Chapter Thirty-Six
LIAM
I walk outside with the key and Maddie starts following before I press unlock. Then it all happens way too fast.
As soon as I hear the double beeps of the G-Wagon unlocking, it explodes in front of us, and I fall to the ground. As I look toward Maddie, I see a piece of metal flying off and it strikes her.
It’s in flames, burning, hissing, cracking. Smoke invades the air, and the heat nearly burns my skin because I’m so close. I rush to Maddie, picking her up and carrying her away from the debris. She’s limp in my arms and there’s blood dripping down her face.
Sophie opens the front door and hysterically screams at the sight in front of her before everyone rushes out. She dials 911 and is frantic as she speaks. I try to wake Maddie and notice the large gash on her head.
“No, no,” I whisper, adding pressure to the wound with my palm. Mason takes off his shirt, then hands it to me, and I try to contain the bleeding.
My brain is scattered, and I know how dangerous it is for us to be standing close to the burning vehicle and inhaling the smoke, but I can’t think straight.
“Who would do this?” Lennon cries, and Sophie begs Maddie to open her eyes.
“Where is the fucking ambulance?” I ask, feeling helpless, and need them to come faster.
Mason checks her pulse. “She’s breathing, but her heartbeat is weak. I think she might have gotten knocked out from the blunt force, but there could be internal bleeding in her brain.”
I look at him with worry in my eyes as adrenaline pumps through my veins. I’m in so much shock, I barely notice the sirens in the distance or the police car pulling up. Moments later, there’s a firetruck and the EMTs bring out a stretcher, and I move back slightly so they can examine her.
“What’s the patient's name and age?” one of them asks, but I can’t move my lips.
“Maddie, and she’s twenty-one,” Sophie answers.
“Any allergies?” the other asks as he places a brace around her neck.
“No. I don’t think so,” Sophie responds again, looking as worried as me. Mason holds her close while Lennon stays close to the house with Hunter and Aaron.
The EMTs talk to each other and count to three, then lift her up onto the stretcher.
“She’ll need a scan of her head and probably some stitches,” one of them informs us. “We’ll take good care of her, don’t worry.”
They stroll her to the back of the ambulance, and that’s when I finally snap out of it. Maddie needs me, and I can’t be lost in my thoughts right now. Whoever did this will fucking pay. I don’t give two shits about that G-Wagon, but the fact that Maddie’s unconscious has me seeing red.
“You all need to back up. It’s too dangerous until we get this fire contained,” one of the firemen warn us.
“I have some questions first.” I hear a familiar voice, turning to see Blake and his partner walking toward me. Of fucking course.
Narrowing my eyes at the asshole, I grunt. “I don’t have time for this right now.”
I follow behind Maddie as they load her inside, adding an oxygen mask to her face and wrapping a blood pressure cuff around her arm.
“We need your statements and to write up a report considering your car exploded,” Blake says sternly. “You think you’re getting out of this that easy?” He steps closer, lowering his voice so no one else hears. “I know this shit is your fault.”
I flex my jaw. “Still pissed you didn’t get that second date, huh? Go fuck yourself,” I whisper-hiss loud before stepping into the ambulance.
The EMTs look at me.
“I’m riding with her,” I demand before the back doors close, and they drive off.
I take Maddie’s hand and rub my thumb across her knuckles, hoping she can feel me comforting her.
I grit my teeth thinking about what happened.
One button is all I pushed, and a goddamn bomb went off.
The vehicle has keyless-go too, so as long as my keys are on me, all I have to do is touch the handle and it unlocks.
So whoever did it probably hoped I’d be next to the vehicle when it exploded so that I’d blow up with it.
Two days ago, I moved the G-Wagon into the street to get to my truck and left it there since I don’t drive it anymore, so this had to be planted between then and now.
What the actual fuck? None of it makes sense.
Someone was watching me and planned this recently.
I’ve sent some bad guys back to prison over the last year, ones that weren’t happy I caught them, but this has Victoria’s name written all over it.
However, she bought the G-Wagon and when our deal ended, she wanted it back.
If it was her, I don’t understand her motives, but then again, I never have, not until it’s too late.
Unless her plan was to kill me and get the ultimate revenge so I couldn’t use those pictures against her ever again.
We finalized the divorce last weekend, and she seemed fine in court that it was over. It’s not like we ever loved each other. She said she’d pick it up when she could. So if it wasn’t her, I’m gonna have to explain what the hell happened, and at this point, I have no idea.
