Chapter 22 #2
I lose it at this point, “QUIT FUCKIN’ STALLIN’. I don’t give a rat’s ass about the window. What the hell happened to DAX?” I scream, slamming my fist on the door.
Zak slams on the brakes and looks at me, the streetlight lights up his face giving the anger on his face an even creepier look as he invades my space. Nose to nose, he’s so close I can’t look anywhere else, I can feel the heat of his breath as he speaks through gritted teeth.
“You can calm the fuck down or get out and walk from here. This is not easy for me to speak of, I failed him. I failed at a job my father gave me. I am trying, kid, but you have to give me a minute to wrap my head around things too,” he snarls at me.
It’s at that point that I see the worry behind his eyes, ‘He’s not just retrieving me. The cold demeanor is just a front, he’s worried too.’
But, even as I recognize the concern, I shrink back against the door, ‘Damn, he’s scary. Who’s his father? What did he fail at? Wait, is he on our side? Great, now I have more questions than answers again,’ I think as I watch Zak lean away, settling back on his side of the car.
A horn blares from behind us, I glance back and from the corner of my eye I see Zak flip them off, muttering in Russian.
Zakhary
I shake the tension from my shoulders as I lower my arm, “As I was saying, we figured out that Dax was headed to confront Mack. When he got there, they were in a heated shouting match in the front yard. But then your idiot decided to run at Mack,” I explain.
Kai sighs, rolling his eyes and shaking his head at what I was telling him.
“We thought he was trying to tackle him, but this is not what happened. Mack caught him and threw him backwards. Then he walked towards him, fist drawn. My guys, taking guess at what was to happen, approached to contain situation. Mack must have seen them or heard them because he grab Dax and drag him into house. One of the guys kept moving toward the house, the other called me.”
Pausing to eye Kai and see how he was taking the news, I took a deep breath and continued. “When I arrive, I was updated on situation. My men had tried to enter the house where Mack disappeared but the door would not open. It had been blocked,” I light my cigarette before finishing the story.
“Niky is in as much shit as his father now, since he was the one to block the door. Luckily, Tomas is a quick fucker, and he was able to get in through the back door before Niky had chance to get that one blocked. If he had, it could have been worse.”
Watching as Kai cracks his knuckles, clenching and unclenching his fists I realize, ‘Holy shit! This idiot is in love with other idiot. I wonder if they know it yet?’ I think.
Inhaling, I continue. “They had to pull Mack off of him. Dax put up a good fight and landed some nice shots, but Mack was, of course, coked out and the kid was no match for that.”
Kai nods slowly as I finish telling him what had happened.
We pull into the hospital parking lot and the interior light turns on as he opens the car door.
I see the tear tracks running down Kai’s face when he turns to look at me, pausing, he mutters, “Thanks.
See ya ‘round, I guess,” before slamming the door behind him as he breaks into a run to get to Dax.
I watch as he enters the hospital, making sure no one suspicious was around.
Spotting one of my guys giving me a slight nod, I know they are safe.
I peel out of the parking lot, calling Cas on my way to the warehouse where Mack sits, tied to a chair, waiting.
I have the rest of my guys out looking for Niky. He’s in the wind. For now.
Kai
“Kai! How’d you get back here? They said only family.” Mel asks when she sees me walking in, she’s up and jumping into my arms before I can even get fully into the room.
“I may have told them he was my fiancé,” I whisper into her ear as I wrap my arms around her. Everything was a blur from leaving Zak’s Jeep to getting to his room.
I look over her shoulder at Dax lying in the hospital bed. I tighten my hold on Mel with one arm and brace my other arm on the wall behind me to keep from falling.
‘He looks so small,’ I think, feeling a burning behind my eyes as my vision blurs.
I sniffle and Melody pulls back from the hug, she smiles softly at me, pushing up on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek.
She takes my hand and steps back pulling me to the chairs by Dax’s bed.
We sit side by side in the chairs, holding hands.
She tries to explain what happened, but the whole night has finally caught up with me and at this point, everything sounds like I’m under water.
She must catch on that I’m not paying attention because she stops talking, just squeezes my hand as I sit there staring at him, watching his chest rise and fall.
‘I’m gonna kill him! This is not safe! He went after Mack?
ALONE!?’ I think as my anger bubbles underneath my skin.
