by Eileen Green
Of course, none of this would be happening if it weren’t for Dwayne. He had played a big part in all of this, right down to them being able to meet Skye.
Brock didn’t feel comfortable deceiving her, but for now, they would. He just had to hope she would laugh about it some day in the future.
When she exited the bedroom, she had one duffle bag. It looked like it had seen better days but from what he had seen, she lived rather frugally.
Brock turned the dishwasher on as JC stood and took the bag from her as he picked up her laptop bag also. She grabbed her purse along with her phone and they started out.
Taking the elevator down to the lobby, Skye was nervous. She bounced from one foot to the other until Brock slid his arm around her waist. “Calm down, sweetheart.”
She nodded.
The doors slid open and before they knew it, the doorman rushed towards them. “I’m sorry, but the reporters have been here since early this morning. You can’t get to your bikes without going through them.”
“Fuck! How’d they find out where I lived? I moved here after the trial!” Skye exclaimed; panic shadowed her features.
JC chuckled. “You’re a reporter, darlin’. Do you really want the answer to that question?”
“No, I guess not.” She sounded defeated.
“Is there a back way out of here?” Brock asked of the doorman. When the man nodded, Brock continued. “Can you call us a cab?”
“Yes, sir. You’ll need to go down through the garage and up onto the side street. I’ll let them know they need to meet you there.” The uniformed man rushed over to the counter, made the call, and then rushed back. “They have a guy in the area, so he should be there by the time you get through the garage. Just take the elevator down. Skye will be able to direct you to the street from there.”
Brock and JC both shook the man’s hand as they expressed their thanks. Doing as they were instructed, they made it to the street as the cab pulled up.
A couple of reporters stood to the left of the large opening and saw them as they emerged from the underground parking. They rushed towards them as JC opened the door to the cab.
Brock rushed Skye to the door, but what he hadn’t noticed was the lone man to the right of the garage. He was pale and gaunt with black hair slicked down to his head. He wore torn jeans and a black t-shirt, pointing a gun at them.
With his heart rising in his chest and panic pushing his blood through his system, Brock pushed Skye towards JC as the gun went off, trying to protect her. A scream sounded from her as searing pain erupted in Brock’s bicep.
Everything happened so quickly that all he could remember was still trying to get into the cab as a second gun shot went off. JC yelled at the cab driver, “Go! Go! Go!” before everything went black.
Chapter Fifteen
Time seemed to move in slow motion since Brock pushed her hard into the cab. Unfortunately, she wasn’t close enough to climb in when the gunshot rang out. Turning her head, she saw her worst nightmare standing on the sidewalk on the other side of the parking garage entrance.
Billy had an evil grin on his face as he continued to aim the gun at the three of them. Pain seared through her arm as JC pulled on her from the back seat. She heard herself scream as Brock pushed on her ass to get her out of danger.
She was half on the floor of the cab and half sprawled on JC’s lap as another shot rang out. Seeing Brock mostly in the car, she heard JC yelling at the cabby to go. The car moved as Brock pulled the door closed behind him, right before he went still, half on top of her.
Pain still throbbed in her right arm, which was pinned under now. She felt nauseated and she fought back the urge to empty her stomach. Warmth spread across her back but she didn’t know why.
JC’s hand stroked through her hair as he spoke to the driver, but she was in too much pain to hear him coherently. It seemed like forever before they stopped moving and the door next to JC opened.
He pried himself out from under her and Brock yelled. Brock was soon moved off Skye before hands helped her from the car. Looking around, Skye found they were at the entrance to an emergency room. Orderlies and nurses scurried around to help them.
JC helped her onto a gurney when she looked over to see Brock already lying on one, blood covering his left arm and shoulder. He was being moved toward the doors and she was not far behind him, JC never leaving her side.
His mouth moved as if he was talking to her, but she couldn’t hear him. When she tried to sit up and reach for him, one of the nurses walking alongside the gurney on the other side gently pushed her back down. She too spoke but Skye just wasn’t hearing either of them.
