Chapter 43
Every cell in my body ached. The beep of a heart monitor disturbed my sleep enough that I cracked open one eye.
I was in a hospital bed, pushed all the way up next to one where Bryan lay.
Carter was fast asleep between us. Colt was in a chair at the foot of our beds, a folded blanket pillowing his head on the plastic footboard, his arms outstretched, a hand on mine and Bryan’s calves.
Wyatt was asleep next to me, my hand with the IV cradled gently in his.
“What happened?” My voice sounded like I’d been swallowing glass.
Carter burst awake, waking Colt and Wyatt as well. “Maisie, thank god. How are you feeling?”
“Terrible,” I said, opting for honesty.
My memories were fuzzy. “What happened? Where are the kids?”
“With Riley and her pack.”
I blinked, confused.
Wyatt rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “Carter called his parents after he called the cops, then called Cash. Everyone came out immediately to the hospital. Riley was the nearest available next of kin since your first bond is dead and your second bond is lying here next to you. They let Riley take the kids for the night. They’re staying at a hotel across the street. ”
My head pounded. Riley would take good care of them, even though I wished I could’ve looked at them with my own eyes to reassure myself of their well-being. “What time is it?”
“A little after seven in the morning,” Carter replied, checking his phone.
Colt yawned. “Cops called your mom too, but they wouldn’t let her out of the compound gates.”
A nurse came in when she saw I was awake. “Ms. Decker, my name is Sheila. I’ll be your nurse today. How are you feeling?”
“Not Decker,” I replied, struggling to sit up.
“No? That’s the name on your chart. I can update the file if you have an ID that says differently.”
“I don’t, but please don’t call me that. Just Maisie.”
“Fair enough. Maisie, do you mind if I check your vitals?”
“Go ahead.” I held still while she went through the routine, answering her questions as best I could.
“You’ve got a concussion so you’ll have to take it easy for a while.
The rest of your injuries are mostly scrapes and bruises, but you have a lot of them, so you’ll be quite tender until they heal.
Are you hungry? It’s still a little ways until breakfast, but I can get you some broth or ginger ale. ”
“Both sound great, thank you.”
She disappeared and returned a few minutes later with two cups for me, setting them on the rolling table nearby.
Bryan groaned and she checked him over as well, giving him the same spiel. We were concussion twins.
He’d gotten hurt because of me.
Sheila interrupted my thoughts before I could spiral. “I’m supposed to let the police know when you’re awake and able to talk. Are you up for that?”
Wyatt opened his mouth to protest, but I set my hand on his arm.
“Better to get it over with.”
Sheila nodded. “There’s one waiting with the rest of the visiting family. I’ll let him know.”
About ten minutes later, Jensen slipped into the room. The first words out of him were an apology. “I’m so sorry. We took too long. The raid was scheduled, and we thought we had time.”
“Sure matched expectations,” Colt grumbled.
“We need more witnesses. The two Maisie accused of doing the most damage are both dead.”
Carter growled. “For fuck’s sake. How long is it going to take you guys to do something about that place?”
“It’s not that simple,” Jensen defended.
“Then make it simpler. There are probably omegas locked up right now. Go in while they’re still reeling and catch their crimes while they’re happening.”
Jensen grimaced. “I’ll bring it up to the sheriff.”
“Is that code for doing jackshit?” Carter snapped.
“I’m not in charge of deciding when we go in.
” He ignored my pack, focusing on me. “I’ve already heard what happened from your pack, minus Bryan.
” He held up his phone, showing me as he pushed the record button, stating his name, then mine, then the case file number.
“Walk me through what happened once you left the house. How did Paul Decker and Arlon Combs end up dead?”
Ice settled in the pit of my stomach. I remembered at least that much.
“They kidnapped me. Paul tried to kill our children, and he threatened to chain me up so I could never leave the compound again. I found empty beer bottles on the floor of the back seat, broke one, and stabbed him until he stopped fighting. I don’t know what happened to my father.
