Chapter Two
Victoria
Watching Harrison work on Rich had been brutal. I couldn't tear my eyes away even as Az tried to coax me out of the room. Seeing Rich stripped bare as his life hung in the balance was unsettling. It took everything in me not to rush forward and cover him. If I did, it would only hinder the work that needed to be done to save him.
It wasn't until his wounds were bandaged, the one in his abdomen packed and strapped tightly, that I allowed myself any sense of relief. Rich was still breathing. For now.
Harrison had instructed Az, Craig, and Joey to carry his unconscious body carefully into a spare bedroom just off the living area of the apartment. I kept out of the way as they positioned him in the bed, covering him to the waist with the comforter. Harrison's movements were precise and efficient in a way I'd only seen in films. The moment Rich was situated, he'd run an IV, murmuring about the need for fluids and pain medication to keep Rich comfortable. I didn't ask where a man who owned a bar had come by the supplies he used. I was just grateful he had them.
When Harrison left the room, the guys remained, closing in around me as I watched Rich. One had moved a chair to the bedside, though I couldn't say who. It was Joey who guided me to sit, ensuring that Rich was still within reach of the chair. I can't say how long I sat there, the three of them surrounding me as I watched the rise and fall of Rich's chest with an intensity that should have scared me. Eventually, though, they left me to my vigil, needing to take care of whatever business needed to be settled in the wake of the night's events.
"You're not allowed to die, bossy pants." I spoke finally, reaching my hand to grasp Rich's. "I'm not done fighting with you while you try to tell me what to do."
He didn't stir, his only movement from his shallow breathing. Tears continued to track down my face as I took in his deathly pallor. My fingers tightened around his limp hand, desperate for any reaction.
"Please don't leave me like this," My voice cracked. "You have to fight. I… I need you to wake up. You're not allowed to die on me, Rich. You fucking hear me? We were just starting to get somewhere. I-I thought maybe…" I let my voice trail off as sobs ripped through me again.
For hours, I sat there, holding his hand and alternating between sobbing, begging, and demanding that he live. My body grew stiff from being in the same position for so long, but I couldn't move. Not until I knew he'd survive. The guys would come in and check on me from time to time, and I saw how their expressions grew more tortured each time. They finally stopped when Mags appeared.
"Hey, honey. How ya holding up?" She asked, setting another chair next to mine.
I tore my gaze from Rich to look at Mags for the first time since we'd arrived. "Just peachy." I deadpanned. "All dressed up and ready for a night out." Hysterical giggles bubbled up in my throat as soon as the words left my mouth.
Mags watched me, her brows drawn down in concern as my hysteria grew. The whole night had been a shitshow. I was still wearing the gown I'd put on for the hospital charity event. The once gorgeous dress was now torn and covered in blood.
"I don't know what I'm going to do if he dies." I whispered when I finally got control of myself again.
"Rich is strong. He just has to hang on a few more hours and Pops will get him to the vet to finish fixing him up." Mags replied, grabbing my hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"I don't understand why we can't just take him to the hospital. He needs a hospital."
"Honey, the hospital has to report gunshot wounds. That means police. I know you're new to this world, but the police are bad for business. There's a vet in midtown that's on these guys' payroll. He has the same equipment and can patch your man up. He's just gotta hang on a few more hours."
"Rich isn't… He's not my man." I said slowly, not really sure what else there was to comment on. Mags raised a brow and smiled at me gently, her expression tinged with amusement.
"Yeah, sure sweetie… That's why he took several bullets to keep you safe." Arguing erupting in the other room caused her to pause, looking at the door with a frown. She gave my hand another squeeze as she stood. "And why you're in here crying your heart out over what it could have meant for him to do that."
I stared at her momentarily, before turning my gaze back to Rich's unconscious form. I heard the door click close, signaling her departure, and turned her words over in my head. I could hear her scolding the rest of the guys through the door but was too focused on the man in front of me to understand what she was saying. Whatever it was worked, their voices grew quieter before Leighton slipped into the room.
"Hey beautiful. We should get you a change of clothes, and somewhere to get some rest. I can take over your vigil and wake you if anything changes." He spoke softly.
"Get out, Leighton. I don't want you near me. Anyone else, but not you." I spat, not taking my eyes off Rich.
"Please, Petit Démone -"
"Get out. Get the fuck out!" I shrieked.
