Muttering a curse, I pushed my way through the crowd and found Axton sitting on his couch in the living room. “Axton,” I called as I hurried toward him. “Ax!”
He didn’t move as I continued to call out to him. Just sat there, staring off at nothing and no one in particular. He didn’t seem to notice the people around him and I was sure that he didn’t hear anything either.
Unwilling to waste another second, I drew my hand back and slapped him across his handsome face. His lashes fluttered a few times before he glared up at me. “What the fuck, Gabriella?”
A sob built in my throat and I couldn’t form words. Fresh tears spilled from my eyes as they had been doing since I’d realized that Liam was in trouble. Concern filled Axton’s face and he stood, grasping my arms tightly. “What is it? Jordan?”
I shook my head. “No,” I choked out. “Liam… It’s all over the news. He was in an accident. A drunk driver. Some are saying it’s his fault. Others are saying he was completely sober.” I’d been watching all my social media apps for more news. The conflicting news reports and speculations were driving me crazy. “But they all say he’s in critical condition.”
I grabbed both his arms, holding on tight. “No one will fucking tell me anything.” I’d tried to call the hospital but no one was saying anything. “I can’t get past the guard at the hospital. They won’t let me near him. Please, Ax. Please, help me.” I lowered my head as the tears fell faster. “Please. I need to see him. I need to talk to him,” I whispered. “I never should have broken up with him.”
With a vicious curse, Axton took my hand and pulled me out of the apartment.
I was blind to anything but my own misery as we made the drive back to the hospital. As I expected, the guards let Axton in without any issues. When they moved to block me, however, Axton pulled me against his side. “She’s with me,” he barked.
The man moved aside and Axton released me as we stepped into the elevator. A trail of guards guided us to where Liam was. The trail ended outside a waiting room and I was nearly dancing with anxiety by the time Axton opened the door.
Four people were in the large room. Drake Stevenson stood off by himself while Linc Spencer and Natalie Stevenson sat on either side of Dallas Bradshaw. She was a nurse now, I remembered. She would know what was happening.
It didn’t matter that no one in that room liked me. Nothing mattered except finding out how Liam was. “How is he?” I asked the only person who could have possibly have held the answers I so desperately needed.
The beautiful blonde jumped to her feet, hate shining out of her blue eyes as she stepped closer to me. Linc wrapped his thick arms around her waist, stopping her from coming closer. “You would fucking know if you hadn’t turned your back on him.”
I wished Linc would release her. Having Dallas beat the hell out of me would have hurt a hell of a lot less than the pain I was feeling thinking of Liam hurting—that I might lose him forever.
A sob bubbled up in my chest and ripped itself free. “I know,” I whispered.
I never should have ended things with Liam. Never. I should have made him go to rehab when we first got together. I had been such a coward, too scared of losing him and turning a blind eye to his drug problem. This was my fault.
It was entirely my fault that I might lose him forever.
No. I can’t lose him. Please, God. Please.
***
I’d been sitting in the waiting room for what felt like forever. No one spoke to me except for the few times Alexis had been able to sit with me. It didn’t matter to me. Wasn’t like I would have spoken to them if they had. I was too destroyed. If Liam didn’t wake up soon, I was going to lose what little was left of my sanity.
Now, after a week in the hospital, Liam was finally waking up. As soon as he’d started showing signs of wakefulness, his nurse had come and gotten Dallas. I hadn’t asked if I could go too, just followed right on her heels. I needed to see him, needed to know he was going to be okay.
My heart was racing as I entered the ICU room. A nurse was already checking Liam’s vitals and Dallas was standing at the foot of the bed alternating between frowning down at him and then up at the monitors. I didn’t know what she was seeing but after a few seconds her face cleared and she smiled down at a drowsy-eyed Liam.
Seeing him lying in that damn hospital bed never failed to make my chest hurt, but now, seeing his eyes open, some of the pain around my heart eased. He was really awake.
Oh, thank God. Thank God!
