”
“Pretty much. So who's the kid's lawyer?"
"That's the only good thing. It's Prentis. You remember him from a couple of years back right? At least we know him. We can get to him.“
"Fuck!"
"What?"
“Lazy eye Prentis is in the middle of hiring Sloan for a design job, and there's no way that shit is a coincidence. He’s probably pumping her for information as we speak, and she can’t even see it coming.”
"That asshole. He's got some balls on him."
"I want to put that kid Newton and Prentis under the fucking jail."
"Noted– but since murder is not on the menu let's think of an alternate plan."
"Sloan finally set a date. I'm getting married in three months. The guy is probably not ever going to be father-in-law of the year, in fact he won’t even acknowledge my existence, but I can’t allow him to be convicted, Cam. In fact he can never go to trial. It will kill Sloan. That kid has to confess and do it quickly."
"Married in fucking August, eh?” I slap my brother on the shoulder. "Congratulations, little brother. Let's fix this shit then."
Looking just like our missing triplet, our brother Stone finally enters the cafeteria. He glances at the both of us then takes a seat.
"What did I miss?”
"You've been assigned your first fix, big brother," I say. "His name is Tommy Newton. He's twenty years old. Ball player at LaNova. And we need him to sing like a bird."
“Is that all? Done."
Cutter smiles with relief.
"How's wifey?" Stone asks me.
Wifey. I know it's just a term some men use to describe a long term girlfriend, but it gets me really thinking. Jade should be my wife. My legal wife. She's it for me. And if she's sick, I'm going to hold her hand through every step as her husband. Not just some dude she's fucking.
"She's going to be good, man. I'll make sure of it."
JADE
There is nothing fun about hospitals. They're sterile and cold and you can't get a good blanket to save your life.
My mother died in a hospital. I don't remember everything about that day. I just remember thinking that my mom must have been cold, and that she probably wanted her fluffy white blanket with the small pink roses on it.
I want out of here.
When the doctor returns to my room it's sooner than I anticipated. The IV must be kicking in because my stomach feels more settled. That's why I sent Camden out to buy me a green drink from somewhere. I'm hungry.
"How are you feeling, Miss Barlow?"
"Pretty good."
Several men roll another bed in next to me.
"What's this?" I ask looking between it and the doctor.
"Where's your boyfriend, Miss Barlow?"
"He stepped out. Why?"
"We discovered what the issue is and we're taking you in for emergency surgery. Can you sign the consent please?”
I need Cam.
"Consent for what?!"
"Your hCG levels were abnormally high. Upon further examination we discovered the issue. You are pregnant and it's ectopic. Meaning the baby is growing in your Fallopian tube. We need to operate now. Your life is at risk."
"I need to call my boyfriend."
I feel like I'm about to hyperventilate.
"Sign the consent and this privacy form which will allow us to share your medical information with him, and we will make sure to tell him everything he needs to know when he gets back.”
I quickly sign the papers, not exactly sure what I'm signing, but petrified that if I don't– I will die right here in this room. Alone. Unable to say goodbye to the man I love.
"Here."
"Gynecology knows what they're doing at this hospital, Miss Barlow. They're top 20 in the country. You're in good hands. Dr. Medwick will be performing your surgery and will be here shortly to brief you and start your procedure ok?"
"Yes."
Tears start to roll down my face.
"Can I text my boyfriend now?"
"You really shouldn't because of all of the sensitive medical equipment in this room but go ahead. One quick text. I'm sure you want him here.”
I can't do this without him.
“Thanks.”
Me: They have to operate:( Come back now.
STONE
"What are you doing?"
Because I am a felon, I'm not licensed to carry, but that doesn't mean I can't toss a few baseball bats in the back of my Chevy truck.
"Have to work,” I explain to Ariana.
"What are you a Little League coach now?"
"Protecting myself."
"From who?"
"Are you sure you want to know?"
I will never lie to Ariana again, although sometimes it's a difficult promise to keep. I never want to see the look she has on her face right now. All I want to see are smiles and laughter and of course…pleasure.
"Yes."
"A killer."
“What?! Does this have something to do with your brothers?"
"Yes, but it involves your friend too."
"Which friend?"
"Sloan."
"What about her?"
"One of the kids that plays for her father at LaNova is setting him up for that girl's murder charge."
"Setting him up?"
"Yes and I need to stop it."
"You?”
"Why not me?"
"You know why. You don't need to put yourself in harm's way, Stone."
"Cutter needs me."
“For what? Why can't he handle it? He'd do anything for Sloan. He’s in love with her.“
"Exactly. He's too close to this. He might end up accidentally killing the kid if the guy says the wrong thing. I'm a lot more detached. It's a job to me. Nothing more."
"I don't like it."
"I get that."
"But it doesn't matter to you?"
"You matter to me, but my brothers matter too. I want to work with them, Ariana. This is how I'll get to know them. This is how we can start to make up for all of the time we missed. Nothing's going to happen to me. You worry too much."
I wrap my hand around her waist and pull her into me.
"Give me my kiss," I say.
I slide my hand into the back of her hair and give her a firm kiss on the mouth. I love this mouth.
"You trust me right?"
"Yes, of course. It's just that I worry."
"I know and I love that you do. Nobody's ever given a shit about me but my dad and you, but I'm a lot more convincing than you give me credit for. This kid will back down in less than ten minutes. No muss. No fuss. I guarantee it."
She turns her lips up to one side in disbelief, but I continue talking.
>
"And Ariana– we can't have this discussion every time I go to a fix. This is what I do now. You're either going to roll with it or you're not. I rather you roll with it."
"Stone–"
I lean over and swiftly lift her up by her butt and hips. Instinctively she wraps her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist.
"Roll with it," I growl into her neck.
She sighs softly.
It's working.
"Roll with it,” I say again as I my dick hardens.
"I'm rolling with it," she says quietly as she kisses the side of my ear.
Her body softens in my grasp.
"Fuck, Ariana, I have to go to work."
"I know, I know. You have to go scare a kid to death. But how about you bang me silly on this bed before you go."
My body grows taut.
I love it when my angel talks dirty.
"Bang you?"
"Fuck me."
Jesus.
"You've got fifteen minutes. Where do you want me."
"I only need ten, and I want to ride you."
Fuck me, I love this woman.
"You drive a hard bargain."
Then I toss her ass on the bed as she squeals with delight and get to making love to my woman.
This is easier than I thought it would be. I'm used to keeping hardened killers at bay in prison, so I put my strongest emotional battle armor on when I went to find Tommy Newton. Ready to scare the fuck out of him. Ready to strip him of his humanity.
But this is the real world, not prison, and Tommy Newton is just some entitled basketball playing kid from the suburbs who doesn't want to pay the consequences for his bad decisions. Making him see the light is easy work. If this is all I have to do for a living everyday, then I'm going to be a fucking millionaire.
"Mindy Newton. Oliver Newton. Kara Newton. Laura Newton."
I've cornered Newton outside of the Plymouth Meeting Mall. He just finished having dinner with some unsuspecting girl. Didn't even have the decency to walk her to her car after they were finished. Just patted her on the ass and sent her on her way.
"Who arrrre you, dude?" he stutters a bit while staring at what I’m holding in my hands. ”Why are you naming everyone in my family?"
"Because that's who I'm going to visit one by one with each of these fucking baseball bats if you don't take responsibility for what you did in Boston."
Promised to a King Page 7