Moving her hands up to her ears to see what was going on, pain exploded in her right arm. The nurse took her arm gently and laid it on Skye’s stomach.
Finally, some sound filtered its way to her ears and she heard the nurse speaking. “Now, you need to hold that arm still until we get it x-rayed. The doctor will be here soon to see you.”
“Do you know how long that will be?” Skye heard JC ask.
“No, not at the moment,” the nurse said as she turned towards JC. “Your other friend is going to be seen before her, according to triage procedures. We’ll get…I’m sorry, I didn’t get…”
“Her name is Skye Daniels, my fiancé, and my brother’s name is Brock Stroker. Please let me know both of their statuses. My name is…”
JC didn’t get to finish before the nurse blushed and quickly said, “Yes, I know who you are, Mr. Campbell. I’m a big fan.”
Leaning in close to the nurse, JC whispered, “If we can just keep this between us, I’d appreciate it.”
“I perfectly understand. I’ll be back in a few minutes with something to help Ms. Daniels with the pain. If you could just keep her calm and still, that’ll help.” The nurse smiled at him before she left the room.
JC pulled the rolling stool over to Skye’s right side and laid his hand on her thigh. “Baby girl, it’s going to be all right.”
“What about Brock?” she asked hearing the frantic sound in her own voice. “Where is he?”
“You need to remain calm, baby. Brock’s in another room and they are looking after him.” JC sounded fearful as he spoke.
“You have to promise me that he’s going to be all right!” she demanded, trying to sit up.
“He will be. Just sit back and relax. I’ll go check on him in a little bit.”
The nurse returned with a syringe in her hand. “I’m going to give you something to help with the pain. Are you allergic to any medications, Ms. Daniels?”
Shaking her head, Skye answered as she looked at the syringe. “No.”
“Good,” the nurse responded before looking at JC. “Can you help so I can give this to her in her bottom? In fact, will you help me get her into a gown? It will give us better access and she’ll probably want to be out of that shirt.”
“What’s wrong with my shirt?” Skye demanded.
The nurse pulled a gown from a cabinet and handed it to JC. The nurse and JC helped Skye sit up and then JC worked to get Skye’s t-shirt off her. When she saw all the blood, she at least knew what the warmth was on her back in the cab. Panic filled her.
“I’m bleeding! Where? Was I shot? I remember seeing Billy Craven with a gun. Oh, my gawd! He tried to kill me!” Her breathing became short. Her head spun and her chest hurt.
“Calm down, Skye.” JC said softly as he helped the nurse get the gown on her. Her left arm was in the sleeve and they were trying to get her right arm in. It hurt badly and she tried to pull it back. Pain engulfed her. JC spoke, this time with more demand, more Dom-like, like the men she had seen in Brock’s videos. “Skye! Calm down!”
Skye went still, afraid she might get disciplined for not listening.
JC and the nurse got the faded peach gown on her and then the nurse proceeded to inject the painkiller in her bottom after cleaning the area with an alcohol wipe while JC pushed her jeans down over her hip. When the brunette woman fin
ished, she leaned in and whispered, “You have one great Dom there.”
Feeling her face heat, Skye lowered her eyes.
As the nurse left, Skye watched JC remove her shoes, socks, and jeans. He was extra gentle with her, unlike the man who had barked at her a moment ago. He took care of her like he and Brock had insisted they would.
Once he had her clothes off and then pulled the sheet up over her, she was calmer. Worry still raced through her. Brock was out of her sight and it frightened her that he was worse than what anyone told her.
JC sat down again and rubbed his hand on her thigh. “Brock’s going to be all right,” he said quietly, as if trying to convince himself as much as her.
They sat quietly for a bit, letting the unique sounds of the emergency room serenade them. Through the door, Skye watched people move around the hallway. Soon, the painkiller began to take effect and sleepiness slowly enveloped her.