My mind goes crazy with theories, but I need to focus on Maddie right now.
I whisper in Maddie’s ear, telling her everything is going to be okay and that I love her.
Nothing will ever make me leave her, not even Blake and his insinuations.
Her being unconscious and her having the possibility of internal bleeding from the hit concerns me the most. The piece that smacked her flew over so fast, there was no way she could’ve seen it in time to move out of the way.
The ambulance pulls into the lot of the emergency room. They unload the stretcher, but I don’t let her out of my sight as they rush Maddie inside and take her into a room.
One of the EMTs gives the nurses a brief summary of what happened and her injuries. I watch in panic as chaos ensues, a nurse hooks her up to an IV of fluids and another inspects the wound on her head. They talk to each other, listing what tests need to be done, and what they’re looking for.
“Her O2 is a little low,” a female nurse says.
“What? Why?”
“It’s not uncommon, especially if she inhaled any smoke.” She gives me a soft smile. “This should help.” She increases the oxygen levels.
I can’t inhale deep enough to fill my lungs so I’m nearly gasping for air. Maddie lays on the bed, looking so fragile and battered, and I’m helpless to do anything. All I can do is hold her hand and beg her to wake up.
“Wow, this one is deep,” one of the nurses says as she inspects her head wound.
“Is she gonna be okay?” I ask nervously.
She glances at me. “Are you her husband?”
“I’m her boyfriend and was with her when this happened,” I explain, looking down at my shirt, noticing blood on it. Maddie’s blood.
All this time, I’ve been worried about her getting hurt being around me. But I never imagined something like this could happen.
Once the wound is cleaned, a male doctor enters and introduces himself to me, then he looks at her cut.
The doctor explains sutures will help avoid infections and to stop the bleeding.
Afterward they’ll take her for a CT scan to check for any fractures or internal bleeding.
All I can think about is how confused she’s going to be about all of this.
She’ll have a lot of questions, but unfortunately, I don’t have many answers.
Whoever did this will fucking pay, it’s the last thought that comes into my mind as my phone buzzes with a group text message from Lennon, Sophie, Hunter, and Mason.
Sophie
We’re all on our way there right now.
Lennon
I’m so worried. Please update us, Liam.
Hunter
Yeah, let us know how she’s doing. Also, I talked to the cops. They said a detective may meet you at the hospital.
Mason
What the fuck happened?
I read them all, already overwhelmed.
Liam
She’s stable. They just stitched the cut on her head, and they’re taking her to get a scan soon. Finding out as much as I can, but it’s gonna be a while. Don’t know what happened. I unlocked the G-Wagon and it exploded. That’s all I know.
There’s only been a handful of times in my life where I’ve felt so defeated, and this is one of them.
I stare at Maddie as they continue to work on her, then wheel her off for a CT scan.
She’s gone for almost an hour, and I can barely concentrate.
Everyone’s in the waiting room since they’ll only allow one person in here, and I told them I’d take turns if they wanted to see her.
I pace, reading all the medical signs posted on the wall, and just when I sit in the chair, she’s brought back in.
I stand over her, gently brushing my fingers against her arm, overly anxious.
With a raspy voice, she looks at me. “Liam?”
Relief and joy flood through me, and I lean down so I can be closer to her face. “Mads. Baby.”
“What happened?” Wincing, she reaches for her head, but I grab her hand and place kisses along her knuckles. “My head hurts so bad. The room’s spinning.”
“I know, baby. There was an accident. Someone planted a bomb in the G-Wagon, and when it exploded, a piece of metal flew off and struck you. It gave you a pretty big gash and bruises but they stitched it up. You probably have a concussion, but they did a CT scan to check for bleeding or fractures. They should be back with the results soon.”
“Wow. I don’t remember any of that,” she says, closing her eyes tight, and I can’t imagine how much pain she’s in. “Feels like a hammer is pounding against my skull, though.”
“I’m so sorry, Maddie. God, I’m so sorry,” I repeat over and over, choking on each word.
“You didn’t do this,” she says. Even in this state she’s sweet and won’t allow me to take the blame.
“It’s all my fault. I was targeted and you got hurt. This is my worst nightmare,” I admit, hating the discomfort that’s written all over her face.
“I’m okay. It’ll be okay.” I fucking hope so. But she’s a fighter.