29. Callie
Callie
This time, when I wake up, I know exactly where I am, thanks to the smell of antiseptic in the air and the scratchy sheets beneath me. My face is on fire and my head feels like it’s going to explode, but I can hear Blake’s voice as he talks quietly to someone, and that’s enough of a balm to keep me from caring.
I open my eyes, wincing at the brightness of the room for a moment before they fix on Felix across the room. I see the moment he notices I’m awake as his eyes widen comically.
“Blake,” he calls out, interrupting whatever Blake was saying and nodding his head toward me.
Blake’s head whips around so fast that I’m surprised he doesn’t hurt himself.
“Thank fuck. Jesus, Callie, you scared ten years off my life. How are you feeling?” he asks, turning my hand over and holding it up with his larger one to cup his face.
“I feel like I got kicked in the face,” I admit honestly. But my words come out slurred and barely recognizable because I can’t open my mouth properly.
At the look on his face, I remember that’s exactly what happened.
“Too soon?” I mumble, lifting my hand to touch my face, but Blake halts my movements.
“They wired your jaw,” he tells me quietly, his eyes downcast with guilt.
“Not your fault,” I slowly manage to get out. I’m not sure if I’m making much sense, but he seems to be getting the gist of it.
“I promised to keep you safe, and look how well that turned out,” he gripes.
“I’m here, I’m alive, and I love you. I’m too tired to argue about you being a dumbass. I knew you’d come for me. You kept me strong,” I whisper. He probably can’t understand most of what I’m saying. My voice clogs with tears as I continue. “I thought I’d never see you again,” I grit out, then hiss as the pain in my jaw makes my vision blur.
“Shh... rest. I’m not going anywhere,” he tells me gently.
I try to fight it, not wanting to fall asleep again in case this is all a dream, and I’m still stuck back at that chapel. I must lose the battle and pass out for a little while because when I open my eyes again, the room is full.
“My calendar boys,” I murmur.
“No talking,” Blake snaps from the chair beside the bed, making me roll my eyes. I do as he asks because talking freaking hurts. Then again, so does rolling my eyes.
“Hey, beautiful.” Marcus approaches the bed, looking exhausted himself.
He places a kiss on my forehead before stepping back to let the others follow suit.
My eyes drift over them when I realize not everyone is there. And that’s the moment I remember the bomb. I turn to look at Blake, my horror-filled stare filled with questions I’m not sure I’m ready to hear the answer to. Tears run down my face and my breath hitches in my chest as he climbs up on the bed beside me and wraps his arms gently around me.
“You know about the bomb?” he questions softly.
I nod in response, clutching his T-shirt in my hands.
“Kellen got caught in the blast, but he’s okay. He was outside the building when it blew. He got thrown a few feet and was hit with some debris. He has a concussion, a broken arm, some second-degree burns, and a perforated eardrum, but he will be fine. He’s already better off than you are and pissed that the doctors won’t release him to come and see you. Aiden flew down to be with him until we can get back home.”
I nod again, beyond relieved and so fucking thankful that my prayers were answered.
“Your mom was there too, Callie. She got pinned down by something. I don’t really have all the details, but her leg was badly damaged. They... they might not be able to save it,” he informs me carefully.
I don’t say anything to him, not sure what the correct response should be. I don’t feel anything when it comes to her anymore. It’s not that I’m happy this happened to her —I’m not that evil . Though given everything she’s done, if she were on life support and my phone needed charging…
Blake distracts me from my wayward thoughts when he slides his finger along my tender cheekbone oh so softly and waits for me to look up at him.
“Your reaction to the news about Kellen compared to the news about your mom is telling. I know you, you’re the most loving person in the world. There is something about your mother that I don’t understand, isn’t there?” he asks, not making me feel bad for not being cut up about her being hurt.
I try to speak, but it’s too painful, so I stop.
“Shit, that was my fault. Don’t try to talk, we can wait for all that until you’re better.”
“Your girl might not be able to tell you anything, but I can,” a man says, entering the room. He’s huge and hot, like every male in here, with a scowl on his face that just makes him look more attractive. I wonder if that’s one of the requirements of being Blake’s friend. Must be able to fight, protect, and shoot. Oh, and they have to look fabulous doing it .
I fight back a snort, wondering what kind of drugs they have me on.
“I spoke to Mathews, who is with Kellen and Aiden right now, and he did some digging of his own. He found multiple deposits have been made into your mother’s account from an umbrella company that belongs to Mr. Baylor. Each payment was for the amount of ten thousand dollars, paid on the same day every month until three months ago when the payments stopped.”
He looks at me, trying to gauge if I knew that, so I shake my head no. I didn’t know, but I’m not surprised. I knew she’d sold me, I just didn’t know what the going rate for a life was.
“Do you have any idea what he might have been paying your mother for?” he asks me softly.
“Me.” I push the word out gently, making every man in the room start cursing.
“She sold you?” Blake spits out from beside me. “Are you fucking kidding me?” he roars, moving to climb off the bed. I stop his movements by climbing onto his lap and wrapping my arms around him, careful not to touch my jaw to the side of his face.
Nobody speaks for a while, letting me and Blake have our moment until eventually, he relaxes enough for me to let go.
“She can’t hurt me anymore,” I grit out, my jaw throbbing. “Stay with me,” I plead.
He looks into my eyes, searching for answers I can’t give him right now, and proceeds to rock my world. “Marry me.”
I freeze at his words. Damn, those drugs are really messing with me.
Seeing the look of disbelief on my face, he presses his lips to my forehead before pulling back. “I’m so fucking in love with you, Callie, and I want the whole world to know you’re mine.”
I stare at him for a beat before I start crying. “I don’t know if these are happy tears or get away from me, loser, tears ,” he teases.
I chuckle through my tears before answering him. “Happy ones,” I choke out. I reach up and cup his stubble-covered jaw with my hand. “Yes, I’ll marry you. A thousand times, yes.”
The words are slurred and slow, but everyone must understand the gist because the room breaks into cheers. I don’t smile. If I tried, I’d probably pass out again, but I hope Blake can see how happy I am from my expression.
When everyone quiets down, I face the new man again, who is watching me with kind eyes.
“Congratulations,” he says softly. I nod in thanks. “I’m going to let you rest. We can carry on with this conversation later when you’re feeling more up to it. Spend some time with your family,” he tells me, grief briefly marring his features before he turns to leave.
“Hey, Tate?”
The man turns back to look at Blake.
“Thank you.”
Tate nods his head in a “you’re welcome” gesture and leaves.
I look around the room at the guys and feel the love emanating from them all. My future is uncertain. I don’t know what’s going on with Christian or what will happen with my mother, but with these guys at my front and the man I love at my back, I finally feel like I can face anything.