He was attacking me and then he wasn’t.”
Everyone stared at me with wide eyes.
“All I could think about was getting to my children and my pack. I’d have crawled through that burning house to get them back.
Paul and my father worked together to get me out of there.
I don’t think either of them really expected me to fight back.
I didn’t feel like myself for part of it, like it was all the vicious maternal instincts driving me. ”
“I was the one who killed Arlon Combs,” Bryan declared.
Jensen turned to him, holding out the phone. “Please state your name.”
“Bryan Reed. Maisie is my bondmate. They tried to take her, tried to kill all of us. Once we got the kids to safety, I went after her. I found her father pinning her down and something in me snapped. We fought. Honestly, it was probably pure luck that got him killed. He’s a huge alpha, but the way he landed let me pin him, and the water took care of the rest. All the others who had surrounded the house were long gone. ”
When it became clear there was nothing more to add, Jensen paused the recording. “I’m going to push to have both deaths declared self-defense and defense of a bondmate.”
I caught sight of June and her alphas all peeking in the hospital door through the tiny window.
“Go let them in, please,” I asked Jensen. “I don’t have anything else to tell you unless you have specific questions.”
He sighed but nodded, and pulled open the door. Carter’s parents flooded into the room, June hustling around the bed to hug me.
“Oh, honey, we’ve been so worried.”
I sniffled at that. I liked being important enough to worry about.
June turned a sharp eye on Jensen. “What plan is there to protect her now?”
Jensen blinked. “Are you concerned about retaliation?”
June looked ready to clap him upside the head.
A knock at the door had everyone turning.
“Sheriff,” Jensen said, nodding in greeting to our new addition. “I wasn’t expecting you so early.”
He waved Jensen off, then held his hand out for me to shake. “Sheriff Marks. It’s good to finally meet you. Talk to me about the risk of retaliation.”
“The heir and the second in command are both dead because of me,” I pointed out.
“I don’t really know what they’re going to do.
They sort of cut their losses when Darrell died trying to take Riley, but who’s to say what they would do this time?
Paul wasn’t the favorite son, but he was the only one left at this point, and my father has been the leader’s closest confidant for decades.
Big Daddy Decker could take that all pretty personally. ”
Sheriff Marks nodded. “We’re going to keep you safe.”
“I suppose better late than never,” June snapped.
“I understand the frustration, truly I do. If we move too quickly we risk everyone walking. The interview Miss Decker—”
“Maisie,” I demanded.
“The interview Maisie gave put the whole department into a frenzy. Our resources are not unlimited, but it’s being worked on. Is there anyone else inside the compound you think would be a credible witness?”
“My mother. With my father dead, she’s in a precarious position. I know they wouldn’t let her come today, and I don’t know what her situation has been like since I left, but I think she would help.”
“We’ll do our best to get into contact with her.”
“She risked a lot to get me out of there. I know there were consequences for it. Get her out if you can, and my brothers and sisters.”
“We have the school on alert. We don’t know all of the compound children, but we have the Combs children flagged.
If they have an absence, excused or not, the school will contact us and we’ll move in as quickly as possible.
In the meantime, I would suggest a vacation while we get everything sorted. ”
“That doesn’t seem very practical. Where are we supposed to go? For how long?”
“If you have a place in mind, you can go there, otherwise we can deliver you to a safe house. You’ll have agents with you here for the next forty-eight hours. They’re due to arrive shortly to take over.”
Carter tapped my arm. “The main floor of the house needs repairs from the water and fire damage. A vacation wouldn’t be a bad idea. We’ll figure out a good spot.”
I laid a hand over my eyes, the hospital lights suddenly too bright. “I need to rest.”
“Of course,” the sheriff said. “I’ll be outside until the agents arrive if you need us.”
Riley brought the kids over after breakfast and a bit more rest.
Colt caught Cody right out of the air when he tried to launch himself onto the bed with us. “Whoa, there. You’ve got to be gentle with your mom and Bryan.”
