Chapter 35
Grace
The scream that tore from my throat didn’t sound human as the wooden slat trapping me splintered.
My mother’s eyes bulged in shock as I lunged for her and the gun she still held with my bound hands.
The startled expression on her face would have been comical if not for the fire burning through my shoulder and the dire situation I was in.
If I had the time, I would have loved to relish my ability to shock her so much.
Everything around me felt as if it were happening in slow motion.
I gripped the gun Mother still held as we swayed together, but I refused to let go.
Keeping my mother between myself and Jordan, I fought with every fiber of my being to pry the gun from her grasp.
I had no idea what to do with it, but I knew it was my only hope to survive and escape this.
Adrenaline surged through my veins, as I dared to headbutt my mother.
Her shocked outrage had her loosening her grip enough for me to snatch the pistol from her hand.
With all my strength, I flung my arms out, and the butt of the gun connected with her head, and she crumpled to the floor like a sack of potatoes.
I didn’t have a second to react when Jordan tackled me to the ground.
The breath whooshed out of me and my head cracked against the dirt floor.
My vision swam, but I needed to fight. Gripping the gun tightly, I prayed for a miracle as Jordan punched me in the gut.
Curling in on myself, I knew I needed to protect my baby.
I kneeled, clawed, thrusted and moved in every way imaginable.
I fought Jordan with everything I had. My knee connected with his balls, and he let loose a string of curses, but he didn’t relent.
My vision flickered as my energy flagged.
I needed to hold on a little bit longer. The twins must have alerted Kai by now. He would find me. He would save me.
“I love it when my victims scream, and out here, no one can hear you.” A maniacal chuckle left Jordan’s lips as he twisted the blade in my shoulder.
“Are you sure about that?” Kai’s deep voice cut off Jordan’s laughter and my whimpers.
Jordan moved so swiftly my head swam as he pulled me up by the hair and pushed his fingers into my throbbing shoulder. Forcing me upright, he used me as a shield between himself, Kai and Everett, who had come through the door behind Kai, guns at the ready.
My relief at seeing Kai was a living, breathing thing, even as Jordan used me as a human shield.
“Let. Her. Go.” Kai growled, his voice filled with rage that flashed in his eyes as he kept his gaze on Jordan.
“You’d best do as he says,” Ev added as he stepped forward to stand right next to Kai.
“I don’t think I will. I’m having too much fun,” he said so jovially. “I’m just getting started with my sister here. She needs to be reminded of her place. And I think you should watch.”
Jordan moved so fast that I had no time to react.
He dug his thumb into the back of my shoulder, under the blade, which forced me to cry out and pull away from him, giving him more coverage and distracting me enough for him to tear my mother’s gun from between my fingers.
Before I knew what was happening, he fired right next to my ear.
The shot reverberated around my already throbbing skull as fire raged like acid into my wounded shoulder.
I flinched away, and my knees buckled, and I was falling.
More gunshots rang out, so many of them, but all I could focus on was the energy leaving my body and the pain, so much pain.
The world shifted, going fuzzy at the edges as Kai kneeled at my side.
“Stay with me, Wildflower. You’re going to be okay. You’re safe now,” he promised. Agony flared in my shoulder as he rolled me onto my back.
Black spots danced in my vision, and I was so tired all I wanted to do was sleep.
Voices swam around me, fading in and out of my hazy brain as the darkness crept in again. The last thing I saw was Kai’s gorgeous blue eyes, clouded with fear and worry, as sleep took me under.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The incessant sound kept penetrating my skull, causing pain to stab at my temples. Groaning, I tried to move away from the noise.
“Make it stop,” I mumbled unintelligibly.
“Sweetheart, open those eyes for me. Don’t try to move, you’re in the hospital.” Kai’s soothing voice whispered at my side. He held my hand in his as I fought to open my eyes, feeling as if they had lead weights attached to them.
