by Jordan Marie
It might be nothing, but something feels off. I have to fight through the urge to run and get the hell out of here. Charlie could have fallen or she might be sick. I wish I had brought my cellphone. Being in something other than sleep shorts and a gray t-shirt and flip flops might have been smarter too. I walk around the back of the house. I had to feed her cat once when she went out of town to visit her sister, and she kept one of those keys-hid-in-a-fake-rock things. I nearly shout ‘eureka’ when I find it. Sure enough, the key is tucked inside.
I carefully unlock the door. I’m starting to second guess myself, but my head is filled with visions of Charlie burning up with a fever like I had been, or she could have fallen down her stairs and broke her leg. Heck she has high blood pressure and could have easily had a heart attack.
“Charlie?” I call out, and I do it quietly. Which is stupid, because if she were upstairs or the back part of the hallway, she’d never hear me. “Charlie,” I call out a little louder.
“Hayden, what are you doing here?” I hear behind me, and I can’t stop the small scream from escaping. I turn around, my hand pressed against my chest and look up at Pastor Sturgill.
“I’m looking for Charlie. What are you doing here?” I cry, my heart still hammering against my chest.
“You haven’t heard,” he says.
“Heard what?”
“Charlie’s in the hospital. There was an accident.”
“Oh God! Is she okay? When did it happen? Why didn’t someone call me?” I bombard him with questions, one right after another. My body starts shaking and tears are falling before he even answers one. The tears only fall harder when he finally answers.
“She’s in a coma, Hayden. It doesn’t look good.”
“I have to go to her. I have to go to the hospital,” I tell him, nodding my head yes, in answer to my own statements. “I can’t believe this,” I tell him still crying and trying to take breath into my lungs at the same time. “Will she be okay? Please tell me she’s going to be okay,” I beg him. Charlie’s the only person I have in the world. I can’t imagine a world in it without her.
“It doesn’t look good, Hayden,” he says and that’s all it takes for me to completely fall apart. He holds onto my shoulders, awkwardly, trying to reassure me.
“What the fuck is going on?” Michael growls from the door, and I don’t even question my actions as I turn to him and practically leap the three steps to him. His arms enclose around me and I hold him close, letting my tears take over.
Michael will fix it. He’ll take care of everything, I think stupidly. Logically I know there are things even Michael can’t do, but in my heart, I know if anyone can…it’s him.
69
Beast
I knew where Hayden would go. She doesn’t have many friends. It was either Charlie’s or that other waitress. What I didn’t expect was to walk in and find the preacher holding onto Hayden’s arms. For a second, jealousy had me ready to tear his throat out with my bare hands. Then she throws herself into my arms and something clicks into place, I wrap her up, holding her to me and when her tears register, I’m ready to kill again.
“Why is she crying?” I growl at the preacher, wrapping my hand in her hair, needing to feel it’s texture, needing to know she’s close. “What did you do?” I question him, and my voice drops down with that, sounding like the animal I’ve been called. The one that lurks underneath, raw and hurting…bleeding and waiting for revenge.
“Charlie was in an accident!” Hayden cries, her voice muffled and broken from her crying.
I look over at the preacher who is watching the two of us closely. Good. Let the asshole look. Let him understand. She’s mine, and he better keep his fucking hands off of her. Shit. What am I talking about? She can’t be mine and even if she was, he doesn’t think of her like a man would a woman he wants. I can tell that, just by the way he interacts with her. Fuck. I’m losing it.
“What happened?” I ask the asshole while trying my best to quiet Hayden. Before I can question myself however, I take my jacket off and pull it over her shoulders, knowing it’s big enough that it will fall below the bottom of her shorts and cover more of her up. He might not look at her like a man looks at a woman, but he’s only fucking human, and he doesn’t need to see what he’s missing. Hayden accepts my jacket over her easily and curls into me still crying softly.
“Someone ran her off the road last night. She went over a cliff. She was thrown out of the car, but she’s in a coma. The doctor says there’s some swelling and bleeding on her brain…” he breaks off at Hayden’s anguished cry, before finishing lamely, “it doesn’t look good.”
“What are you doing here?” I ask him, not liking the fact that he was here alone with Hayden. Why would he be here if he knew Charlie was in the hospital?
“I was just getting in from the hospital. My church is just up the road from here. I was going to check in. I saw Hayden’s car and wanted to stop and check on her. I know her and Charlie are close. I didn’t realize that she didn’t know,” he finishes and I frown. Fuck, I’m seeing ghosts where there are none.
“I need to go see her, Michael. I want to see her,” Hayden pleads. I flex my hand in her hair, before placing a kiss on her forehead.
“Okay, Beauty. I’ll take you to see her. First you’re going home—”
“I don’t want to wait, Michael. Something could happen. I need to be with her…”
“You need to go home and get dressed,” I tell her, gently but stern enough that she knows that this is the way it’s going down, regardless of her arguments.
She looks down at herself, and I see the bright pink blush that steals over her. It’s clear that until this moment she didn’t remember she was half-naked.
