by Addison Jane
I think to Everly and how he hurt her.
It’s all the motivation I need.
Tightening my hands into fists, I bring my right fist up and slam it into the side of his temple. He falls to the floor beside me shaking his head as I climb on top of him. He looks dazed like the hit has frazzled him. Good!
Bringing my fist back, I force it forward and slam it down hard and fast, getting in a good hit finally straight into his nose. A resounding crack echoes through the gym as blood spirts out all over my pants, and he moans loudly as his head flops to the side. But it’s not enough.
Anger surges through me.
He hurt her.
Another punch, in the nose again. Blood coats my knuckles, it pours down his face, his skin turning black and blue and yet it doesn’t satisfy me.
I punch again, and again until he starts to gurgle. I’m in a haze, red is all I see.
A flash of him hurting her.
A flash of him touching her.
Red.
So much red.
“Luca! Stop.” Hands grab me under my arms and hoist me from where I straddle Brandon. They drag me off him, as I continue to try to get to him in a rage. “Luca. Take a breath,” Kace hisses, his face now coming into my view rather than the bloodied body of Brandon.
I let out a long drawn out breath and flop to the floor.
My body aches.
So bad.
But I feel lighter.
He hurt her.
How could he do that?
“Luca, you with me?” Kace asks, and I let out a long puff of air.
I nod. “Yeah… I’m with you.”
The door to the gym opens, and Noah sticks his head in. “You’ve got about ninety seconds before the cameras kick back on,” he exclaims then slides back out.
Kace hoists me up from the ground handing me my elbow crutch. Man, have I never been happier to see that piece of shit walking stick. I limp taking it in my hand, and walk over to Brandon who’s coming to and looks up at me through puffed red eyes. “If you ever… and I mean ever… go near Everly or any other woman in this Agency again... I swear, next time, I won’t stop. And just remember, you got your ass handed to you by a cripple when you think you’re top shit,” I jab and then slap his side with my crutch hard making him wince from where I punched him in his ribs. He moans as Kace chuckles at me and we go to walk out.
“Hey, little lady… you want to help me up?” Brandon murmurs through a blood-soaked mouth, and Tanner turns shaking her head.
“You’ve got to be kidding me?” She reaches for her gun in her holster and pulls it out aiming it at Brandon, flicking off the safety. Kace rushes over to her, dragging the gun down to face the floor.
“Tanner, not today.”
“Fuck, please? It would be so worth it, Kace,” she begs, and I raise my brow with a slight smirk as Brandon clenches his jaw in what looks like fear. Good, little fucker should be scared, because Tanner wouldn’t hold back if she was serious.
“No. That’s an order. Holster your weapon,” Kace demands, and Tanner pouts placing her gun in her holster and shrugs.
“Next time, Brandon. Next time,” she warns and strides over to him, his eyes open wide as she steps in between his legs and proceeds to kick him right in the balls. He yelps out in agony making Kace, Eli and I laugh as we turn and head for the gym doors.
“I’ll get you for that, you little bitch,” Brandon calls out.
“I think it’s you cowering on the floor holding your balls who is the little bitch, Brandon,” Tanner calls back as we head out of the gym.
My hip is aching like a motherfucker, and I wait for the door to fully close before I bend over and take a breath. I didn’t want Brandon to see how that utterly fucked me up.
Kace rushes in grabbing hold to steady me while shaking his head. “Fuck Luca, that was stupid.”
I snort as I stumble slightly on the spot while Kace loops my arm around his neck for support, hoisting me against him as we all head away from the gym. “Yep… it was in regards to me, but he needed to be shown he can’t fuck around with my girl, Kace…” I pause looking up at him, and he nods knowing my thoughts before I even have to say them.
“I know, I need to take you to the hospital anyway to get you checked you out. You’ve probably fucked yourself up, you fucking idiot.”
“It was great to watch, though. Seeing Brandon having his ass handed to him. Gotta give you props for that, Luca,” Tanner chimes in, bringing her hand up and giving my arm a slight squeeze.
