Chapter 32 #2
“Grab some ginger ale out of the fridge, and I fucking need shoes. Oh, can you ask Stone to come with us? I’ll order him a ride share back, but I just want him there in case something happens with Jess on the drive down.”
“I thought you said she was okay?”
“She is. But her blood pressure was a little high and somehow she hit her belly on something. I’d rather just take every precaution possible. They’re… they’re everything to me, Mae.”
“I know. Okay. Change of clothes, ginger ale, truck, and Stone. Give me ten minutes and we’ll be over.”
“Thanks, Sissy,” he choked on the nickname. The only time he ever used it was when Mae needed comforting through something tough. But this time, it wasn’t Mae that needed the comforting. It was him.
“None of that. Everything is going to be fine.”
“Love you, Mae.”
“I… I love you too, Hawk.”
Jessie’s hand slid along his back as he tucked his phone back into his pocket. “I need to get back in there,” she whispered as he grabbed her elbow.
“Jessie!”
Hawk turned at the deep voice calling out to her from behind them. Dakota jogged up, eyes wide and face flushed. “What the fuck happened? Are you okay?”
“Hawk.” Her plea was quiet, but clear. She didn’t want to talk to him. And even if it was killing him to not have any of the details, it all could wait until they knew Lachlan was going to be okay.
“Someone attacked Jessie and Lach inside the shop. We aren’t allowed in right now.”
“The helicopter that just landed in the soccer field is for him?” Dakota’s face drained of all its color.
“From what I can gather? Yes.”
“Fuck!” he yelled. “What can I do? Has anyone called Dolly? Danny? Jess, do your brothers know?”
“Hayes and Colt are here,” she said.
“But not Beau? Okay… Okay. I’ll call him. I’ll try to see if Colt or Hayes called your parents too… I’ll take care of that if they need me to. It’s the least I can do.”
She nodded, swaying into Hawk’s side. He wrapped his arm around her waist and cringed.
“Jess, I think we need to get you back sitting down.”
“No. Not until Colt or Hayes comes to talk to us. I have to know what’s going on.”
As if he heard his sister’s fragile voice, Colt’s head lifted from whatever he was focused on in front of him, searching across the sea of people, until they landed on Hawk. He turned to say something Hawk couldn’t make out to the deputy standing next to him, a grim expression on his face.
“Colt’s coming over here, sweetheart.” Hawk pressed a kiss to her temple, tightening his arm around her back.
“Jess, you shouldn’t be up. Why didn’t you go in the ambulance?” Colt asked as he wrapped her up in a hug.
“Can I see him?” she asked.
“No. It’s not safe in there,” Colt said as he stepped back. “We have to let them work.”
“But you got to be in there.”
“I’m not pregnant and I wasn’t just assaulted myself.”
Fuck. Hawk ground his molars together, his jaw aching from the pressure. She was okay. She was right by his side. He could feel her warmth and hear her breathing and the paramedic had checked her and Bee over.
“I couldn’t help him,” her voice caught and he squeezed her hip. “I couldn’t protect him. I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Jess. You’re our baby sister. You’re carrying our niece.
We’re always going to protect you. The only thing Lach asked me about while I was in there was if you were alright.
Making sure you were really okay. That’s why you should be on your way to the hospital.
You and the baby need to be checked over. ”
“There was no reason for me to,” she answered quickly.
“That’s not true. Your blood pressure—” Hawk started to say before she cut him off.
“Is fine.” She looked up at Hawk and frowned.
“Hey. If you need me to call the rig back, I will.” Colt grabbed his radio off his belt.
“Don’t you dare. I’m fine.”
“You should at least let a doctor monitor the baby. When Vi and I lost…”
“I remember.” Jessie took two steps away from Hawk and wrapped her arms around her brother again. “I’m not going to lose this baby. She’s fine. So am I. Stop worrying about me and tell me what’s going on with Lach. Is he… is he going to be okay?”
Colt huffed, his hand coming up to rub his jaw as Jessie swayed back into Hawk’s side.
“Hayes and his squad got the car stabilized, the paramedics are working on getting his leg secured. He’s not conscious right now.”
“Oh god,” Jessie whispered.
“They sedated him, Jess. For the pain. Or, gave him some medicine that made him loopy, and then he kinda just went out of it. But they’ve got him. Hayes and I are going to get him in the chopper and then we’ll all go down to Dallas General, okay?”
“I’m going to take Jessie as soon as Stone gets here with my truck. We need to get her checked out, and the only place I could get her to agree on was the hospital they’d be taking Lach to.”
Colt’s eyes went wide. “Thought you said you were okay?”
“Like you said, it’s just better to get checked,” her voice shook, and Hawk didn’t miss the way her hands went to her back, pressing in against her hips.
“Alright, back to the bench with you, now that we got the info from Colt.”
“Text Hawk if anything changes,” her voice wavered as Hawk turned her back to the bench. “I don’t want to be at the wrong hospital and away from everyone when you get there.”
Colt nodded. “I still need to call Mom and Dad. Fuck.”
“No. Dakota’s here. He said he’d call Beau and they’d tell Mom and Dad. Might want to tell Beau where Lach is headed though.”
“Okay. Yeah, shit. I need to talk to Dakota too about all this. Fuck.” Colt swore as he looked over his shoulder. Between two deputies and a couple of firefighters, including Hayes, Hawk could see Lachlan being situated on a backboard.
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
Mae:
Stone and I are here. We’re parked down the street and can’t get by all the emergency vehicles.
We’ll be right there.
“Hey, Pretty Girl. Mae’s here with my truck. I’m going to carry you over there and we’re gonna get to the hospital, okay?”
“I can walk,” she protested.
“I know you can, but I really want to hold you in my arms right now. Think you can let me? Just until we get to the car?”
Her eyes went glassy and a tear slipped down her face as she nodded. He knew she’d see right through his reasoning, but he didn’t care. The moment she was up in his arms, and he could feel her warmth radiating into him, Hawk had to work overtime to choke back his own emotions.