by Susan Stoker
“And another thing, I want to kiss you no matter if you’re wearing flavored lip crap or not.”
“Okay. I want to hold you.”
“You will. Just shush now. Let me take care of you.”
“You always take care of me.”
“Damn straight.”
Chapter Seventeen
Cheyenne groaned and opened her eyes. The room was dark, but she knew immediately she was at the hospital. There was no mistaking the smell of antiseptic, old person, and sickness. Feeling panicky, she looked to her right and sighed.
Faulkner was there. She remembered bits and pieces of the last few hours, and he’d kept his word and not left her side. He’d carried her out of the basement into the bright sunlight of the day. There had been cameras and people yelling for information, but Faulkner had ignored all of them and his teammates had escorted him, shielding them from the cameras, to the waiting ambulance. He hadn’t left her there this time though, he’d sat at her head and kept his scarred hand on her forehead the entire trip.
The emergency room had been expecting them and Cheyenne had been whisked to the back behind a flimsy curtain. A doctor had come in, almost immediately, and taken stock. Cheyenne didn’t remember much after that, only that she’d been given another shot and in panic had looked to Faulkner.
He’d dipped his head to hers and whispered, “Trust me.”
She’d nodded and was out.
Cheyenne watched as Faulkner breathed in and out. The rhythm of his breaths were steady and even. She’d watched him sleep enough to know he was sleeping deeply instead of the light cat-naps he was wont to do here and there.
She swore under her breath when the door opened and Faulkner jerked awake. He probably needed the sleep and it’d just been rudely interrupted. Cheyenne kept her eyes on Faulkner and was rewarded with his bright smile when he saw she was awake.
He stood up and came over to her side. “Hey, Shy. How do you feel?”
“Terrible.” Her voice croaked a bit but she was honest, as usual.
Faulkner actually chuckled at her answer. She frowned at him.
“Give it a bit of time, Cheyenne, you’ll feel better soon.”
Cheyenne turned to see a man standing by her bed. She didn’t recognize him, but he was obviously her doctor.
“We were able to remove most of the tape without pulling off your skin this time. It’ll take a bit of time for the hair on your arms and legs to grow back though.”
Cheyenne remembered for the first time how the tape had covered her head. She moved her good arm up as if to feel for herself if she was indeed bald, but Faulkner intercepted it and kissed her palm before engulfing it in his own scarred hand.
“My hair?”
“That was a bit more problematic. Your man here,” the doctor gestured at Faulkner, “refused to let us shave it, but we did have to cut some of it to get the tape out.”
Tears gathered in the corners of Cheyenne eyes, but she refused to let them fall. It was stupid to cry over something like that. She was alive, Faulkner was alive, her friends were alive. Her hair would grow back.
“It looks fine, Shy,” Falkner whispered in her hear. “It’s just shorter than it was. Trust me.”
Damn him for continuing to say that. She did trust him, but it was still scary not to see for herself. She bit her lip, then nodded at Faulkner. The smile that came over his face was all the reward Cheyenne needed. She’d walk through fire in order to see him smile at her like that. To know she pleased him.
The doctor continued speaking, “Your shoulder is going to take a bit longer to heal. You were lucky in that it was only a subluxation.” At the blank look in Cheyenne’s face, the doctor explained, “Sorry, that means it was only a partial dislocation. We didn’t have to do surgery to put it back in place, we just manipulated it here in the ER. That doesn’t mean it’s not going to hurt. We want to watch you carefully since it was dislocated for a long period of time. You’ll need to baby it for a while. There are some studies that show keeping it in a sling doesn’t really help it much, so just do what you can and be careful. If the sling helps, use it. If you get tired and need to take a break from it, do so. I’ve written out a prescription for some pain killers. I recommend that you use them for the first day or so, then you can wean yourself off of them.”
“No drugs,” Cheyenne insisted. “I hate the way they make me feel.”
Dude chuckled from beside her. “I have to agree with her in this. They really make her not herself, but I know if I ever need any information out of her, how to get it.”
“That’s not funny, Faulkner,” Cheyenne chided him.
