Since she was in the chair and couldn’t move, he came to her, a bright smile on his face.
“You look like you’re having a fun time,” he said, his voice that deep baritone that had soothed her hurts when she was a young girl. He ran a hand through her hair, and she smiled again.
“I am.” She winced as Austin dug into the shading.
“Liar,” her dad whispered, and she had to hold back a laugh.
“Don’t make her move, Dad, or I’ll have to work longer.”
Miranda froze, and both men laughed. “You two are mean.”
“Nah, we just love you.” Her dad patted her cheek.
“What are you doing here? Not that I don’t love seeing you, I just didn’t know you’d be dropping by.”
Harry shrugged. “I was bored at home, and I wanted to give your mom time that had nothing to do with caring for me.” He grinned, but Miranda saw the sadness in his eyes. Her mom and dad were tough as nails, but sickness hurt even the strongest people.
It didn’t look like he wanted to talk about treatment or himself, so she let that slide. They’d talk about it later at his house.
“So, what is Mom doing?”
Harry grinned then. “She’s getting a massage with Sierra. Those two ladies need it.” Something in the way he winked at Austin had her leaning forward. Thankfully, Austin had been adjusting the needle at the time.
“Wait. What’s going on?” She looked over her shoulder at a blushing Austin. Something clicked, and she squealed. “Sierra’s pregnant, isn’t she?”
“Oh my God! You’ve been hiding another baby?” Maya came running to Austin’s cubicle, and Harry started laughing.
“Sorry, son,” he said, not sounding sorry at all.
Austin sighed then put the tattoo gun down. “You all are going to get me in trouble. She wanted to be here when you guys found out.”
Miranda bounced in her seat then scrambled so she could hug him. “I’m so freaking happy for you, and I’ll promise I’ll be this excited when I see Sierra, too.”
Austin pulled back and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I swear to God, Maya Montgomery, if you tell anyone about this, I will beat you. Got me?”
Maya rolled her eyes but looked a little sad as she did it. “I’m sorry. I’m a gossip. I will work on being better. And my first goal is to keep this a secret until you guys tell the rest of us. Which will be when, tonight?”
Miranda snorted at the hope in her sister’s eyes. “Yeah, sorry. It’ll have to be soon because I don’t think I can keep this from Decker.”
Austin leveled a look at her. “It’s still weird to hear you saying things like that about him.”
She shrugged. “Get over it because I don’t see things changing any time soon.”
It was a bold thing to say, and she immediately regretted it. But honestly, she was happy with him. He was starting to talk about things a month or two in advance, which always was a good thing. He’d finally told her about his dad showing up at his place and why he’d been so remote that day. It killed her that she couldn’t do anything about it, but the fact that he was talking about it with her was a good step in the right direction.
Her dad rubbed her shoulder. “I’m happy for you. Happy for all my kids.” An odd light flickered in his eyes. “It’s nice to see everything we went through when we were raising the eight—no, nine—of you was all worthwhile.”
She swallowed hard and refused to meet Maya’s or Austin’s gazes. No doubt once she did, she’d break down, and today was a day for happiness and ink, not regrets.
“Okay, Austin, let’s finish up my tattoo, or I’m going to run away and not let you near me with a needle again.”
Austin let out a soft laugh. “Sure, hon, but remember, Maya gets the right side and then I get to do another one on you so we’re even. So get thinking.”
She winced. Their competitive edge was going to hurt, but at least she’d have amazing ink in the process.
By the time they were finished and she had a shake over at Taboo with her dad, it was getting late, and she had to get home and get some grading done. She and Decker didn’t have plans that night, and she was fine with getting caught up with work so it wouldn’t be hanging over her head when she was with him.
The fact that he’d given her a key that morning had put a rosy haze on everything she was doing, and she couldn’t help but do a little mental cheer at what was happening. The man she loved, the man she’d always loved, wasn’t running away. He actually seemed happy to be with her and made her feel like she was beautiful, like she was treasured.
She couldn’t ask for anything more.
At least not right then.
She pulled into her parking lot and winced as she pulled on the tape covering her back. Austin said she hadn’t bled too much, thankfully, but she was still leaking plasma into the covering he’d taped to her. Not fun, but with two tattoo artists in the family, she at least knew about the importance of aftercare.
When she got out of her car, she inhaled the crisp scents of the mountain air mixing with that of the trees. It would be fall soon, and she couldn’t wait. She loved the temperature change that would eventually lead to snow. Well, knowing the way Denver weather worked, that could happen within the next few days in September since one never knew what was happening next.
She took another step toward her home, and the hair on the back of her neck prickled. She turned, only to see the front of a car coming right at her.
Before she had the chance to scream or duck, the car hit her.
She couldn’t feel the pain, couldn’t feel the impact.
No, instead all she felt was the air getting knocked out of her and then her body slowly rising in the air. She felt the glass of the windshield break below her body before she rolled to the ground.
She blinked twice, and then the pain hit her like an aftershock. A thousand knives stabbed at her body, fileting her skin, igniting her flesh on fire. Her bones ached as if someone had shattered them to pieces.
