Chapter 7 Rael
Iknew before my cell began ringing that something was wrong.
My Berserker felt it first. His concern for Nylah halted my steps as I paused in the dungeon, spending the last hour in the basement of our home, where I converted it into our play area and presented it to Nylah for the first time when I told her I bought the house for us.
She had been pregnant with the twins at the time.
My beloved loved the intimate space created for our pleasure. It was where we conceived our daughter—a place where we explored one another and our limits. I wanted everything perfect for our wedding night.
Nylah.
The Reaper sensed she was frightened and then, when her soul went dark, he roared in my head.
My phone rang, and I nearly crushed it in my hand, answering with a growl because I knew someone had hurt my woman. “Hello?”
“Rael.”
It was Cameron. She sounded upset, and I could tell she was crying from the way she said my name.
“Where’s Nylah?”
“The ambulance is taking her to MountainView Hospital.”
Fuck!
I fought hard to contain the surge of emotion from my Reaper and Berserker, but failed. A bellow exploded from my chest. “What happened?”
She sniffled. “She passed out. I-I don’t know why. She was fine at lunch.”
No. That wasn’t it. There was something else. I could feel it.
“I’m on my way. I’ll be there as fast as I can, Cam.”
“I know. Mimi is with her. I’ll follow. Zane is taking me.”
Zane. I needed to talk to that prospect. “Don’t let her out of your sight once you’re with her. Promise me.”
“Rael?”
“Someone hurt her, Cam. I can feel it.”
“Shit,” she cursed. “Okay. See you soon.”
She ended the call, but I was already stuffing my cell back into the pocket of my cut. My feet pounded the stairs as I rushed up to the main floor of the house, pausing only long enough to lock the door. We never left it unlocked because we didn’t want the boys to fall down the stairs.
The twins were napping, and Gia was still in her crib since we finished lunch. She took a long nap at midday, but the boys would be up soon. I didn’t have a lot of time to sort things out before I had to leave.
My front door opened, and Chrome strode toward me. “I’m here. We’ll ride as soon as Shadow arrives. He’s going to stay with the kids.”
Thank fuck.
I nodded as I strode out onto the porch, and Chrome followed me. Tension wound around my neck and shoulders. I should already be on the goddamn road!
Chrome squeezed my shoulder. “Cam called me, but my Reaper already knew you needed me.” He swallowed hard, as if he were too emotional to speak and needed a moment. “Nylah will be fine.”
“And if she’s not?” I asked, barely holding back the rage simmering beneath my skin.
“We reap whoever fucked with her.”
My brother knew something had happened. His Reaper felt it the same as mine. Someone harmed my ol’ lady.
We didn’t discuss it further because Shadow rode onto my driveway and parked his bike. He shut down the engine and stood. “Go!”
I guess all the Reapers had felt it. There was something odd about the way their connection had deepened over time. A few years ago, they couldn’t sense things like this, but that had changed. Everything fucking changed after Cameron nearly died last year.
Lucifer popped into my thoughts, but I didn’t indulge them. There wasn’t a reason to drag his annoying, manipulative ass into this. He’d just try to control the situation and piss me off, then laugh about it—the asshole.
I was already on my bike and riding away from the house, struggling to take the roads at a safe speed because everything inside me was screaming that she needed me.
My Reaper was seething. His rage pulsed beneath my skin.
But it was the quiet within my mind, where the Berserker lived, that was most concerning.
He was plotting vengeance: planning pain and suffering.
I would spill blood and not care how destructive I became to avenge my beloved.
“Oh, fuck!” Chrome glanced my way.
I heard him, even with the rumble of our engines.
“Breathe, brother! We’ve got hours before we reach Vegas.”
“No!” I hissed the word at him, pulling back on the throttle as we reached the open highway. My speed climbed as I leaned forward, focusing on staying in the saddle. Now that I left my neighborhood and Tonopah behind, I could push myself and my bike to the limits.
I didn’t care how fast I rode. The only thing that mattered was reaching Nylah and ensuring she was safe. After that, I would hunt. Whoever hurt her would fucking pay for this.
Chrome stayed behind me, vigilant the entire trip. I never once dropped speed, reaching Vegas much faster than the usual three hours the journey took from Tonopah. We had to stop at an intersection, and I tapped my thigh, impatient to reach the hospital.
My brother idled beside me. “We’re almost there.”
I gave him a crisp nod, trying not to run the light. There was too much traffic. I’d end up struck by a vehicle and delay seeing Nylah if I tried to push my way through.
The light switched to green, and I surged forward, swerving around cars until I finally pulled into the parking lot at MountainView. I shut down the engine and stuffed my helmet into my saddlebag before running inside.
Chrome was right behind me.
We reached the information desk, and I asked if Nylah had been admitted. A part of me hoped that she hadn’t, that maybe she was just stressed, or her iron levels were low again. She’d had trouble with that since having Gia.
“She’s upstairs. You’ll need these visitor stickers.”
My heart sank. They admitted her.
Had I pushed Nylah too far? Was she working too much? Were my Reaper and Berserker wrong?
Once I had her room number, I rushed to the elevators and mashed the button repeatedly until the doors swung open, and then I entered one.
We rode to the correct floor in silence.
As the doors swished open, I darted out, immediately scanning the room numbers for which direction I needed to go.
I ignored the nurses and turned right, finding Nylah’s room much faster than I anticipated.
Gulping air into my lungs, I stepped inside. Chrome saw Cam, and she launched herself into his arms, crying as he held her, whispering words of comfort.
I saw Mimi first, and she gave me a watery smile. “She’s not awake yet.”
Blinking, I turned to the bed. My Reaper and Berserker both lost it when we saw the light bruising in the shape of finger marks on her right arm. A growl rumbled my chest. “Who hurt her?”
