by Jordan Marie
Eventually, I take out my phone and look up Ellie’s condition. Reading it now, it all makes sense. The constant migraines that seemed to be based behind her eye is a leading symptom. The harder fact to read is that fifty percent of people who have an aneurysm don’t survive. Fifteen percent don’t even survive the ambulance ride here. Then, there are the after effects. A lot of patients can suffer permanent neurological damage. My hands are shaking as I read all of this shit. Fear so deep that I can’t breathe settles inside of me. My legs are constantly moving, as my nerves get the better of me. Twenty-five percent of all patients who survive the initial rupture can die within six months from complications. All these facts are assaulting me like physical blows, but, it’s the triggers that can cause an aneurysm to burst that destroy me.
Fucking destroy me.
Strong emotions such as being upset or angry can raise blood pressure and cause aneurysms to rupture.
Being upset. Strong emotions….
I throw my phone across the waiting room. It slams against the wall and then drops to the cement floor. It lies there in pieces as I stare at it, wishing I could go back and take Ellie to the hospital when I first began to worry about the amount of migraines she had.
It feels like years before the doctor finally comes out. When he does, my heart flips inside of my chest.
“Liam Maverick?”
“That’s me,” I respond, trying to gage what he’s going to tell me by the look on his face, but I can’t tell.
“Let’s step into the consultation room,” he says, but I shake my head no.
“This is our family. It’s okay to talk in front of them.”
“We’ve repaired the vessel in her brain. She’s going to remain in ICU. I want to monitor her closely.”
“Will she… Was there… Will she…”
Fuck, I can’t even get the words out.
“Will she make a full recovery?” Devil asks, coming up beside me.
“It’s too soon to say. The next couple of weeks are crucial. If all goes well, she’ll need to have the metal plates removed in two weeks. In the meantime, we will need to monitor her to see if there are any neurological complications. I’m afraid I don’t have a timeline for you, Mr. Maverick. We have to go at your wife’s pace. I can tell you that she’s strong and came through the surgery extremely well. She’s definitely a fighter.”
“Yeah,” I murmur. “That’s my Ellie.”
“They’ll come and get you when she’s out of recovery and in critical care. You won’t be able to spend much time with her. It’s crucial right now she remain calm and have quiet. But I’ll give you a few minutes with her.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
He walks away and I’m left there with my brothers, Dani and Torrent, but I feel completely alone.
Please God, let her be okay…
Ellie
Four Weeks Later
* * *
“You don’t have to do this, Liam. I’ll be fine in a hotel or…”
“Ice, stop it. This is your home,” Liam says. Frustration and helplessness fill me.
“I don’t want you feeling like you have to let me stay here. You aren’t responsible for me, Liam. I don’t want to be an obligation.”
“Ellie, I love you. I know we have shit to work through, but we will work through it.”
“Liam, I know I hurt you. I don’t want you to keep me here because you’re trapped. I’ll be fine. You heard Dr. Maples, I’m doing extraordinary, all things considering.”
I look at Liam, and I’m pretty sure he looks as ragged as I do—although he doesn’t have one side of his head shaved. I haven’t cut my hair or done anything with it, either. I think I’m afraid to, but I’m going to tackle it soon. What I hate the most is feeling like I’m this weight around Liam’s neck. He’s practically lived at the hospital, moving into my room as soon as I was put on the regular floor. There were some small complications, and that required a second surgery and me staying in the hospital longer, but I’m assured everything is fine now and truth be known, I am feeling better, I’m just really tired. It’s just hard not to feel like you’re walking around with a ticking timebomb in your head. I know I came close to dying and that’s unnerved me more than anything.
“I’ve been telling you this for weeks and I don’t think you’ve truly listened, Ellie.”
“Liam—”
“So, I’m going to tell you again. We have problems, but we are going to work them out. We’re going to learn to come to each other and talk, not run away, or in my case, ignore it until it’s convenient. We’re going to make this marriage work.”
“We’re not married,” I point out, still afraid to believe him.
“That’s a minor point, Ice. We’re getting married this week.”
“Oh no, we’re not,” I argue, my eyes going round with shock. I think he might be insane.
“We most certainly are,” he says, coming over to the bed and going down on his knees, so that we are closer to eye level. “I almost lost you, Ellie. I’ve never been that scared in my life. I won’t stay away from you. You’re not moving out and that’s the end of it.” As he talks his finger brushes back and forth against my cheek and I close my eyes rapidly to stop the tears from falling. I seem to cry at the drop of a hat right now.
“Liam, I know you said we would put everything behind us and start fresh…”
“I was wrong,” he says, causing me to frown in confusion.
“You were?” I ask.
“Yeah, honey. I don’t want to put the past behind us. I don’t want to forget one moment of our lives together. What I want is for us both to learn that we’re stronger together and that’s how we need to tackle everything.”
“I…”
“Ellie,” he says tenderly.
“I’m scared, Liam.”
