Chapter 47
Lark
A beeping noise wakes me up and I groan. My head is killing me. Did I drink too much last night?
I crack my eyes open and groan again when the bright light sears into my eyes. Fuck. Maybe I did overdo it last night and to add insult to injury, left our curtains open. But, fuck, what is that beeping noise? I don’t remember setting an alarm.
“Lark,” a voice tinged with a southern drawl calls out and I frown as I try and open my eyes again. “Shit, let me get the lights.”
I blink again and the room starts to come into focus. Loki’s sitting in a chair and his hair is sticking up as if he’s been running his hands through it constantly. His eyes are bloodshot, and he looks rattled. Really rattled. What happened?
“Loki? What are you doing here? What am I doing here? What happened?”
I look down at myself again. Why am I in a hospital bed? Then bits and pieces of the night come back to me.
“Fuck,” I curse as my breathing picks up.
The black roses on my car.
Realizing my break lines were cut.
Going into the ditch.
Hitting the tree.
Atlas…
Atlas!
“Is Atlas okay? They didn’t cut his lines too, did they?”
Loki shakes his head and scoots his chair closer. “No, they didn’t, but he did cut his hand a bit when he had to bust through your back window to get the doors unlocked. He and a few others are in the waiting room.”
Relief flows through me that his truck wasn’t tampered with.
“Does Reaper know?”
Loki nods. “Yeah. Atlas called Cannon to rally us and then he called Reaper. Shit, here I am yapping when I should be getting the nurse. I bet your head is killing you.”
He reaches over and hits the call button. I wince as a loud voice comes over the speaker and he gives me an apologetic look.
A moment later, a nurse comes in and smiles. “Hello, Miss Thompson, how are you feeling?” she asks as she looks over my vitals on the monitor.
“My head feels like it’s being split open, my neck is killing me, my arms and back hurt, my right hand hurts, and the rest of my body is just sore.”
She nods as she makes a note in the computer. “I can bring you some medicine for your headache and I’ll let the doctor know you’re awake. He’ll be in momentarily.”
The nurse steps out and I look back over at Loki and I frown. I’ve never seen him look so rattled before.
“Loki? What’s wrong?”
He swallows hard a few times as he rests his elbows on his knees and stares down at his hands.
“I…” he starts but then he snaps his mouth shut as the doctor comes in followed by the same nurse from earlier.
“Good to see that your awake, Miss Thompson, I’m Dr. Cooper. How are you feeling?”
“Please, call me Lark. I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck. My head feels like it’s being split open, my neck is killing me, my arms and back hurt, my right hand hurts, and the rest of my body is just sore,” I repeat.
He nods as he makes a note on his tablet and looks back up at me.
“That is definitely to be expected after what you’ve been through.
Your friends filled us in on what happened and it was confirmed by the authorities that your break lines were cut.
As for your injuries, you have a slight concussion and a pretty bad goose egg on your forehead.
You also have about an inch-long cut along your hairline and we elected to use skin glue on it rather than stitches.
” He pauses as he sets down his tablet at the foot of my bed and steps closer.
“Now, I wanted to do a physical examination of your neck, shoulders, back, and extremities before you got any medication.”
I lift my chin in answer, wincing a bit as I do. He feels along my neck and shoulders and walks me though a few motions, seeing how much I can move. Then he checks my back where it’s tender and does the same for my arms and legs.
“Well, that lines up with the tests we ran while you were unconscious. You don’t have any fractures or dislocations, and there is no damage to your ligaments, muscles, or intervertebral discs.
However, based on your tenderness and limited range of motion, you are suffering from whiplash.
Medicine and time should heal it, but if it doesn’t, you’ll need to go to a physical therapist.”
I bite back a groan. I do not want to go back into physical therapy. I’ve had enough of it to last a lifetime.
Dr. Cooper motions that the nurse can give me the medicine and then makes some notes on his tablet. After the nurse leaves, he gives me a pensive look.
“Lark, I have to ask, but did you take any illicit drugs tonight?”
I blink a few times as I absorb his words. Did he really just ask that? I shake my head. “I’ve never done drugs or even smoked before. Why?”
“Did you accept a drink from someone you didn’t know?”
I shake my head again. “No. I was working as a bartender tonight and we always keep our drinks capped and under the counter where customers can’t reach them. Why? What’s going on?”
“Lark, we found a date rape drug in your system when we ran your blood.”
The world spins as I absorb the bomb he dropped. What the fuck? Someone drugged me?
“Wait,” Loki says as he sits up straighter. “Atlas told us someone put some black roses on her car and when she picked them up to throw them away, the thorns drew blood in a few spots on her hand. Is it possible that that was how the drugs got into her system?”
Dr. Cooper tilts his head as he thinks and then nods before looking back at me.
