Lacey flinched. “Danger,” she whispered. “Don’t want…to…see…him.”
“I’ll see what’s—”
“There you are!” Danger charged inside the tiny room and to the opposite side of the bed, from where Rafe sat holding Lacey’s hand. He looked like a madman, eyes wild and red, teeth gnashing.
“You murdering bitch! You killed my son and sister! Because of you, Joseph’s dead,” he accused. “You let him die!”
“Danger,” Rafe snapped. “For God’s sake, are you crazy?” He jumped up from the chair and started round the foot of the bed. “Get away from her. You can’t barge in here and shout accusations at her like this.”
“The hell I can’t!”
Rafe grabbed Danger by the front of his shirt. “Get out! She’s in no shape to go through this right now.”
“She’s my wife. I don’t have to get out.” Danger jerked free of Rafe’s grip and stood there glaring at Lacey.
“She isn’t your wife, man. Even if she was, you’re not going to say such cruel things to her. She isn’t to blame for what happened. She’s—”
Danger lunged toward Lacey. “You let my son die!”
Lacey burst into hysterical tears. Her slender shoulders shook. Deep sobs racked her shoulders. “Please. Please. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. He was my son, too. I would never let anything happen to him. Not if I could prevent it.”
“You didn’t try to prevent it,” Danger yelled. “You let Smitt Davis walk inside our home.”
“I didn’t let him inside,” Lacey denied, her voice faint.
Danger locked his fingers around her wrists and dragged her half off the bed. “You let him in. How else did he get in if you didn’t open the door for him?”
He jerked her closer to the edge of the bed. The IV pole swayed. Lacey’s IV catheter ripped from her vein. Blood trickled down her arm and dripped off her fingertips. Clear fluid poured from the open end of the IV tubing, wetting the bedding and floor.
“Please, I didn’t let him in. He was just there. I don’t know how he got in. I locked the door behind you when you left.” Lacey’s eyes silently pleaded with him to understand.
“Jesus. Are you insane? Leave her alone!” Rafe tackled Danger, wrapping his arms around his lean waist. He tried to drag him from the small cell-like room, but both of them slipped in the fluid on the tile floor and fell against the IV pole. The pump, hooked to the pole that fed fluids in her veins drip by drip, hit the floor with a loud bang. Chunky pieces of dark blue and black plastic bounced across the floor, skittering in several directions.
Both men’s boots tangled in the tubing. They tripped and hit the hard tile, rolling and swinging wild punches.
Lacey struggled onto the side of the bed, but fell to one side, too weak to hold herself up straight. “Stop it! Oh, God, please, someone make them stop.” Sharp pain cut across her abdomen. She flinched and stared at the blood staining the front of her gown. Some of the staples must have torn free. “Joseph’s dead,” she cried. “Nothing will bring him back. My babies are gone, and I’m alive. Isn’t that enough punishment for you? I should be dead. Someone please, just let me die. Oh, God. Oh, God. Let me die!” She buried her face in her palms and wept.
An older nurse rushed in with two security guards. The two men tackled Danger, holding his arms behind his back. “Which one do you want in here with you, miss?” one of the security guards asked, winded.
Lacey shook her head. She looked up, and her gaze met Rafe’s sharp blue eyes. “Him.”
Danger growled low in his throat. He jerked free of the two security guards. “You murdered our son!”
Lacey wept, her deep sobs shook her slender shoulders. She looked at Danger through a blur of tears. What could she say to him? In her heart, she knew she was guilty. She’d failed her babies, failed Danger.
“Now, now, honey,” the nurse said, wrapping her arms around Lacey’s shaking shoulders. “Let’s get your bandages changed and a clean gown. We’ll change these wet old sheets and check your staples. You need something for pain, sweetie?”
Rafe hurried to Lacey’s side. “Get him out of here,” he said to the security guards. “He’s not allowed back in here.”
“I didn’t let Smitt Davis in,” Lacey cried. “I didn’t.”
“He picked the lock, Lacey,” Rafe said. “Danger knows that. He’s the one who told me. He’s not thinking straight.”
Both the nurse and Rafe jerked at the awful moan that wrenched from Danger. He staggered into the wall, took three unsteady steps forward and suddenly collapsed on the floor. Rafe jumped up and ran to him. “Jesus Christ. His nose is bleeding.”