“But it’s true.”
Ignoring Faulkner for the moment, Cheyenne turned back to the doctor. “When can I go home?”
“Today.”
Cheyenne sighed in relief.
“We have to get the paperwork in order and put you on the list for discharge, but you should be on your way in a couple of hours.”
Faulkner stuck his hand out for the doctor to shake. “Thanks for everything, Doc. I mean it.”
“You’re welcome.” He shook Faulkner’s hand then turned back to Cheyenne.
“You’re a very lucky lady, Cheyenne. You have quite the champion here. He wouldn’t leave your side and insisted on overseeing the removal of all that tape. I wouldn’t let him slip out of your grasp.”
Cheyenne looked up at Faulkner and smiled. “No way, he’s mine and I’m not letting him go.”
* * *
Cheyenne was dozing on the bed, waiting for the doctor to come back and give them the all clear. She was ready to get out of there.
She heard Faulkner say, “What the hell?” and she opened her eyes to see her mom and sister walk into her room.
“No, hell no. You aren’t staying.”
“Uh, we’re here to see my daughter,” Cheyenne’s mom said hesitantly.
“No you’re not, you’re here to upset her,” Faulkner retorted.
“Cheyenne, really. Who is this?” Karen sneered. “He obviously doesn’t have any manners. Should I call security to have him removed, Mother?”
Before Faulkner could say anything, Cheyenne spoke up. “Please, Karen, by all means, call security, but it’ll be to remove the two of you and not Faulkner.”
“Really Cheyenne, seriously. We’ve talked about this, you have to stop being a drama queen.”
“Why are you here?” Cheyenne asked, trying to scoot up in the bed.
Faulkner leaned over and helped her into a sitting position, Cheyenne spared him a quick smile in thanks before turning her attention back to her family.
“We’re here because you’re family,” her mom said, somehow sounding bored.
“Are you?” Cheyenne heard Faulkner growl from beside her. She put her hand on his and squeezed. She was thankful he was there, but she had to handle this herself.
“Of course we are! She’s my daughter and Karen’s sister.”
The silence in the room grew awkward. Cheyenne refused to break it. If they were here for a reason, they’d get to it soon enough.
“We saw on the news that you were kidnapped again.”
Cheyenne waited for her sister to get to the point.
“Seriously, it seems like your job is obviously putting you in danger, if you’d just find something a lot less dangerous, this wouldn’t keep happening to you.”
Cheyenne squeezed Faulkner’s hand as hard as she could. She could feel every muscle in his body tense at her sister’s words.
“How exactly is it my fault I got attacked when I was grocery shopping, Karen? And how exactly is it my fault that the ‘poor family,’ as you called them, if I recall correctly, felt the need to avenge their brothers and come after me? My job had nothing to do with this. I sit in a room and answer a telephone. That’s it.”
“But, Cheyenne, look at your sister,” her mom spoke up, obviously once again supporting Karen and not bothering to think about how much her words could hur
t her other daughter. “She works for the justice system, she helps put bad guys behind bars, you just answer a phone.”
“Mom, she doesn’t put bad guys behind bars, the lawyers do. She answers phones and does all the dirty work for the lawyers who do the real work. How is her job any different from mine?”
“I’m fucking done with this,” Dude couldn’t keep quiet anymore. “Your daughter doesn’t ‘just answer phones,’ she is the lifeline for people who call needing help. Sometimes she’s the only thing between someone living and dying. She walks people through first aid, she gives comfort, she helps bring the police and paramedics to people who need it. She’s on the front lines every day working her ass off with no thanks and no rewards for it. There’s no ‘just’ about anything Cheyenne does. I’m fucking proud of her for what she does, but that’s not the fucking point here. As her family, you should’ve been at her side last night when she was brought in. You should be proud of her because she’s your flesh and blood, not because of what she does for a living. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”
Dude heard both women gasp, but he continued.