Tears of relief blinded me as I moved forward. “Liam,” I whispered. “Oh God, I’m so happy to see you.”
His whole face changed when he turned those blue eyes on me. A parade of emotions flashed through his eyes. There was relief just as strong as my own, quickly followed by hope, then pain and regret. All of that faded in the blink of an eye, though, as he clenched his jaw and glared up at me.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” he growled.
I stopped mid-step, less than a few feet away from his bedside. The pure venom in his voice chilled me to the bone. “Liam…”
“No.” His voice rose. “I don’t want to hear it. You don’t belong here. I don’t want you here.” Pain sliced through me like a white-hot blade. I couldn’t breathe for the pain. “We’re over. Remember?”
Fresh tears flooded my eyes, making it almost impossible to see his face. I sucked in a deep breath, knowing if I didn’t speak now I might never get another chance to say it. “I know and I’m sorry. I never should have ended things with us. I realize now that you are worth fighting for. Please, don’t be like this. I love you. Let me stay.” I was begging, but I didn’t care.
I felt like my very life was at stake in that moment. If Liam kicked me out, if he wouldn’t let me fix what I’d done, then I would be lost.
Through my tears, I saw him turn his head away, his gaze locking with Dallas’s. “Get her the fuck out of here!” he raged. “The sight of her is turning my stomach. Make her go away, D. Now.”
Everything inside of me went numb. Even my tears stopped, as if my body had completely shut down. He really did want me gone. I made him sick. Oh fuck, I couldn’t breathe.
I was losing him.
He hated me.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Gabriella
No. I can’t lose him. Please…
The feel of a calloused thumb rubbing circles on my palm pulled me out of my nightmare. I sighed in relief and tried to shift my hand closer to that soothing contact. When my hand actually obeyed, I tried to open my eyes, seeing how much of my brain was actually functioning.
My lashes lifted slightly and I tried harder. The dim lighting of an overhead light fixture greeted my eyes and I blinked a few times before I could focus on any one thing. All I could make out were shadows, and none of them made any sense to my pain-fogged mind. Groaning, I shifted my head, searching for the source of the still caressing thumb.
“Brie?” A hoarse voice greeted my ears and I tried to focus on the man who was sitting beside my bed. The soothing circles stopped and a warm hand tightened around my fingers. “Keep your eyes open, Brie. Please, baby, please. I need to see them.”
Hope was stronger than the pain that was searing through me and I tried to obey, but my eyes wouldn’t stay open for more than a second or two at a time. I wasn’t scared, though. I knew who was there now. Liam. Everything inside of me breathed a sigh of relief and I found the energy to actually smile. “You…you’re here,” I murmured, unable to get my voice louder than a whisper. “Liam.”
He was there. He was okay. Thank you, God. Thank you.
“Yes, baby. I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere.”
Was that a sob I heard in his voice? No, it couldn’t have been. Liam never cried. Deciding that I was imagining things, I tried to keep my eyes open for longer but didn’t succeed. I started to drift back to sleep unwillingly. So tired, so much pain…
Reality shot through me as I realized why
I was in so much pain and somehow my eyes snapped open. I focused on the man sitting beside my bed, his blue eyes bloodshot and damp. “Mia,” I breathed. “Is Mia...?” I couldn’t bring myself to finish. Couldn’t bear the thought of that beautiful little girl being hurt. Or worse…
“She’s fine,” he assured me, tears running unchecked down his beautifully masculine face. “A few scrapes and scared, but she’s fine. You saved her, Brie.”
Relief washed through me and my eyes fluttered closed once again. “Glad she’s…o-okay.”
“Brie, you need to rest, but I need you to promise you aren’t going to leave me.” Liam’s hold on my hand tightened. “Swear you’re not going to give up on me.”
If I could have snorted right then I would have, but I couldn’t find the energy. Plus I knew that it was going to hurt like a bitch if I did. I didn’t want to hurt more than I already did, but didn’t he realize that I wasn’t ever going to leave him? I loved him too much to ever leave him willingly. I’d tried that once and it hadn’t ended well for either one of us. “I’m…not going…anywhere. Promise.”
