61. Brogan #2
I left the room, then started down the hallway.
I had no idea where I wanted to go, or what I wanted to do.
I just knew I wouldn’t leave this hospital without him.
Whether that ultimately was to one of our properties or the morgue, I’d let both Declan and fate decide.
In the meantime, I’d humor the man, who’d been more of a father to me than my own over the years, and go outside.
I had no idea whether I would rather go outside to a courtyard or the roof.
There was no way I could put more distance than that between Declan and me when his condition was still so uncertain.
I wanted to be alone, so I opted for the roof.
If nothing else, I could check some work emails and try to clear my mind of the pain I was in.
I made it up onto the roof, which was coated in a layer of snow.
I took no more than two or three steps when my shoe slid across a more slippery stretch of ice, and I nearly slipped.
I was able to stop myself from falling on my ass by grabbing the metal pole.
I yanked my hand back from the pain as my palm nearly froze to the metal.
Stuffing them into my jacket pocket, I felt for my cell phone.
Before grabbing it, I let my hands thaw for several long seconds before finally pulling my phone out.
There were so many text messages and emails, and I decided to start with the calls first. There were several from the one investigator I’d kept on my payroll even after Layla had been found.
He’d been investigating Declan’s accident for me because my suspicious mind hadn’t been able to rest when I’d found out it’d been a single-car accident, and one they thought might’ve been intentional.
I wouldn’t and couldn’t believe it. There’d been no other cars involved, and they’d been able to determine that he’d lost control of his Jaguar after intentional speeding.
That was never something I’d picture Declan doing.
Unlike me, he was far stronger than I’d ever been, especially mentally.
When I’d have periods of dissociation, he’d been my rock, my anchor, and the lifeline I’d desperately needed.
Something didn't sit right with me about their conclusion. The whole accident sounded fishy to me. They’d proven his car had lost control after he’d accelerated to a high rate of speed, but that was also very unlike Declan too.
Over the years, I’d often teased him about being boring and unadventurous because he’d always followed the laws of the road, whereas I’d treated them as mere suggestions most times.
And in that type of weather, he never would’ve been speeding, not even if he was on his way to see me as Enslee had said.
Something had to have happened, so I’d given him this assignment.
It looked like something had been found because he’d sent me two videos.
I inhaled deeply as I fully opened the message, and when the cold air burnt my throat, I quickly exhaled as if I could push it all back out.
It was January in New York, which meant it was cold as fuck.
The temperatures were below freezing and had been since the night of his accident.
When all alone over the holidays with nothing but memories of him to taunt me, I’d sworn I wouldn't forgive Declan until hell froze over.
Well, it was definitely doing that if the air temperatures were any indication.
Ignoring the frigid air gusting around me, I opened the first video, which showed Declan driving down the street just before he entered the highway.
My eyes zeroed in on the car behind him.
It was a darker sedan, and as I paused the frame and zoomed in on it, I recognized it as a Mercedes C300.
While this might’ve been nothing, I still watched as it followed him onto the highway.
My investigator was likely suspecting what I was, especially as I rewatched it a few times and saw it speed up and come incredibly close to hitting him before backing off, only to do it again.
The person was toying with my man… fucking with him.
Anger started to fill me, and that rage warmed me as it began flowing through my veins like adrenaline.
I opened the second video, or the first that the investigator had sent, and it was of Declan leaving his gated community.
When he’d pulled out onto the main street, I saw the sedan again.
It’d been parked on the side of the road with its lights off.
Once Declan passed by, the lights came on, and it started to pursue him.
Whoever this was, they’d been waiting for him.
Add in the aggressive behavior on the way to the highway, and it made sense to me.
I now believed he’d been chased, then run off the road versus driving off willingly.
Who the fuck is this?
I didn't think it was the paparazzi, but it could’ve been because those bastards had no fucking decency whatsoever.
I raked a hand through my hair, which was now wet, and when I pulled it back, multiple flakes of heavy snow coated my palm.
Deciding I’d taken enough time outside, I reentered the hospital and went straight back to Declan’s room.
When I opened the door, his father turned. “I should’ve clarified a few minutes as meaning something a bit longer.”
“You should’ve been more specific,” I quipped, to which he chuckled wryly.
“I'll let you two have some more time together. I'm going to check on Katie and take her to get something to eat.”
“Give her my best, please,” I said to him, genuinely caring about the woman.
“I want you to promise that you’ll keep the faith. He's coming back to us. I know it.”
“I know it too,” I said even though my confidence over that constantly waned. After, Chris exited the room, leaving me alone with Declan once more. I returned to his bedside, then looked down at his sleeping form. “Who was it that was chasing you that night?”
Intending to find that out, I fired off a text message, wanting the investigator to trace the plates, assuming he was not already doing so.
Afterward, I slipped my cell phone back into my jacket pocket before taking it off and laying it over the back of the chair.
Whoever dared to try to take away my world would soon regret their place in their own because I’d end their goddamn existence.
They’d be dealt with one way or the other.
Remembering Chris’s previous words, I forced the anger down as I picked up Declan’s hand and held it.
“I love you so fucking much,” I said, and as I went to squeeze his hand, I realized my fingers were the ones being squeezed instead.
I quickly looked toward his face. His eyes were still closed, but his lips were moving.
“Declan,” I breathed out, praying to a god I doubted existed that this was not my mind playing tricks on me.
“B-Baby,” he stammered softly.
“Yes, Declan. I'm here. It's me.” Those long lashes that made most women jealous fluttered a few times before they opened, and his eyes fixated on me. I brought his hand to my mouth and started to kiss it profusely.
“What happened? Have I died and gone to Heaven?”
I smirked at his words before responding. “No, you’re alive. We both know a devil like me is going straight to Hell, but you never would.”
“Afterlife… I follow you.” He appeared a bit disoriented, which was to be expected. I knew what he was referring to, which made me recall his vow that night at my place.
“I'm holding you to that.” He tried to smile but couldn’t quite force his muscles to work. Regardless, he was still the most beautiful sight to ever behold. At his grimace, concern returned. “Are you in pain right now?” He shook his head. “Do you need me to get one of the nurses?”
“I only need—”
His words were cut off by the unsolicited arrival of one as she came rushing inside.
“You’re awake, Mr. Fitzgerald. This one…
” She stopped to point at me before continuing, “has to be breathing a huge sigh of relief over that. As we all are. He, along with your parents, has never left your side.” She busied herself with fussing over the various machines as she checked his vital signs.
Still, she kept chattering away. “And you should see the internet. Your fans have been going crazy with worry over you.”
Upon realizing I was in her way, I tried to drop his hand, but he tightened his grip on it.
“Please, don’t go,” he pleaded.
“I'm not leaving.”
A sigh left him, and his hand slipped from mine completely and fell to the bed.
I stood up and watched as she remarked about his progress.
Everything checked out on him, and I was grateful for that.
His vitals were on an even keel and had been since his induced coma.
However, they’d taken him off the sedatives keeping him under over two days ago, but he’d finally come back to us. He came back to me.
“Everything is checking out so far, Mr. Fitzgerald. I have no reason to think you won’t make a full recovery,” she told him. “I’ll let your parents know you’ve awakened.”
“Excuse me,” I said as I pulled her aside. “His parents are enjoying dinner right now, and I need some time alone with him. Would you wait about an hour before letting them know?”