“Okay,” she whispers, looking shyly over her shoulder. “Sorry, Pastor Sturgill, I uh…didn’t realize.”
“You’re upset. I can take you to get changed and on to the hospital if you’d like?” he offers and fucking hell, maybe I’ve misread him. He’s crazy if he thinks he’s getting her away from me.
“I’ve got her,” I growl, before Hayden can respond. “You lock up,” I mumble, intent on getting Hayden away from him. I take her to my truck and help her inside. I’m buckling her in before she says anything.
“What about my car?”
“We’ll get it later,” I tell her, but I wouldn’t mind leaving it here permanently. I don’t like the idea of her and Maggie traveling in that piece of shit. I may have to see about finding her something else to drive. Something more dependable and with a good safety rating…
70
Hayden
“She’s not going to make it, is she, Michael?” I whisper the words, full of sorrow. I feel shame even saying the words aloud. I need him to tell me I’m wrong, but one look at his face and I know that’s not what I’m going to hear. To his credit, he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he wraps me in his arms and holds me. For a minute, I rest against him, letting my head fall against his chest and take the strength he gives me. Before Michael came into my life, I had a mantra that I would be stronger…with Michael I’m doing that less and less. I know it’s because when he’s with me, I feel safer. I don’t know if that’s healthy. I suspect it’s not, but I’m not sure I care. I feel his fingers comb gently through my hair, and I close my eyes, enjoying the sensation for a minute before I pull away.
“We need to talk, Beauty,” he says, his grumbly voice vibrating inside of me. How I can be at one of the lowest points in my life and he still manages to make me react to him the way he does is a mystery. Still, the things he wants to talk about don’t seem as significant anymore. Not right now. Not with my friend in the next room, hooked up to machines that are breathing for her, because she can’t do it herself.
“I need a break right now, Michael,” I tell him, resenting it a little that I have to say it. Resenting that he’s pushing anything right now, other than Charlie and what she’s going through and how that makes me feel.
<
br /> “Hayden—”
“I’m just going to the restroom, Michael,” I tell him, pulling away. I hear his sigh behind me, but he lets me go. Probably because his cellphone rings.
“Just the restroom. I’ll be right here,” he warns me, which pisses me off. I look over my shoulder and his eyes are trained on me as I push through the door. I lock it behind me and think about just hiding in here. It wouldn’t work. Michael would just break in. I splash water on my face and try to get control of my emotions. Charlie looked so…vacant. That’s what she looked like. Her body was almost lifeless. I couldn’t sense her there. There was no emotion on her face, none of her warmth radiating. Her color was gone. Her skin felt cold…it feels like I’ve already lost her. The thought brings the tears back, and I do my best to brush them away and try to stop, before I give into the need to cry. I know once I let the tears freely flow, I may cry for days. I need air. Air that doesn’t include Michael hounding me about my past and how stupid I was. Air that doesn’t feel stale and wrong, reminding me that probably the only friend I have in the world is slipping away from me.
I open the door just a crack. I expect Michael to be standing there. I’m a little shocked he’s not. I look across the open room of the I.C.U. lobby and he’s standing by the window, his back to me, still talking on his phone. I slide out of the door, carefully closing it behind me. My eyes still staying on Michael’s back. Then before he can turn, and I chicken out, I move down the hall toward the elevators. I just want to go outside. There’s a sitting area out there, off from the cafeteria. Maybe if I can sit out there and breathe for a little bit, I’ll feel better. My heart hurts. I’m not ready to say goodbye to Charlie. I don’t know how to let her go. She didn’t have brain activity though. The nurse told me that. They’re waiting on Charlie’s emergency contact to come in and then decisions will be made. Decisions I’m not ready to hear, and decisions I have no control over.
Once outside, I zero in on the round, stone picnic table and benches. There are a few of them placed along a patio area that’s been made with white gravel and red stone pavers. They’re nestled on each side by flowering pear trees and in between a couple of the trees there’s a small pond which has a fountain connected to it. I sit facing it, watching the sun reflect off the water and the change people have been throwing into it…making wishes I suppose. I fish into my pocket and find a penny. I hold it firmly, close my eyes, and wish for a miracle that would bring my friend back to me. I toss it in, watching it slowly sink into the water. It does nothing to make me feel better. In fact, all it does is let the tears come again.
“You always did cry so easily.”
Cold chills rise up my back at the voice. It’s the last voice I expected to hear, the last one I wanted to hear. I finish wiping the tears away, my body tight. Then I manage to look straight into the eyes of the devil…Blade.
“You always had a knack for making me cry,” I tell him, proud of myself for not letting too much of my fear bleed through into my voice. I am scared, but I need to be smart. I can’t let the panic take control. Michael is here. He’s not that far away, and the minute he discovers I’m gone, he’ll come find me. I just need to hold tight. In my pocket is the small canister of pepper spray that I keep with me. It doesn’t make me feel as secure as my gun, and definitely not as secure as Michael, but at least I’m not completely helpless.
“You’ve caused me a lot of problems, Hay. I don’t like problems. You know that.”