The nurse dropped to her knees beside Rafe. “He’s having a seizure. See that tongue blade taped to the wall over the bed?”
Rafe looked across the room and nodded.
“Get it!”
The nurse tore the wrapper off the blade and gently forced it between Danger’s teeth.
“What can I do to help?” Rafe asked.
“Help me turn him on his side. He’s vomiting. I need somebody in here, now,” she yelled. “Help! I need help!”
Epilogue
Some people say the worst way to miss someone is when they are right next to you and you know you can’t have them, but it’s worse when you thought you didn’t want them anymore and then all of a sudden you realize you can’t live without them.
~ Unknown
Havre, Montana
Regional Health Care Center
February 15, Sunday
10:00 a.m.
Lacey slowly walked down the corridor of the third floor. She braced herself by placing one hand along the wall and forcing one foot in front of the other. Walking helped her regain her strength. Unfortunately, she had a particular destination, one she wasn’t looking forward to arriving at.
When the door to room three-twelve opened, she hesitated. Karen stepped into the hall and faced her. Lacey’s heart sank. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to Danger’s wife.
For a moment, the other woman looked uncertain. Finally, she moved away from the door, her angry strides bringing Lacey face to face with the enemy. Lacey tilted her chin in the way that said, to anyone who knew her well, that no one was getting in her way.
“What do you want?” Karen snapped, rubbing her protruding belly.
Lacey didn’t fall for the familiar trick. She no longer cared that Karen carried Danger’s child, but she had no desire to eye the woman’s distended stomach. Karen had a way of always drawing attention to it. Lacey ignored her and started around her.
Karen grabbed her arm and jerked her around. “You aren’t wanted here,” she said in a tone that would freeze air.
“Yeah? Well, I didn’t want you sleeping with my husband and tearing up my marriage, but it didn’t stop you. So fuck off!”
A smirk settled on Karen’s red glossy lips. “It wasn’t difficult to steal Danger from you. You neglected him. He fell right into my bed like a starving man. He kept coming back for more. Where were you when I was screwing your husband?”
“Let go of my arm, or I’ll break every finger on your hand.”
Karen slowly released her arm. “You have two minutes. Then I’m calling security. After all, isn’t that what you did to him? Had him escorted out of your room?”
Lacey pushed past her to Danger’s door. Bitch! The woman loved twisting everything to her advantage. “Call them,” she flung over her shoulder. “It’s not your decision how long I stay…it’s Danger’s. He called my room and asked me here. Otherwise, I’d never set foot near either of you.”
“You’re a liar!”
“No, that’s your game.” Lacey raked her gaze up and down Karen’s body, lingering on her rounded belly. “Is the baby even Danger’s?”
Karen paled. “Of course it’s Danger’s.”
“I doubt it. But that’s his problem. He’ll wise up to you. You might have played him for a fool, but you’re in for a rude awakening. Dange
r’s nobody’s fool.”
Lacey gently closed the door behind her. She leaned against the inside of the door and drew a shaky breath. She turned her attention to Danger. The head of his bed was up at a forty-five degree angle. White, gauzy bandages swaddled his head. She couldn’t remember ever seeing him so pale or vulnerable. He’d always been such a strong figure in her life, since the moment she first saw him.
She moved closer to the bed.
His dark lashes fluttered, and he opened his eyes. “You came. I wasn’t sure if you would.”
“Yes. Karen wasn’t too happy to see me here.”
“None of her business.”
“She’s your wife.”
“Lacey—”
“Look, I didn’t come here to discuss your marriage to Karen. I wanted to ask your permission to return to the ranch and get my boxes. My packing was interrupted, as you know.”
“Yes. Of course, get anything you want, anything you need.” Danger held out his hand to her.
Lacey moved to the edge of the bed and grasped his hand. She swallowed back the tears. Her life with this man was over. She couldn’t dwell on what might have been. She was sorry it ended on such a tragic note, but she was glad to be leaving, moving forward with her life.
“I’m sorry, Lace, for all the things I said to you, did to you. I know you can’t begin to forgive me, but maybe someday…maybe someday, you will.”