“I know, baby. But, you’re going to beat this thing and I’m going to be right by your side.”
“No, I mean, okay, I am scared about that, but I’m more worried about you feeling as if you’re forced to be with me.”
“Ellie, if anyone is being forced here, it’s you. I practically had to kidnap you from the hospital to get you here.”
“I fucked up, Liam.”
“You did.” I close my eyes as his forehead drops down to touch mine. “Ice, look at me.” I slowly do as he asks. He pulls away far enough away so I can focus on him. “You fucked up, but I did, too. I should have stayed and talked things through with you all those years ago.”
“You were under club orders, Liam.”
“I fucking love my brothers, Ellie. I love this club, it’s home, baby.”
“I know…”
“But, Ellie, you’re my world. I didn’t show that to you back then. I even made it worse by letting you leave and not coming after you. I fucked up.”
“I love you,” I whisper, unsure of what else to say.
“And I love you. This is it, Ellie. Most people don’t get a second chance. To my way of thinking, this is probably our third or fourth chance. We need to grab it with both hands and not let go.”
“Together,” I murmur.
“Definitely together, Ellie.”
“You’re not signing on to anything great, Liam. I look like something out of a Stephen King novel and you heard what the doctor said about—”
I stop when he puts his fingers against my lips.
“We fight like hell, together, Ice. You’ll beat this because we have our whole lives in front of us. I want children with you. I want to grow old with you.”
“I might not ever be able to have children, Liam, and with all of this…”
“Look at Dani and Crusher, Ellie. Do you think they look at that brood they have as anything less than theirs?”
“No,” I admit.
“Let’s take all of this one step at a time. Okay, baby?”
“One step at a time,” I repeat.
“Hand in hand,” he adds, his fingers brushing across my
knuckles.
“Hand in hand. I’ll never let you down again, Liam.”
“We might let each other down, Ice. That’s part of being human, but we’ll work it out. Won’t we?”
“We’re still not getting married,” I warn him.
“We are. The preacher is coming out to the club in two days. You are most definitely marrying me.”
“Liam, I can’t. I refuse to marry you looking like this.”
“You’re gorgeous,” he argues, causing me to roll my eyes—even if it’s painful.
“Will you be serious?” I huff.
“I am. I’m marrying you in two days, Ice. If you want a big wedding after your hair grows out, then we will do that. I’ll do anything you want, but whatever happens, you are marrying me in two days.”
“You’re so damn bossy, Liam.”
“Shut up and kiss me, Ice.”
I finally just give up arguing. I guess I’m getting married looking like the bride of Frankenstein. I want to look beautiful for Liam, but we’re together and he loves me. That is more than enough. So, I kiss him and send up a prayer of thanks. Somehow through everything we’ve faced, all of the wrong turns we’ve made, we ended up here…together.
Epilogue One
Fury
Two Months Later
* * *
“You about ready for bed, Ellie?”
She turns to smile at me, leaning against me.
“God, how I wish you were asking me that question to give me sex,” she mutters, making me laugh.
“Soon, Ice.”
“Easy for you to say,” she huffs.
“Don’t you believe it, Ellie. I’m aching for you.”
“We could cheat and do it early. I won’t tell my doctor if you don’t,” she suggests, but I shake my head no.
“Absolutely not. No sex until your doctor gives you the all clear.”
“You better be resting up, Liam. Once I get healed up I’m going to wear you out.”
“Now you’re just teasing me.”
“No, I’m warning you. I’m going to use your cock so much that it will be a miracle I don’t break it.”
“I always knew you were the perfect woman,” I grin, leaning down to kiss her. Our kiss is long, slow, and full of frustration. We both definitely want more.
“A kiss like that should be followed by sex, Liam,” she mumbles when we break apart.
“Would you settle for me carrying you to bed, snuggling in our pajamas and watching those horrible Christmas movies you like?”
“In a little bit? For now, I just want to stay here with our family,” she replies and I smile at her. I look over at my brothers and their wives. It’s a family dinner tonight and we’ve all moved out around the bar, soft music playing over the speaker.
They’ve all been so good to Ellie since she came back. I know she was scared, but things have just clicked into place. Diesel and Rory have been her biggest supporters, making sure she has everything she needs to be comfortable. I would have left all of them to keep Ellie in my life. When she first told me her secret, I thought I would be forced to do that. I’m glad that it didn’t have to come to that. Because right now, I have everything a man could want and more.
Epilogue Two
Devil
“What are you thinking, Logan?”
I look up at my wife. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t hear her come into the room. I reach out my hand to her and she takes it. I pull her down into my lap, leaning into her to give her a kiss.
“I was thinking that I’m probably the luckiest motherfucker on the face of the earth,” I tell her when we break apart.
“I think that’s my line,” she whispers, her hand sliding against the side of my face. “I’ve put you through so much.”
“You’ve given me the world, Angel. I’d go through it all again, just to be sitting here like this with you right now, surrounded by my family.”
