by T Gephart
Never had I been so glad to see Riley, his hand pressed against Mack’s chest with a single focused determination. Considering the guy had a newborn, probably hadn’t slept much, and had made a mercy dash from Brooklyn, he looked surprisingly calm.
“What are you doing here? Why aren’t you home with Quinn and Ava?” Mack focused on North, not having seen him arrive.
“Because I was needed here. Now stand down, Mack. You might be able to take on one of us, but not even you can take on all three.” North wouldn’t back down and we all knew it, the best chance of Mack getting to the hospital was to comply.
“Fine, you drive. But you drive like you have a purpose, North.” He fingered him hard in the chest. “And someone find out where the hell they’re taking her. We also need to call her family.”
“I can do that. Her brother is her emergency contact. I’ll call.” A blonde woman who was apparently the store manager had appeared, trying to reassure Mack. “Go, just get one of your guys to let me know which hospital.”
I was already on the phone as North and Mack left, finding out which hospital the ambulance was going to so I could pass on the information.
“She’s going to New York-Presbyterian Allen on Broadway,” I told the manager, Tibbs texting the info to Mack as I ended the call. “They’re probably going to need to take her straight to surgery.”
The manager nodded, grabbing her own phone as she left me and Tibbs with the cops. It was crazy to think how close Hayden came to dying; the only thing saving her was that Lewis hadn’t just been the worst person alive, but a lousy shot as well. He’d grazed a couple of ribs, hitting her in the chest but missing anything vital. It was the kind of luck you prayed for, and more than often didn’t get delivered.
“We need to get back to Midtown.” I nodded to Tibbs, fisting my keys. “Presley.”
Her name had been enough of an explanation, Tibbs nodding as he followed me back outside to my car.
“You really love her, Jared?”
It was the first time he’d said my real name in years. The sound of it so foreign in his mouth, it almost felt wrong.
“More than I ever thought was possible.” I stopped short, looking him in the eyes before getting into the car. “She’s the one for me.”
He nodded. “Good, because she’s going to need you now more than ever. This shit isn’t going to be over for her even if Lewis is out of the picture. You saw her back at Diablo, she blames herself and she’s going to need someone who is going to stick around. She’s going to say she’s fine because that’s what Presley does, but Brother, she is going to be so far from fine.”
He wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t already know, seeing the weight of responsibility in Presley’s eyes before we’d left the club. It was why it had been so hard to leave, even though I knew she’d be safe.
“I’m in this for the long haul, Justin. I’m not going anywhere.”
He shot me a look of relief. “Then let’s go.”
Presley
“FUCK, FUCK, FUCK.” I paced back and forth in my office, Bennett perched on the desk, watching me.
I’d been going out of my mind until Jared called, every worst-case scenario flashing before my eyes as I imagined poor Hayden with the monster I used to share my bed with.
And then when Jared called, my mental roulette just got worse.
Lewis shot her.
SHOT HER.
Never would I have believed he could do that to someone, let alone a person who was once his sister-in-law. I still couldn’t believe Lewis and Hayden’s ex-husband were brothers. That we were somehow connected by a sad and tragic thread of terrible men.
God, I’d been so stupid.
So fucking stupid.
“Stop doing that. I’m getting fucking seasick,” Bennett grunted. “You heard what they said. She’s going into surgery, she’s going to be fine.”
My feet stopped moving.
Not because I was worried about making Bennett sick, but because he was being so casual. And yes, I knew he didn’t do drama, his resting heart rate rarely getting elevated except when he worked out. It was one of the reason’s I’d hired him in the first place. He was clinical, precise, solution orientated, and basically unflappable.
But Hayden had been shot by my ex-boyfriend.
“You don’t know she’s going to be fine. She could code on the table, she could die from sepsis, she could—”
“And monkeys could fly out of my ass.” He folded his arms across his chest and pointed to the empty chair behind my desk. “Sit down. You don’t want to believe me, believe Smoke Alarm. You think he’d lie to you?”
“You know his goddamn name,” I groaned, giving up my commitment to wear a hole in the floor and sitting in the stupid chair.
Bennett laughed, not concerned in the slightest that tonight might be the time I actually followed through with firing him. “It’s more fun my way. And you didn’t answer my question. Do you think—”
“Jared. Jared or Leighton, say it,” I spat out, frustrated.
“Jar-ed,” he elongated his name unnecessarily, “would lie to you?”
His eyes were on mine, forcing them to connect with his, and I cursed under my breath because he was right.
“No, no he wouldn’t lie.”
Jared had assured me she was still breathing when Hayden had left in the ambulance. And that she was going to get the best medical care. And that he loved me and would be there soon.
Bennett was right.
I needed to trust him.
My head fell into my hands, the weight of my skull feeling too heavy for my own neck. “If anything happens to her—” I couldn’t finish the thought.
Hayden might have once been related to the guy, but he was in the parking lot because of me. He was there for money. My money.
“Then the asshole who did it will wear the blame. Not you.”
The sound of his voice snapped my head up, Jared standing in my doorway flanked by my brother. “This isn’t your fault.”
