by KB Winters
But she was right about one thing, we couldn’t just leave Teddy to circumstance. “I’ll go out and look for her along the routes to all the places that sell ice. You call 911, Jana and stay here with Max until we find her, okay? I’ll check in with you guys.”
She nodded absently, already dialing emergency services as tears streamed down her eyes. “Thank you, Tate. Find her, please.”
“I will. I promise.” I just hoped Teddy was in one piece when I found her. And I’d really like to know who in the fuck would have tampered with her brakes. I called Max as soon as I was on the move asking him about it.
“Cutting brakes isn’t what you do to someone you want to be with, that’s for someone you hate, right?”
Max grunted but I could hear the background sounds getting quieter as he moved away from the group. “Yeah. I thought for sure it was a former fan, but now I’m not sure.”
“You think this is my fault? They wouldn’t have been able to mess with her car if she’d been at the house with me.” And that started my mind wandering to all kinds of places, like when had the brakes been fucked with and when?
“No, Tate. You were an asshole but this was going to happen at some point.”
“Yeah, thanks,” I told him and turned my focus to scanning both sides of the road, hoping like hell Teddy’s car wouldn’t be hidden in the dark shadows. I sent a prayer out into the world, pleading that if there was anyone listening, they would make damn sure Teddy was okay.
She had to be.
Chapter 18
Teddy
Before I even woke up, I knew something was wrong. The first thing I noticed was the bleachy, disinfectant scent that told me I was in some type of medical facility like a hospital or maybe an insane asylum. At this point I had no idea. Then I heard the beeps, the whirs, hisses and clicks, all telling me that the pain I felt meant something bad had happened. My eyes wouldn’t open, like lead weights were keeping the lids closed no matter how hard I struggled.
Finally, I gave up and just listened to the sounds of all the machines monitoring everything from my heart rate to blood pressure and even the amount of oxygen in my blood. Between the pain darting all around my body and the number of different sounds all around me, I knew I was hurt. Bad. And as I tried to sit up, the shooting pain in my arm brought it all back to me.
Driving back to the Reckless Bastards hangar with a trunk full of ice, because ice was another thing Tate was supposed to do. Only he’d been off doing who and what the fuck was anybody’s damn guess, and that was how I’d ended up on Interstate 15 at seventy-five miles an hour. The car started to vibrate and then made a kind of burp as I moved over for the next exit, but then Jana called, distracting me. Still, I listened to her excitedly ramble on about all the things she loved about the party, smiling at her over the top happiness.
The car wouldn’t slow down as I turned onto the exit ramp. Pumping the brakes as hard as I could and realizing something was wrong. Telling Jana. Going too fast on the exit and then the asphalt turning to grass and mud. A sharp smack and everything went black.
So I wasn’t dead and this hospital room was my personal hell. I put all of my focus and concentration on opening my eyes. Fucking blinding white fluorescent lights made it hard, but I was determined to get answers and then get the fuck out of this place.
Finally, when my eyes opened, I scanned the room to confirm it was a hospital room and not a torture dungeon. But when I tried to sit up, fiery nails stabbed every inch of my skin.
“Oh fuck!” A string of colorful curses rang out in the empty room as I tried to reach for the call button. Some genius had put it on the same side as the arm snug in a fucking cast.
“Shit, shit, goddammit! Got you fucker.” One finger landed on the call button for about four seconds because that’s all I could handle before the pain intensified.
“Ms. Quinton, you’re awake.”
Thank you, Captain Obvious. “Yes, can someone tell me what happened?”
“You were in an automobile accident and the police are waiting to speak with you.” The nurse hesitated and I glared, hoping she wasn’t seriously going to put the needs of the police before my own medical needs. “Right. You sustained no significant injuries other than the broken arm and sprained wrist. There are some cuts and bruises and a possible concussion, but all things that will heal in no time. I’ll let the doctor know you’re awake.”
