Chapter 17
ZACH
I fucked up.
There’s no other way to say it. I fucked up, and with my fuck-up, I almost got Skyler killed.
She’s lying on the hospital bed. She’s so pale, and she’s been sleeping for so long, I can’t help but be worried.
Penn has been in here multiple times to check on his sister, and every time he’s walked in here, he’s looked at me blankly. It’s obvious he doesn’t know whether to thank me that his sister is alive or tell me to get the fuck out since I let her get hurt.
I’ve replayed it over and over in my head.
Seeing Skyler standing in the kitchen with that asshole’s hands on her is something that I’ll never forget.
It’s my fault he was able to get close to her.
And fuck, he put his hands on her, he fuckin’ hit her.
Everything in me wanted to kill him. I should have.
I gently touch Skyler’s hand, wishing she would wake up and I could see her blue orbs looking at me.
She deserves more than me. Seeing the bruise on her face makes me physically sick, but I can’t look away.
I hear the commotion from the hallway, and I stand up as her brothers and sister-in-law pile into the room.
Penn, Aria, Miller, Guy, and Ozzy all look at Skyler on the bed with worried expressions.
They gather around her, all talking at once.
I release my hold on her and back away from the bed, shame filling me.
She’s lying there hurt because of me. I should have done better.
I shouldn’t have let her out of my sight.
Overwhelmed, I walk out of the room and lean against the wall. I can hear them talking, and Penn explains her injuries. They all talk about taking turns sitting with her and taking care of her. I want to be the one with her, but I lost that right.
Miller comes out of the room, and he looks as if he’s aged ten years. He’s worried. Hell, we all are. “Hey,” he says, looking at me curiously.
I nod, ready for him to hit me. I brace myself for it. I won’t do anything to stop him because I deserve it.
“Thank you,” he murmurs with pain in his voice.
I shake my head and put my head in my hands. “Fuck, don’t thank me. I don’t deserve thanks.”
Miller points toward the room. “She’s alive, Zach. That fucker could have… he could have…”
Miller can’t even say the words. He’s a hard-ass. He doesn’t tiptoe around things, but he doesn’t want to think about his little sister getting hurt.
I clench my eyes shut as the image of a blade at Skyler’s neck flashes into my mind. I can’t unsee it. Or how I walked in and he had her bent over the counter, pressing into her and the pure agony on her face. I let that happen. I let that man touch her.
I open my eyes, and Miller is looking at me like I’m a bomb about to go off. Hell, maybe I am. I can’t just stand here and do nothing.
“Are you all going to be here with her?”
Miller looks toward the room and then back at me. “Yes, but… she’d want you here.”
She would. I know she would, and that makes me feel even worse. I let her down, and she will still say this is not my fault. “I need to go to the police station. I need to make sure he’s behind bars and isn’t going anywhere.”
Miller brings his phone out of his pocket. “I’ll make a call, but I guarantee he won’t go anywhere.”
I start walking backward down the hall. The walls feel like they’re closing in on me, and I have to get out of here. “Don’t leave her by herself. I’ll be back… I just need some air…”
I turn and practically run from the hospital. I don’t stop until I’m outside, and then I bend over, sucking in a breath and trying not to pass out.
The world feels as if it’s spinning, and I walk slowly to a tree and lean against it. I want to leave. I want to run from here as fast as I can, but I can’t. I can’t leave, knowing Skyler’s here in the hospital.
I take a few deep breaths and then pull my phone from my pocket. I call Alex, and he answers on the first ring. “How’s Skyler?”
“She’s going to be okay,” I tell him. She has to be okay. “Are you at the police department? I need to know he’s behind bars.”
“He is. And just so you know, this isn’t his first time. He has a huge rap sheet. Stalking charges, rape, assault… the list goes on and on.”
Fuck, I should have killed him.
Alex continues, unaware of my thoughts. “They’re sending a badge over to you. They interviewed Terry here, but they wanna talk to you and Skyler.”
I look toward the hospital. I can’t let her face this alone. I start walking back. “Okay. Thanks for the heads up, Alex.”