“Cheyenne also told me she disowned you both because of the way you acted the last time you saw her. That means she’s done with you. Done. If she decides she wants to give you another chance, that’s up to her. Not you. She probably will, because she’s a big softy, but I’ll tell you this right now, if you ever disparage her again, you’ll never have another chance to talk to her. I’ll bar you from her life. I won’t allow her to be talked down to and I won’t allow you to hurt her any more than you already have. So leave. Both of you. Think about what you’re losing. If you don’t care, that’s on you, not Cheyenne.”
Cheyenne watched as Karen’s lips tightened. “Come on, Mother, if Cheyenne wants to hang out with this low-life, let her.”
Her mom took another look at Cheyenne and turned to follow her daughter out of the room without a word.
Dude put his thumb against Cheyenne’s chin and turned her face toward him. He looked into her eyes for a moment then sighed. “I’m sorry, Shy. Not sorry I told them off, but sorry you had to deal with that today of all days. Don’t listen to a word they say. You’re amazing. What you do is amazing. I’m crazy about every inch of you.”
“Thank you, Faulkner. I’m glad you were here.”
“You didn’t need me here, you held your own just fine, but I’m glad I was here too.”
Putting her so-called family behind her once and for all, Cheyenne knew they wouldn’t change. She’d lived her entire life trying to please them and hadn’t gotten anywhere. She’d probably cry about it later, in Faulkner’s arms, but for now she was over it.
“Can you check with the doctor and see how much longer it’ll be until we can leave?”
“Of course. I’ll be right back.”
“I’m okay. Really.”
“I know you are, Shy. I love you.”
Cheyenne smiled as Faulkner opened the door and checked the hallway for any sign of her family. Obviously not seeing them, he smiled back at her then closed the door behind him.
Cheyenne snuggled down into the bed, sliding her butt back down until she was lying flat again, and closed her eyes. Maybe she’d just take a short nap while she wanted for Faulkner to get back and get her out of here.
* * *
Cheyenne settled into the seat of Faulkner’s truck with a sigh. She was so glad to get out of the hospital it wasn’t funny. They’d exited through the back exit because, unfortunately, the media had camped out at the front doors. The entire story of her re-kidnapping and the subsequent bomb threat to her, as well as to an entire city block, was huge news. Not to mention the fact that the abductors were related to the men who’d done the same thing a few months back.
Cheyenne knew Faulkner wouldn’t let them get anywhere near her, and it allowed her to relax. He’d take care of her.
“Are you up to a short stop on the way home, Shy?”
Cheyenne looked over at Faulkner. He looked rumpled and tired, but she’d stop wherever he needed to with no questions. It didn’t matter that she was wearing another pair of borrowed scrubs and desperately wanted a shower. If Faulkner wanted to stop somewhere, she was okay with it.
“Of course. Stop wherever you need to. I’m fine.”
Dude leaned over and tagged Shy behind the neck and drew her to him gently, careful not to jostle her shoulder. “You are fine. And thank you.”
He let her go and started the truck. “I need to tell you something before we get home. You’ll find out soon enough, but I wanted to give you some warning.”
“What?” Cheyenne asked suspiciously.
“You’re moving in with me.”
“What? Faulkner! You can’t ask that already, it’s too soon!”
“I’m not asking, Shy. Remember? You told me that when we were in the basement of that damn building. I don’t ask. I tell.”
“Well, yeah, I kinda remember that, but Faulkner, this is soon.”
“It is, but you love me. I love you. I’ll never love anyone else. I’ll never let you love anyone else. So you’re moving in. We might as well start the rest of our life now. We’ve missed enough time together. I’m not letting you spend another damn night in anyone’s bed but mine.”
Cheyenne felt her insides melt. She pressed her lips together and tried not to cry. “I never thought I’d be here.”
“Where?”
“Here. With you. In a relationship where I’d feel comfortable enough to let someone make these kinds of decision for me. Where I didn’t have to worry about having a bad day at work, knowing I’d have someone who’d listen to me and comfort me. Where I didn’t have to compete for affection. Where I didn’t have to justify my actions to someone. I never thought I’d be this happy, Faulkner.”
“I can’t promise it’ll all be sunshine and roses, Shy.”
