CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Ky
Holding Sera’s hand in mine, I’ve been sitting by her hospital bed for the last week, willing her to wake up.
But my girl is a stubborn woman.
The staff tried to have me thrown out, but one look from me, and they’ve backed down, I’ve been able to sit here with her undisturbed. Probably because Everleigh had spoken up on my behalf.
It’s taken me a week of sitting here watching her, to finally let go of my anger over her lies and betrayal. I’ve even spoken to Everleigh, since she had also kept the fact that she had kids with my pops, not telling him for eighteen years.
If my old man can get over the fact Everleigh had kept his kids away from him for eighteen years, then I can surely do it after four.
And I’ve decided that once she was well enough, I was going to claim her. Everyone in the club is aware of my intentions where Sera is concerned. Even Ink had congratulated me. This time, there won’t be any running away from the inevitable. By either me or her.
I almost lost her once, for good. I won’t let that happen again.
I hear light footsteps, then a soft knock on the door. Turning my head, I see it’s Everleigh and I motion for her to enter. She stands beside me and places a comforting hand on my shoulder. How could I have ever resented this woman? If there was ever the perfect woman for my ol’ man, and the perfect first lady to his President, she was it.
“How’s she doing?” she asks. I get to my feet and offer her the chair I was sitting in, which she takes without complaint.
“Still no change,” I start, leaning my ass against the wall near the window overlooking the city of Tampa. I lower my head as I run a hand through my long hair in frustration. “The doctor was optimistic she’d wake up a day or two after arriving at the hospital, but it’s now been a week.”
“You know it’s not your fault, right?” Everleigh presses.
“How can it not be? I left her there. She was beaten within an inch of her life and suffered a miscarriage which could’ve killed her because of the infection that took hold. And now, she may never have any more kids.”
“That’s all on Angelo. Not you,” Everleigh says.
Wiping my eyes from the stray tears I refuse to let fall, I finally lift my head to look at her, taking a deep breath.
“How’s Tiny doing?” I ask instead, changing the subject.
The look on her face wasn’t promising, as she bites her bottom lip. “The doctors have said that there’s not much more they can do. And to call all his loved ones here if they want to see him before he…” A whimper escapes her as she stops short, unable to finish the words.
“Fuck me,” I hiss. “Has Sage been told?”
“Yeah, Kaydn called her. She accused him of lying to her so that she’d come home, but when he told her he was serious, she said she’ll be here hopefully by tonight.”
“Of course she would think that. Maybe her appearance will give Tiny the kick up the ass he needs?”
Everleigh gives me a soft, watery smile, just as the sound of boots scuffing on the linoleum floor heralds my father’s arrival, flanked by a few of my brothers. Including Ink, a look of worry on his exhausted face.
“Why aren’t you back at the clubhouse resting?” My pops chides his woman. Coming to stand behind her like a sentinel, bending down to give her a soft loving kiss, and something breaks inside me.
I turn my back so they don’t see the tears, my vision blurring.
A soft groan comes from the until now sleeping woman in the bed. The sound has me whirling around, quickly wiping the wetness from my eyes.
“Sweetness?” I call out, walking briskly to Sera’s side, holding her hand. Her big brown eyes are wide open, surprise shining from them. But she’s unable to speak because of the tube down her throat, which she’s trying to pull out of her mouth.
“Don’t do that, sweetness. Wait for the doctor to come,” I say softly. Everleigh is already pressing the buzzer for the nurse, and within minutes, one appears, her face a mask of fear seeing all of us in cuts squeezed into the tiny room.
“She’s awake,” Everleigh calls out, taking charge. The nurse disappears, and within the next few minutes, reappears with the doctor. A tall, good-looking young guy, that I didn’t want anywhere near Sera.
“Hey there, Ms Bianchi. Welcome back,” he greets Sera with a blinding smile, and I clench my hands into fists at my sides so that I don’t punch him in his pretty boy face.
“Would you mind leaving the room, I need to examine my patient.” His request is more of a demand, but I wasn’t going to leave her alone with him. Though my mind was made up already to stay, Sera’s small hand clasping mine, her eyes silently telling me not to go anywhere, I sit my ass back down in the chair. Doc would have to work around me, because I wouldn’t be leaving her side.
When the asshole doc saw I wouldn’t be moving, he clenches his jaw, but silently went about his work removing the tube from Sera’s throat, patiently explaining her throat might be sore for the next few days, but that water would help.
I pour her a cup of water, letting her drink from the straw. Doc perches himself on the edge of Sera’s bed, and I have to force myself not to tell him to piss the fuck off.