Her head whirled, her body fighting off nausea.
She tried to scream, but all that came out was a bloody cough before she saw only darkness.
She blinked her eyes open. A man stood by her head, his dress shoes shiny under the lights.
The punch to her face knocked her out again.
“Multiple breaks, contusions, and possible internal injuries.”
Miranda tried to moan when she woke, but nothing came out.
“Miss? Miss? She’s coming to. Miss? Can you tell us who we can call?”
“Decker,” she whispered.
The person, maybe a nurse, she couldn’t tell—it hurt too much to think—nodded then went off to do something.
Miranda couldn’t think. They moved her, prodded her, but she couldn’t feel them. She could feel only the pain. Why did it hurt so much? Why couldn’t she just go to sleep? It would be better if she could just sleep.
“Found her ID and emergency contact info. We’ll call Marie Montgomery now. You were in a car accident, Miranda. We’re going to give you something more for the pain, but it might knock you out.”
Miranda closed her eyes.
Let it come. The pain was too much. She wasn’t fully awake though. She couldn’t give up, but sleep sounded so much better.
So. Much. Better.
****
Decker slammed through the hospital doors, aware he looked like he was bat-shit crazy, but he didn’t give a fuck. He’d missed a damn call because he’d been on the phone dealing with something for the job site and had lost it when he’d called back.
Fuck.
Griffin had called him immediately after, letting him know what hospital to go to and the fact that they knew nothing about Miranda’s condition.
She’d been hit by a fucking car.
In her own parking lot.
He stormed to the receptionist desk and planted his hands on the wood. “I need to see Miranda Montgomery.”
The nurs
e behind the desk sighed but didn’t look overly frightened at seeing a man his size yell and shout.
“Are you family?”
He opened his mouth to say yes, but stopped himself. Before he’d have thought so in a heartbeat, now he wasn’t so sure. She was his, but damn it, it was different now.
“He’s with us,” Griffin said as he walked up to the desk. “Thanks, Jaycee.”
The woman nodded then went back to her paperwork.
Decker swallowed hard then followed Griffin back to the waiting area. He didn’t say anything—he couldn’t. If he’d spoken just then, he might break down, and he couldn’t do that. All he knew when his friend had called before was that he needed to come to the hospital because Miranda was hurt. She’d been rushed off to surgery before anyone had a chance to see her.
He had no idea what was broken and what had been cut or bruised. All he knew was she was lying on a table somewhere with doctors trying to fix her, and he was outside, helpless and useless.
He never thought he’d care about someone enough to feel this broken, this shattered. She had sneaked into his heart, and he was afraid if he lost her, he’d lose himself.
No, he knew that already.
She was his everything, the reason he had to be happy about his future, and now he had no idea what would happen next. God, he just wanted to find a way to make everything better, but he didn’t have a magic wand. His hands broke things, molded them into something else, but they weren’t meant to heal.
He was useless to her.
The waiting room was filled with Montgomerys.
When one of their own was in pain, they rallied. No matter what was going on in the rest of their lives, they put their worries to the side and cared for one another. He’d always envied that as a kid, and right now, he was so fucking grateful she had this, and had them.
Austin stood off in the corner, his gaze out the small window that served as another light source in the cramped room. A pale Sierra stood to his side, her head resting on his shoulder. She faced the room though, her eyes wet, her face drawn.
Leif sat in the chair next to Austin with Sasha on his lap. The boy read to the little girl, his words soft and low amongst the people in the room who worried about what they didn’t know. Cliff sat next to Leif, his head on the other boy’s shoulder. Decker wasn’t sure if any of the three kids knew what was going on, but they’d all been through some hell of their own, so the sadness couldn’t have been lost on them.
Meghan sat next to Cliff, her hands on her lap. She looked like she hadn’t slept in weeks, and knowing her own personal torment, that could have been the case. Decker was surprised to see Luc there, sitting next to Meghan, but neither of them spoke. Luc had been part of the Montgomery clan years ago, and now that he was back, he seemed to have slipped right back into his old role.
Right now, Decker didn’t care about anyone or anything, not when he didn’t know what was going on with the woman he loved.
Loved, yet never told.
He was surprised to see Alex there, standing with a cup he hoped was filled with coffee in his hand. He shouldn’t have been surprised though. While Alex might have seemed selfish lately, he loved his little sister something fierce.
Maya paced one side of the room, her hands clenched in fists. Each time she came back to the corner, her friend Jake would hug her then push her back so she could pace again. The other man looked ready to commit murder, and Decker felt that kindred spirit within him.
Wes and Storm stood next to the coffee area, their heads close together while they talked to one another. They spoke in hushed whispers, but again, Decker didn’t care. All he wanted was Miranda, the one person he couldn’t see.
“Decker,” Marie said before she launched herself at him.