“I never asked for that. I’m not an idiot. I work weird hours. You’re in the military. You’re a SEAL. I know you’ll be sent off to do something I can’t ask about and will never know about. But you know what? You’ll come back to me. I couldn’t have lived through…hell, we couldn’t have lived through what we did to have it taken from us now. When you have to go, I’ll cry, I’ll pout, I’ll be sad. But I’ll hang out with the girls. We’ll drink too much in the safety of someone’s house, I’ll go to work, I’ll continue on until you come home. Then you’ll boss me around, deny me orgasms, then give them to me over and over again until you’re satisfied. Then you’ll fuck me until we’re both noodles, then we’ll do it all again. And I’ll love every second of it.”
Dude smiled over at Cheyenne. “I love you.”
“I’m not done.”
“Sorry, Shy, by all means, continue.”
Cheyenne smiled at her man. Fuck she loved him. “I figured something out. And once I did, I got it.”
“What’d you figure out?”
“I figured out that when and if you get mad at me it’s not because you’re necessarily mad at me. It’s because you’re worried about me.” She paused a fraction then continued. “And I know you told me this, but I didn’t really get it. That day on the beach, when I was scared to call you because I was afraid you’d be mad…it’s because my sister would get mad at me. She’d get furious and scream at me. She scared me and that’s what I understood anger to be. But then I saw it with Fiona and Hunter. We went to a movie and she forgot to text him. When she did finally get in touch with him, he yelled and ranted and raved, but through it all, Fiona was stoic. She wasn’t afraid of him. When he was done he hugged her so hard I thought her ribs would break.
“He was worried about her. He was mad because he thought she’d had a flashback. He didn’t know where she was and he thought she could be in trouble. I got it. So I don’t want you to ever be afraid to yell at me. I know you won’t hurt me, and I know you’re mad because you care about me, because you’re worried. I get it now.”
Dude had to pull the truck
over. Jesus. He pulled into a parking lot of a business that was right off the road. He put the truck in gear and opened his door. He strode around until he got to the passenger side. He opened the door and immediately leaned in, resting both hands on the seat next to Cheyenne.
“Shy, I swear to God, you have to stop doing this to me when I’m driving.” Dude smiled at her then moved so his hands on her thighs. “I love you. I love you so much it scares the living hell out of me. I worry about you all the time. All the fucking time. You could be in the other room and I worry if you’re okay. Are you hungry? Cold? Happy? Sad? Content? I have a feeling you’re going to see me ‘mad’ a lot. I’m thrilled to pieces you told me, but know that I’m going to do everything I can to not yell at you or get mad. I don’t want you to lose your independence. Hell, I love that about you, but you have to promise to keep me updated about where you are and when you might be getting home.
“Text me, call me, leave me a note, whatever it takes, just tell me. You want to go out for lunch? No problem. Text me. You want to go shopping with the girls? Great. Spend all the fucking money you want, but tell me that’s where you’ll be. If you’re stopping to get gas before coming home? Let me know. Because I swear if you’re two minutes late I’m going to worry. I’m not being controlling, I’m not being an asshole. I’m worrying about you. I can’t handle you being taken out from under my nose again. I swear I can’t. If I don’t know where you are for five minutes I’m likely to call the team and track your ass down.”
Cheyenne put her good hand on Faulkner’s cheek. “I promise.”
“Oh and you should probably know, you and all the other girls will have fucking tracking devices on just about everything you own.”
“What?”
“Yeah, we worked with Tex and he’s ordering them and will set up the software.”
“Uh, that’s a bit over the top, Faulkner.”
“No, it isn’t. Caroline was taken by an FBI traitor and hauled out into the middle of the ocean so they could dispose of her body. Alabama was living on the fucking streets and no one could find her. Fiona was taken into a foreign fucking country and about to be sold as a sex slave and Summer was kidnapped by a murderous, bastard, pedophile rapist. And you, you had three fucking goddamn bombs strapped to you and were hidden in the basement of an apartment building. It’s not over the fucking top at all.”