Chapter 38
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
GREYSON
“I think you’ve proved your point, Monroe. The silent treatment is losing its effectiveness, don’t you think?”
Not even an eye flutter.
“Come on, Monroe. You win, okay? You’re the biggest, baddest badass around. Want me to take out a billboard?”
Just talk to me, please.
“I need you, okay? No one will fight with me right now. Not even when I get up in Braxton’s face. Not when I slammed Roman into the wall for not telling me he told me so. They’re all walking on eggshells around me, and I can’t stand it.”
Her only response is the constant beep, beep, beep that’s my only soundtrack now.
“Please don’t do this to me, Monroe.” There’s nothing left to my voice, so it comes out as a hoarse whisper.
“Grey?”
My head is pounding, but I lift it from Savvy’s hospital bed when Braxton and Madi enter.
“Why are you wearing scrubs? Is the baby okay?” I ask her.
She offers a sad smile. “Yeah, I was trying to blend in so no one questioned me getting in here today. You know, only two visitors at a time. Yesterday, they wouldn’t let Clover in.”
I hate this place. I’ll buy the fucking hospital if they don’t start catering to Savvy’s needs better.
“Grey.” Madi’s voice breaks, but she swallows it down, shaking her head as though that will help. They’re all doing that now—hiding their feelings, sheltering me.
It’s not what I want. I want to rage with them. I want to lose my fucking shit. I want to purge all the acid in my throat and scream until she wakes up, but they don’t…so I remain here, stoic, silent, dying.
“Have you slept at all?” she asks.
I scratch my chin. I’ve never had a full beard before, but I can’t bring myself to care.
I’m also in a rotation of sweatpants and whatever shit Sage or Braxton bring me every couple of days.
I only shower at five in the morning if one of the nurses is here with Savvy because she hates mornings.
When she wakes up, I’m certain it won’t be at five a.m.
Most days I don’t shower at all—I can’t take the risk.
Eventually, someone nags at me until I cave.
Everyone nags these days.
It’s been two weeks since that asshole tried to take Savvy from me.
Some people would say he succeeded, but they’re full of shit and they don’t know her like I do.
She’s still in there, I know she is, and I’ll wait however long it takes.
It’ll be any day now, I know it. They only started reversing the medically induced coma four days ago, for Christ’s sake.
Braxton thumbs through the makeshift desk I’ve turned Savvy’s hospital tray into, not that I’ve done much work. He’s been keeping the company afloat, I suppose.
“Quinn can handle this stuff, Grey.” Braxton is checking my work, and I can’t blame him. My mind isn’t in anything except getting Savvy better. I spend more time researching head injuries, broken bones, and coma facts than I do on Omni-Reyes business these days.
“After how we treated her, I’m surprised she was willing to come back,” I say, knowing I still owe Quinn an apology.
“These are not normal circumstances, Grey. And she would’ve been an idiot to turn down the six-figure bonus I gave her.”
I shrug. “It’s the least we can do. We were horrible to her.”
“We were,” he agrees with a heavy sigh I know carries a ton of guilt because I feel it too. “And we’ll make it up to her another time. She cares about you, Grey. I’m sorry I didn’t see it for what it was sooner.”
Madi fusses over Savvy’s hair, and I focus on not squeezing the hell out of Savvy’s hand in frustration. She comes every day to brush it and runs some essential oil diffuser I don’t understand.
It’s annoying as hell.
I brush Savvy’s hair every damn morning, I don’t need Madi to do it.
I wash her and help with physical therapy and turning her so she doesn’t get bed sores.
I even painted her nails her favorite coral color before the nurses scolded me—some bullshit about being able to see the color of her nailbeds.
I don’t want them here, but I know Savvy needs them almost as much as she needs me, so I do my best not to snap every time she fucks up something I’ve just done.
We’re doing just fine, and when Savvy wakes up, I’ll be the one here for her. I have to be. I’m the reason she’s lying here this way. I was too stubborn to listen to Roman.
Why didn’t I listen to Roman?
“You haven’t left her side at all, Grey.” I know Braxton’s concerned, but he would be doing the same exact thing if it were Madi lying here so he can just fuck off.
“And I won’t.”
He doesn’t bother responding to that.
I will not leave this room until Savvy does.
“Did her parents call you back?” Madi asks while fussing over the blanket I just adjusted.
Stop messing up my system!
“Yes.” It’s a guttural sound that has Madi’s face falling.
“What did they say?”
“They said that they’re not responsible for her medical bills.” Useless pieces of shit.
