by Maree, Kay
“Everything is looking good and on track. Cora is just having some really bad Braxton Hicks contractions, so she has been ordered to take it easy.”
“Well, we all know how well that will work out. I swear Nash will be bald by the time she has those babies,” I chuckle, making everyone else laugh.
Without waiting for another conversation to start up, I grab Lucy’s hand as she snatches up her handbag and before she can say another word besides bye.
I’m dragging her out of the bar and towards her truck.
“Easy Stallion,” she laughs lightly, making me grunt.
“Nice truck,” she nods towards Jim’s beat-up ute.
“Where’s yours?”
Something in her voice has me stopping at her driver's side door and turning, raising a brow in her direction.
“Little Vixen, do you know what happened to my keys?”
“Well, golly gosh Lucas, I don’t have a clue, maybe the keys are where you last left them?” she raises her own brow, biting her lip to stop her from smiling.
“Such a cheeky mouth Little Vixen, I can’t wait to get you home so I can fill it,” I say, running the tip of my finger over her pretty puffy lips, watching as her eyes widen.
“Hop in babe and I’ll follow you home and after I fill this mouth up, you can show me where I last left my keys.”
Leaning down, I kiss said lips softly before stepping back and opening her door.
Chuckling as she climbs in on shaking legs.
Jogging over to my borrowed truck.
I wait for her to start up the engine and head out the driveway before I reverse and follow her down the road.
Tapping my fingers against the steering wheel to some country song on the radio, I look down at my speedo, realising how fast Lucy is going down the small incline.
Snapping my eyes back up to the road when I hear her honking her horn.
Her arm is waving out the window, my gut twists wondering what the fuck she is doing and then her car swerves to the left then right.
“What the fuck Lucy slow the fuck down,” I spit out.
An uneasy feeling slicing through me.
Pushing my foot down on the accelerator, trying to speed up beside her, but she is jerking the wheel, and it’s taking her all over the road. A loud horn snaps my head in the direction up ahead and I see a huge semi-trailer truck heading straight for us.
Tyres hitting gravel snaps my head towards Lucy again and I watch in slow motion as the tyres slide across the gravel on the side of the road and she’s heading straight for a light post.
“Turn the wheel, baby,” I ground out, my heart hammering in my ears.
My breath leaves me as the car swerves towards the semi-trailer truck, then at the last minute jerks off the road, hitting a wooden fence with a loud bang that echoes right through me.
“Shit,” pulling to a screeching stop, snapping the gear into park.
I’m out of the truck in seconds, running towards her, my heart hammering in my chest.
Thick black smoke billows out from under the hood, her blinkers are flashing and the scent of coolant reaches my nose.
I come to a stop, seeing her head facing towards me.
The airbag has engaged and there is a trickle of blood sliding down the side of her face.
My heart picks up speed as I wrench the door open.
The metal groans from the force but finally gives and pops open.
“Lucy Baby,” I gasp.
Clicking her seat belt off, a gush of air leaving my lungs as pained green eyes begin to flutter open.
Everything beautiful, soft and bright would be forever drained from my life if I lost her.
Lucy is the other half of my soul, I can’t lose her, I just got her…
“Don’t move, baby,” Lucas rushes out, pulling his phone from his pocket and begins talking fast to someone on the other end.
“Lucas,” I groan, my head pounding.
“Help is on the way babe don’t move,” his fingers softly slide through my hair.
“There was a girl.”
“What?”
“I think I hit someone,” I gasp out.
Cool tears slide down my face, trying to move back in my seat.
My head begins to whirl, my stomach cramps, and I feel like I’m going to be sick.
“A girl?” he asks puzzled.
“I think I hit her,” I cry out.
Before I have a chance to stop myself, my body lurches forward out the side of the car and I lose my stomach.
“I got you, babe,” he murmurs, pushing my hair out of the way the sound of sirens in the distance blasts through my head.
“It hurts,” I sniff.
“I know babe, just hold on for me,” his voice is strained.
“I’m tired,” I mumble sleepily, feeling my eyes grow heavy.
“I need you to stay awake for me,” he rushes, giving my shoulders a little shake.
“Tired,” I murmur.
“Stay awake, come on babe, open those pretty eyes and keep them on me.”
That throaty strained voice drifts through my foggy head but my eyes stay closed, refusing to open.
“Shit,” his voice sounds so far off and I want to respond, but I also just wanna rest for a minute.
I tell myself I will open my eyes again in a minute.
A hum rolls up my throat when a weightless feeling overtakes my body.
I’m floating and I just wanna stay like this for a bit longer.
My head isn’t pounding anymore and that deep voice rumbles in my ear.
In the darkness I speak to him in a thousand silent ways, my heart full, my head floating through the stars and I just let go trusting he will be there when I wake…
“I feel fine,” Lucy huffs, folding her arms across her chest, pushing her fantastic rack up.
Ignoring her and my dick for the time being I try to focus on what the doctor is saying.
My lip twitching seeing the sexy little pout on her lips.