‘Fuck! Wait, Nik helped Mack? But the other guys went in to help Dax? GUYS??? What in the fuck is goin’ on…
’ I’m pulled from my racing thoughts when Mel kisses my cheek.
“I need coffee, you want anything?” I hear her ask.
Shaking my head, as I watch her walk out the door I realize that I never noticed her getting up or letting go of my hand.
Everything is such a blur. He was with me, then he was gone.
Then Zak was there and bringing me here.
So much has happened in a matter of hours and now all I can focus on is the rise and fall of Dax’s chest.
‘As long as that keeps happening, he’s okay,’ I think. Looking up as Melody comes back into the room. ‘How long was I zoned out?’
She pushes a cup of coffee into my hand as she sits beside me. I look up to find Seb standing in the doorway. Looking at her with confusion, she explains.
“He was the only one who picked up. I’m gonna go for a bit. I’ll be back later, ‘kay?” She asked, squeezing my knee.
I nod, taking a sip of the coffee and grimacing at the feel of coffee grounds on my tongue. ‘Hospital sludge,’ I think with a grimace, standing to sit it on the table before giving Mel a hug. “I’ll let y’all know if he wakes up,” I say, bumping elbows with Seb.
Mel smiles softly at me as Seb gently pulls her out the door, signaling that they need to leave.
I watch them walk away, bumping shoulders until Seb throws an arm around Mel and she leans her head onto his shoulder.
Once they round the corner and are out of sight, I turn back to the hospital bed. I’m alone. With him.
The hum of the machines and the constant beeping are driving me crazy. Watching Dax sleep, knowing he’s on the good stuff, I study his face.
I pace the room a bit, trying to let some of this anxious energy out. Once I’m feeling a little more calm I move closer to him, brushing a stray bit of hair off his forehead and lean down, pressing a kiss to his there.
Leaning back I take in his face. One eye black, his nose covered in gauze and tape, the casted arm resting on his stomach, knuckles bruised. ‘He’s a mess, but he’s my mess. And he’s beautiful,’ I think as I scoot the chair closer and sit. Squeezing the uncasted hand, I trace the tattoo there.
I think back to when he told me what the dots mean, how he had this done the night he shattered me on the phone. Pulling my hand away, I rub my eyes, feeling the events of the last few hours start to take their toll.
Making sure the chair is close enough, I lay my head on the bed, one arm folded underneath, propping me to face him as he sleeps. I take his hand with the other, tracing over his face with my eyes as the sound of the machines lull me to sleep.
Maddox
Coming to with a jump, I feel something wrapped around my hand and try to pull it loose.
Cracking my eyes open, I look over to see Kai’s head laying on the bed.
‘My Kitten is here,’ I think as I move my casted hand to run my fingers through soft ginger curls.
He shifts slightly, snuggling into the touch.
He’s always so adorable when I try to wake him up, he fights it every time.
I hate to wake him, but I need my hand so I can go piss.
Tugging at his hair to move this along, he flicks my hand trying to stay asleep.
I know it hurts when he connects with the cast because he grimaces, shaking his hand as he sits up and looks at me.
Taking in his surroundings, his eyes land on me and his grumpy expression quickly fades.
There it is. That smile. One of the things I committed to memory to carry me through juvie and anytime we have to spend apart. He quickly stands and I grip his hand, “Where ya goin’?” I ask, a hint of fear mixed in with the dry gravely sound.
‘Damn I need some water. How long have I been out?’ I think, my eyes widened in shock.
Kai turns and looks at me with a soft smile, and says, “The nurse, baby. I’m just gonna get the nurse. I’ll be right back.”
Gripping his hand tighter, I tug him back towards me, “Just push the button. Don’t go.”
He leans over and kisses my forehead gently, reaching for the button as he sits back down, “Okay, I won’t go anywhere.”
It’s only a few moments before the nurse comes in. Her name tag reads “Becca” and she’s all perky when she speaks, “Well look who’s awake! I’ll be right back with the doctor and some ice chips.”
As she walks out of the room everything starts coming back to me, kick-starting my brain into a panic.
‘What the fuck is he doin’ here? He shouldn’t be here.
How did he know to come? Why is he here?
He has to leave. Now, or Mack will kill him.
’ As my mind races with visions of possible horrific things Mack could do to him I feel a soft touch on my hand pulling me from my thoughts.