“I love you, Brie. I love you so fucking much.”
My lips lifted in a smile, sure that I was dreaming again…
LIAM
Tears poured unashamedly down my face as I lifted Gabriella’s hand to my lips and kissed her soft palm.
I’d been sitting in her ICU room for over five hours and for the last hour of that she had moaned in her sleep as if she were in pain. The thought of her in pain had ripped me apart and I’d called for the nurse to have them give her something. It hadn’t been time for her meds, however, and I thought I was going to lose my mind having to hear those pain-filled little moans. Then she had started thrashing her head back and forth and I’d realized she was waking up.
She had opened her eyes, promised she wasn’t going to leave me, then fallen back to sleep. My girl was going to be okay, I could feel it.
Now that I knew she was going to be okay, there was so much I needed to do. I wasn’t going to let her go again. There was no way in hell I was going to go on living without her. I would fight for her, beg her if I needed to, but I wasn’t going to back down.
Behind me the door opened and the doctor and his nurse walked in. “So, she’s awake.”
I nodded, knowing they must have been watching from the nurses’ station just outside the door. I was thankful they had given me a few minutes alone with her and hadn’t rushed in to start poking and prodding her immediately. But I could tell from the look on Dr. Schiller’s face that he was going to kick me out so he could do just that now.
The thought of her in more pain made my gut churn. Standing, I leaned over and brushed a kiss over Gabriella’s forehead before turning to face the doctor. “Make sure she gets something for the pain. I don’t want her hurting.”
Schiller nodded, smiling understandingly. “We’ll make sure she gets comfortable. Go let your family know she’s awake. I’m sure her cousin wants to know, and I heard that her aunt has arrived.”
My jaw clenched. So Carina Moreitti had finally made it. It had only taken three damn days. The woman was a slave to her business and didn’t let anything pull her away from work unless it was a major emergency. I figured her niece getting shot and nearly dying would have been considered one, but obviously I’d been wrong. Alexis had told me that her mother was in the middle of negotiations with some big-time designer and couldn’t leave Milan until they were over.
I’d only met the woman a handful of times and each occasion had left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. The woman who had basically raised Gabriella hated me, and the feeling was mutual. Although I had to admit that I would rather face Carina than her father any day of the week.
I hadn’t thought of the old man not being at the hospital with the rest of Gabriella’s family until the day before. Alexis had dropped a huge bomb on me when she told me that the old man had suffered a heart attack and had died recently. I knew how much Gabriella had loved that old fucker, and it was only because of her that I was sorry he was gone. If not for my girl, I might have spit on his grave.
Reaching the waiting room, I paused outside the door and raked my hands over my face. Fuck, I was tired. With Dallas’s help I was able to manage my pain and with all my friends and family behind me, the cravings were easy to handle. Now that Gabriella was awake I knew I would be okay. That didn’t mean I wanted to go in that room and face Carina Moreitti, though.
“Everything okay, Mr. Bryant?”
I lifted my head to look at the guard who had just spoken to me. I wasn’t sure what shifts Seller’s men were working on but I remembered the man in front of me well. I saw him about as often as I saw the roadies who worked for us. This big man had rarely spoken to me and I’d rarely paid him any attention, but having him speak to me now calmed some of the chaos storming through me.
I gave him a grim smile. “It’s getting better, dude. She’s awake.”
Nothing in the man’s face changed but I thought I saw something like relief flash in his eyes. “Good to hear.”
With a nod, I opened the door and stepped inside. The room wasn’t quite as full as it had been the last time I’d been in there. Jared Moreitti was gone and Emmie and the other Demons were still absent. Several voices halted when I entered the waiting room and I shifted my gaze to the loudest mouth in the small group that I knew had been talking about me.
