39. Mason
Mason
Dani
"Oh, yeah. Mmm, right there." I moan into the blankets.
Luke’s hands are working my back in one of the best massages I have ever had. I jerk when he hits a knot. "Ow!" I turn my head to look at him. "That hurt."
He grins at me, leaning down and kissing between my shoulders. "Better?"
"Smartass." I can’t keep the smile out of my voice. He keeps kneading the muscle, eventually getting rid of the knot.
"You’ve got magic fingers, Archer."
He peppers kisses along my spine, sinking his teeth into my ass cheek. "You know I have magic fingers," he says while sliding one down my crack and along my pussy.
I bite back a moan as his finger runs back up my crack and down again, this time slipping one finger inside my pussy. I push my hips against his hand, searching for more. He pumps his finger slowly, taking his time and playing around with me. But I don’t want to play. I want rough, hard fucking. I move up the bed and away from his fingers.
Rolling over, I run my hand down my stomach and between my legs, rubbing over my clit. Luke’s hands flex against his bare knees as he watches.
"Baby," he growls.
My other hand cups my breast, pinching my nipple. His eyes follow my hand as I circle my clit before slipping a finger inside and Luke snaps. He’s on me in a heartbeat, his mouth demanding as his hands grab and knead and pluck at my body.
"Tell me what you want, Sweetheart." He grinds his hips into mine.
"I want to be fucked, Luke. Hard."
"God, you’re prefect." His smile is as wicked as it is sexy. "On your knees, Sweetheart. Head down, ass up."
I roll over and do what he says, pressing my face into the blankets. My heart is pounding in anticipation. Luke uses his knees to spread my legs wider and settle himself between them.
"You are the most stunning creature I’ve ever seen." Luke places soft, slow kisses along my spine, and I shiver.
My phone starts ringing on the bedside table.
"Leave it," Luke says and nips at my shoulder.
It stops ringing and starts back up again. I reach over to shut it off when I see the name on the display. My guts tie in knots as I answer with shaking hands.
"Hello?"
"Ms. Carter?"
"Yes?" I sit up, eyes wide as I look over at Luke. His brows pinched together in concern.
"This is Nisha, head nurse of surgery at Toronto General."
My heart stops. "Uh-huh."
"Your son Mason has been in an accident."
My eyes shoot to Luke as I process what was said.
"Does Mason have any allergies to medications?"
I can’t be hearing this right. My mind starts running through different possibilities of what might have happened.
"Ms. Carter? It’s important for us to know if Mason has any allergies before we go ahead with surgery."
I snap out of my thoughts. "He has none."
"Can we proceed with the surgery?"
Surgery?
"Yes—yes. I’ll be right there." I hang up and sit there, frozen in place.
Words I’ve always worried I’d hear but prayed I never would, are finally said to me, and I just…sit there.
"Sweetheart?" Luke’s hand lands on my back and I jump into action.
I scramble around, throwing on whatever I can find.
"Dani, what happened?" Luke asks.
"There’s been an accident. Mason's at the hospital."
"I’ll drive," he says, climbing off the bed and starts to dress.
"No. You…you stay here."
"I’m not letting you go alone." He argues.
"I can do this on my own." I hop around on one foot, trying to pull up my pants.
"Dani, you don’t need to do this on your own. I’m here." Luke says softly.
"He is my son, Luke. Mine! I don’t need you to help me!" I snap.
We stare at each other for a moment, hurt flashes in Luke’s eyes, and I know I’m going to feel guilty tomorrow but right now, I’m too fucking scared to care.
Luke nods, sitting back on the bed. "Go."
"I’ll call you." I run down the stairs and out the door.
Yanking my car door open, I get behind the wheel and pray to whoever is listening for my car to start. After a few choice words that would make a trucker blush, it fires up and I tear out of there like a bat outta hell.
I run through the emergency room and towards the triage window, banging on it until it opens.
"Take a number and have a seat." The grumpy looking nurse slides the window closed. I bang on it again.
She throws open the window. "Listen lady—"
I slam my fists down on the ledge, the track of the window digging into my skin. "Mason Carter. Where is he?"
Her eyes narrow. "You his mother?"
"No, I’m here to sell him some girl scout cookies. Yes, I’m his mother."
She sighs and grabs a piece of paper, jotting something down and shoving it into my hand.
I lean through the window. "I understand that you’re stressed working in the ER. I also understand that you have to deal with idiots daily, but you need to check your attitude because the next mother you deal with might not be as nice as me."
She snorts. "Whatever."
I grab the front of her scrubs and haul her halfway through the window. People are watching, but I don’t care. I am a mother scared out of her ever-loving mind, with enough adrenaline running through my body that I could bench press a horse.
