22. Chapter 21
Kodi – One Week Later
I squeeze my eyes tight, the thumping in my head making me nauseous, and I slowly move my head, the beeping in the room making the urge to vomit worse.
What happened?
Why…
“Fireball?” I hear rasped as something that sends tingles up my arm, squeezes my hand. “Kodi, open your eyes for me, baby, please, let me see those hazel eyes that I love so much…” Liam pleads as a finger gently trails along my jaw, and I move into the touch that sets my sore body alight.
Everything seems foggy. I can’t seem to grasp reality as Liam squeezes my hand again.
“Brother, you rang her bell?” I hear who I think is Trick.
“She moved,” Liam chokes.
“Are you sure –”
I cut off whoever else is speaking with a groan as I squeeze my eyes tighter, and I hear, “Fuck,” before someone pulls up my eyelid and flashes a very bright light, and I wince and move my head away, gasping in pain.
“Trick!” Liam snaps, and Trick replies, “I have to do it, brother,” before he says softly, “Kodi, darling, can you open your eyes for me?”
“No,” I choke, “t-too b-b-bright…”
“Splinter, close the blinds,” Trick orders before I feel a hand cup my cheek, sending warmth through me.
“Fireball,” Liam whispers, and I squeeze my eyes tightly before I slowly open them, blinking several times as my boyfriend's blurry figure becomes clearer, and I flinch at the tears that fall down his stubbled cheeks.
He chokes, “Hi baby,” as he leans down and presses his lips against mine, completely shocking me.
He’s kissing me, he, oh my god, he is kissing me!
He goes to pull away too soon for my liking, and I lift my arm, which feels heavy, and grip his cut, keeping him connected with me, to keep his lips against mine.
He’s taking my first kiss, he’s…
Oh wow, he’s claiming me, he wants forever with me.
Liam lets out a sob, and I squeeze his cut tighter in confusion and concern.
“Son, Trick needs to do his checks,” I hear someone say softly, but I shake my head, and I clutch Liam tighter when he tries to pull away.
I don’t understand what is happening, I don’t understand why he’s crying.
“Knuckles,” I choke, knowing I can’t call him Liam to his face, something I nearly did last week when I was in the throes of an orgasm.
I hear several curses, confusing me as Liam slowly closes his eyes before he murmurs, “Liam, baby, I’m your Liam,” and my eyes tear up.
He, I mean, huh…?
What am I missing here?
I slowly look around the room and notice I’m in a hospital, that I’m attached to monitors, and I choke, “W-wha-what h-happened?”
Liam pulls back slightly as another man comes into focus, and I recognize him instantly.
Trick smiles instantly before he takes a seat on the edge of my bed and asks, “What is the last thing you remember, darling?” Just as my father and brother storm into the hospital room, both sagging with relief seeing me awake, confusing me,
I blink then blink again before furrowing my brows, and I croak, “Y-Your s-s-surprise wedding, Kn –” Liam growls and I change, “Liam, dancing w-with m-me in-in his room…”
“That’s where you fucking disappeared to?” I hear gasped with shock as Liam drops his head to my shoulder as Trick admits, “That was six weeks ago, Kodi, you’ve been in a coma for two…”
Oh my…
I blink then blink again, but nothing is coming back to me.
“Sweetheart,” Dad rasps, and I lock eyes with his tortured, broken ones as he admits, “Masters kidnapped you, he handcuffed you…”
I blink and frown, confused by what he is saying.
“If you think, even with a gunshot wound, that I’d let you get near my girl, then you have another thing coming,” Liam grits as he tightens his hold on Masters neck, who struggles and lifts his arm, ready to shoot him again, and I panic as I pull my hands down harder.
I flinch and squeeze my eyes tight as I cling to Liam’s cut.
I swallow my gasp as I manage to slip them through the cuffs that the idiot didn’t tighten over the last few days, and despite my legs feeling weak and wobbly, despite the pain screaming in my stomach, I stumble and charge towards Masters before he can shoot Liam again.
I can feel my breathing escalating….
“Fuck!” Masters grunts before he slams my head onto the concrete again, then sneers, “I’ll be fucking back bitch, don’t get too comfortable!”
Oh god, I can’t breathe, I can’t…
“Fireball, look at me, baby, let me see you,” he chokes as I cough, tasting blood, and I grab his arm before pressing my hand against his stomach.
“What the fuck did you do?” he breathes as he cups my injured face.
“Y-You were-were shot,” I choke as I look at Liam, and he cups my face.
“I’m okay, baby, I swear I’m okay,” he rasps as he gently presses his lips against mine again making them tingle, the feeling of home hitting me.
“I love you,” I choke, and his grip tightens, and he places his forehead against mine and whispers, “Not as much as I fucking love you and I’m so goddamn sorry I didn’t say it sooner.”
A sob releases and I grip his cut again as I hear, “Let's give them some privacy, I’ll do my checks in a little while. Knuckles, can you explain her injuries?”
I feel Liam nod before kiss after kiss is placed on my head, my brother's, “I fucking love you, sis,” hitting my ears before it is just Liam and me in the room.
I close my eyes, enjoying his closeness as everything comes back to me, and I choke, “I’m still mad at you,” and he hums as he gently runs his lips over mine, sending shivers down my spine, and I open my eyes and lock them with the ones I love so much.
“You messed with my job,” I say, as the memory hits me, and he hums unashamed.
“I’m not losing you, and while I don’t know what my place is within the club right now, you moving to Boston is not happening,” he murmurs, and I nod before I mention again, “I’m still mad at you,” and he smiles slightly.
“I don’t care because it means you’re here.
I’m just so fucking sorry, baby, so sorry that I thought going radio silent was the right way to go to clear my head.
I needed to get my head straight so I could claim you, so I could kiss you and prove to you that I want forever with you,” he whispers, and a few tears fall as I close my eyes and take in his words.
I knew his upbringing was shitty, I knew he struggled, but I also knew he needed to fight for me, and he is…
I take a deep breath before I lock eyes with him, and I choke, “Tell me…”
His eyes tear up again, and he murmurs, “Five broken ribs, one nicked your lung.” I wince, and he continues, “Eighteen long burn marks that have already begun to scar, five knife wounds, three weren’t too deep and turned into a normal cut, two needed stitches and will scar.
A broken cheekbone, the last scan Trick did two days ago shows it has healed.
A blood vessel burst in your right eye, which has healed, and three broken fingers on your left hand, but again, have healed, and thankfully, you’re right-handed. ”
Liam takes a deep breath, as if telling me my injuries hurt him, and I grip his cut tighter.
“You cut your wrists pretty badly to get out of the cuffs that again will scar,” he continues, “You had a severe concussion and-and fuck,” he locks eyes with me as his tears fall and he chokes, “You had a miscarriage, baby, you were twelve weeks but the blunt trauma you received caused you to lose our baby and-and there is a chance we may not be able to conceive again, our chances are real low.”
My mouth parts as a gasp leaves me, shock rendering me speechless.
Pregnant?
Wait, no, I-I…
“I was on the pill,” I choke, and Liam murmurs, “I know, baby,” and my tears fall hard and fast.
I was, I lost our…
The pain I was feeling…
Oh god.
I feel like I can’t, I…
Pregnant, I lost our baby, I don’t…
I feel myself tremble as my sobs turn into gut-wrenching screams that I can’t seem to hold in as my confusion doubles.
How can I be upset about something that I never knew I had?
My, b…
Our baby.
I cry louder as Liam wraps his arms around me, my dad's, “Fuck, this is all my fault,” just hitting my ears as I fall apart in my love's arms, suddenly feeling like a failure consuming me.