Mimi shook her head. “I don’t know. We never saw Nylah speak to anyone else. The only time I wasn’t with her was when she used the changing room.”
Then that was where the person who hurt Nylah found her.
I sat on the edge of the bed, sliding my fingers through Nylah’s and lightly squeezing them. “Hey, kitten. You gotta open those pretty eyes for me.”
Nylah stirred, but she didn’t wake up.
The Reaper called to her. “Beloved.”
She whimpered.
“My lifeblood. Come back to me,” my Berserker pleaded.
Finally, she opened her eyes, appearing groggy. They fluttered as she saw me, probably blinking into focus. “Rael.”
“I’m right here.” I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed her soft skin. “I love you.”
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“Hey,” I answered her before she could say more. “There’s nothing to apologize for.” I was about to continue, but she shook her head.
“No. Listen to me, please.”
I nodded, growing concerned as tears filled her eyes, brimming into blue pools before spilling over. My heart squeezed in response. “Babe.”
“His name is Tony Brock.”
I froze. Every muscle in my body went still. I wasn’t sure if I even breathed.
“He was a patient in the clinic. I only met him once.”
Nodding again because I didn’t trust myself to speak, I gestured for her to continue.
“He touched me.”
My lip lifted in a snarl.
“Only a finger on my arm, but I hated it. Tony gave off a weird vibe. I turned away from him, and he tried to flirt with me.”
Seething, I tried not to scare her.
“I told the nurse practitioner, and she told me not to go back in. He seemed to be looking for me as he left. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think it was a big deal. Who would think that he would stalk me?”
She coughed, and I lifted the cup of water sitting on her bedside table to her lips, helping her take a few small sips.
“He found you when you were trying on the dress, didn’t he?”
She blinked. “How did you know?”
“Cam said it was the only time she wasn’t with you.”
Her gaze wouldn’t meet mine. It lowered to the blanket covering her lower body. She seemed nervous. Fidgety. Like she wasn’t telling me everything.
“Nylah, kitten, whatever it is, you can tell me.”
She lifted a tortured gaze to mine. “He kissed me.”
“What!?” I exploded, yanking my hand from hers.
She cried harder, and I felt like an asshole.
“I didn’t want it. I was so shocked,” she blubbered. “I’m so sorry, Rael.”
I pulled her into my arms, holding her close as I told my Reaper and Berserker to back the fuck off. They reacted so fiercely that it would upset her even more. “Hey, I know that. Are you worried I’ll be upset with you?”
She nodded, burying her face in my neck.
“Kitten. I know you wouldn’t invite or want another man. There’s no worry about that. It would never occur to me. Let that go. My rage is focused entirely on this motherfucker who thought he had the right to touch you.”
“But,” she faltered. “I didn’t push him away fast enough.”
“You said you were shocked. I believe you, Nylah.” I leaned back and tilted her head up, pressing a soft kiss on her lips. Not only because I had to erase any trace of him from her mouth, but also because she needed to know there wasn’t any hesitation on my part. She was a victim, not a cheater.
Her fingers gripped my cut. “I love you, Rael. So much.”
“I know.” I kissed her again. “That’s why we’re getting married on Valentine’s Day.”
“Even now?”
“Of course.” I frowned. Was she having second thoughts?
“That makes me happy.”
Relieved, I finally inhaled and exhaled a full breath. “Good. Now tell me all you know about Tony Brock.”
It turned out she didn’t remember anything important except his physical description. She described his tattoos, and that was all she could tell me. Because of HIPAA, Nylah couldn’t disclose his address. I didn’t need it. My Reaper and Berserker would find him.
I could smell his scent on her. It was male, unknown, and burned my nostrils. He wore a cheap cologne.
I didn’t tell Nylah. She seemed tired. Exhausted in a way that didn’t make sense. Did he give her something? Force anything into her mouth?
The doctor walked into the room before I could ask her and greeted us. His warm smile comforted everyone inside, which now included Mimi, Chrome, and Cam. “Hello. I’m Dr. Rajah. I see you’ve had a bit of a tumble.”
Nylah actually cracked a smile, her cheeks turning pink. “You could say that.”
“I think you can be discharged today, but I’d like you to check in with your primary. Your iron is still a little low.”
“I thought so,” she admitted.
“Are you taking your supplement daily?”
“Yes.”
He nodded. “That’s good because you’re going to need it along with the other prescription I’ll send in for you.”
Another prescription?
“For?” Nylah asked. “It’s okay if my family hears.”
“Prenatal vitamins.” He gave Rael and me a pointed look.
“I’m pregnant?”
“Yes, but it’s so early you wouldn’t know. Only about fourteen days.”
Stunned, I just sat there, holding Nylah’s hand. We were about to have another baby.
“Rael?”
“He’s surprised,” Mimi giggled.
I snapped out of it, hugging Nylah against my chest. “We’re having another baby.”
“Yes,” she laughed. “You okay?”
“Hell yeah.”
The doctor smirked. “Well, I’ll get the discharge papers ready. Congratulations!”
“Thanks,” I murmured before kissing my woman because she was giving me another child. “I’m so fucking happy, Nylah.”
“That’s good,” Chrome joked. “The little nugget is already growing.”
Cam smacked his arm. “Hush. Let them have this moment.”
Mimi pushed me away from Nylah and hugged her next. “I’m so happy for you. Another baby. What a blessing.”
“I’m gonna be a dad again,” I announced, feeling like a fucking superhero. My sperm were strong and potent.
“A perfect one,” Nylah agreed. Her glassy-eyed stare met mine, so much love poured into those blue eyes I adored. “I love you.”
I guess something wonderful came out of this day, and it wasn’t a waste. Tapping my heart, I looked to my queen, the love of my life. “Right here. Always.”