“I’ll get the discharge papers ready, just keep an eye on her for the rest of the night. There is a decent size bump on her head and the small cut above her eyebrow should heal fine and won’t leave a scar.” Dr Harris finishes smirking.
Not missing Miss Dramatic swinging her legs back and forth on the bed.
Her fingernails are now tapping against the bed railing.
“Thanks, Doctor,” I shake his hand.
My chest feeling less tight now that Lucy is awake and throwing her sassy attitude around.
“How is the girl Lucy hit?” I ask, trying to keep my voice low, but Lucy hears me.
“Oh god,” she mumbles.
My gaze travels down to her and I take in her pale complexion.
Rubbing my hand up and down her back, trying to comfort her.
“I didn’t see her then the next minute she was there. I tried to swerve but the car wouldn’t let me,” Lucy rushes out, a noticeable tremble running through her.
Her eyes glass over as that bottom lip begins quivering.
Pulling her tighter into my side, running my hand through her long hair, massaging her scalp.
“It’s not your fault, Vixen,” I mumble into the top of her head.
“She is doing okay,” Doctor Harris nods, patting Lucy’s knee before looking back at her patient chart in his hands
“Unfortunately, I can’t say much. But I will say that if Lucy’s car hadn’t hit her, I don’t think she would have made it another night out there.”
“What do you mean?” Lucy asks, pulling back from my chest.
“She was very dehydrated, and it looks like she hasn’t had a good meal in a while,” a weird look crossing his features before he shakes it away.
“Can I see her?” Lucy asks, her grip on my shirt tightening.
“How bout I get these papers sorted, then you can stop by her room, Constable Jebson Stone is
in with her at the moment so you won't be able to stay long.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” I nod.
Wrapping both arms around my girl, feeling her body begin to shake against mine.
“I didn’t mean to do it Lucas” sniff “I could have killed her,” she sniffs again, breaking my fucking heart.
“It’s not your fault Little Vixen, let’s get you discharged and head to her room.
Maybe Jebson can give us some answers on how this happened.”
Squeezing her tighter into my hold, leaning down and leaving a kiss on the crown of her head.
About half an hour later, the nurse walks in with Lucy’s discharge papers and directs us to the room the girl is in.
Stopping outside the girl’s closed door, Lucy shakes out her hands, but it’s no use.
Nervousness pours from her.
“Excuse me, Sally,” Lucy calls, as the nurse goes to leave.
“Can you tell me her name?”
“Absolutely her name is Emily,” she smiles before leaving us.
“Are you ready, Baby?” I ask, giving her hand a small squeeze.
“Yeah, ready as I'll ever be,” she shrugs.
Pushing the door open, Jebson gets to his feet, his strained posture relaxes seeing that it’s us.
“Lucy just wanted to check on Emily,” I say, lifting my chin towards the young woman in the bed. He returns my chin lift before taking his seat again.
I take in the machines around the room.
Most don’t seem to be on, so I take that as a plus.
My eyes lock onto the young woman lying in the bed.
She looks young, but at the same time, her blue eyes look shadowed in age.
Her left leg is in a bright blue cast and a bandage is wrapped around her head.
Her light strawberry blonde hair looks matted.
Squinting my eyes as I notice the black eye, sucking in a deep breath as I notice her wrists have bruising as if she had been tied up.
What the fuck happened to her? I wonder, but I don’t ask as my eyes swing towards Jebson and notice the pain and tension radiating off him in waves.
It gives me pause at first, but knowing Jebson he won’t stop till he has the answers.
When he works a case, he puts his whole heart into it and he has always loved a good puzzle.
Letting my hand go, Lucy takes up the space between us and the bed.
Soft blue eyes take Lucy in from head to toe.
Stepping up behind Lucy just in case this girl decides to have a go at her.
Resting my hands against her waist.
“I'm so sorry I hit you with my car,” Lucy sniffs, fidgeting with her fingers.
Her words sound watery to my own ears and it tears at my heart.
I give her hips a squeeze letting her know I’m here for her, she releases a slow exhale, her back slowly relaxes into my front.
“It’s okay, Constable Stone explained what happened, this wasn’t your fault.”
A small smile pulls across her lips before she grimaces.
“My luck is kind of shit lately so it could have been worse,” her voice catches and she turns her face away.
Lucy stiffens against me.
“Well, I would like to keep visiting you and maybe we could be friends?”
“Oh, that’s really nice of you, but you don’t have to worry about me.”
Her voice is so soft; we strain to hear it.
“Can you give us a minute?” Lucy asks me, her eyes plead with me to give them a moment.
“Of course Little Vixen, I need to talk with Jebson anyways,” squeezing her hips one more time, I bend down and brush my lips across hers.
Lifting my chin towards Jebson, he nods before bending down and whispering something to Emily before following me out of the room.
“What do we know?” I ask once the door closes behind us, not beating around the bush needing answers.
“I spoke with Drixen, Lucy’s car was towed over to Tom’s and it looks like someone cut her brake lines,” he runs a rough hand through his dark hair.
“Mother fucker,” I growl, rubbing my face with both hands.
“How’s Lucy?” he asks.