Light pierced my vision, almost blinding me as I opened my eyes to find a disheveled-looking Kai, hunched and tense at my bedside.
“What happened?” As I spoke, images flashed in my mind: Cain, Jordan, my mother, a shed, the blade, gunshots, Kai. As I turned my head to face Kai, I asked, “Is the baby okay?”
Tears welled in his eyes, and my heart cracked in my chest. “No, no, no, don’t.”
Kai jumped to his feet. “No, sweetheart, the baby is fine, but you almost weren’t.
I could have lost you.” He rested his forehead against mine as a lone tear escaped his lashes.
Somehow that was worse than the flood that wanted to escape.
“You were losing too much blood. They had to give you a transfusion.”
“A transfusion?” My brain felt like it was made of jelly as I tried to translate his words.
“Yeah, a blood transfusion. The doctors will come talk to you soon. We’re so lucky we got you here in time.”
My head pounded. It was too bright, so much pain.
Sleep threatened to pull me under as I tried to move my hand to rub at my temple, but pain lanced through my shoulder and ricocheted down to my fingers.
Wincing, I gritted my teeth, breathing deeply.
I froze. Turning my head slowly to the side, I took in my arm.
It was in a sling, strapped to my body. As I took stock of the injuries, the pain flared, bringing tears to my eyes.
“Are you okay?” Kai’s worried face blurred in front of me as my tears fell.
“Hurts,” I hissed.
“I know, sweetheart. Let me get the doctor.” Kai let go of my hand, and I watched his tall form disappear out the door.
With deliberate, deep inhalations, I pushed through the pain. I’d dealt with worse. I could handle this. Exhaustion weighed heavy on my chest as I settled back into the bed. Sleep would help.
I was about to float away when Kai came hurrying back in with a tall man I’d seen before.
“I’m collecting the whole family. How are you feeling, Grace?” The man moved around my bed to my shoulder and peeled the bandage back to check the wound. “Looks good. How’s your pain level?”
“Not great, but the baby?” I asked.
“You’ve been through an ordeal, but that baby of yours is strong.
We administered a low dose of morphine because you had just had emergency surgery and a blood transfusion.
You were bleeding heavily as the knife nicked your axillary artery.
We were able to stop the bleeding and repair the tear, but you will have a long recovery and need to take it easy.
You’ve been through quite the ordeal. You’ll be stuck with us for a few days.
” He smiled as he let the information sink in.
“Are you sure the baby is okay?”
“Yes, your little one is strong, and we will take extra care of both of you. Now you should rest and the nurse will come in to check on you routinely. Just press the button if the pain becomes too much.” He gestured to the call button on the bed controls. “I’ll leave you to it.”
My baby was okay.
With my eyelids pressed together, I battled drowsiness a little longer because I needed answers. “What happened to Jordan? My mother?”
Cold fury flashed in Kai’s eyes before it disappeared. “Jordan’s dead. Shot.”
The words echoed around my brain, but they felt foreign, intangible, just out of reach. Could it really be true?
“How? Why?” my voice croaked, and I coughed to clear my throat as Kai offered me a glass of water with a straw.
“Small sips, sweetheart.” His fingers traced softly over my cheek, then his eyes scanned my body. This whole situation must have been hard for him, too. I wondered if it could have been triggering.
“Are you okay?”
“You’re in a hospital bed after major surgery and clearly in pain, and you’re asking if I’m okay.” He pressed his forehead against mine. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”
I breathed him in. “You’re a good man.”
“I don’t feel it, but you make me better.
You’ve touched my soul. My love for you, my Wildflower, makes my spirit soar, lifting me to heights I never knew existed.
You’re it for me, and I’ll strive every day to be the best man I can for you and this baby.
” He rested his work-roughened hand over my stomach.
My heart pitter-pattered at his words and the depth of care this man had.
With all we’d both been through, it was a miracle we’d found each other and had the ability to love wholeheartedly.
“I love you, Kai,” I uttered as sleep claimed me once more.