Chapter 29
Rhonan
Pleas and Surprises
“Fuck!” I race over to Vienna and Ellis as blood pools on the hardwood floor beneath them. “Girls! Girls!”
“Daddy!” Ellis scrambles up from the floor and launches herself into my arms.
“Ellis, are you okay?” Pushing her back, my eyes roam over her, searching for any sign that she’s been hurt.
“I’m scared, Daddy.”
“I know, sweet girl. I know.”
“I’ve got EMTs on the way,” Brody announces as he puts handcuffs on Cole by the front door. “Chief has the guy out front in cuffs…”
That’s when my eyes land on Vienna, lying flat on the floor, not moving.
“Brody, call Jake in here to take Ellis.”
“No, Daddy!”
I take my daughter’s face in my hands, shielding her from the blood all over the floor. “Ellis, I need to help Vienna, okay? She is hurt, and I need to make sure that she’s okay.”
“Come on, Ellis. Come with me,” Jake says from behind me, pulling Ellis by her hand as she fights him.
Her tiny voice rings out as I watch her leave. “Daddy!” My eyes lock on hers as Jake lifts her from the ground, her legs kicking and her screams growing louder as he carries her away.
“It’s okay, Ellis. I need to help Vienna right now, okay?”
“No, Daddy!”
“I love you!” I yell out to her, keeping the image of her alive and safe in my head before focusing on saving the other girl I love.
Reality clicks back on. “Shit, Vienna! Vienna!” Blood is pouring from her upper chest, right below her collarbone. “Vienna…” I rip off my shirt, so I can apply pressure to help stop the bleeding. “Vienna, baby. Please say something.”
But as my hands make fast work of pressing my shirt around her upper body, her skin goes white, her mouth falls open, and I fear that the universe would be so cruel to test my strength yet again by taking a third woman that I love away from me.
Luckily, a groan escapes her lips, and then the paramedics are rushing through the front door. Two of them approach Cole on the other side of the room, who’s also been shot. Luckily for him, I aimed for his leg. But honestly? I don’t give a fuck about him. He deserves whatever happens to him.
He fucking kidnapped my kid and the woman I love.
He doesn’t deserve to live as far as I’m concerned, and he sure as fuck never deserved Vienna.
When the other two arrive near me and Vienna, they push me aside. “Let us take care of her, Rhonan.” Billie, one of the paramedics I’ve worked with for years, says to me. “We’ve got it from here.”
And even though I know that she’s in good hands now, there is only one thing on my mind that I keep repeating over and over as I watch them load her onto a stretcher, into an ambulance, and take her to the hospital.
Please God—please, save her. I can’t lose her too.
***
It’s been five years since I’ve been in this hospital, and yet the sounds of machines beeping and people running down halls is way too fucking familiar for my comfort.
The last time I was here was supposed to be one of the best days of my life, but it was also the worst—and now, I’m scared as hell of how this day will end.
My hand hasn’t left Vienna’s since they put her in this room after her surgery.
The bullet that Cole fired at her—the one that she dove in front of my daughter to take—lodged itself in her shoulder blade.
But by the grace of God, it missed her heart by an inch.
She also has a concussion and bruising on her head from where that asshole hit her with his gun.
She lost a lot of blood and has a hard road of recovery ahead of her, but she’s alive.
She’s still fucking here.
And all I want is for her to wake up so that I can tell her how much I love her.
I should have told her the night of the wedding, but I didn’t want to scare her. Truth be told, my feelings for this woman have developed so suddenly and strongly that I still needed a minute to wrap my head around the fact that I wanted to start over with someone new too.
Looking at her now, though—so fragile in this hospital bed, beaten and bruised and fighting for her life—it makes me wonder how I could ever have doubted what this woman makes me feel.
“How’s she doing?” My sister’s voice startles me as she enters the room behind me.
I peer over my shoulder as I sigh. “The same. Doctor said it could be a while before she wakes up, but…”
Her hand lands on my shoulder. “She will. Give her time, Rhonan.”
My eyes travel right back to Vienna’s face. The early morning sunlight is peaking through the blinds as the sun starts to rise in the distance. So much time has passed since we arrived here last night, and yet? It also feels that time is passing way too fucking slowly right now.
“Time hasn’t been very kind to me lately, Laney.”
“I actually think it has.”
“How do you figure?”
“Well, a little over two months ago you were grumpy and making it everyone else’s problem. But now you’re in love.” She smirks down at me. “A lot can change in a short amount of time.”
My shoulders fall. “I’m sorry that your honeymoon was ruined.”