“And her brother?” Braxton asks as Roman slips into the room. He’s my own personal grim reaper—a physical reminder of the guilt that taints my soul.
My nostrils flare. He won’t make eye contact with me, but he doesn’t get to take my guilt from me. I did this, not him.
“I asked Roman to come in,” Braxton says. “We have some things to discuss, but first, tell us what Savvy’s brother said.”
“He didn’t say anything.” My teeth gnash together. “He asked about her assets. Her fucking assets, as though she’s an ATM, so I hung up on him.”
“I’ve confirmed through…other channels, that Austin Monroe has been calling twice a week to ‘see if she’s dead,’” Roman says quietly.
The asshole isn’t even asking if she’s alive. She’s worth more to him dead, but the entire world will collapse if that happens, and he’ll be the first to feel my wrath.
I close my eyes and count to ten. “It’s okay, Monroe. You don’t need people like that in your life. I’m your family now.”
“Do you…” Madi loses her composure, and I stare at her.
Is this when we break?
My heart rate speeds up, ready for this outlet. Is this when we scream and threaten the entire universe to bring Savvy back to me?
Please let this be when we break.
“Do you talk to her a lot?”
Disappointing.
I think Monroe would love it if we had a communal melt down.
Jesus, maybe I’m losing it.
“Yes. The doctor said it was good to talk to her.”
“Grey, you’re Savvy’s fiancé, but unfortunately, that doesn’t automatically make you her next of kin.
” Roman is a big guy, but he backs himself into the wall now because he likely knows I’m one whistle away from blowing my kettle.
“Austin has filled out paperwork to become her medical power of attorney.”
I stand so quickly, the metal chair legs scrape against the linoleum floor as it slides to the wall behind me.
“Over my dead body.” Oh God. I think I broke a lung. I can’t get a full breath of air. Panting gives way to gasps for oxygen that won’t come.
I slam my fist into my chest, trying to jumpstart something into working properly, and then Braxton is on one side, Roman on my other.
Madi stands directly in front of me, wearing an expression of pity that I despise.
“Slow down your breathing, Grey.” Braxton sounds like he’s underwater.
Roman slams me back into my chair, then forcefully shoves my head between my legs.
Fuck me.
I’ve done this for Savvy.
“You’ve got this, Grey. Deep breath in, then out. Slowly.” Madi’s running her palm over my back, but it isn’t her touch I crave.
I don’t know how long we continue on this path, but I’m covered in sweat by the time I sit tall again.
Roman is down on one knee at my side, his concerned stare taking in every inch of my face.
I never got the chance to get down on one knee for Savvy. I should have. I should have done everything differently.
“I can fix this, Grey. It won’t be legal, but I can get a post-dated marriage license in your hands in two hours.” If I looked at Roman closely enough, I would probably admit that he’s also completely torn up about Savvy being in this bed.
Unfortunately for him, I only have enough room to handle my own fucked-up emotions over the situation right now.
“Do it.” I laugh, then lean down and kiss Savvy’s hand. “Oh, Monroe. You’re going to really hate me when you wake up, but I promise, we’ll do another wedding any way you want. Whatever you want.” Turning back to Roman, I nod. “Get it done, and make sure it can’t be contested.”
“It won’t be,” Madi says. “You had lots of witnesses at your wedding last month. Me, Clover, and Elle were all in the wedding party. Braxton, Cian, Sage, and even Roman were all there too.”
Something cracks in my chest then. When I look to Braxton, he nods in agreement, and a tear settles in the corner of my eye.
“I’ll do it now,” Roman says, standing.
“Any word on Kristen?” I ask, when he’s almost to the door.
He turns back to me. “Her credit card was used at a Hilton this morning in Rhode Island. I have a team en route now.”
That bitch has eluded us for weeks. It’s not enough to have Riley back in prison for attempted murder. I want to destroy everyone associated with him, and Kristen is the top of my list.
Madi’s gaze darts between Roman and Brax. “You have to tell him.”
“Tell me what?” My vision is blurry again, but I prepare myself for another hit.
Roman stands on the threshold, obviously warring with something in his mind.
“From what we’ve uncovered, it seems as though Kristen was scheduled for an arranged marriage with Riley right before he went to prison last time,” he says with a deep sigh.
“Their families wouldn’t let her out of it, even though he would be behind bars for ten plus years.
My best guess is she’s been fucked up by his decisions too, but I’ll make sure to get answers out of her before we turn her over to authorities. ”
He faces the bed. “Savvy,” he says gently. “If you can hear us, I hope you’ll wake up soon. Grey needs you.” He walks out the door without a glance back.
He’s not wrong. I do need her.