“The Doctor said she will be fine, I just need to keep an eye on her. But guilt is riding her hard from hitting Emily.”
“Well, according to her doctor, it looks like Emily wasn’t doing too well before the car struck her,” he breathes out, his eyes cutting towards the closed door.
“She is covered in bruises,” he grits out.
His jaw locking tight as he runs another rough hand through his hair before gripping the ends.
“Fuck.”
“My thoughts exactly,” he spits out, his eyes hard as steel.
“Is she talking?”
“Nope,” he shakes his head.
“She has major trust issues and shuts down anytime I ask her anything about the marks on her body, and I don’t blame her. If all the pre-existing injuries that we can see are anything to go off I probably wouldn’t trust anyone either, Doc took her for X-rays not long ago so we should have the results back soon.”
“Give it time, I’m sure once the shock has worn off, and she realises she’s in a safe place she may open up.”
“My head is a fucking mess, I’m trying to work out why the fuck anyone would want to hurt her. She’s only a tiny thing. When I first saw her I thought she was just a kid, but it turns out she is 22. The Doc said someone has basically starved her; she's dehydrated, malnourished, bruised up and god knows what else this fucker has done to her. How could anyone do this to someone?” he grunts, the muscles in his shoulders tensing, straining against his uniform.
“I’m sure you will find out.”
“Emily wants to rest,” Lucy says, coming out of the room and straight into my chest.
Wrapping my arms around her, breathing in her sweet cherry scent, letting it settle through me.
“Good,” Jebson nods.
“How are you feeling, Lucy?” he asks.
“A Little sore but otherwise good,” she shrugs.
“Good. I’m just gonna head back in,” he nods towards the door.
“Have a good night and Lucy try to rest okay,” he smirks at me knowing damn well me getting her to rest up is going to end up in a bitch fight.
“Look after her,” Lucy mumbles, tears in her eyes.
“I have a feeling she isn’t used to anyone caring about her,” she sniffs.
“I plan on it,” Jebson gruffs out, pushing through the door.
“Are you ready to head home baby?”
“Yeah, take me home Stallion.”
Wrapping my arm around her waist.
Her weight leans into my side as I guide her down the hallway towards the front doors.
I’m about to pick her up when the doors whoosh open and a crying Cora is pushed through the doors on a gurney.
“Cora,” Lucy gasps, pushing from my hold.
I quickly pull her back into me as they rush toward us, Nash at her side.
“Nash,” Cora wails.
“The babies... it’s too early,” she cries out.
Her breathing is choppy as she tries to gasp for breath, sending my heart into my throat.
Lucy’s eyes widen, glassing over.
“It’s okay Little Mare,” Nash tries to reassure her but even I can hear the worry lining his every word.
“I got you, baby, okay? Just fucking breathe. I need you to keep breathing in and out.”
“No, don’t hold your breath, come on, follow me,” he breathes in and out.
I watch as Cora's scared eyes swing wildly around the hallway.
“Nash,” she cries out, lurching forward, one hand on her belly, the other squeezing the life out of Nash’s hand.
“Breathe Little Mare, come on, just breathe.”
“Mr Steel,” a nurse barks at Nash, but he isn’t p
aying any attention as he tries to get his wife to breathe.
“We need to get your wife set up for an emergency cesarean, we need you to wait out here.”
“I am not leaving my fucking wife,” he spits out.
Going back to wiping the tears falling from Cora’s eyes.
“Come on baby, breath for me.”
“I’m… tr-trying,” she hiccups.
“Fine, a nurse will take you to change into scrubs, then you can meet us in there.”
The nurse huffs out, pushing Nash out of the way as they push Cora through the double doors at the end of the hallway.
“Nash,” Cora screams out.
“Fuck.” He runs a rough hand through his hair.
“Fuck nurse, I need to be in there,” he spits out as the nurse rushes him into a side room where I presume he will get changed and taken to see Cora.
“Holy shit,” Lucy gasps out.
Turning into my chest, her eyes shining up at me, as a single tear slides down her cheek.
“We need to be here Lucas, we can’t leave now. What if something is wrong?” her breaths pick up speed, her heart beating out a panicked beat against me.
“We ain’t going anywhere, Little Vixen,'' I rush out quickly trying to reassure her.
Leaning down, brushing my lips across her forehead.
“Let's wait in the waiting room. No doubt Lou and June will be here soon, and you need to rest,” I say calmer than I am actually feeling.
Nodding up at me, I guide her towards the waiting room, pushing her into a seat.
I take the one beside her, engulfing her hand in mine.
What the hell is going on today?
I swear today has taken one weird turn after another.
Running my thumb across the smooth skin on the back of her hand, I try to calm myself down.
Reaching over I grip the back of her neck taking her lips in a slow kiss, relishing in her taste as it explodes across my tongue.
I send a silent prayer up to anyone that is listening that I have her here beside me.
Shit could have been a lot worse.
“Daiquiri,” I murmur against her lips, watching as they curve against mine a low hum slides past her lips before her tongue swipes across the plush flesh.
A phone ringing pulls my head back to the now, releasing her.