I didn’t bother answering, out of my chair so fast that I didn’t even realize I’d ran until my arms were around his neck. “If—”
He didn’t let me finish, kissing me in front of Bennett and Tibbs and pulling me closer to his body. And I was kissing him back before I realized that, while Bennett might’ve known we were together, my brother sure as hell didn’t.
“Oh my God,” I pulled back, my mouth struggling for words. “Tibbs.”
He rolled his eyes, not wearing the same shock I was as he smiled. “I know you two are together. Leighton told me.”
I didn’t even care about the circumstances; glad he didn’t seem angry and that I could go back to kissing Jared.
My lips found his again, my emotions bubbling to the surface as I sought out more of him. His hands wrapped around my body while my fingers yanked at his shirt, both of us lost in each other as his kiss said everything he needed to say without uttering a word.
Tibbs cleared his throat. “Hey, I said I knew you guys were together. Not sure I want to see you make out. You guys want to save that for later? Like when I’m not around and when we don’t have to get to the hospital.”
“The hospital,” I nodded feeling like a selfish bitch making out with my hot boyfriend while Hayden was in hospital. “We need to go now.”
I had never left the club before closing.
Even when I’d been sick, half dead and tired, I dragged my animated corpse to work and limited my contact with everyone else so I didn’t give them the plague.
But I was always there.
“B, can you close for me?” The words I’d never said before fell from my lips easily. “I’ll handle all the reports in the morning, just get everyone out and lock up.”
His brows popped in surprise but recovered quickly. “Sure thing, Boss. You need anything else before you leave?”
“Nothing, and thanks.” I let go of Jared briefly, heading to my desk and collecting my handbag
. “We should go.”
“Okay, let’s go.” Jared nodded, looping my fingers through his as I joined him at the doorway.
There was no hesitation, walking through Diablo—that was still filled with bodies—and leaving, like it was the most natural thing to do. I knew it would be okay, and my presence was required somewhere more important.
Jared’s Mustang was parked in the same lot Lewis had taken Hayden, a shiver running through my body as we walked toward the car. Tibbs offered to sit in the back, the idea of him folding himself into the tiny space so ridiculous I just shook my head. I popped the passenger seat, sliding into the back bench seat before Jared and Tibbs both climbed in.
The engine roared to life, Jared flying out of the parking lot and into the street, before I’d even done up my seatbelt. He’d been patient in Diablo, not rushing me, but I understood the need to get to the hospital. God, Mack must be a mess.
“Is someone with Mack?” I asked from the backseat.
“North,” Tibbs offered over his shoulder. “Leighton called him and he met us at Target, he drove Chief to the hospital.”
The tightness in my chest eased knowing Riley was with him. I hated to think he was alone, and could only imagine what he must be feeling.
The trip to the hospital was made in silence. Tibbs giving Cap a status report while trading text messages with North who was with Chief, both Jared and I listening as he relayed information. My hands were knotted in my lap, watching traffic pass in a blur until we reached New York-Presbyterian Allen.
We were ushered into a waiting room. Hayden’s brother and sister-in-law, along with a blond I didn’t recognize, were already waiting with North and Mack. Chief looked terrible, like he hadn’t slept in a month, his hair ruffled at weird angles from having his hands run through it too many times.
Like I was on autopilot, I walked up to Mack and offered him a hug. He gave me a weak smile, circling me with his big arms as I told him I was sorry again.
“It’s not your fault, Presley.” He dropped a soft kiss on the top of my head. “So stop apologizing.”
It was hard to agree, my nodding more to placate everyone than because I actually believed it. I took a seat, feeling useless as I waited like everyone else.
Jared slung his arm around me, pulling me closer as he kissed my forehead. I needed to be touched, wondering if it would raise too many eyebrows if I crawled into his lap and snuggled against his chest.
I’d never been that girl.
Never needed a man to be my anchor, happy to fill that role for myself.
But it was different with Jared, it just felt less like an emotional dependency and instead, a partnership of support. And at that moment, it was support that I needed.
When the doctor finally came to tell us Hayden was out of surgery, I almost wept in relief. Her vitals were strong, but she was still in recovery, the doctor letting Mack know he’d be able to see her soon.
I’d never seen Mack so grateful, shaking the doctor’s hand like he was going to dislocate the poor guy’s shoulder.
“I’m going to get some coffee,” I whispered to Jared, needing something to do other than sit around and feel terrible. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll come with you,” he offered, standing up before I’d had a chance to agree.
His fingers linked into mine, North raising a brow when he saw our joined hands, but he didn’t say anything. Even if he didn’t guess what our hand-holding meant, I wasn’t exactly going to make an announcement.
Hey guess what everyone, Hayden didn’t die annnnd I’m dating Leighton! Woo-hoo!
Yeah, that was going to have to wait for another day, hopefully one that felt less shitty.
There was a vending machine next to the coffee one, Leighton pushing in some dollar bills and getting some candy bars while I got some coffee. I’d planned to get some for everyone but was stopped from pressing the button again by Leighton’s hand after the first two.