Lacey’s eyes stung with unshed tears. “It’s over. You didn’t know what you were saying or doing. I’m just trying to hold on, Danger…you know?” Her voice broke. “I’m trying to forgive myself for the mistakes I made. I have to be able to do that before I can think about forgiving others.” She pulled her hand free and turned to go.
“Lace!” He sounded desperate. Lost. Afraid.
She hesitated, turned back.
“Come back home, Lace. Marry me? I know I made plenty of mistakes. My biggest was losing you, but I want a second chance.”
“You didn’t lose me, Danger. You shoved me out of your life.”
“I know. I know all the things I did wrong. I’m asking for a chance to do things right.”
“You have a new wife. She’s going to have your baby.”
“I don’t love her. Stay with me. Please. Let me make up for the things I did to you, the awful things I said.”
“Danger—”
“I know I messed up. I did things, said things that hurt and humiliated you. I’m so sorry for everything. Please. Give me another chance.”
“It’s too late.” Lacey bit her lower lip, but still the tears slipped down her face.
“It’s never too late. We’ll start over. I don’t want to lose you, Lacey. Marry me.”
“I married Rafe yesterday.” Lacey toyed with the diamond on her ring finger. “As I said, it’s too late.” She quietly closed the door behind her.
Rafe waited for her in the hall. She went into his arms.
“You’re crying. What did he say to you? If he asked you here just to say hurtful things to you, sick or not sick, I’ll drag his ass out of that bed and teach him some manners.”
Lacey shook her head. “No. He was very nice. It’s me. Everything makes me cry.”
“You’ve been through a lot, sweetheart. Is he okay?”
“Yes. The brain tumor, you know? It changed him. He’s not fully recovered, but he’s more like his old self.”
“That’s good.” Rafe rubbed her back. “You ready to get out of here? I loaded everything in the truck.”
“Yes. I’m ready.” She hesitated a moment, then took his hand and laced her fingers between his. “He asked me to marry him, Rafe.”
Rafe froze. “What did you say?” He searched her face, unease in his eyes.
“That you and I married yesterday.”
He cupped the sides of her face. “I’ll set you free, Lace. If you still love him, want him, I won’t stand in your way. It might kill me to let you go, but above all else, I want you to be happy.”
“There’s no going back, Rafe. He has a wife, a baby on the way. I love Danger. I always will. There’s a part of me that aches for what we lost, but I’m not in love with him, not anymore. I love you. I know when I fell in love with you.”
“You do? When?”
“When you handed me the white daisies at the airport last August and tried so hard to conceal your erection.”
“You never said a word.”
“No. But I realized you wanted me. My heart did a crazy little flip, and I knew I was in trouble. My marriage to Danger was crumbling, and suddenly, there you were and I needed someone to talk to, to lean on. I tried not to lean too much, but I wanted you, Rafe. I did everything I could to save my marriage, but I couldn’t do it alone. I’m so lucky I had you. I love you.”
“Thank God.”
“Let’s go home. My life in Montana is finished. I want kids, Rafe. Babies. At least three. I want a home and children with you.”
Rafe pulled her close and pressed a light kiss against her mouth. “We’ll work on all those things. I promise.”
She grinned and snuggled close against his side. “I’m ready when you are.”
To be continued…
Coming soon from Jaydyn Chelcee
Playing For Keeps
(Duel Remington’s Story)
Book four of the Montana Men Series
About the Author
Jaydyn Chelcee is a native of Oklahoma. She’s traveled extensively, at least in the western half of the United States where she searched for settings for her novels. One of her favorite sites in her contemporary western romances is Montana. She’s the author of the best selling Montana Men Series.
In the Arms of Danger, and No Holds Barred are available in multi-formats at Secret Cravings Publishing and in print at Amazon.com
Coming soon from Secret Cravings publishing: Playing for Keeps, book four of the Montana Men Series.
Available now from Secret Cravings Publishing: Extended release of Witch’s Brew, Witch’s Heart, Witch’s Moon and Witch’s Magic, books one, two, three and four of the Winslow Witches of Salem Series written under Tabitha Shay.
All current releases available at Amazon.com
http://www.secretcravingspublishing.com
http://www.tabithashay.com
http://www.jaydynchelcee.com
Email: [email protected]
Secret Cravings Publishing
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Too Close To The Fire/Too Hot To Handle (Montana Men 3) Page 28