“Why are they letting you back there with her?” Carina demanded, fire blazing in her eyes. “You aren’t family and you sure as hell aren’t anything to her.”
I didn’t bother to answer her as I turned my eyes to Alexis. “She’s awake,” I told her and her shoulders seemed to fall under the weight of her relief. “The doctor is in with her now and is going to make her comfortable. Maybe you should come back with me next time.”
Alexis’s smile was brighter than I’d seen it in a long time. “I will. Thank you, Liam. You’ve been so strong through all of this and that’s helped me keep my sanity. I really appreciate everything you’ve done.”
“What the hell has he done?” Carina demanded and I clenched my jaw, refusing to fall to her level. Whatever she had to say, she could say. It was probably the truth anyway. “Nothing but hurt her, that’s what. She wouldn’t have even been at that damn festival if it weren’t for him. He’s gotten her addicted to him, that’s all this is. If it weren’t for him, Gabriella wouldn’t be in there…”
“Mom!” Alexis turned on her mother with a look in her dark eyes that I’d never seen before. “You know nothing about it. Nothing. Gabs loves Liam, and that is something you will never understand because you’ve only ever been in love with your job. So back off. He’s been here every day, every damn hour. Yet you are just now getting here. That shows me exactly who cares for her more and right now you are falling dangerously low on the list of people I want near her.”
Carina’s eyes widened. “Alexis, what—”
“No, Mom.” Alexis shook her head, forcefully cutting off her mother. “You don’t get to come in here three days too late and start spewing hate about a man who has been in agony over the possibility of losing Gabs. So you either shut your damn mouth or I’ll have one of those scary men in suits outside escort you back to your hotel.”
The older Moreitti female clamped her mouth shut and moved away from her daughter. The fire had left her eyes as she dropped down onto a chair close to one of the windows. Alexis gave me an apologetic smile before moving to the opposite side of the room, as far away from Carina as the room permitted.
I was blown over. Alexis had taken up for me. That was… Yeah, that was a little crazy.
I felt a soft hand touching my arm and looked down to find Marissa beside me. She and Wroth had moved to stand with me, offering me support in the face of Carina’s wrath. I wrapped my arms around my sister’s shoulders and let her strength—her goodness—soak into me.
I’d been okay with Carina bad-mouthing me; I could have taken it.
Things like that rolled off my back. Yet, having Alexis take up for me like she had was affecting me. Very few people had ever done that for me. That, on top of all the other shit I’d had to deal with over the last three days, was making it hard for me to keep myself in check.
I hugged my sister for a long time, needing her love more than I needed anything else right then. Eventually the tightness in my chest and the stinging in my eyes started to ease and I pulled back enough to press a kiss to Marissa’s cheek. Kind blue eyes gazed lovingly up at me. “So, she’s awake?”
My lips eased into a small smile. “Yeah, Riss. She’s awake. I talked to her for a minute or two before she fell back to sleep. She’s going to be okay, I can feel it.”
Tears filled my sister’s eyes. “That’s great, Li. I’m so glad.”
I stepped back and she moved to wrap her arms around Wroth’s waist. She looked as tired as I felt but I selfishly wanted to keep her close. “Thanks for being here, Rissa.”
“There’s no other place we would be, Li.” She looked up at her husband. “Right?”
“Yeah, bro. We’re here as long as you need us.” Wroth’s deep, almost animalistic voice was low.
I clenched my jaw to keep from doing something stupid—like crying like a pussy over the love I saw shining out of my cousin’s eyes. Sure, I’d done enough crying the last few days to fill a fucking ocean, but this was different. All my life all I’d ever wanted was to be like Wroth, but I’d fucked that up from the get-go. I’d taken the wrong paths in life, and then had taken the long way back to a place where I could even begin to feel worthy of my family’s love.
A hard hand fell on my shoulder, giving it an almost painful squeeze, telling me that Wroth knew what I was feeling and that he loved me. I lowered my head and sucked in a deep breath before stepping back. “Yeah, okay. Thanks.”