I frowned at the nurse’s retreating back, feeling uneasy and okay, maybe a little scared, too. What else did the doctor need to tell me if I was completely healthy but with a few minor injuries? I felt myself begin to freak out as I reached down to my leg with my good arm, not really relaxed even though I didn’t feel any screws or other damage to my already impaired leg.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to worry too long. A few minutes later the doctor, a petite woman with long black hair and blunt cut bangs, strolled in with a professional smile. “Hello, Ms. Quinton, I’m Dr. Evans. How are we feeling?”
I sighed, centering myself so I could deal with another medical professional. “I’d prefer it if you just tell me exactly what’s wrong in the simplest way for me to understand. I don’t need false hope and I don’t need my feelings to be spared, Doc.”
Something like pride flashed in her eyes and she nodded at me. “Okay then. Nurse Bellows gave you the highlights, but the most limiting thing will be your arm and maybe the sprained ankle. I’ll give you some painkillers that won’t have a negative impact on the baby, and we’ll monitor you for another night until we’re sure about that concussion.” Dr. Evans’ mouth was still moving but I couldn’t hear her words anymore.
Baby? She said the painkillers wouldn’t negatively affect the baby. A baby? “What baby?”
She frowned for a second, and then her face changed to a more understanding look. “You didn’t know? Based on your hormone levels, you’re about nine weeks along.”
“Nine weeks? How did I not know?” My heart moved up to my throat and I took a deep breath to calm the dizziness in my head. Pregnant? How could I be? Tate? No way. We’d always used protection.
“Life,” she said with a sympathetic smile and a shrug.
“Is the baby okay? Was it harmed in the accident? What do I need to do?” I was freaking out for sure, but this news combined with everything else, was about to push me over the edge. A girl could only take so much.
Dr. Evans smiled and laid a hand on my shoulder. “All you need to do is take your prenatal vitamins, rest and eat better than you’ve ever eaten in your life. Well balanced meals and exercise, once that ankle is healed.”
“Thanks, Doc. I can handle that,” I lied.
“Good. Are you up to speaking with the police, because they’ve been waiting to speak with you.”
I nodded as my thoughts swirled. Single and pregnant, just like my own mother. But unlike dear old dead mom, I also had a stalker in the mix. Because you could take the girl out of the ghetto, but you couldn’t take the ghetto out of the girl.
“Give me ten minutes and then send them in?”
“Okay, I’ll let them know.”
I let out a long sigh and thought about Jana and the party. It was time for me to do better.
Chapter 19
Tate
“Is she all right? What happened?” I was on my feet and moving across the dimly lit waiting room as soon as Jana stepped through the door.
“She’s a little banged up, Tate, but she’s fine. I didn’t get to stay long because the cops are in with her. They’re pretty sure her car was tampered with.”
I couldn’t swallow past the lump in my throat at hearing that someone had done this to her. “This is all my fucking fault.” I put an arm around Jana and led her to the seat beside Max, who watched his woman with worry in his eyes.
Jana groaned and smacked my chest. “Yeah, Tate, this is all about you.”
I grinned at her show of levity, appreciative. “Seriously, I was an ass. Got too much in my own damn head
and just walked out while she was in the shower. She knew what the fuck I was doing, probably better than I did at the time, and so she went home. Giving whoever this asshole is, a perfect chance to target her.” It pissed me off that I let those fucking cops get inside my head, because this was the end result.
Jana sighed and grabbed my hand. “Teddy is her own woman, Tate. We offered her a place to stay and she refused us too. This psycho is out to get her so what’s important is that we find him! Or them.” She shook her head as tears fell down her cheeks. Max wrapped his big arms around her and I stepped back, looking out the window as fat, round drops of rain fell to the ground.
All I could think about was it was a good thing the accident had happened before the rain came or else her injuries might have been worse. It wasn’t much to be grateful for, but all of it seemed too perfect, or too perfectly timed.
“Shit, of course!”