I walk through the hospital, the beeping machines and various voices filling my head. When I get to her room, I hesitate. I’m standing in the hall when I see the policeman walking toward me. I block his path from entering the room. “Let me make sure she’s up for this, okay?”
He nods. “You’re Zach Campbell, right?”
I nod, and he points at me. “I need to talk to you too.”
I hold a hand up, telling him to stay right here, and then I walk back into Skyler’s room. She’s sitting up in the bed, surrounded by her brothers and sister-in-law.
Penn looks at me and then his sister. “Okay, well, I think we should let the patient rest.”
I’m looking at Skyler and point a thumb over my shoulder. “The police are here and want a statement from you and me. Do you feel up to it? If not, I can send him away.”
She waves her hand. “No, it’s fine. You’ll stay with me, right?”
I nod, but I’m unable to meet her eyes. She should hate me right now. Fuck, she shouldn’t want me near her.
Each of her brothers hugs her and tells her they will be by to see her later. She points at Penn. “If you want to see me, I’ll be at home. I’m ready to get out of here. Make it happen, Penn.”
He nods. “Yeah, yeah, the nurse is working on discharge papers right now.” He turns to me. “Will you make sure she gets home?”
My tongue feels thick, so I don’t attempt to answer him, I just nod my head. He looks at me strangely and then ushers his brothers out of the room but not before each of them shake my hand, thanking me on the way out.
Aria hugs Sky. “You need anything, you call me, okay?”
She nods, hugging her sister-in-law tightly. Aria gives me a warning look as she walks by, and I’m not sure what to make of it. I still can’t believe neither she nor the brothers have kicked my ass yet.
Sky says my name softly. “Zach.”
I don’t let her finish. I point toward the door. “I’m going to get the officer.”
I don’t wait for her to say anything. I bring in the cop, and he goes over to the bed.
“I guess you had a wild morning.”
Ever patient and friendly Sky nods her head, smiling, even though it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Yes, Officer.”
He pulls out his pad of paper. “Okay, can you tell me about it?”
Skyler starts talking about how she went down to the kitchen and unlocked the back door because her assistant would be arriving soon.
She says she was gathering items out of the fridge to make breakfast and the man come up behind her.
She tells him everything: the knife to her neck, the ways he touched her, and then how I came into the room.
She’s looking at me like I’m some kind of hero, and I can’t stomach it. She talks about how scared she was and tells the police officer that when she said she loved me, the man hit her.
It guts me. Literally, she was beaten for loving me. I’m no good for her. Everything inside of me is telling me to run, but my feet are like lead glued to the ground.
The police officer looks at me. “Are you her boyfriend? Husband?”
I lift my chin. “I was hired to protect her.”
His eyebrows skyrocket, and he gives me a dirty look. He can't make me feel any worse than I already do. “Right. Uh, okay. Then what?”
Skyler is staring at me as if she’s trying to figure me out. Well, good luck with that because I can’t even begin to explain everything I’m feeling right now. Skyler’s soft smile disappears. “After I was hit, I blacked out, I guess. I don’t know what happened after that.”
The policeman looks at me. “Mr. Campbell?”
I cross my arms over my chest. “He uh, dropped the knife and hit her. I shot him, but it was too late. I ziptied his hands. Terry was at the back door. I guess the assailant locked the door behind him, so I let Terry in, told him to call 911, and then I tended to Skyler until the ambulance got there.”
He’s writing it all down. “And this guy, Leo Reynolds, has been stalking you?”
Before Skyler can answer, I tell him, “Yes, he’s been stalking her. I have everything in his file that I'll send over to you.”
He nods. “Your employee, uh, Alex Colby, gave it to us.” He finishes writing and then closes his pad. “Okay, well, I think I have everything I need.” He looks at Skyler. “Just so you know, Mr. Reynolds has a big rap sheet, and he’s going to be in prison for a long time.”
Skyler brings her knees up and wraps her arms around her legs. “Good. Can I leave now?”
At that moment, the nurse comes in. “Who’s ready to get out of here?”
Skyler smiles. “Me! I am.”
I walk the officer to the door while Skyler and the nurse go over the paperwork. She refuses the wheel chair, and in no time, we are walking out of the hospital. There’s a thousand things I want to say to her, but I don’t know where to start.