Chapter 50
Army
Leeva wasn’t breathing and had no pulse when she hit the operating room. They pulled her from the brink of death then, as well as two other times during the long, hellish hours of her surgery. And then one more time in ICU.
Guerilla, my bastard brother, missed her heart when he stabbed her, but did substantial damage to her lung.
She had to be intubated for several days, then on a ventilator to assist while her lung healed enough for her to breathe unassisted.
It’s been well over a week, and I’ve only left her side whenever her medical team insisted.
I have no idea what’s happening in the outside world or with the MC.
Ash comes here daily, as do Bane, Pix, and Digits—one of them is usually here, hovering, in case I need anything.
Leeva’s family is keeping vigil with me as well.
Sometimes Keifer, Ursula, and I just sit in silence watching her, willing her to wake up.
Guerilla survived. The buckshot hit his shoulder, but some ripped apart his lung. We have him locked down in the hospital, and once he’s stable enough to leave, he’ll be transferred to the Cell—where I’ll torture him for however long his body will hold out for.
Once the vote—which has been delayed for now—happens, and if I’m found guilty, I know my closest friends will continue to torture him if I hadn’t killed him before I face the firing squad.
I can’t think about that right now, though. All my mental energy is going toward manifesting a reality where Leeva is one hundred percent recovered, happy, and smiling.
Hopefully, that’s soon. She’s breathing well on her own, and she’s starting to wake. Her eyelashes flutter, and her hand tightens when one of us talks to her.
Then the miracle I’ve been relentlessly praying for happens. She whispers my name and slowly opens her beautiful amber eyes. They’re cloudy and confused, and she slowly blinks. It takes a few tries before she looks a bit more lucid.
“Hayes.” Her voice is quiet and raspy.
Not breaking down like an emotional trainwreck is difficult. “Little dove.”
The corner of her mouth twitches. “Siren.”
I brush her hair back from her face, my hand shaking. “You’re both. And I love you so fucking much.”
She smiles, dreamy and not fully lucid with the pain medication they have her on. “I waited so long to hear you tell me that.”
“Every day,” I promise.
I don’t say ‘every day until judgment day,’ though.
“I love you,” she says softly.
“And what about us, stepmother?” Keifer teases with tears in his eyes and comes up beside me. Ursula joins him and wipes her cheeks. The woman portrays an ice queen, but if you get past her icy, hard exterior, you’ll quickly see she has one of the softest hearts.
Leeva’s brows furrow. “What are you guys doing here?”
I can tell when she becomes more aware of where she is, and some of the memories of what happened push in. “You’re okay? The guys?”
Ursula sniffs and reaches for her hand. “We’re all okay. A bit banged up, but okay.”
Leeva’s eyes swing to me. “I shot Guerilla…” Her voice shakes. “With the shotgun.”
I can see the weight that thought has on her, regardless of what Guerilla had done. Taking a life… I don’t want that weight on her soul. “You didn’t kill him.”
She trembles under my touch. “Did he get away?” Then she shakes her head, realizing her confusion since no one walks away from being shot with a shotgun at close range. “He was going to do horrible things to you, Hayes. He was going to give you to that horrible ring.” Tears bead on her lashes.
“He won’t be able to touch me. Shh.” I kiss her gently. “You’re okay, I’m okay, your family is okay.”
“Just rest, Leeva.” Keifer pats her hand.
Her eyelashes are already lowering. The doctor had warned that she’d have short bouts of being awake at first and would fatigue quickly.
Ursula blows out a heavy breath and wipes her face again. The woman looks exhausted; not that Keifer or I look any better, but she’s been doing all the necessary CEO things for Wentzell Global from here.
“You guys should go and get some rest.”
They both regard me, looking as if they want to make the same suggestion to me, but they know I won’t leave. They take turns leaning down to kiss Leeva’s forehead, then gather their things and head toward the door.
Ursula’s boyfriends are waiting for her outside in the hall, and Keifer pauses at the door, looking first at Leeva, then back at me.
“I want to have every second with her that I can, Keifer.”
As soon as the MC vote happens, if I’m found guilty, I’ll be taken to the Cell. And I want every second possible with her, if that’s to be my fate.
He nods. “And our offer still stands. Both of you would be protected in Berlin. Running to save yourself isn’t a coward’s way out; it gives you the opportunity to have the life with Leeva you both deserve.”
My throat works. “If it comes down to me not surviving, make sure Leeva is always surrounded by the love of her family.”
His eyes glisten, and he dips his chin. “Of course.”
I turn back to the woman I have no regrets about claiming, even if it’s the thing that kills me in the end.