Chapter 49
I Won’t Give Up – Jason Mraz
Wilder
The last hour had been a complete blur. As we ran into Regional Medical the medics shouted things at the doctor who yelled instructions to the nurses. A cacophony of noise and emotions as I stood back, helpless. Helpless and alone.
I didn’t even know her fucking blood type to give them. Her brother’s number was in her phone, but I didn’t know the code to open it up. There was so much I couldn’t do. What if I hadn’t done the right things? What if she fucking died on the operating table while they figured out how bad it was?
Was it my fault for choosing to buy that specific bull?
Should I have insisted on the sheriff arresting Glenn?
Should I have employed him in the first place?
Pacing, I looked up at the clock on the wall.
I had no idea how long I’d been there, only that lights had started to come on in the hallway, and the sky outside the window had turned dark with streaks of pink scoring through it.
I knew, though, that I’d do this again and again and again, wait and worry for her.
Because I loved her and that was what love was.
The good and the bad and being willing to go through hell for someone.
And I would walk there barefoot and back for the woman who laughed heartily at Bertie’s jokes, who paused mid-sentence when she caught me staring, or the way she smiled when one of the horses did something she thought was incredible.
All those moments felt bigger than everything and the idea of losing every future moment with her made me want to rip the whole damn place apart.
“Wild.”
I turned to see both my brothers coming toward me, arms open wide.
“What’s happening?” Nash asked, breathless like he’d run all the way there.
“No idea. They took her to the operating theater as soon as we got here. Why aren’t you with Lily?” Fear iced over me at what could have happened to my sister-in-law.
“She’s fine. She insisted I come. She’s got a sprained ankle and some cuts on her hands where she broke her fall. Bertie is playing nursemaid, but Ella is on her way over.” His shoulders sagged as he ran a hand over his face. “My fucking life flashed before my eyes when Bertie said she was hurt.”
“Thank God she’s okay.”
Gunner slapped a strong hand on my shoulder. “Have you managed to get hold of Tally’s brothers?”
“I don’t know their numbers, and I just couldn’t think…I have no idea how to.” I dropped down onto a chair before my legs gave way from under me.
“Hey, it’s okay.” Gunner crouched down in front of me. “I’ll call Nate and get him to call them.”
I groaned. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Because the woman you love is hurt,” Nash said, sitting next to me. “And I know your head isn’t straight when that happens.”
“I’ll go and call him.” Gunner was halfway to the door. “I’ll also get us some coffee. You eaten anything, Wild?”
“No. Don’t want anything.”
“Get some coffee and maybe a sandwich for him, Gunner. He might eat later.”
“Be back soon.”
“She’s going to be okay,” Nash said, mirroring my position of elbows on thighs with hands clasped, almost praying. “She’s strong.”
Tally was strong but she’d been hit by two thousand pounds of bull going at speed. I just had to hope she’d managed to jump far enough clear to ensure she survived.
“What did Sheriff Jackson say?” I gritted my teeth, knowing that if he’d arrested Glenn in the first place this would never have happened.
Nash stretched out his arms and flexed his hands, like he was warming up to punch someone.
“He’s checking cameras and has squad cars out looking for him.
Put in a call to the police department where his folks live and they’re going to give them a visit.
Doubtful he’ll go straight back to Denver, but who knows.
His guys found some bolt cutters behind the ATV shed, so he thinks he was hoping to take one for his getaway but couldn’t break the chain.
” His nostrils flared in time with a pulse in his jaw. “That’s why he stole Lily’s truck.”
“That explains the fence there.” Red hot rage ran through my veins like lava. “It was all planned, the fucking bastard.”
We fell into a beat of highly-charged silence, punctuated only by my brother’s heavy breathing.
“The Sheriff better find him, Nash,” I ground out between gritted teeth. “Because if I find him first I won’t be responsible for what I do.”
“I’ll be right behind you,” Nash agreed, slapping a hand on my back. “He hurt my wife too, so he better watch his fucking back.”
We sat in silence for a few seconds, but now I was no longer alone, it felt interminable. “What’s happened with Petey?”
“Gun tranquilized him, and the guys trailered him back to the paddock. Rose is going to come and check him over in case it’s something medical that made him charge.”
It made sense. Glenn may well have let him out, but something had to have caused him to get so angry.
“I vote we shoot him.”
“Wilder,” Nash warned. “You know it’s not as simple as that.”
I did. “I’m just being a dick.”
“Understandable.”
Maybe it was but really there was only one person to blame if anything happened to Tally. Glenn Cameron would wish he’d never been born if I got a hold of him before the law did, that was certain.
Forty minutes later the door swung open, and two guys walked in.
Both were tall with matching green eyes, one had dark brown hair that was perfectly trimmed, while the other had dark auburn hair, just the wrong side of needing to be trimmed and had dark scruff at his strong chin.
The one with dark hair looked as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, whereas the other guy it was obvious he smiled a lot, despite the dark look he was currently carrying.
They could have been twins but I knew they weren’t. They were Tally’s brothers.
“Wilder?” the darker one asked the three of us as we all stood.
“Yeah me. You must be Tally’s brothers.” I flashed a grateful smile at Gunner who had got their number from Nate Jenkins.
“Liam and this is Cole.” He held out his hand. “What’s the situation?”
Straight to the point. Just how I liked it.