Carter relinquished his spot between Bryan and I, letting the kids take over.
Riley slid up to the bed, bending to very gently hug me. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“Me, too,” I whispered back.
Cody bounced on his knees excitedly. “Mama, it was so cool! Our dads were like superheroes!”
I laughed, adjusting my arm so Paisley could wedge herself underneath it, trying not to wince when she hit multiple tender spots. “Is that so? You weren’t scared?”
“I guess a little, but I knew they’d keep us safe.”
“And you?” I asked Paisley.
“I was scared, but Daddies took care of us, and we got to cuddle with the doggies, and Merri came to visit us and I got to cuddle her. And we got to have a sleepover with Auntie!”
It was a relief to know the experience hadn’t traumatized them.
“They did great last night,” Riley told me. “Got some sleep cuddles and we ordered room service breakfast this morning.”
Cooper came around to stand by her side.
“Carter told Cash you needed somewhere to go while the house is being repaired. I talked to my sister and she said she and her pack can provide housing during your recovery so there’s no risk of anyone from the compound showing up.
When you’re out of the hospital you can head over there as soon as you’re ready. ”
I was glad to have somewhere to go, even if the whole situation wasn’t the most ideal. “That sounds great. Thank you.”
I remembered Morgan Harris from school, knew she was good friends with Riley and was now her sister-in-law. The Elk Ridge Hunting Lodge wasn’t as far away as I might’ve liked, but the connection was distant enough that no one would look for us there first.
Carter’s parents crammed into our guesthouse to keep an eye on the horses and the contractors during repairs. The agents escorted us back home where children had picked out a few of their favorite things, and we had hauled over as much bedding as we could that didn’t have smoke damage.
We’d barely arrived on the property, agents in tow, when the snow started in earnest.
Morgan and her alphas were waiting for us, opening up the garage for us to drive inside.
She welcomed me into her arms, her maple and black tea scent sweet and content.
“I’m so glad you’re here. Welcome to the lodge.
You don’t have to worry about a single thing while you’re here. Just rest and recover.”
I liked the sound of that. I was still dizzy more often than not since leaving the hospital, and the concussion symptoms were expected to stick around for a few weeks.
Riley came sprinting through the side door, wrapping me up from behind so I was sandwiched between her and Morgan. “You made it. I wanted to make sure I was here when you arrived.”
“It was a rough trip. I’m glad it’s over.”
The agents did a sweep of the property, and while we waited, we went through introductions, Morgan letting us meet each of her packmates—Ryder, Bear, Kit, and Maverick—and me introducing mine, as well as the children.
“You’ll be staying in a separate building,” Morgan explained, “but we can see each other so you’re not disappearing into the wilderness or anything. It’s all set up, and it has its own kitchen, living room, everything you need to spend a decent chunk of time out here.”
“Sounds perfect.”
I was grateful to get settled after the agents declared it clear, left me their contact information, and went to go stay at a nearby property they had rented to be on hand if needed.
The bunkhouse had enough bedrooms for everyone, but I fully intended to have the entire pack in one room with me.
Bryan and I were ordered to sit and rest so we didn’t make the concussion symptoms worse.
I wasn’t even allowed to carry Nora until my dizziness was fully gone.
The pack set up everything and I cuddled into Bryan’s chest. It was only him and I in the bond now. Everything had been so chaotic and I had been so tired that we’d barely had a moment to talk.
“Does it hurt?” he asked softly.
“Hmm?”
“The bond, now that Paul is gone.”
“It’s hard to tell what’s from the concussion symptoms and what’s from the bond breaking. When it first happened, it hurt a lot, like I was being carved apart from the inside, but not anymore.”
“I’ve heard horror stories. I wonder how much of a difference it made with him not being a scent match and you not wanting the bond to begin with.”
“I’ll take any measure of relief.” I sighed, snuggling harder against him. “For now though, I just need a nap.”