I look at Eli and wince. “Thanks for looking out for her man.”
He shakes his head and exhales. “Sorry, I couldn’t have gotten there sooner to stop him from hurting her. I heard the commotion, and I hesitated… I should have gotten in there quicker.”
“You got her out of there, that’s the main thing. Thank you, Eli, I owe you,” I tell him, and he waves it off as we enter the back hall toward the elevator.
“What you owe me is to get to the fucking hospital and get checked out. Don’t fuck about, Luca, this team needs you. And if your hip is out of action, so are you. Get back to health, brother. Okay?” Eli asks, and I nod as Kace presses for the elevator.
“Kace, do you want any of us to come to the hospital with you?” Axel asks.
He shakes his head. “No, you all stay here and deal with the drama that will undoubtedly unfold with Brandon. I’ll sort out Luca and touch base with you all once I know how he and Everly are doing.”
They all nod, and I look back at my team, the people who always have my back. “Thanks, guys, for having my back in there. I know this could come back to bite us, but you all were there for Everly and me. That means a lot.”
Tanner smiles and shrugs. “We’re not just a team, Luca. We’re a family. We stick together. No matter what. If one of us falls, we all fall. Remember that.”
Warmth floods through me, and for the first time in a long time, I feel like even though I’m in immense pain right now, that even though I grew up without a family, these people right here are my family, and will be with me through thick and thin. No matter what.
“Right, let’s get you checked out,” Kace announces as the elevator arrives and we walk inside. “Tell Jack where we’re headed, and I’ll give him a report as soon as I’m able,” Kace instructs to the rest of our team. They all nod as the doors close, and I take a deep breath leaning against Kace.
He looks down at me and shakes his head. “You really had to go that hardcore on the guy, dip shit?”
I slump into him taking his strength to support me. “He deserved it.”
Kace chuckles. “He did, no doubt. But you don’t deserve the pain you’re going to go through now trying to recover again.”
Exhaling, I wince trying to move my leg into a more comfortable position. “Hopefully, it’s just a sprain. And anyway my recovery will just have to wait. I need to see Everly first before I do anything.”
Kace groans as the elevator pulls to a stop, the doors opening and he leads me into the underground parking garage. “There’s nothing I can say that’s going to make you get checked out first is there?”
Shaking my head, I chuckle. “Would you get checked out first, or tend to Lily?”
He huffs and leads me to his car. “Fuck, okay. But as soon as we know she’s fine, you get checked out. No arguments.”
“You’re so bossy, you know that?”
Kace smirks dropping his arm from around me and leaning me against his truck. “Lily likes my bossy side.”
I shudder and shake my head. “I don’t wanna know, man.”
Kace smiles pressing the button to unlock the truck and yanks open the door. “Get in, invalid.”
I slide into the truck, thoughts of Everly in the hospital running back through my mind. My jaw clenches as Kace gets in starting the car, and I grit my teeth hating that Brandon hurt her.
The fucking bastard.
“Get there quickly, Kace,” I tell him.
Toward my girl.
Toward the moment where I will finally talk to Everly again, and tell her how I feel.
I need to stop being a fucking pussy about this shit. She means too much to me for me to let what we have, go to waste now.
I can’t let this go.
I can’t let her go.
And I’m going to tell her.
I just need to get to her. To see her. To make sure that she’s okay. Kace looks to me as I try to rush faster than my legs will allow, and he reaches out grabbing me and pulls me to a stop.
“Luca, you need to calm yourself. Going in there the way you are now will only scare her. You have blood all over your knuckles and your fucking pants. You look like a fucking mess. You need to control yourself. Take a damn breath.”
Clenching my eyes, I take a breath and nod. “Sorry. I just… I haven’t spoken to her properly in too long. I don’t know how she’s going to take seeing me even.” Opening my eyes, I look to Kace, and he winces placing his hands on my shoulders and looks into my eyes.