“If you know where they are, we could test them to be sure.” He picks up my hands and then focuses on my right hand where the thorns cut me.
“We thought these cuts were made by glass, but if the thorns were sharp enough to do this, then yes, it is possible that was how she was drugged.”
I swallow thickly as the reality of what could have happened washes over me. “I-I threw them in the outside trash can over by the tables we have for our staff when they want to take their breaks outside.”
Loki pulls out his phone and texts someone, most likely one of the guys. A moment later, his phone chimes and he nods. “Doc is going to go and get them. Who should he give them to?”
“Tell the nurse to page me and I’ll order the tests.
Now, since you have a concussion, you can take acetaminophen, and only acetaminophen, for headache relief for the first twenty-four hours as long as your symptoms don’t get worse.
If they do, then you need to come back to the ER.
We’ll give you a list of symptoms to watch out for as well.
“After that first twenty-four hours, you can switch over to ibuprofen or naproxen since you also have whiplash. Some patients can experience nausea so we will prescribe you medication that will help with that. Remember, that with a concussion, you can sleep as needed, but someone needs to wake you up every two to three hours.” He pauses as he glances at Loki and then back to me.
“Is there someone that can stay with you while you recover?”
I nod. I’m sure the guys already called Reaper, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Ma, Granny and all the guys take turns until Reaper can get here.
“Okay. I’ll get to work on your discharge paperwork. Within twelve hours, the date rape drugs should be out of your system. I’ll also include paperwork about what you can expect because of the date rape drug as well.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
When he leaves, I lean back, closing my eyes. I could have been killed. Again.
Movement has me opening my eyes and turning toward Loki. “Talk to me, Loki.”
He exhales heavily. “I-Is it okay if we postpone that talk until we get to you home?”
My chest tightens as Anthony’s words come back to me about Loki’s family, and I nod. “Yeah, but is everything okay?”
He hesitates, looking slightly panicked but obviously trying to hide it as he nods. “Yeah, it’s just… It ties in with my family’s roots and I’d rather explain that in private if that’s okay?”
“Of course, it is.”
His body visibly relaxes, and his eyes lose a bit of their panicked look. Then, a thought comes to me.
“Loki, just so you know, you don’t have to share your family’s history with me if you aren’t comfortable doing so.
In fact, you don’t have to share anything private if you don’t want to.
I don’t want to make things uncomfortable between us.
To me, you’re Loki and I accept you exactly the way you are.
I consider you and the rest of the club part of my family. ”
More tension leeches out of him and he gives me a small smile.
“I guess it’s one thing to know that and another to hear it.
Thanks, Lark, and I also think of you as my family.
” He pauses and leans in close, his eyes bright with mischief.
“Just so you know though, I did tell them I’m your brother so I could stay back here. ”
I laugh and then wince as pain laces through my skull. “Ugh. Don’t make me laugh. I need to remember that. Hopefully those dang meds kick in soon.”
He gives me a sympathetic smile then his eyes widen with shock.
“Shit. I need to update the guys. They wouldn’t let them come back here.
Your mom and grandma were able to come back for a little while, but then they offered to head to your house to tidy up and make some food that would be easy on your stomach in case you get nauseous. ”
I can’t stop my huff as I smile and shake my head. Yeah, that sounds like Ma and Granny.
Loki pulls out his phone, texting away and I lean back in bed. As I do, I catch sight of the clock on the wall.
Five o’clock.
Fuck.
I’ve been here for probably around two hours.
I scrub my hands over my face and then wince when I find the goose egg on my forehead above my left eye and I tentatively touch around it.
I can feel the area that they used the glue, but I have no idea how I look.
In fact, I don’t even know where my purse and phone are.
I blink when Loki holds his phone out for me and I look over at him in question.
He grimaces. “Saw you feeling around your face and I figured you’d want to see it, but just so you know, your face is pretty black and blue already.”
I make a face and he gives me another apologetic smile.
Taking his phone, I open the camera and switch it to selfie mode and groan.
“Fuck…”
He wasn’t kidding.
The area above my left eye, part of my cheek, and then the left side of my face have already started to bruise.
I can only imagine them getting darker as the day goes on.
Groaning again, I close my eyes and then breathe deep and slowly as my anger starts to build.
I can’t wait to get my hands on this asshole.
Why does he think he can control my life?
I’m my own person. I decide who I want to be with. Not someone else.
“Hey, it will be okay, Lark.”
I crack my eyes open to find Loki looking down at me with concern, but I can also see the anger and dangerous glint in his eyes. Then he grins darkly.
“And besides, I have a feeling we’ll be going hunting soon for the asshole. He doesn’t get to threaten my family and get away with it.”
I return his dark grin. “Damn straight.”