Jana and Max’s gaze both found mine and I chuckled, walking out of the waiting room in search of Teddy.
Teddy who was ignoring me and had no desire to see me.
Well she would now, because her safety depended on it. She was buried in pillows gazing through the half-closed blinds when I walked in, so lost in thought she didn’t even hear me enter. “Teddy. I’m glad you’re all right.”
She tensed and slowly turned her head so I could see the anger and hurt, the disappointment in her big, blue eyes. “Tate. I’m fine.” She pulled the covers up to her chin with her one good hand.
I grinned. “Sorry sweetheart, but not from where I’m standing.”
“I’m also not your problem.” She spit out. It really was too bad that she couldn’t cross her arms because the defiant tilt of her chin was adorable. And sexy.
“I can understand why you think that, and you have every right to be pissed off and ignore me all you want. But later. Right now, I need to keep you safe.”
She groaned.
“No, don’t say anything. You’re not a problem. Ever. So tell me Teddy, are you going to shut up so I can apologize or are you going to answer my questions?”
I could see the indecision in her eyes. She wanted me to apologize and to mean it, but she’d never do anything that might resemble asking for an apology.
“Ask your damn questions.”
I grinned at her fiery temper. A redhead to her core. “Okay. I need you tell me everything that happened from the moment you left my house.”
“After you disappeared, I packed my things and went home. The workers were still there and I got a few things done, including a security consult.” She went on and on about the mundane tasks that filled her day and when she got to the breaking glass, something became clear.
Someone had waited until she was as vulnerable as possible to maximize her terror. “Have you noticed anyone following you, or seen the same car in different, random places?”
She shook her head, wincing and pinching her eyes closed at the pain. “No. And I have been looking, being cautious and even taking different routes.”
I smiled because she was actually listening even though she’d pretended not to at the time. “When did you notice something was wrong with your car?”
“Not until maybe a minute or two before I realized something was wrong. The noise wasn’t noticeable, not really, so I turned down the radio to listen. It vibrated a little more and then the brake pedal went down too easy but nothing happened.” She was starting to get upset, remembering and I felt like an ass all over again. “I’ve been busy, Tate. Between the party, the work on my house and the psycho stalker, I’ve been a little preoccupied.”
“No one is blaming you, Teddy. I’m sorry I left the way I did and I know you won’t believe me, but it had nothing to do with you. Spending time in there with the cops did a number on my fucking head and I had to get away.”
“Sure,” she snorted, which told me clearly what she thought of my apology. Or my excuse, I wasn’t really sure. “It doesn’t matter, Tate. You don’t owe me anything. Including an apology.”
She wouldn’t listen, not now. But that didn’t mean I’d give up. If we were nothing else, Teddy and I had become friends and my behavior had betrayed that friendship. “Maybe I don’t, but I want to be a better person than that for you. You deserve more.”
She scoffed. “I have exactly what I deserve, Tate. Believe me.”
I didn’t believe it, but I knew arguing the point with her now would only make her angrier. “How long are they keeping you?”
“At least another night. I might have a concussion and since I have no one to watch me safely, they’re keeping me.” Her words weren’t accidental, we both knew it, but I don’t think she meant it to hurt. To Teddy, it was just a fact.
“And?”
She shrugged. “I have a sprained ankle and a broken arm, so I’ll take the rest of today to figure something out. You should probably go check on Jana and Max.”
“They weren’t in a fucking car accident!”
“Don’t yell at me, Tate! Who fucking asked you to come, anyway?”
There was the fiery beast I knew she hid within her. “Not you, because you would never admit such a weakness as needing someone, would you?”
“What would be the point of needing people when they just leave? I’ll stick with myself since I know I won’t let me down.” She sucked in a deep breath, her pain written in every line drawn across her face. Watching her struggle to reach the call button tore me up and I went to her, placing it in her hand.
“Thanks,” she growled at me, clearly not thankful.