“Luca, she adores you. She’s hurt, and I bet right now she’s thinking about you as much as you are her. Just relax. Don’t freak her out… you’re freaking me the fuck out.”
I wince and roll my eyes. “Cockhead,” I snort.
“C’mon, let’s go see her,” he instructs leading me down to the end of the corridor at a more normal pace.
We turn, and her room number comes into view. A sense of relief flooding over me as I tilt my head toward it and Kace nods walking with me. We arrive at her door to hear voices coming from inside. I glance around the door to see a man standing by her bed holding her hand. I pause, not wanting to interrupt as she looks at him. But it’s the way she looks at him that has me in shock. She’s looking at him with adoration and if I’m not mistaken… love.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, Sunshine…”
Pausing, I can’t see his face. He’s facing her, his back to me, but I can tell he’s smiling at her. “You know I’ll still love you anyway.”
She weakly smiles back at him, the love pouring off her is unwavering. It shocks me, as I stand watching her with another man looking at him like I want her to look at me. Kace reaches out gripping my arm right as Everly grips her hand tighter on the man’s hand. “I love you, too…”
Everly keeps talking but my ears begin to ring, and fog enters my brain as I turn into the hall feeling my world crashing in on me.
She clearly loves another man.
I’m too late.
I left it too long.
Fuck!
I have to get away. So I start walking. Kace is by my side. He says nothing as I madly dash through the hospital hall. My hip burning with the force I’m pounding into it. Finally, I pull up in a waiting area and need to sit. Just for a moment. So I turn, slumping down into a plastic chair, throwing my crutch onto the floor with a loud thud as Kace slides into the chair beside me. I run my hands through my hair, while Kace assesses me and clears his throat. “It might not be what you think, Luca.”
I snort and shake my head. “She just told another man she loves him…” I shrug and shake my head. “I never stood a chance.”
Kace winces and places his hand on my shoulder squeezing it tightly. “You’re angry. You’re hurt. You’re in pain, emotionally and physically. I think you need to let yourself cool down, and when your head is clearer, go back and talk to her. Get everything out in the open. You have to work together, so I think being honest with each other is the best option here, Luca.”
Nodding, I sigh. “Yeah… you’re right. But not yet, not while he’s there.”
Kace nods. “That gives us time to get you looked at, and look where we are.”
I glance up to see somehow we’ve managed to make it into the Emergency waiting area. I screw up my face. “Fine, I’ll get checked out, but only because I’m here.”
Kace nods and walks up to the check-in station, and I sit back and huff. I had no idea this day could get worse, but fuck me if it didn’t just smack me in the face. Hard.
Well, fuck today.
Fuck Brandon.
And fuck that guy in Everly’s room.
Whoever the hell he is.
After hours of waiting in Emergency, I was finally seen by some sassy little doctor who didn’t like the idea that I’d gotten into a ‘bar fight’ and that’s how I’d gotten all the blood on me. She was quite adamant in my condition I shouldn’t even be frequenting a bar, much less fighting. But she checked me over and said I’d just sprained the muscles around my hip, but the hip was still in place and hadn’t dislocated again. Thank God. And with a little rest, it should come good.
Great, more damn rest!
Something I don’t need, or want. But Kace said if I needed more time off duty, I am to take it. And depending on how my talk with Everly goes, I might very well need it.
But I’m hoping now—it’s been hours since I came in and saw Everly with that mystery man—he’s gone home. Hospital visiting hours are almost over, and as I make my way back to her room, I have to admit, I’m nervous. Talking through my problems has never been a strong suit of mine, and admitting to Everly my feelings for her, might be the wrong move. But fuck! I need to clear the air with her, get everything out there so we can move on with our lives and work together in the best way possible.
Kace has gone for the night. I told him to head off and report back to Jack, and I’d cab it home and catch up with him when I get there. But walking up to her room, I can’t help but feel anxious about how this will go down. Seeing her before, all I cared about was how she was doing. Was she okay? But then hearing her say ‘I love you’ to another man broke something inside of me. It made me realize that I don’t want her to say those three words to anyone but me.