I heard him sigh before the door clicked open and shut, leaving me alone with Rich once more. The early morning hours settled into a rotation of the others coming to check on us. Harrison or Mags would come in from time to time to check on his IV, but we were largely left alone in between.
I think I dozed at some point in the chair; dawn filtering in through a small window in the room pulled me from a sleep I didn't know I'd slipped into. Sitting up slowly, I groaned against the stiffness in my back and stretched.
"Good. You're awake." Mags spoke, startling me. "I've got a change of clothes for you in the bathroom. You should get cleaned up and dressed so we can get Rich to the vet."
Nodding, I stood from the chair and let her lead me through the apartment to the bathroom. After stuffing my destroyed gown into the small trash can, I quickly showered and dressed in the sweatpants and oversized t-shirt Mags had left for me. Nothing could be done for the dark circles under my eyes or the sense of dread that had settled under my skin.
"Sweetheart?" Joey called, rapping on the bathroom door. "We're ready to move, but me and the others talked it over. We think you should stay here while we get Rich patched up the rest of the way."
Jerking the door open, I scowled at him. "Absolutely not."
Joey rubbed the back of his neck with an apprehensive look. "It'll be safer for you here. None of us want to see anything happen to you, and we're not exactly in a good position to keep you safe out in the open like that."
"Listen here, Joseph Innocenti , if you think for one fucking second, you're leaving me behind, you've got another thing coming. No way in hell will I sit here not knowing what's going on while y'all are out there. Not over my dead body."
"Let her come," Az called from somewhere behind Joey. "We don't have time to waste arguing with her, and she's proved during the attack that she can handle herself just fine."
"Thank you." I said as Joey shot an angry glare over his shoulder.
I could feel the anger and worry radiating from him as I pushed past him out of the bathroom and strolled toward where Az stood at the end of the hall.
"Quit fucking around. We need to get moving if you want your boy to live." Harrison spoke, appearing at the end of the hall. "The other two already got him loaded into the van. Let's go."
Fifteen or so minutes later, Harrison pulled his cargo van into the empty parking lot of Sacona Animal Center. I practically jumped from the vehicle as the guys helped Harrison unload Rich's unconscious body through the back doors and pack him into the vet's office. A man in his mid-forties met us at the entrance and ushered us into the back.
"Alright, everyone out so I can get these x-rays." The man said, shooing us out of the exam room after the guys had laid Rich on the table.
"Come on, Bunny." Craig spoke, wrapping his arm around my shoulders to lead me back to the waiting area.
Craig helped me into the hard plastic seat before he settled in beside me. My eyes immediately sought out the ticking clock hung on the wall behind the receptionist's desk. The minutes dragged into hours as we waited. Each of the guys took turns sitting beside me, whispering words of comfort that I didn't hear. I was so consumed by worry that I didn't bother pulling away from Leighton when he replaced one of the others.
The door that led to the exam rooms finally opened, and the vet strolled out with a smile. "He's waking up now if you'd like to see him."
I shot to my feet and ran toward the door, barely noticing Az take the man aside. Footsteps echoed through the hall behind me as I made my way to the room we'd left Rich in. I tore through the clinic so fast I'd have missed the room if it hadn't been for the door propped open. A sob threatened to break free when I laid eyes on Rich, still sprawled on his back across the exam table. He grimaced as he turned his head toward me.
"Hey Baby Girl… You look like shit." He croaked out.
My knees almost gave out at the sound of his voice after being so scared I'd never hear it again. I felt an arm around my waist and took a moment to steady myself.
"You aren't looking like a bouquet of roses yourself, big bro." Joey quipped over my shoulder, moving us closer to the table.
Rich chuckled, then let out a pained groan. "Fuck you, Joey. Next time, you take the bullets."
"I vote no one takes anymore bullets," I said after I found my voice again.
"We should get moving," Az interjected as he entered the room. "Harrison said he wants to keep an eye on Rich for the next few days. That will give us time to find a place to lay low, but we gotta get Rich loaded up and head back to the Cobra before anyone gets wind we were here."
I made my way back to the van and made sure I was out of the way while they loaded Rich in the back. He wasn't entirely out of the woods yet, but he was awake, and he was alive. The somber tension that had hung over our heads was finally a little lighter, and it felt like the hand around my throat threatening to strangle me had finally started to let go.