“I won’t let you down, Teddy. You might hate me forever, but I promise I won’t ever let you down again.”
She yawned. “Hating you wouldn’t help anything. Don’t worry about me, worry about yourself.” I guessed me being here exhausted her because her voice got weak as she drifted off to sleep.
I stood to leave just as a nurse was about to enter with a tray full of nurse shit. I held the door for her and watched as she walked over to sleeping beauty. She must not have realized Teddy was in la la land because I heard her say, “Ms. Quinton, we have painkillers for you that won’t harm the baby! And of course your prenatal vitamins.” Her voice was chipper but her words sounded so foreign I figured I had to be experiencing a fatigue-induced hallucination.
Because if I wasn’t, then that nurse just said Teddy was pregnant.
Only Teddy hadn’t said a word to me about it.
Because the baby wasn’t mine? Or, because I wasn’t the kind of man she wanted to raise a child with?
Chapter 20
Teddy
“God it feels so good to be going home.” At least it would be if they’d let me out of here.
I tried to explain to Jana that I couldn’t wait to leave those blinding lights behind, the noise of the machines and the constant interruptions by nurses coming in to poke and prod me just when I’d finally get comfortable. But Jana wouldn’t get off my case.
“Oh no, Theodora. Don’t think you can just drop a bomb like, ‘I’m pregnant’ and change the subject.” Arms crossed over her own growing belly bump, she sent me a narrow-eyed gaze that was supposed to intimidate me.
“You’re actually pregnant?” she whispered. “Like a bun in the oven, fetus growing into a squiggling little baby in your belly, you’re gonna be a mommy, pregnant?”
This girl was way too excited for the little bit of sleep I got last night. “Duh. Is there another type of pregnant I don’t know about?”
She rolled her eyes, but my best friend could not contain her excitement. I’d bet a million dollars it had little to do with me and everything to do with the fact that she wouldn’t have to do this alone. “Oh my God, this is the best news ever! We’re pregnant! Together! Mostly at the same time. And by brothers!” Her squeal was so high pitched I had to plug my ears.
“Settle down before they start evacuating patients because of that tornado siren you call a voice.” She wore a sheepish smile and then burst out laughin
g and pulled me in for a tight, loving hug.
“Okay, Hormones McCrazy,” I told her as I extracted myself from her surprisingly strong grip. “Because you’re not going to like the next part.”
She froze, her green eyes going wide. “You’re not keeping it?”
“Jana,” I sighed.
“Foster care isn’t ideal, but we came out all right. Didn’t we?”
“Jana! I’m keeping my baby, but I’m swearing you to secrecy.”
She was my best friend and I knew asking her not to tell Tate’s brother and her future husband wasn’t right, but this time, I felt okay about being selfish.
Jana sighed, completely deflated from her giddiness a few moments ago, and shook her head. “I love you, Teddy, but I’m not sure I can keep this from Max.”
I glared at her, not surprised but disappointed anyway. “Then we have nothing else to talk about.” The room had fallen silent, tension thickening the air as I busied myself packing up my few things.
“That’s not fair, Teddy! You can’t ask me not to say anything to him!”
“Say what to who?” Max asked, leaning against the doorway as cool as you please. I didn’t think for one second that he hadn’t heard the full conversation because he was as inscrutable as they came.
“Nothing to no one, because there’s nothing to say. To anyone.” I turned my back to them, wishing I’d just called a damn cab even though I couldn’t count on a cabbie to help me move around with one good arm and one good leg.
“You both are shitty liars,” Max said and even though my back was to him, I could hear the smile in his voice. “For the moment, I’m okay with that because I’m ready to get the fuck outta here.”
Join the club. “I’ve been ready since they wheeled me in here, unconscious and broken, but it’ll be a few more hours. You guys should probably go and I’ll get myself home.” As bitchy as it sounded, if I couldn’t share my thoughts and secrets with my best friend, I didn’t see any point in having them here.