“Now, you came into the hospital very sick. Any longer and you may not have made it,” he tells her, though his eyes find mine, and I narrow my gaze at him. Is he accusing me of doing this to her? The fucker better not be. Or I will end him.
“Ky isn’t the one who did this to me,” she replies, reading the situation straight away. Her voice gravelly as she squeezes my hand in hers, and I squeeze back.
“Okay, if you say so,” he says, clearly not believing her. “Anyway, as you know, you’ve miscarried.” Sera’s brown eyes seek mine, a nervous look on her pale, worn-out face. “There was extensive damage due to the infection, but we were able to save the uterus and tubes. There’s a lot of scarring, unfortunately, I don’t believe you’ll be able to carry another child to term.” He drones on in a robotic voice that made me want to throw him across the room.
“Any questions?” he asks, after prattling off his monologue.
Her headshake is barely audible, and the tremble in her lip betrays the tears welling up in her eyes. I want to strangle the son of a bitch.
“Yeah, I have one,” I say, stopping him in his tracks. He turns and arches a brow, looking down his nose at me. “When can she get out of here?”
“I’d like her to be here for the next few days, to monitor the infection, and to complete the course of intravenous antibiotics. She should be well enough to go home after that.” With that said, the prick walks out.
“The asshole’s bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired,” I grumble, and Sera shocks me with a chuckle, which then brings on a cough. I quickly hand her the cup of water, and she drinks gratefully.
“I’m sorry.” I reply sheepishly.
“It’s fine,” she says, as the others file back into the room. I can see she’s overwhelmed by the visit, especially seeing Everleigh, and after ten minutes, I kick them out. Even Ink goes willingly.
She clears her throat, a raspy sound that cuts through the quiet, and I go to hand her the water again, but she lifts her hand to stop me.
“I’m fine. Truly. How’s Tiny? Angelo shot him in front of me,” she replies sadly, her eyes filling with tears. I’m sure she can see by my face that things aren’t good, and she doesn’t ask for me to elaborate.
“His woman, Sage, is on her way here from Washington with the kids. It might just be the motivation he needs to wake up and get better,” I tell her.
“Sounds like there’s a story there,” Sera says.
“Boy, is there a story?” I reply, telling her everything that happened that had Sage running for the hills.
“I heard about the baby Zoe and Chains are looking after. It’s a very sad situation all round.” I shake my head, even though at this stage they would be the preferable parents to baby Bella. Tiny hasn’t once looked in on her since he’s been back.
“I know Zoe’s always wanted to have children,” Sera admits, a gasp escaping her lips at what she’s just revealed and slapping a hand against her mouth. “Please don’t tell Chains what I just said,” she pleads, and I give her a soft grin.
“Your secret is safe with me. Though I have to tell you, he’s wanting the same thing,” I admit.
“Are we ignoring the elephant in the room?” she broaches.
“You mean, is Angelo caught? Not yet, but the fucker’s living on borrowed time for what he did to you,” I vow.
“I should’ve just given him my inheritance. Then I wouldn’t have been in this position in the first place.”
I stare at her for a beat. “He did all this because he wanted your inheritance?” I demand to know.
“If you already didn’t know, Angelo is a selfish, arrogant asshole. I could add a few other things to that list, but I’d rather not waste my time thinking about him anymore. Just so you know, he’ll never get a penny from me. Willow will get it all.”
“Speaking of the kid. You and I are going to have a chat about her when you’re up to it,” I warn.
Sera chews on her bottom lip with her teeth, the only sign that she’s not looking forward to that conversation.
“I was going to tell you about her; I just didn’t know how. You and I weren’t exactly on good terms when I arrived in Briar Creek. You even thought I’d burnt down my clinic and your gym. But that was all Angelo. I thought by coming to Briar Creek and putting thousands of miles between myself and Angelo, I could live a normal life, but obviously he had other ideas.”
I struggle to control the rising tide of anger within me.
“We’ll talk about it when you’re feeling better,” I say through a clenched jaw, grabbing my cut that’s draped over the chair I was sitting in. I needed to get out of here before I said or did something we couldn’t get back from. I guess I was still harboring bad feelings about her keeping Willow’s identity from me, after all.
“Where are you going?” she asks, panic in her voice, but I force myself to ignore it as I stride toward the door.
“I need to get some air. I’ll return tomorrow. Get some rest.” I throw over my shoulder before leaving the room. Out in the parking lot, I straddle my sled, taking a few deep breaths.
I needed to clear my head, so instead of returning to the Burning Sentinels clubhouse, I rode.
I don’t know how long I rode, but by the time I returned to the clubhouse, throwing my leg off my sled and locking myself in my room, my head was clear on what I needed to do.