“My father has at least three armed men with him. It isn’t safe to come in here,” I say to the air, hoping the watch will transmit this to Harvey and the people he works with. “You need to call in the police. You need to stay away. Dad will … He’ll kill you, Harvey,” I say shakily, tears sliding down my face. I am powerless to wipe them away.
Despair and pity fill me as I slide away from Donny’s body, needing space. I ignore the pools of blood around him and now me, which makes slithering over the hard, tiled floor easier.
I move the short distance to the other side of the room and face away from Donny, squeezing my eyes shut, hoping I will see something different when I finally open them. Hoping I will be somewhere else, somewhere safe.
The floor is cold and unforgiving as it seeps into me. My entire body shivers from it. I shake from the cold, the shock of it all, and the tears that continue to river down my face. I welcome the feeling of drifting off.
I don’t care, not now.
I just want to sleep. I want to be somewhere else for a while, and not trapped in this hellhole.
I want Harvey, and I want a do-over.
I want the chance to find love and be loved.
I want to find a new top priority, one I hope I can have with Harvey, if given the chance.
I want everything I never thought I could have.
Chapter 21
“Shit, Nix!” someone shouts.
I want to wave them off. I want to beg for a few more minutes of sleep. I’m always early to the restaurant; I can have a few more minutes.
“Nix, open your eyes,” the voice demands.
My shoulders ache as I feel my arms released.
Did I sleep on them?
Painful pins and needles attack them, more painful than if I had been lying on them for a couple hours. For how long was I sleeping?
I’m moved until I’m against something soft, someone warm. My side, which I realize hurts, is jolted, the pain forcing me to open my eyes, to notice all the other pains I’m feeling, like my leg, my neck, my head, my shoulder, my side—everything.
What is going on?
My eyes take a moment to adjust to the bright light, and at first, I don’t know what I’m seeing.
I’m in a strange room. There are several men in here, some wearing police uniforms. Then I look down and see Donny. Someone is touching his neck, but it’s obvious he’s dead.
Donny is dead?
“Nix, look at me,” the voice snaps, and I shift my eyes to take in …
Harvey!
I smile at him. Well, I try to.
I’m so relieved to see him that I sag against him, realizing he is holding me in his arms. We are crouched low to the ground, but he is holding me protectively against him. His hand is at my side, and I look down to see my sweater is now covered in blood. For how long have I been in here?
“You’re okay. We’re getting you to the hospital,” he assures me, his voice strained and his expression appearing false.
“Dad?” My voice is brittle, and it hurts to speak.
“He was gone when we got here. The connection we had to you kept cutting in and out. We’re lucky we were even able to get to this location. The watch wasn’t meant to work this far out.”
I wonder just how far out we are, but it hurts too much to talk. I will find out soon enough, I’m sure.
I wince when Harvey carefully releases me, getting to his feet before he couches back down and wraps his arms around me, lifting me into his arms. “Hold on.”
I grip his shirt, but I don’t have the energy to lift them over his shoulders or do more than that.
I rest my head against his chest as he moves us through the house, warming up against his touch. The tension begins to slowly bleed away.
“Don’t worry, Nix. We’ll find him. He won’t stay hidden for long,” Harvey assures me, his words triggering something Donny said to me.
If the connection for the GPS kept cutting out, then maybe Harvey didn’t hear what Donny said about this place. Maybe Dad isn’t gone, after all.
“Underground,” I whisper. When he doesn’t seem to hear me, I pound on his chest, which is more like a tap since my energy level is nonexistent.
He stops moving and leans his head closer to mine so I can repeat the word. He appears to understand.
Dad might not be hiding underground, especially if Donny was able to hit him, but it is worth checking out.
Harvey speaks to someone nearby. I think it’s Joey. Their conversation is hushed before he rushes me outside.
I bite my lip to stop myself from grunting from the pain. Then, soon enough, I’m placed in a waiting ambulance, and Harvey enters with me as we are driven to the nearest hospital.