"Compassion goes a long way," I hiss and release her scrubs. She slams the window shut.
I check the paper she gave me before heading towards the elevators. He’s on the second floor, in the surgery wing. I call Erin as I wait for the elevator. My hands shaking as I dial her number.
"Hey girl."
A sob breaks free. "Mason…accident…surgery." Is all I manage to get out.
"Toronto Gen?" Erin asks calmly.
"Yeah." I sniffle.
"On my way." Erin hangs up.
The elevator doors open and I step inside. Mason’s room is past the nurse’s station, on the right. Walking inside, I find the room empty, and smelling like antiseptic and death.
"Ms. Carter?"
I turn to find a short, caramel skinned woman in scrubs. "I’m Nisha. Mason is just finishing up in surgery. They will be bringing him out shortly."
I blink down the hallway. "What…ah, what…" I can’t finish my thought.
Nisha touches my shoulder. "The doctor will explain everything," she leads me into the room and sits me down in a chair. "Mason made it through surgery wonderfully. You have a very strong son."
"Thank you." I breathe.
Nisha nods and leaves the room. I bite the side of my thumb, my leg bouncing as I watch the door. After a few minutes, I jump up and pace the floor, glancing at the door every time I pass it. I pace around the room for what feels like hours, my thumb is bleeding because I chewed the skin off. All these horrible scenarios run rampant through my head.
Was he attacked?
Did he try to help someone and got hurt?
Did Josh do something?
The door opens and two nurses wheel the bed into the room. My hand goes to my throat when I see Mason. He looks so fragile, even though his gigantic frame engulfs the bed. I take measured steps towards him, machines beep on the left side of his bed. A bandage wrapped around his head and his right arm is in a cast. A black bruise covers his jaw, and his leg is elevated, also in a cast.
"Ms. Carter?" a deep voice causes me to jump. I spin and find a dark-skinned man standing in the doorway to Mason’s room.
"I’m Dr. Lewis. I did Mason’s surgery." He holds out his hand.
I shake my head and step forward, taking his hand. "Yes. Sorry. This is…" I trail off as I look back at my baby.
"It’s hard, I know." Dr. Lewis drops my hand.
"What happened?" I inquire. He motions to the chair next to the bed. I sit slowly, dropping my purse on the floor.
"Drunk driver jumped the curb, pinning Mason between his truck and a tree."
My hand flies to my mouth.
"Mason’s size played a huge factor in saving his life. If he was a smaller guy, it could've been a lot worse."
I will never yell at him for eating everything in the house again. Reaching over, I take his massive hand in mine, curling my fingers around his.
"Mason has an eight-inch laceration across his right temple, his forearm and wrist are fractured. His jaw, surprisingly, is not broken from when he hit the tree, but the bruise is nasty.
"When the truck hit him, the impact tore the quadricep tendon in his right leg. I re-attached it, but he is going to need some physiotherapy once the cast comes off."
I nod absentmindedly, trying to rack my brain on how I’m going to afford all this. My benefits haven’t started yet, and I would hate to borrow money. "Thank you."
I don’t look at Dr. Lewis as he leaves the room. Bringing Mason’s hand to my lips, I kiss the tips of his fingers like I used to do when he was a baby.
"Daniella Lynne Carter!" Erin yells.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
I rush to the door and find Erin looking like a creeper into each room she passes.
"Erin Siobhan Matthews!" I yell.
Her head snaps up and she races down the hallway, slamming into me with the force of an hippo, knocking me back a step.
"Why didn’t you just ask at the nurse’s station what room Mason was in?" I scold.
Her arms tighten around me. "Because this is more fun." I can’t help the smile as she pulls away and looks down at me.
"I hate you sometimes," I say walking into the room.
"But not all the time." Erin counters as she follows me into the room, shutting the door behind her. Erin gasps when her eyes land on Mason, her hand finds mine and squeezes tight.
"Poor aunties boy." She whispers.
I pull my hand out of hers and walk over to the bed. His chest is raising and falling steadily, the machines next to the bed beep slowly.
"What happened?" Erin asks.
Tears climb up my throat as I clamber onto the bed with Mason. Taking his hand in mine again, I tell Erin everything the doctor had told me.
"How are you going to pay for his room or physio?" Erin inquires.
"I have no idea. Maybe I’ll start stripping." I reply with a shrug.
"Dani!" Erin squeals.
"What? I can dance."
Erin’s laughing hard enough that she starts to snort. "Maybe Luke can pay for everything." She suggests.
I snort. "Maybe Archer should start paying me for my goods and services."
"That’s called prostitution," Erin giggles. "Let me see what I can do. I know a couple insurance companies that may be able to help you." Erin sits in the chair next to the bed.
"Thanks Erin."
I don’t know what I would do without her in my life.