Not able to help herself, she dozed.
***
JC’s heart had been pounding in his chest since Brock first had shouted out. Skye came barreling at him after Brock pushed her out of the way. JC had seen her arm get caught in the space where the door met the car, and since she was already in motion, her arm stayed where it was. The snap was audible right before he heard the gun shot.
Reaching out, he pulled her arm and then her into the car as he watched the blood blossom on Brock’s shirt where he had been shot in the arm. The man was still in motion when the second shot went off and Brock’s body twisted a bit as he fell into the car. Skye was half on the floor and Brock fell in on top of her, moans escaping both.
Yelling at the driver to go, he saw that Brock had been able to close the door as the cab began to move. The cabby drove them to the nearest hospital and as they pulled up, JC handed him a couple hundred-dollar bills and his business card. He was certain the driver would stick around until the police came.
Now, he watched Skye as she fought the side effect of the painkiller the nurse had given her. She dozed, and then woke with a start before the drowsiness pulled her down into its depths again.
He knew she wanted to know about Brock, but until someone came and gave him information, they were at a standstill. She was the priority here even though Brock had been injured the most. JC wanted and needed to be there for her.
Two police officers arrived at the doorway along with the nurse. Glancing back at Skye, JC saw she was asleep now. He stood and exited the room, pulling the door nearly closed.
“Mr. Campbell, these officers want to speak with you. Also, Mr. Stroker has been taken to surgery. We’ll update you as soon as we know when he’ll be out.” The nurse was efficient at her job, but JC also knew she was a bit in fan girl mode.
“Thank you…” He glanced at her nametag, which he hadn’t seen before. “Tammy. I appreciate it.”
Tammy nodded in response and stepped away, leaving him with the officers. One was an older thin man with gray hair, standing just a bit taller than he did. The other was a shorter man, a couple inches shorter than JC. He had brown hair that was a bit unruly, probably from when he pulled off his hat and didn’t bother to straighten it out. He was about thirty or so.
“I’m Officer Jameson,” the older man introduced, “And this is Officer Moreno. We need an account of the incident.”
“Certainly, but can we stay here so I can be near my brother’s fiancé?” JC didn’t want to be too far from Skye, to let her know she was important to them. She needed someone close by.
“Sure,” Jameson said as he pulled out his notepad and pen. “We’ve spoken with the cab driver who gave his account, but we need to fill in some holes.”
“You look familiar…” Officer Moreno began.
JC hated this but had to reveal himself. “I’m John Campbell, better known as JC. I would like to keep my identity a secret here if possible. I need to concentrate on my brother and his future wife.”
Officer Jameson gave his partner a dirty look, as if visually chastising him. He then went on to speak. “We understand, Mr. Campbell. We will do what we can to protect you and your friends. Now, do you know who the gunman was?”
Drawing in a deep breath, JC had to reveal the story to the officers. After giving them Skye’s story and what transpired the night before with the news, he had to let them know why they were going through the garage to the street. He told them what happened when they tried to get into the cab and him seeing Billy Craven with the gun in his hand.
Officer Jameson offered his card, which JC accepted, and then gave him one of his as Officer Jameson spoke. “Please contact us when Ms. Daniels and Mr. Stroker are up to answering questions, and if there is anything else you can remember. I hope a speedy recovery for everyone.”
“Thank you. We’ll be in touch,” JC said as he offered his hand.
Both officers shook his hand and turned to leave. A scream erupted from Skye and JC turned to rush back in.
She tried to get out of the bed, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were glazed from the painkiller and she looked a bit dazed. Rushing to her side, he tried to help her lay down, but she fought him.
“He’s going to kill us!” she said fearfully, her breathing elevated. “Billy has a gun and he’s going to kill us! You have to stop him!” She looked around the room. “Where’s Brock? What happened to Brock?”
“Shh, baby girl,” JC said as he crouched down in front of her. “You’re in the hospital, and so is Brock. It’s going to be okay, but you need to lie back and rest. Can you do that for me?”
