Chapter Fifteen #2
“Yeah, baby. I’ll come now. Are you home alone?”
“No, Annie’s on the couch, and Jakob’s here for a little longer.
I’ll tell them to let you in.” I don’t like the way she sounds.
I don’t like that she sounds sick as shit, and I definitely don’t like that whatever she’s sick with has her family closing ranks.
My family does the same when things get serious, which means whatever is happening is serious.
“Okay, Lee. I’ll see you in twenty.”
We get off the phone, and I’m flying out of the house in the next second. Passing one of our guards, Alec, I tell him I need him to take me somewhere. These guys know better than to question one of us, so he just nods and follows me. Fifteen minutes later I’m standing in front of Lee’s front door.
Taking a deep breath, I knock on the door, prepared for what I’m about to walk in on.
The door swings open, and there stands Anneliese.
She’s shorter than Lee, but her hair is just as dark and curly and her eyes are also green, just a lighter shade.
If I didn’t know in my soul that Lee was Riley, I’d easily be able to believe she and Annie were biological siblings.
“Mac.” She states with the raise of her eyebrow.
“That’s me. Where is she? Is she okay?” Normally I’d banter with her for a little bit, but I’m too worried about Lee for this. My eyes dart around the apartment behind her.
“That wasn’t a question. You look too much like your brothers for me to not know who you are. She’s in her room, no funny business. She’s exhausted, and her fever has been on and off for days.”
“No funny business. I just want to be here for her.” Satisfied with my answer, she moves aside so I can walk into her apartment.
However, I’m not lucky enough for that to be the end of my interrogation.
Not even five steps later, Fischer has me pushed up against the wall.
“Get your fucking hands off of me, and get out of my way.”
“What are you going to do, Byrne?” I’m just pissed enough to refuse to play in his pissing match. In less than a second I twist our bodies so I have him pressed against the wall, my forearm pressed into his neck.
“Let’s get one thing straight. I don’t give a single fuck who you are or how long I’ve known you.
I will scorch every square inch of this earth and every person on it if they so much as think about trying to get between her and me.
Be careful, you’re getting pretty close to the flames.
” Pushing off of him, I turn and head into her room.
I hear Annie whistle low, but no one tries to stop me again.
I’m brought to a screeching halt as soon as I cross over the threshold.
Lee lays in the center of her bed, her back turned to me, and one arm outstretched under her head propped up on a pillow.
A line going from her arm to what I can only assume is a medication bag held up on an IV pole.
I swear someone just vacuumed all the air out of the room.
I can’t handle this, what the fuck is happening.
I can feel my eyes begin to burn with emotion while watching her sleep curled up under multiple blankets.
The sound of someone walking up behind me has me turning around only to watch Jakob watching me.
When he speaks, he keeps his voice low, “She’s been like this for nine days.
She’s had a few days where she’s sat up in bed and done a little bit of work, but most of the time she’s just slept unless she’s taking medicine, getting sick, or talking to you. ”
“What’s wrong with her?” I choke out. I don’t cry, but damn if I don’t hear my voice quiver.
“That’s her story, Byrne. My sister’s been through the wringer, and I refuse to be just another man who takes decisions out of her hands. If she wants you to know, she’ll tell you. But I will say, she’s never let anyone whose last name isn’t Fischer see her like this before.”
“She’s been like this before?” One word keeps flashing in my head like a neon sign. One diagnosis that almost knocks me to my knees. I’m certain the lack of confirmation is the only reason I’m still standing.
“Yeah, man. Not in a while, and never this bad. But the bad days look pretty similar to this.” He reaches out and claps his hand on my shoulder.
“My family and I have tried everything, but she won’t settle enough to get good rest. Now it’s your turn.
I’m tagging you in. Go comfort my sister.
She deserves the world, scorched or not, so don’t fuck this up. ”
I nod solemnly at him and don’t bring attention to the way his eyes shine with unshed tears. “The only way I give her and me up is if I’m six feet under, and even then I’m sending her signs from the afterlife until she can be with me again.”
“Good, she needs someone to fight for her when she can’t fight for herself. Her fight’s slowly draining.” He turns to leave but pauses in the hall. “Oh, and Mac?”
“Yeah?” I’m already kicking my vans off as I answer him.
“You show up here again drunk, while my sister lays in bed fighting to get better, and you won’t have to worry about setting the world on fire to get to her.
Because I’ll make sure it’s you burned by the flames.
You respect her enough to come here sober, or you don’t come at all from now on.
You’re better than that. And even if you aren’t, she deserves better than that shit.
Be who she deserves or step aside so some other man can be.
” He might as well have punched me in the solar plexus, because I physically bow over by the impact his words hold.
“Got it.” Is all I can manage as he continues down the hall.
My first instinct is to yell, to tell him to fuck off and that he doesn’t know anything.
But something niggling at the back of my head stops me because I know deep down he’s right.
She deserves so much more than who I am and what I can give her.
I’ll stop drinking. For her I’ll do anything.
Even as I think it, I know it’s not going to stick, but I’ll try.
Sliding into her bed, much like a couple of weeks ago when I stayed, I move into her until my front is flush against her back. She’s burning up, but she’s shivering at the same time. As I wrap my arm around her waist, she stirs slightly.
“Quill?”
“Yeah Beautiful, it’s me. Go back to sleep.
I’m here.” I whisper into her ear before kissing her temple gently.
She nods and goes back to sleep. Not me though.
I lay there for the rest of the night, terrified that she’s going to tell me she has something that can take her from me before we can really even start our story.