Stepping up to her door, I take a centering breath and round the corner to see her alone, her eyes closed and looking so peaceful it makes me smile. She’s so fucking beautiful it makes my chest ache. Knowing Brandon hurt her today and she’s in here because of that, makes my chest ache for an entirely different reason. But I push that to the backburner and step inside of her room trying to be stealthy, as I walk with my crutch up to the side of her bed.
She slowly opens her eyes, they’re glassy, and she blinks a few times taking me in as a slow smile creeps up on her face. She then glances to my pants, and her brows scrunch up, and she shifts up in the bed dramatically as she sits up looking me over with a frown. “What the hell happened to you?”
I take a seat in the chair beside her bed and exhale. “Brandon won’t bother you anymore.”
Her face turns pale, and she grips the edge of her bed, almost like it’s for support. “Luca, what have you done?”
“Don’t worry, Snowstorm, I didn’t kill him if that’s what you’re thinking…” she relaxes slightly, but her stare on me is still stern. “I just roughed him up a little.”
“Why the hell would you do that and risk your recovery?” Everly demands.
My chest tightens as I slam my hand down on the armrest of the chair and look her dead in her eyes. “Because I fucking love you! And it sucks. I feel it so damn strongly that it hurts my fucking heart. And then to hear you say those words to someone else… well, it almost killed me.” I sink into the chair feeling relieved to have not only told her that I love her, but to let her know that I know, she doesn’t love me back.
Her eyes glisten as she shakes her head, her eyes darting around the room like she’s trying to take in all that information. Heavy breaths are being forced through her nostrils, and I have no idea why she’s so affected by what I’ve just said.
She looks to me and winces. “What do you mean hearing me say it to someone else, Luca?”
I look away from her. “I came here before… there was some guy next to you, and you were professing you
r love for each other…” I pause and continue, “… I was so stupid, Everly. While I was avoiding you, leaving distance between us, I left it too long. Long enough for you to find someone else. But you have to understand I thought I was doing the right thing for you, for us. I didn’t want to be broken when I came back to you. I wanted to be a man that’s good enough for you…” I trail off and look down at the floor.
She rolls on her side facing me. I can’t bear to look at her. I’m laying it all out there, but I doubt it will change anything.
“I do love Andy.” I cringe hearing his all-American goody-two-shoes name. “We used to be together when we went to school, but our love is… different now.”
I put my hand up to stop her. “You don’t have to explain. Honestly, I don’t think I want to know.”
She giggles and I furrow my brows wondering why she’s enjoying my torment. I mean I know she’s in love with another man, but honestly, I never thought of Everly as sadistic.
She reaches out grabbing my hand, a jolt surges straight down to my cock, and I cringe, hating that she still has the power to do that to me. Even now. “Luca, stop! Andy would be more interested in you than me.”
It takes a couple of seconds for that to sink in, and I look up to her in shock as I shake my head. “Wait… what?” I ask, and she chuckles.
“You idiot, Andy is gay. I love him as my best friend, but there’s only one man that I’m in love with.”
Swallowing hard, my chest rises and falls fast as she smiles at me wide.
“You… Luca. I love you!”
Standing up from the chair so fast I almost fall over, I rush to the side of her bed and bend down, grabbing the sides of her face and staring into her eyes. “Thank fucking God,” I groan as I lean down pressing my lips to hers. She kisses me back fiercely, tongues, teeth, the works. Her hand rushes up into the back of my hair holding me to her, and I kiss her like it’s the first time. Just like I did the first time I attacked her at her home. With so much intensity my knees feel weak.
I love her—she loves me.
This is the best thing I could have ever hoped for. All I’ve been dreaming of. Sure, we’re both injured right now, but fuck if my adrenaline isn’t pumping furiously. I need her, I don’t even care if we’re in the middle of a hospital. She’s mine, and I need to show her how much I love her.