“Promise me that Brock’s going to be all right!”
Skye was frantic but she was also a bit out of it. He needed her to calm down or she was going to hurt herself.
“He’s going to be okay, darlin’. He’s in surgery right now. The nurses will let us know when he’s out and maybe we can go visit him.” God, I hope he’s going to be all right! “Now, let’s get you back into your bed.”
He helped her back in and covered her with the sheet, being careful of her arm. Tammy moved around the other side of the bed and looked at Skye. “Would you like a warm blanket, Skye?”
Skye looked at Tammy and nodded, a sad look on her face. Tammy left the room quickly, returned with a heated blanket, and proceeded to spread it across Skye’s legs.
“Thank you,” Skye said, her voice sounding like a child’s. This was very difficult on her.
It was another ten or fifteen minutes before the orderlies came to take Skye for x-rays. JC refused to leave her side except when they took the x-rays. When they went back to the room, they had to wait for the doctor to examine her.
Once the doctor had the results, he came in and explained that Skye’s arm was broken in two places. A clean break across the ulna and the radius. Her shoulder had also dislocated, most likely when JC pulled her into the car.
Another injection was given to Skye in her right shoulder so she wouldn’t be in pain when they reset her shoulder. JC was a bit queasy about being there for it, but he persevered. When it was done, he resumed his place at her side.
An hour later, while Skye slept, another doctor came to the door to update JC on Brock’s condition. One bullet, most likely from the first shot had gone through his left bicep, while the other just grazed his right forearm. They stitched up both wounds but he would be good to go, probably in the morning.
Skye would also spend the night and would be splinted and bandaged, and would need to see an orthopedic surgeon in the next couple of days. They wanted the swelling to go down before she was to be set in a cast.
It would be a long night.
***
After hiding out in a hotel room for three days after being released from the hospital along with Brock, they headed to California in a private jet. Looking down at the pink cast on her arm that ended above the elbow, Skye still couldn’t believe all they had been through.
It had been a week and a day since she had met JC and Brock, a passionate whirlwind that Skye never exp
ected to have. There had been the fun days at the beginning and then the pain-filled days after the shooting.
She and Brock were allowed to spend the night in the same room at the hospital so JC wouldn’t have to split his time between the two of them. She was sure everyone knew that the two men weren’t brothers, but no one seemed to want to argue. The nurses were gaga over her men, but neither man paid much attention to them except medically, boosting her feelings for them.
Once released the next day, they headed back to the Roosevelt Hotel. The police came to interview Brock and Skye about the shooting while they were there, and that way, they wouldn’t have to come back to New York too soon.
Now, they were somewhere over the middle of the country. Brock slept, the painkillers he was taking made him tired. A sofa sat along one wall of the plane and JC laid on it with Skye on top of him with her back to his front. His arms wrapped around her waist and she cherished the moment.
“Are you doing okay, baby girl?” he whispered in her ear.
“I am. This week has been so surreal; sometimes I think it’s not really happening. That it’s a dream.”
“Oh, no. It’s not a dream. It’s whole heartedly real and neither one of us would change anything that has happened. Well, except for the shooting,” he added.
“I’m so sorry for that. I had no idea that Billy…” her words trailed off as JC maneuvered around so that he was on his knees next to the couch.
“Don’t apologize for something that is not your fault!” he reprimanded. “He is the one with the problem, not you.”
“Do you think they’ll catch him?” she whispered. “I don’t want someone else to get hurt because of him.”
“Apparently he had a lot of people fooled. He kept on the straight and narrow to get out of prison early, but then as soon as he gets out, he tries to shoot you? The man has a major problem. He’ll trip up somewhere down the line and they’ll get him.
“Now, until then,” JC said as he cupped her face in his hands. “You are not to think about that man. You are to concentrate on us, as we will with you. We’re not going to let you go, no matter what.”