“Why don’t we take a minute, sit out here, and then we’ll go back in.” His head tipped to a couple of random seats by the machines. “It’s going to be a while before we’ll be allowed to see her.”
I nodded wordlessly, letting my weight sink into one of the plastic chairs as Jared took the one beside it. The coffee was terrible but hot, the brown watery liquid burning my mouth when I tried to sip it.
My eyes stayed hypnotized on the paper cup, concentrating so hard on the swirling patterns in the coffee that my eyes started to water.
“I have to ask, Presley. I need to know what you need right now. I don’t want to push you to talk about it, but if you do, I’ll listen.”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged, feeling like it was the first time in my life where I didn’t have a plan. “I don’t know what I need.”
Kinda ironic that someone who could run a multimillion-dollar business with all its moving parts, couldn’t decide what she needed at a single point in time. But that was where I was, too many foggy thoughts to sort through and no idea how to start organizing them.
“Then I’ll wait until you tell me.” He wrapped an arm around me and took a sip from his cup, not at all concerned there was no timeline for how long that was going to take.
I was glad someone wasn’t worried, because even if I didn’t admit it out loud, I was rattled.
And that wasn’t something I liked or aspired to be.
Great.
I was flying blind, hoping that at some point, my instincts kicked in and I’d know what to do.
Because the current, uncertain and indecisive version of myself, sucked.
Jared
IT HAD BEEN a week since Hayden had been shot.
Mack had proposed to Hayden the minute she was out of recovery, and we’d all packed into her tiny room to congratulate them. It was good to see her awake and smiling, Mack making it his job to make sure she wanted for nothing.
He was finally able to take her home to his condo in Midtown, taking some personal time to be with her while she recovered. It was good to see Chief so happy, his beaming smile, the kind of thing that made you believe that everything was going to be okay.
But for Presley and I, it was a different story.
I’d gone home with her that night after the hospital and stayed at her apartment. She’d spent most of the time in my arms, unable to sleep as she stared off into space. I knew what trauma looked like, having seen it firsthand on the job. And it didn’t present with visible scars.
She’d said she was fine, shaking off my concern with a promise that a decent night’s sleep and getting back into her routine would fix it. Because that was how it worked, her version of dealing with it as effective as slapping a Band-Aid over a gunshot wound.
Determined to keep my word and not push, I let her set the pace while keeping a close eye on her. With our relationship out in the open, it had made things easier, except for at the stationhouse where Cole was confused why I was allowed to date Presley, but he apparently wasn’t.
“You hear from Presley?” Tibbs was still wearing a towel, both of us having just returned from a house fire. “Don’t you think she should’ve taken some time off? Not like they couldn’t have managed for a couple of days without her.”
“Why don’t you tell her, Tibbs. I’m sure she’s itching to have someone else tell her what she needs.” I laughed, the suggestion she take a vacation shot down the minute I’d suggested it. “And no, I haven’t heard from her tonight.”
Presley didn’t like being told what to do.
That wasn’t anything new.
But I’d hoped the next day when she woke up and evaluated the amount of stress and shock she’d gone through, she might have taken a day or two. Or at least not taken off my fucking head for suggesting it.
Instead, she was right back at Diablo the next night, wearing a dress that made me impossibly hard and acting like nothing had happened. She was flawless, her smile almost looking sincere as she moved through the club, greeting everyon
e and letting them get their face time like it was business as usual.
She even let me tag along, pulling me into her office sometime around two a.m. and begged me to fuck her on that huge desk of hers. And while I’d never turn down sex with Presley, there was something about it that felt all wrong.
It was the first time we’d made love since the shooting, the night before spent in bed cuddling rather than fucking. So I’d wanted it to be special. Not like rose petals on the floor and fucking Bruno Mars playing on the stereo. But slow and considerate, making sure that every single part of her body got the attention it deserved.
Instead she’d unzipped my jeans, hiked up her dress and told me to fuck her.
Not make love.
To. Fuck. Her.
And because I wasn’t sure I could say no to her, even if I wanted to—and I didn’t—I did exactly that. Laid her down on the smooth wood of her desk and pounded into her until she was screaming so loudly I wasn’t sure where one orgasm finished and another started.
And that was about it.
She didn’t withdraw or push me away, it was really the opposite. Since we no longer had to sneak around, she loved me hugging her in front of her staff before the doors opened or kissing her when the last person left.
Instead she pushed it away.
The shooting.
Lewis.
The whole thing.
Digging herself back into her life like NOTHING had happened.
“She’s okay, though, right?” Tibbs echoed exactly what had been on my mind.
I sighed, refusing to lie to my best friend and honestly just wanting someone to talk to. “Tibbs, I don’t think she is okay. How can she be? It’s a lot for anyone to process and she hasn’t. Like at all. She won’t talk about any of it. It’s like that part no longer exists. And while I know I’m no shrink, repressing it can’t be healthy. One way or another, it’s going to work its way to the surface, and she won’t be ready for it when it does.”
He blew out a low whistle, shaking his head because, deep down, I think he already knew. “Shit, maybe I need to talk to my parents. See if they can get through to her.”