After that, things get a little hazy.
***
I slowly become aware of voices surrounding me. I try to recall what is happening, but my body feels like it is wrapped in cotton. I’m warm, and someone is holding my hand. My eyes are heavy, and my throat feels like sandpaper.
I try to move my fingers, but I’m not sure I accomplish more than a small twitch.
Since my eyes are refusing to cooperate, too, I rely on my ears.
“He won’t mind us being in here. We can be soothing!” a voice hisses, sounding defensive. Is that Sasha?
“You are as soothing as a cat in heat,” a male voice says, one I don’t immediately recognize.
“Zander, I’m not too old to kick your ass,” Sasha grunts at him.
“Young or old, you don’t stand a chance,” he bravely disagrees.
“Wanna bet?” she growls, her voice sounding distant as she moves away, the shuffling of shoes confirming that.
“Bet what?”
“Sash,” a new voice interrupts. “This is exactly why Harvey said you guys shouldn’t be in here.”
“What? We’re not being loud,” she retorts harshly.
“You’re negotiating a fight.” I think this is Declan.
“We’re not going to fight.” She sounds exasperated, and I hear a collective sigh from her words. “Not here, anyway. We’ll go to the gym to do that.”
“Sash,” the voice that must be Declan’s mutters. “As much as I would love to see you beat Zander in a fight, now is not—”
“Beat me? She won’t beat me,” Zander growls.
“Like I said, wanna bet?” Sasha challenges.
Am I dreaming this, or is this seriously happening?
“You name the time, and I’ll be there,” Zander says on what sounds like a smile.
Zander is a beast, no doubt about it. But between him and Sasha, my money is on her. She’s wiry, scary, and I have no doubt will fight dirty.
“Fine.” She sounds smug. “And when I win, you are going to let me drive your car whenever I want.”
“Okay then. And when I win, you are going to give up drinking all alcohol for an entire year. And yes, before you try to find some workaround, wine may be made from grapes, but it is not a food group. If it has alcohol in it, you can’t touch it.”
When a gasp carries throughout the room, I attempt to pry my eyes open so I can see the look on Sasha’s face.
I barely know these women, and even I know that is a crazy statement.
“You’re on,” she growls, full of confidence.
“Shit, this is going to be bad,” Declan groans.
“Bad? I haven’t seen Sasha without alcohol since she was a teenager.” I think this is coming from Joey.
“I’m not some alcoholic! I don’t drink at work,” Sasha points out.
“Okay, fine. When was the last time you caught up with the girls and didn’t have at least one glass of wine?” Declan demands.
The silence surrounding us is ominous.
“Shit,” someone mutters.
I want to put faces to the voices, I want to know what is going on and where I am, but my eyes remain glued shut. That’s not a thing, is it? Did someone tape my eyes closed for a reason?
Whe
n the hand wrapped around mine squeezes, I do everything in my power to squeeze back.
“Guys, I think he’s waking up,” Harvey snaps out, his grip suddenly tightening until, instead of trying to squeeze back, I try to release him.
Why is he gripping me so hard?
“Everyone, act natural,” Ava calls out.
“What do you mean, act natural? How else are we gonna act?” Zander asks, sounding incredulous.
“I don’t know,” she snaps back, a baby gurgle following her words.
“You’re making it sound like we are doing something weird,” he complains.
“Um, hello? Didn’t we just organize a fight over Nix’s prone body in his hospital room?” Sasha points out.
“Which is why I said you guys should leave!” Harvey exclaims. “Look, I’m glad you came, I appreciate it, but now isn’t the time. I don’t want to overwhelm him.”
“We won’t overwhelm him,” Sasha promises.
“Yes, you will!” Harvey argues.
“No, I won’t. Nix loves us, and I’m sure he wants to see us as much as we want to see him.”
“Maybe, but not right after he wakes up from the trauma he just went through.” Harvey sounds furious.
