Chapter 25
TWENTY-FIVE
MAVERICK
Ember’s voice… fighting through the haze of medication, I force my eyes open, half-expecting to still be in a dream.
The dull ache from my wounds sharpens as I try to move, grounding me in reality.
My gaze settles on Ember, her hand wrapped around mine, her voice soft as she speaks. It isn’t a dream. She’s really here.
“Ember,” I murmur, my voice rough but filled with relief. The warmth in her eyes softens the sting of my pain, grounding me even more. “I need to explain… everything I kept from you.”
Shaking her head, she presses her fingers gently to my lips. “Silas, we have time for that later,” she says, her voice filled with a tenderness I haven’t heard in so long. “Right now, just rest and focus on healing.”
At that moment, the doctor steps in, clipboard in hand. “Good to see you awake, Mr. Bouvier. And you must be Mrs. Bouvier,” he says, offering his hand to Ember.
“Yes, I’m Silas’s wife.” The pride in her voice brings a surge of emotion, and I do everything I can to hold it together.
The doctor begins his examination, lifting the bandages and checking my stitches.
I grit my teeth as he presses around the sore areas, but finally, he nods approvingly.
“Everything’s healing well. The oxygen therapy is working and if this progress continues, you’ll be ready for release in a couple of days. ”
“Will he need to continue the therapy once he’s home?” Ember asks, her voice edged with concern
“Only if he has a setback, but I’m confident he won’t,” the doctor assures. “We’ll reassess at his follow up appointment and go from there. Your husband is very lucky Mrs. Bouvier.” She thanks him for the update and as he leaves, an easy silence settles between us.
“Thank you for being here, Em. I know… we’ve got a lot to work through,” I say, my hand still entwined in hers. “I don’t want to push you, but I want you to know I’ll do whatever it takes to make this right.”
Her fingers trace along the edge of the blanket as she nods slowly, meeting my gaze.
“Silas… I’m not sure what the future holds for us right now. There’s still so much I need to process and I need you to understand that.” Her voice trembles slightly as she takes a deep breath. “Right now, I just want you to heal. We can figure out the rest when you’re strong enough.”
Nodding in understanding, I squeeze her hand. “That’s all I need… just the chance to work this out with you.” Ember offers a small, tentative smile. “One step at a time.”
Though I’m relieved she’s here, the question of where she’s been all this time and why she’s been avoiding my calls, gnaws at me.
“Ember, where’ve you been? It’s been a living hell without you,” I ask, watching her carefully.
She pauses, then answers softly, “I’ve been staying with my dad in Sturgis.”
“I figured you might’ve gone back home, but not knowing… it was driving me crazy.” I hesitate, then ask, “Did you… go see her?”
“Yeah,” she murmurs, her voice heavy. “I went to my mother’s grave, spent hours just… talking to her. I needed some answers, Silas. Clarity.”
“About us?”
“Not just us.” She exhales. “About everything. I thought maybe if I talked to her, I’d understand what to do. But, Silas…” She falters and I see her struggling. “When Londyn called and told me you’d been shot… and that you might not make it, I…”
“Ember, I’m so sorry,” I murmur, overwhelmed with guilt. “I never wanted to put you through that.”
Her eyes glisten and she looks at me, her voice barely above a whisper. “In that moment, everything else faded. I just… my heart sank and I realized… I’m not ready to lose you.”
Seeing her so vulnerable makes my throat tighten.
“I’m here. And, Em, you being here means more than you know,” I tell her, bringing her hand to my lips for a kiss.
“It’s time for you to get some rest,” she says gently. “I’ll come back later to check on you.”
I catch her hand before she can move. “What if I’m not ready for you to leave?”
“You heard the doctor, Silas,” she teases, a small smile on her lips as she stands. “You need to rest so you can continue healing.” Leaning down, her lips brush softly against mine, lingering just long enough for me to close my eyes and savor her warmth.
“I’ll be back later,” she promises, heading to the door. I may be laid up in this hospital bed, but watching Ember’s ass in those jeans makes my dick jump back to life. Fuck, she looks good and I can’t wait to feel her in my arms again.
Just then, she glances over her shoulder, catching me eye fucking her ass and I shamelessly meet her gaze. “Silas…”
“Yes, baby.”
Her voice is soft. “I love you.”
Her words catch me by surprise, but I respond without hesitation. “I love you too, Em.”
The door closes behind her and a weight lifts from my chest… lighter than I’ve felt in weeks. I can’t believe she’s here, ready to give us a shot, and maybe rebuild what’s broken. Before I can process it fully, Steel steps into the room, his usual serious expression softening a bit when he sees me.
“Hey, Mav. Thought I’d check on you now that Ember’s gone. That had to be a huge surprise.”
“Shock is more like it,” I reply, still reeling from her visit. “Can’t believe she came back, but fuck man, it took me nearly getting killed,” I laugh, wincing at the pull in my chest. Steel chuckles at my joke, but I know he can see the relief on my face.
“How’re you feeling?” He asks, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. “We’ve all been waiting for you to come back around.”
“Like I’ve been run over twice, but it could be worse.” I reply, shifting in bed. “What’s the word on the mules?”
“We’ve got things on lockdown for now. Everyone’s accounted for and we adjusted the routes. Everybody’s holding things down pretty tight,” Steel replies.
“Good.” I nod. “Glad to hear it. What about Jameson? Any word from him?”
Steel raises an eyebrow. “Funny you mentioned him. He called, wanting to check in on you.”
“Jameson called?” I ask, surprised.
“Yeah, guess he actually cares whether you make it or not,” Steel says, a wry smile on his face.
“More like making sure his deliveries aren’t compromised,” I joke.
“He was all business of course. Wanted to know if there’d be any delays on our end. I told him everything’s under control and that you’d be back soon enough.”
“Thanks for holding it down while I’m laid up here.”
“No problem, Prez. One more thing, Jameson thought it’d be smart to make a few changes to the plan.”
“What kind of changes?”
“To start, we switched up the mules. Pulled in some fresh faces, people no one’s keeping tabs on yet. Also changed the drop location last minute to keep it unpredictable. Figured it’d throw the gangs off enough to buy us some time.”
“Smart move. Last thing we need is another ambush. Good thinking,” I say, nodding approvingly.
“Yeah, Jameson’s keeping a close eye on the route, but we’re ready for anything that might pop off.”
“Good, that’s what I like to hear. Any news on the gang, who got wind of the last shipment?”
“It was a crew out of the west end, tipped off by a connection in New Orleans. Turns out, it was one of Jameson’s informants. Not an issue anymore though.”
Anyone who crosses Jameson, ends up taking a dirt nap, and this guy clearly learned the hard way.
“Thanks for the update Steel, and thanks again for keeping things together while I’m out. It means a lot.”
“You know the club’s behind you one hundred percent. We’ll watch over Ember until you’re back. You just focus on healing up, and we’ll take care of the rest.”
“Thanks, brother.”
The room falls quiet after Steel heads out, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I replay every word Ember said, the warmth of her touch, and the glint of hope in her eyes.
Knowing she came back, that she’s willing to try, has me feeling like the ground beneath me might finally be steady again.
After a month of darkness, there’s finally a hint of light breaking through.
Lying back, I let it all settle in, thinking about what it’s going to take to mend what I broke between us.
I’m the one responsible for the state of our marriage, and I’m ready to spend the rest of my life proving she can trust me.
As my eyelids grow heavier, the medication does its job, dulling the ache of my wounds and quieting the storm in my mind.
I don’t resist the pull of sleep. Drifting off, I cling to the memory of her hand in mine, a silent reassurance that maybe, just maybe, we’ll find our way back to each other.