“You did not ruin my honeymoon. There is no place Fletcher and I would rather be right now.”
“How’s Ellis?”
“She’s shaken up, but she’s powering through and trying to be tough. She really wants to see Vienna though.”
I shake my head. “I don’t want her to see her like this. She already saw her after she was shot, but…”
“I get it. Maybe once Vienna wakes up, then Ellis can really see that she’s okay…”
“That’s what I’m thinking.” My eyes begin to sting as I press a kiss to the top of Vienna’s hand. “She took a bullet for my kid, Laney.”
“I know.” My sister squeezes my shoulder. “She loves her.”
“I can’t lose her,” I croak out.
“You’re not going to, Rhonan. This was all just a test, and I think you both passed with flying colors.” Leaning down, she presses a kiss to the top of my head. “Do you want some food, or…”
“No, I’m good.”
“You sure? You need to eat something…”
I shake my head. “I’m okay.”
“All right. I’ll come back later with some breakfast. Keep me posted in the meantime. Dad is gonna take Ellis today for a bit. He thought taking her to the winery and letting her boss people around might get her spirits back up.”
I manage to chuckle, which makes my chest feel lighter for the first time in days. “She’ll like that.”
“That’s what I said.” Laney winks at me over her shoulder. “I love you, Rhonan. Everything is going to work out, okay?”
“Love you too, Laney.”
When she shuts the door, I hang my head and rest it on top of Vienna’s arm, leaning forward in this chair that is making my back ache the longer I sit here. But I welcome the pain. I’m not fucking leaving until I hear this woman’s voice again.
I’m not sure how much time passes between me resting my head on the bed and a voice startling me awake, but when I hear and feel Vienna start to stir, my entire body comes alive.
“Rhonan?”
My head pops up as my eyes land on Vienna, her eyes still closed but there’s a pinch in her brow that wasn’t there before. “Vienna, baby?”
Her eyes start to flutter open and when they land on mine, I nearly choke on the lump in my throat. “Rhonan…Is Ellis?”
“She’s fine, baby. You—you saved her.”
Her lips curl up as she starts to cry. “I—”
I stand from the chair so fast and press my lips to hers, cutting her off. The warmth of her mouth comforts me, reminding me that she’s still here. “Fuck, Vienna. You have no idea how fucking terrified I was when I realized that you two were gone.”
“I’m sorry…” she croaks out, clearing her throat as she groans from her movements. Her arm is in a sling and her head must be pounding.
I reach behind me to the side table and pick up the cup of water with a straw, letting her take a few sips. “Easy does it. Not too much.”
Once she’s satisfied, I set the cup back down and scoot my chair closer to her bed, taking my seat again but keeping her hand in mine, right next to my lips. “I’m so fucking happy that you’re awake.”
“Was I…”
“Cole shot you. Well, he was aiming for Ellis but you freaking jumped in front of her.”
“He never would have been here if it weren’t for me, Rhonan. I’m so sorry.”
I reach up and brush her hair from her face. “You have nothing to be sorry for. He is the one who spun out of control.”
“Is he…”
“I shot him in the leg at the same time he fired at you. He’s stable, but he’ll be going to prison for a long time, Vienna. You won’t have to worry about him ever again.”
Tears flow down her face. “God, I’ve made so many mistakes, Rhonan, but I think I’ve finally learned something too.
” She reaches up to wipe her tears away.
“Jealousy feels a lot like love, until you experience trust. Lydia said that to me once when she was trying to convince me to leave Cole, and I didn’t want to listen at the time.
But she’s right. I’ve never felt trust and safety with anyone like I do with you.
You trusted me with Ellis, and I didn’t want to let you down. ”
“You didn’t. You took a fucking bullet for my daughter, Vienna. You saved her.”
“I love that little girl.”
“She loves you too.” I take a deep breath and then on an exhale admit, “And so do I. Fuck.” I choke down the sob that’s threatening to leave my throat as I hang my head. “I should have told you a million times before. I just didn’t want to rush this—”
“I love you too,” she says, cutting me off. My head lifts and our eyes connect, both full of tears. “I think I have since that first night.”
“I love you so fucking much, Vienna Lewis.”
“Well, it’s actually Cassidy…”
I shake my head. “You’ll never be that man’s wife to me, and someday, your last name will be Hart.”
Her lips curl up slightly. “Is that so?”
“Yes.” I bring her hand to my mouth again. “But no more secrets, okay?”
“I promise.”
“You should have told me about the guy that was following you.”
“I know, but I thought it was just my paranoia.”