“I don’t see how. I’ve done my best to stay as far away from you as I can. You made it clear that I meant nothing to you,” I respond, doing my best to swallow down the bile that rises in my throat. Maggie can feel my tension, I know because she lets out a small kick. I place my hand on my stomach, hoping to reassure her, even when I’m terrified.
Blade’s sandy-blonde hair ruffles with the cool wind that blows through. God he’s so ugly. How did I fail to see that? I really was stupid. He might have pleasing features, but the coldness in his face and eyes, the darkness that hovers around him—how did I miss that?
“That whelp you’re carrying is mine. You didn’t tell me you were pregnant, Hay. You had to know I wouldn’t let you take my child away.”
“I didn’t know I was pregnant until you had your men teach me your…lesson and leave me for dead,” I tell him and some of the bitterness and pain is taking over and I’m glad. It’s hiding the fear that is very real and rising inside of me.
“You betrayed me. You didn’t think you could get away with that, now did you?”
“I didn’t betray you.”
“Oh, come on, Hay. You were pissed because you found out I was fucking other women and decided to snoop into my life. You should have known better.”
“You need to leave.”
“I will, but you will be going with me,” he says so casually and laid back that it only deepens the fear I feel.
“I’m not going anywhere with you, ever again. You’d have to kill me first,” I tell him, hating that there’s a tremble in my voice now. I stand slowly, so I can put my hand in my pants pocket without making it too obvious. My hand wraps around the small canister tightly. I can do this. I have to do this. I have to protect Maggie. Michael is close. He won’t let anything happen to me, I just need to hold on and…face the devil…
71
Hayden
“I’m afraid you’ll be coming with me alive. At least until you give birth. Then…” he shrugs, as if he doesn’t really care. I should be worrying about dying I suppose, but the main fear stifling me right now is the idea of this monster getting his hands on Maggie.
“Why do you even want Maggie? You’re already calling her vile names. Just leave us alone. We’re nothing to you,” I plead with him, and I hate that I even have to talk with him about Maggie at all. I need to get out of here. If he had any of his men with him, I’d already be in a situation I couldn’t escape from. Waiting around is the last thing I should be doing.
“I’ll admit, I’m upset that you even fucked this up, Hay. In my world girls are usually only good for one thing. But, she’ll be my blood. She could come in handy. You shouldn’t have tried to keep her away from me. I own her and you. I always will, your fate was sealed the moment your brother sold you to me. I told you that. Your only escape is death and you’re the one who refused to let that happen,” he says and he’s smiling as he says it. Smiling.
“I hate you,” I tell him, feeling hopeless. “I did nothing but try to love you, and all you ever wanted to do is hurt me.”
“Love,” he snorts. “You were always so stupid, Hayden. You were payment for a debt. That’s all easy pussy like you will always be." He takes a few steps to me now.
My heartbeat was already out of control, but now it practically pummels itself against my chest. I can feel the beat even in my throat. I yank my hand out containing the small container of pepper spray and hold it between us like a weapon.
“Stop. If you get near me, I’ll use this I swear,” I cry and I know it’s pitiful. Even as I say it, I’m thinking the smarter course of action would have been trying to run back inside. I need somehow to delay him though, because I know if I just take off running he’ll catch me easily.
“Are you really this fucking stupid you think that can stop me?” he jeers, and he’s laughing at me, his eyes cruel and the sun reflects on his neck making the snake tattoo seem more real…more terrifying. Before I can second guess myself further, I aim the canister and spray it. It’s military grade, that I special ordered, but it’s small and in my haste, I spray his nose and jaw first, I adjust quickly and hit his eyes. He puts his hand up to try and stop most of it, and probably succeeds. His other hand grabs mine roughly. I fight the hold long enough to spray again, before he lashes out and slams the bottle to the ground.
“You fucking cunt!” he growls, his eyes watering and blood red. I might not have got him as well as I wanted, but I did do some damage. He backhands me hard along the side of my face, causing
my head to jerk back in pain, stretching my neck with the force of the hit. He tries to rub his face, while holding onto me at the same time.
I know this is my last opportunity to get away and I take my free hand do my best to hit him in the nuts. It’s a weak hit, and I know it doesn’t do much damage. It shocks him enough his hold loosens on me however, and I’m able to break free. I take off running for the hospital entrance, hoping he won’t follow because there will be people around. I make it almost to the doors when the Pastor comes through them.
“Help me!” I cry, running to him. I make it to his side and he pulls me into him, as if to guard me.
“What is going on here?” he asks, looking down at me then back at Blade.
“We have to get inside,” I cry, knowing there’s no way the Pastor can handle Blade on his own. I have to get to Michael.
I have to.
72
Beast
“Yeah, speak fast,” I growl into the phone, annoyed. I need to get Hayden home safe. There’s not a doubt in my mind that Charlie’s accident has everything to do with Blade and his motherfucking club. I’ve been taking my time, waiting for Skull to meet with his contacts, but I’m done. I have to contain this shit before it touches Hayden.
“Victor Torasani is heading your way brother. Word came down about an hour ago.”