She curls into me deeper, her head going down to press against the side of my neck as she looks out at my brothers and their old ladies. Diesel and Rory are standing by the bar, laughing with Dani and Crusher. Down from them Fury and Ellie are talking to each other, their concentration on each other so complete that it’s a toss-up on if they realize there are other people in the same room. Rebel and his new girlfriend are out on the dance floor, same with Scorpion and the woman he’s been dating for the last month.
It’s easy to tell that everyone here is happy and satisfied. I’m glad, I want that for my family, but there’s no way in hell they are as happy as I am right now.
Torrent and I have come through hell, and through it all we’ve held onto one another. I wasn’t lying to her, even though sometimes I wonder if she thinks so.
I’d go through every damn thing again, even Wolf’s torture. I’d endure it all to be the bastard that gets to hold onto her like this, and be the man in her bed.
Life is sweet and fuck if it just doesn’t keep getting sweeter.
“I love you, Logan.”
“I love you, too, Angel. I always will.”
We kiss then, and I realize that my brother Fury and I are just alike, because I love my wife so much that other people in the room cease to exist for me, too.
Epilogue Three
Diesel
Later That Night
* * *
“Noah, you’ve been quiet all night. Are you okay?”
I look over at Rory and give her a smile to reassure her.
“I’m good baby. I swear. I just have Ryan on my mind.”
Rory walks over to the bed and slides under the covers. She’s wearing one of my old t-shirts. I’d rather have her naked, but she doesn’t like to sleep that way because of Ryan. He has a habit of coming into our room late at night. He doesn’t do it as much now as he used to, but the possibility is always out there.
I tunnel my hand under the t-shirt and spread my hand against the warm flesh of her stomach.
“Ryan will be fine, you know,” she says gently, those beautiful eyes of hers watching me closely.
“I know, it’s just hard to let him go,” I tell her. Ryan has a class trip tomorrow to the zoo in Ohio and a theme park. He and the other kids will be staying overnight in a hotel, and the thought of him being that far away from me makes me feel like I can’t breathe.
“I thought that would be your reaction. So, me, being the perfect wife that I am—”
“You are the perfect wife,” I tell her, leaning down to press a quick kiss against her lips.
“You do your best to never forget that, got it?” she says with a laugh.
“Trust me, I won’t, Gorgeous.”
“Good. Now, do you want to know what I’ve done that makes me the perfect wife?”
“I’m afraid that list is too long to go over, Baby.”
“Keep that up, Noah and you’re going to get lucky tonight.”
“My dick is always up and ready when you’re around,” I joke and then laugh when she rolls her eyes at me.
“That was so bad. Don’t make lame jokes like that when we’re in Ohio tomorrow. They may kick us out.”
“Ohio? But—”
“Dani is babysitting, Crusher will watch over the club while you and I go to Ohio as chaperones for Ryan’s field trip.”
“Chaperones? You’re shitting me?”
“If you think I’m going to let our little boy go all the way to Ohio without us, you’re crazy, Noah.”
Our little boy.
As many times as she says that, I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to it.
“I love you, Rory.”
“I know and I love you, more. I’ll always love you more.”
As smart as my woman is, she’s wrong about this. I don’t argue with her, though. Instead I set about proving it to her with my body. In the end, I’m not sure I succeed, because she gives her body to me just as fiercely.
Epilogue Four
Fury
Two Years Later
&nb
sp; * * *
Charlene Eva Lee Maverick is perfection. There’s no other way to say it.
I look over at the bed. Ellie is lying on her side and our little angel is snuggled up against her. Evie’s features are so much like her mother, from her soft blonde hair, to the shape of her sweet face and her sweet blue eyes. She’s smart, funny, inquisitive and happy. Hell, she’s all of that and more and I’m definitely a proud father.
This past year has flown by and it’s been all good. Ellie’s recovery has been hard, but she has come through everything and remarkably has no real lasting aftereffects. We’ve worked on getting us where we need to be as a couple. It hasn’t been easy either, but it was more than worth it. We’re solid now, Ellie and I. Old ghosts have been put to rest.
We’re raising Evie in a house right next to the club, and Ellie has completely embraced being part of the Savage Brothers. In fact, her, Dani, Torrent, and Rory are so tight that sometimes I think they’re closer than I am with my brothers. We truly are a family and that brings me more joy than I could ever explain.
So long ago, I took one look at Ellie and knew that she was it for me. I wanted her forever and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that would never change. It hasn’t. If anything, I’m even more certain. I never want to be without her. I live for her and Evie.
I lay down on the bed, as gently as I can, just needing to be close to my girls. My daughter remains sleeping, but Ellie opens her eyes at once. Her full lips spread into a smile as she looks at me.
“Liam,” she whispers. That’s all she says, but there’s so much happiness and satisfaction wrapped up in the sound of my name that my heart squeezes in my chest.
“Missed you, Ice.”