Chapter Thirty-Eight
Charlotte
W e gotta get you to a hospital. You're losing so much blood,” I say to Reaper as he lies back in the passenger seat, groaning.
“No hospital. Head south. I’ll tell you where to go.”
Reaper directs me which turns to take and fifteen minutes later we’re pulling up to a small house in a quiet neighborhood.
Reaper opens his door and I run around the car to help him out and walk to the front door of the cute home.
Where are we?
He rings the doorbell and knocks a few times. A moment later, the door swings open.
“Oh, my sweet boy! Come in, love. Looking a bit rough. ”
My sweet boy ?
“I have someone with me,” Reaper says.
He steps into the home and I make my appearance in the doorway following in after him.
“Oh, my. Look at you,” the woman says. She stands just inside the door in a baby blue nightgown with yellow daisies on it while eyeing me up and down as I walk in.
“This is Charlotte. Charlotte, this is Doris, my grandmother.”
My eyes quickly dart to him then back to the older woman with salt and pepper hair tied in a loose bun, small silver framed glasses and slippers that read Fuck on one foot and Off on the other.
“Nice to meet you,” I say.
“And it is so very nice to meet you. This is certainly a treat to meet a friend of Logan’s. I must confess, I didn't think he had any.”
Reaper rolls his eyes.
“I'm not sure why anyone would think our ball of sunshine here doesn't have any friends. He’s just so damn charming.”
“Ha! That’s one way to put it, dear.”
“If you two are done talking about me as if I'm not here, then I’d like to get these bullets out of me and patched up,” Reaper grumbles.
“Oh, of course, love. How could we forget about the big brooding man in the corner dripping blood all over my floor,” Doris says. “Go on, get to the table.”
We enter a room that has been turned into a small surgical area. It smells of disinfectant and metal. Reaper removes his vest, shirt, boots and pants, then lies on a metal table in nothing but his boxers. Doris adorns an apron and gloves and gets to work on Reaper’s wounds.
He is burned, bruised, and battered all over with gunshot wounds and open slashes leaking blood. My heart aches at what he went through coming to my rescue. I can’t believe I even doubted he would come for me .
I sit in the corner and watch.
“Stop grunting like some constipated animal. I’m trying to focus. You want me to accidentally stitch your balls to your thigh?”
“Jesus, Doris,” Reaper mumbles, and I laugh.
She removes the bullets and debris, cleans the wounds, stitches some of the lacerations and bandages the rest of his injuries. When she’s done, I help move Reaper into another room with a bed where she administers some IV antibiotics and fluids. We leave him to get some rest.
After finally relieving my bladder, I take a seat in the living room as an orange cat jumps up and curls its warm purring body against me. I pet the soft sweet animal as Doris moves about in the kitchen, baking. It’s now two in the morning and she’s in there baking cookies after pulling out bullets and bandaging up her grandson with no questions asked.
She returns with a tray of cookies and milk.
“These are his favorite chocolate chip cookies.”
“Grandmas always make the best cookies,” I say with a smile.
“So, how long have you been in love with my grandson?” Her blunt question throws me off and I nearly choke on my sip of milk. “Oh, come now, it’s so obvious even without my glasses.”
I smirk. “I do love him. More than I thought possible.”
“He’s never brought anyone here before, ya know. You must be special.”
“I think Logan is the special one. Do you… are you aware—”
“Do I know what he does?” she finishes for me. “Of course. Not at first but it became clear over time.”
“You never asked questions?”
“Didn't need to. I know my boy though. He’s been through a lot but he’s a good man. I wouldn't have helped him if I thought he was out harming innocent people. ”
“So you've been doing this for a while? Helping him with any medical treatment he might need?” She nods with a small smile.
“Back in my day, I was a trauma surgeon. Been retired for quite some time now, although Logan sure keeps my skills from fully fading. My eyes aren't what they used to be but I can take care of my boy. I’m all he has left.” She takes a good look at me. “Well, it looks like he has you now too.”
“He does.”
“Do I smell cookies?” Reaper’s voice sounds from behind us. We turn to look as he limps in, shirtless, rubbing at his sleepy eyes. God, he still looks so devastatingly handsome.
“You know damn well I always make you cookies when you visit. Come. Have a seat. And before you make a comment about the milk, I’m all out of chocolate syrup.” Reaper frowns. “I ain’t happy about it either, kid, but if you can take some bullets, you can take some plain milk.”
We sit for a while longer, eating warm cookies and milk with Doris, sharing stories about when Logan was younger and laughing away the terrible night we had. For a moment, it was almost like it never happened and we were just visiting his grandmother, but upon gazing at Reaper’s wounds, everything came flooding back. The mental and physical exhaustion settled in, and I dozed off.
“Let’s go home, Charlotte,” Reaper whispers to me.
Thankfully, Reaper said he was okay to drive us home even though I could tell he was in pain. But I guess it beat me potentially falling asleep at the wheel. I quickly fell into a slumber during the car ride and woke up when we were pulling into the garage. As I start to get out of the car, realization hits me like a brick across my forehead. Lily! It's been hours. She’s either very much dead or alive in the hospital.
“Logan!”
“What is it?”
“Lily! We have to check on her!”
“She’s okay, Charlotte. I hacked into the hospital’s system. She’s stable.”
“When did you do that?
“At Doris’s. When I was supposed to be resting.”
I slightly relax, placing a hand on my chest. “Oh, thank god. I want to go see her though. I have to see her.”
“We will. I promise we will, but we both need sleep. It's been a long night. Let’s get some rest and I’ll take you to the hospital when we wake.”
“Okay.”
I turn to move toward the basement door when Logan’s hand wraps around my arm, stalling me.
“Wait,” he says, pulling me against him. “I just want to tell you I’m sorry, once more.” He closes his eyes and takes a breath. When he opens them, they’re filled with tender emotion. “I never wanted to have anything I could possibly lose again. I never wanted to feel that type of pain and heartache again. But I want you to know, you're worth it. You don't make me weak, Charlotte.” He cups my face. “You make me stronger, strong enough to walk through fire for you. I love you and I'm never letting you go again. I need you to know that.”
My eyes prick with tears at his confession.
“I love you so much, Logan. You’re stuck with me.” I throw my arms around him, squeezing, and he lets out a painful groan. “Oh my god! I’m sorry. Shit, are you okay?”
“You trying to punish me with more pain? I got news for ya. If it's by your hand, I’m a damn masochist.”
Suppressing a smile with a bite of my lip, I run a gentle finger over his chest and say, “How about we get you healed up first and then I can make you bleed again.”
He grins.
“Savage little thing.”