He caught her with ease, and he crushed her to his chest. She sobbed into his shoulder, and he had to blink back tears of his own as his throat grew suspiciously tight. The woman, who was more a mother to him than his own mother had ever been, always jumped in his arms like she was a young girl. It had started when Decker had shot up five inches seemingly overnight and he could no longer hug her the way he did when he was younger. He hadn’t been used to hugs and came to need hers more than he’d realized. There was something about the way Marie hugged him that conveyed all the love and acceptance that came with the Montgomery family bond. Since he couldn’t throw his arms around her anymore, she’d taken over and done the same.
He loved her so fucking much, and now her daughter, his Miranda, was hurt, and there was nothing they could do.
“I’m so glad you’re here, honey,” she whispered then patted his cheek. “You need a shave, but all my boys do.”
He gave a watery chuckle then shook his head. “You’re the only woman I’d shave for.”
She raised a brow. “Am I?”
He sighed. “No. I’d do anything for her, Marie.” He sucked in a breath. “Anything.”
“I know, baby.” Her lip wobbled, and Harry came up behind her. She turned and hugged him. She didn’t cry, but she did take deep breaths.
“What’s the word?” Decker asked.
Harry sighed. “A car hit her, and then, according to witnesses, the man got out of the car and beat her.”
Decker cursed and turned his back so they wouldn’t see the murder on his face.
“Jack,” he gritted out.
“Jack,” Griffin growled. “The police are looking for him.”
Decker snorted. “Yeah, because they did such a fucking good job before.”
“They have witnesses and evidence now,” Harry said, his voice low but smooth. He wasn’t going to ignite the masses, but damn, Decker didn’t know how the man did it. “I know the justice system fucked up, and believe me, we will be working on what we can do to achieve our own justice, but right now, we need to focus on Miranda. Jack will get what’s coming to him, but our baby girl in there needs our support.”
Decker swallowed hard then turned back around. Harry, despite the fact that he looked so much older because of to his disease, held his head high.
“I’m not giving up,” Decker answered back. “But fuck. I hate not knowing.”
“We just need to wait,” Austin said. “Have faith in the doctors here.”
Decker nodded then went to one of the chairs to sit down. If he stood, he’d pace, and then he’d make the others jumpy. Maya was already doing that.
Hours passed, and Meghan took all three children home. Luc stayed for a bit then left a couple hours later. Everyone took turns going on coffee runs and to get food. They made sure Sierra and Harry were taking care of themselves while the rest of them pretended to eat.
Decker wouldn’t be able to focus until he could see Miranda safe and whole. But he wasn’t entirely sure that would happen.
The doors to the surgical suite opened, and a man in scrubs walked out. Decker’s stomach clenched, and he stood up. The other Montgomerys stood around him. Marie put her hand in his, and he squeezed back.
“Are you Miranda Montgomery’s family?” the doctor asked.
“We all are,” Harry said. “How’s our baby girl?
The doctor nodded then ran a hand over his capped head. “She made it through surgery, but I’ll be honest and say it was touch and go for a bit there. She had lacerations to her liver and spleen. We had to remove the latter, but she will live a normal life without it as long as we take a few precautions. She has a broken wrist and a dislocated shoulder. Both legs were broken, and we were able to set them without surgery. She will be in casts for a while. There wasn’t any damage to her spine, thankfully, but she has sustained head trauma. We won’t know the extent of brain injury, if any, until she comes out of the anesthesia.”
The doctor went on and on about things that Decker knew he’d ask about later, but all he cared about was that she was alive.
Holy fuck, it had been bad, worse than he’d ever imagined, but she was alive.
“When can I see her?” Decker asked
, his voice gruff. He’d apparently interrupted the doctor, but whatever.
Harry cleared his throat. “Yes, when can we see her?”
The doctor sighed, but nodded. “Tomorrow at the earliest. You all can go home now and get some rest. You can come back tomorrow and take turns seeing her.”
Decker went back to the chair, knowing he wouldn’t be leaving. The Montgomerys took their turns thanking the doctor before talking amongst themselves about who would be staying. He didn’t care as long as they didn’t try to make him leave. He’d be there until he saw her. There would be no moving him.
Eventually, Storm came and sat next to him, his forearms resting on his legs. “Everyone is going home to sleep. I’m staying since I’m the least likely to piss you off and cause you to yell or punch someone.”
Decker lifted a brow. “You’re doing a hell of a good job so far.”
Storm shrugged then leaned back. “The others will take turns. We’re not leaving her alone. Especially with Jack out on the loose.”
Decker nodded. “I’ll kill him if I see him.”
“Another reason I’m here. You’re no good to her behind bars.”
The barb dug at him, though he knew Storm was right. His dad wasn’t behind bars right now, as it was. But fuck, he’d gone over the edge once already. Now they had people drawing straws to see who could piss him off the least? How close was he to turning into his father? He already had the man’s hands, the man’s temper. What would break him? What would be the last straw?
The fact that he could easily see himself killing Jack without any remorse didn’t worry him like it should have. Instead, it just showed him the man he truly was.
The man his father had made.
More hours passed, and when morning came, a shift change came with it. A new nurse walked into the waiting room and told them that one person could see Miranda now, and then they could take turns.
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