When he releases my hand, his voice sounding farther away as a chair screeches, I want to call him back.
“You don’t know that. Maybe seeing as many friendly faces as he can is what he’ll need.”
“Then I’ll call you guys back, but overwhelming him is not how I want to start this.”
I finally manage to get my eyes open. The lights are way too bright, but I force myself to keep them open and quickly adjust.
The blobs surrounding me finally begin to form into people I know. Instead of seeing eight sets of eyes watching me, I see everyone’s attention on Harvey and Sasha.
I take a moment to admire Harvey, glad he seems okay, since the last time I properly saw him, where I wasn’t half passed out, we were in an accident together. Now he’s awake and standing, a bandage over his head, a black eye, and some scratches over his neck, but he doesn’t seem bothered by it. I can’t see his other side to know the rest of his condition, yet he clearly made it out of the crash okay, as did Declan and Sasha..
I breathe a little easier, letting the fact that no one was harmed after I was taken sink in, as I watch them continue to argue about me.
“Nix doesn’t know us very well. He’ll think he can’t ask for us!”
“If you’re admitting he doesn’t know you that well, then why the hell do you care that he sees you straight away?” Harvey yells.
I realize this is quickly getting out of hand.
“Because you’re hard to get to know!” Sasha screams back, shrugging off Declan’s hands when he tries to pull her back from getting into Harvey’s face. “Because we’ve known you for years, but the first time we’ve really gotten to see the real you has been in the past couple weeks! Because Nix has helped us see that you’re not just some crazy robot who only opens up to Teagan when no one else is around! Because I’ve actually seen you smile, and laugh, and take some time for yourself so you can be happy. Because I know we have Nix to thank for that. And because, while we were all scared to death that we could lose Nix, I know we were all secretly terrified that we were going to lose you, too!” Sasha is panting by the end of her outburst.
I turn to see everyone is in different states of shock. No more than Harvey, who looks like a bus just knocked him right over.
“That’s … I’m …” He appears lost for words.
I want to wait for him to find those words, but Teagan glances down at me and discovers I’m awake.
“Nix!” she cries out, grabbing my hand.
Harvey swings around, his wild eyes calming as he takes in my awake state.
“Shit, are you okay? Do you need anything?” he asks, collapsing back down into the seat next to me, reaching out and taking my other hand.
When I try to speak, my voice is nonexistent.
“He needs water!” Teagan calls out.
There is a flurry of activity as everyone tries to move at once, searching for an elusive glass of water.
Harvey reaches out beside him, grabbing an already filled cup with a straw. He helps me sit up then holds it out to me.
I sip it slowly, enjoying the cool liquid soothing my sore throat. Once it’s gone, he refills the glass, holding it back up to me. I shake my head, relaxing back down, feeling exhausted.
“Found some!” Cynthia announces, racing inside the room with a jug of ice.
“That’s ice,” Joey points out.
“Yeah, but it’ll be water soon!”
“He has water already.” Teagan finally notices, plonking herself back down next to me.
Cynthia glares at Harvey, while Sasha throws her arms up at him.
“You could have said something earlier.”
“I was hoping you would all leave for a whole day, searching,” he unapologetically states.
“We will go once we know for sure that Nix is okay,” she counters.
“Of course he’s okay. The doctors said he is going to be fine, that he’ll make a full recovery, and that he would wake up when he was ready. Now he’s awake, you’ve seen it with your own eyes, so it’s time to go,” Harvey snaps.
I’m not sure I have ever seen Harvey so undone before. While he has always been a little jovial with me, he has been somewhat standoffish with the others. The only times I have seen him this riled up was when something went seriously wrong, like when he and Declan got into a fight after I found Lola, or after the shooting at his office. Right now, he seems to be on a knife’s edge, yet as far as I can tell, the drama is over.
Harvey should have reverted to neutral by now. The fact that he’s still this worked up tells me something is still bothering him.