“She’s in surgery. Has been for the last hour. Nash, my brother,” I pointed to my eldest brother who offered them a tight smile, “he went to get some answers a few minutes ago, so we’re just waiting for the doctor.”
Liam nodded and turned to his brother. “We’ll call Mom and Dad once we know something. No point worrying them yet, you know she’ll just get someone to helicopter them off their cruise and insist on stopping off for some top surgeon on the way.”
“He’s not exaggerating about our mom. Thank fuck they’re in the middle of the ocean somewhere.” Cole nodded at me. “Good to meet you in person, Wilder. We’ve heard a lot about all of you.” He pointed at Gunner. “From my sister’s description I’m guessing you’re the boss she fucking loves.”
“Is it the good looks that gives it away?” Gunner asked, grinning.
“Nope, it’s the fact that he’s Wilder and he’s Nash.”
Despite the misery of the situation, we all laughed quietly. Except for Liam who rolled his eyes, like he’d heard it all before.
“The coffee is shit but if you want me to go and get you some, I can,” Gunner offered.
“We’re good. Liam made us have something on the way. If you hadn’t guessed he’s the dad of the family when Dad isn’t around.”
Nash chuckled. “I know that feeling.”
Before anyone could cut in with anything else, the door swung open and a doctor in scrubs walked in. He pushed a pair of black rimmed glasses to the top of his head.
“The family of Tallulah Brown?”
I stepped forward at the same time as Tally’s brothers and immediately felt like an intruder in their crisis. When I went to take a step back, Liam placed a hand on my shoulder. “We’re her brothers and this is her partner. He was the one who brought her in.”
“I’m Dr. Bruce and I’m the doctor who’s been working on your sister. Please take a seat.” His expression was grave, sending a chill down my spine.
“I’d rather stand,” I told him.
“Okay.” His smile was sympathetic and well-practiced.
“Here’s the situation. Tallulah has two broken bones in her left arm.
Clean breaks that should heal nicely. She’s in a temporary cast until her condition improves.
” He sighed heavily. “So, we’ve sedated her and she’s on a pain killer via a drip. The tear in her side was deep…”
“Fuck.” I dropped my head, willing myself to keep my control. Not to sob like a baby or throw myself to the floor and curl up in a ball until it was all over.
Dr. Bruce continued, his hands hanging from his hips.
“There was some muscle tear but nothing that we couldn’t fix.
There was a worry about internal bleeding, because I’m not going to lie gentlemen, things were dicey in there for a time.
” When Liam groaned, the doctor held up his hand.
“She’s strong, though, and she came through it.
There was a lot of blood loss, but we were able to give her more. ”
“How did you know her blood type?” I turned to her brothers. “I didn’t know, and I couldn’t get into her phone to call you and—”
“Wilder, it’s fine,” Liam said, shaking his head. “She’s okay.”
“When we don’t know a patient’s blood group we generally give them type O, the universal blood type.”
“That is her blood group,” Cole replied. “We all have the same.”
Dr. Bruce chuckled. “Good guess on our part. Anyway, she’s in recovery now so I suggest you go home, get some rest and come back tomorrow morning.”
“Nope.” I was adamant. “I’m staying here.”
“Wild.” Nash gave me his warning stare. “You’ve been here for five hours. Tally will be asleep until the morning.”
“Can I sit next to her bed?” I asked the doctor.
“I’m sorry, but no. We’re putting her in the ICU for tonight.” He must have seen my face and heard Liam groan because he held up a hand. “Just a precaution. If for any reason she gets an internal bleed, which again is unlikely, she’ll be in the best place. Anyone have any questions?”
Liam reached forward and took his hand, shaking it. “Thanks doc. We appreciate everything that you did.”
“My pleasure,” he turned to me. “Please go home and get some rest.”
The idea of leaving her alone crippled me. What if she woke up and was scared. What if she thought that no one had bothered to stay with her.
“Can you call us the moment you think she’s going to wake?” Cole asked. “All of us. Well, Liam and Wilder or me and Wilder.”
“Absolutely. I’ll make sure the nurse in charge is aware, but it is likely to be tomorrow morning before the sedation wears off.”
“We should go home,” Cole directed at me.
Still contemplating bedding down on the hard orange chairs, I was startled when Nash’s phone began to shrill.
“Sorry.” He took it out of his pocket, looked at it and then narrowed his eyes on me. “It’s the sheriff.”
Without any further question he answered, moving into the hallway as Dr. Bruce continued to explain Tally’s future treatment and roughly how long she’d be in hospital. As he left, with us each thanking him again, Nash came back into the room, his expression grave.
“What?” I asked, my heart pulsing in my throat.
“They got him. Caught him driving into Montrose. The prick was still driving Lily’s truck.”
“What a stupid fucker,” Gunner muttered. “Has he said anything?”
“Keeping his mouth shut until his lawyer gets there apparently. Montrose PD are letting Sheriff Jackson question him. He did say though that they found a couple of burner phones on him, one with a message sent only an hour after you got Tally here.”
My lungs constricted. “W-what did it say?”
“Fucking bastard,” Liam said, his tone menacing. “I’ll kill him.”
“Something about the bull doing his dirty work for him. They’re all there, though, every single message he’s sent her.
The relief felt like a wave washing over me, but it was momentary because then the anger and white hot fury took over.
“He better hope the sheriff keeps him safe because…”
I couldn’t continue because the words were stuck, battling with the emotion that had built up over the hours since I thought my life had ended.