“Seeing him with his eyes open is hardly the same thing.” She looks over to me, eyeing me carefully. “You okay? Is there anything you need?”
“Fine,” I manage to get out, my voice hoarse. Why is this? What happened to make it this way? It was fine when I was back with Donny.
Shit, Donny.
He’s dead. Not only did I sit with him while he died, but I was also stuck in that room with him, too. For how long?
“He’s clearly not fine,” Sasha murmurs.
Hearing Harvey’s angry growl pulls me out of the funk trying to drag me back down.
I’m actually grateful that everyone is here, and even fought an irate Harvey just to be here for me, but I do want to be alone
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Sasha. The man is awake. Let him be,” Joey snaps at her, pulling Teagan to her feet.
“In case you’ve forgotten, he nearly died two days ago, so excuse me if I just want to be assured he’s okay,” Sasha sasses back.
“Penis,” I say to her, hoping that one word will get across what I need since talking doesn’t feel all that comfortable.
“What did you say?” she demands. She didn’t hear me, but Harvey and Teagan clearly did.
“I’m not sure we should be here for this. Obviously, Nix wants a private moment with Har—”
“Penis!” I try to yell, sounding far worse, but at least audible over Teagan’s panicked talking.
“Oh. Oh!” Sasha gasps, smiling big at me. “Babies back at ya.”
I give her a small smile, relieved when she appears to know what I mean.
“Okay, he’s fine,” Sasha declares on a sigh, then faces Zander. “This fight is happening in a couple weeks. First, I want to celebrate this being over with Nix.”
He smirks at her, adjusting a squirming Jensen in his arms. “That confident you’re going to lose?”
“No, I just don’t want to be hungover and give you an unfair advantage,” she bites out before switching her gaze to Declan. “If I do lose, however, then we start seriously trying for a baby the next day. If I have to be sober for a year, then I’m going to be pregnant for it. Whether it be IVF, a witch doctor, or
whatever, that penis is giving me what we want,” she states, pointing at Declan’s junk to his complete embarrassment.
“Shit, Sash, think you would have found a better, more private moment to share that fucking news,” he yaps at her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders to pull her into his side.
“Whatever. See you tomorrow.” She gives me a wave before walking out with Declan.
Cynthia does the same, blowing me a kiss as she leaves.
I wonder where Scarlett is, but I don’t ponder for long before she charges into the room, knocking everyone out of the way and almost leaping on top of me.
“Fuck, Scarlett!” Harvey growls, pulling her off me and keeping ahold of her
“You’re awake!” she screams the obvious, immediately breaking down into tears and enveloping Harvey in a hug.
He looks shocked as hell to suddenly have a sobbing woman clinging to him.
“I saw that same look of terror on his face when he came to my work and was confronted with a young girl. It never gets old,” Teagan tells me, laughing silently when Harvey awkwardly pats Scarlett on the back.
“We’ll see you tomorrow,” Ava promises, leaning past Teagan to kiss my forehead.
With a wave from Jensen, a wail from Kiera, and a head nod from Zander, they all leave the room.
“I’m so glad you’re okay. Sasha was right about you. You’ve been great for Harvey, and I hope you’ve noticed that he’s been great for you, too. We’ll catch up when you’re feeling better,” Teagan says, offering me a true smile and a kiss on the cheek.
I finally won her over, and all that needed to happen was me almost dying. Yikes, I better not ever get on her bad side. No way do I want to go through all that shit again.
Joey waves to us both, and then he and Teagan leave the room.
Then there is just Harvey and a still sobbing Scarlett.
“Sit down,” Harvey snaps at her, pulling her arms from around him and dropping her down in the seat he just vacated.
“I was so worried when … when … when they—” She hiccups before she bursts back into tears. I wince at the piercing sound assaulting my eardrum.
I Broke Into His Office (Love at First Crime Book 4) Page 28