25. Toby
Chapter 25
I’m just leaving Inferno when my phone starts ringing. I look at the screen and smile when I see Oliver’s number.
“Hey, Baby,” I say after I slide to answer. He starts talking hysterically, and my heart rate spikes. “Whoa, Baby. Calm down. I can’t understand you.”
“Jace is at the hospital. He had an accident, and they won’t let me see him. They won’t even tell me anything.”
“I’m on my way.” I jog to my BMW and jerk the door open. I slide into the driver seat and stab the button to start it while slamming the door. I shove it into first and take off toward the hospital. “How bad is it, Oli?” I ask when it connects to the bluetooth.
“Bad,” he whispers. “We were riding past it, and I recognized the car. Toby?—”
“Don’t do that. Nothing is going to happen to Jace. I’ll be there soon, Baby.”
“Okay. I need to call Aiden.”
“I’ll do it. Just focus on Jace, okay?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I disconnect the call and immediately dial Aiden. So many thoughts are running through my head that my hands are shaking. His phone goes to voicemail, and I leave a quick message letting him know where we are and what’s going on. I weave in and out of traffic, trying not to push the car even harder to get to Jace.
I can’t lose him. He’s one of the reasons that I even made it this far in life. He’s saved me from myself more times than I can count. Jace is the glue that holds this family together, and without him, we might fall apart.
I swipe the tear rolling down my cheek and dial Aiden again. “Damn it, Aiden,” I say when his voicemail picks up again. “Why aren’t you answering your phone? I need you to come to the hospital. It’s Jace. I just…I need you, okay? I can’t do this by myself. Please call me back, or something.”
I hang up and whip into the hospital parking lot, coming to a screeching halt in a parking spot. I’m out and running, busting into the emergency room, my head swinging every which way, trying to find Oliver. I finally find him in one of the chairs, his face buried against Leland’s neck.
“Oli?” I call out, walking over. When he looks up with his tear-stained face and bursts into tears again, my stomach drops. “What’s going on?” Oli jumps from the chair and runs into my arms, crying so hard that he can’t get a word out.
I look at Leland, and he swallows. “They won’t tell us anything, but they had to do CPR in the ambulance.”
“They couldn’t get him back,” Oliver sobs.
No. This can’t be fucking happening. Jace isn’t dead. I pull Oliver away so I can look at his face. “I’m his emergency contact. They’ll tell me. Stay here with Leland.”
Leland pulls Oliver back to him, and I march straight to the nurses station. “I need an update on Jace Masters.” The nurse looks up at me with a raised brow. “My name is Toby Pierce.”
She starts typing on the computer, and her face changes when she sees whatever is on the screen. “They’re still working on him.”
“What does that mean?”
“Mr. Masters had severe injuries. They’re trying to get him stable enough for surgery.”
“I’m not trying to be rude, but can you just explain that to me like I’m five?”
Her face softens, and she comes out from behind the nurses station. “They lost his heartbeat in the ambulance and had to perform CPR. They finally got it back when he got here but lost it again soon after. His heart started beating again after the third round of CPR. He’s getting rapid blood transfusions, and he’s been hooked to a ventilator for the moment. It’s going to be touch and go for a while. But please know that they are doing everything for him.” She pats my arm. “I’ll let you know when I have more information.”
“Thank you,” I reply hoarsely before making my way to Oliver.
I sit beside him and Leland, and Oliver climbs onto my lap. I tell him what’s going on as gently as possible, but that’s not news you can break easily. I dig my phone from my pocket and hand it to Leland. “Will you call Aiden again? It keeps going to voicemail.”
Leland nods and dials. “It went straight to voicemail.”
“Keep trying. Will you call Vince, too? He’d want to know what’s going on.”
Leland gets a panicked look on his face, but it clears. He hits Vince’s contact, and I can hear Vince’s deep voice filter through the line. “It’s, uh, Leland. We’re at the hospital with Jace. He was in a car accident, and Toby said you guys would want to know.” Leland listens to whatever Vince is saying and nods. “I’ll let him know.”
He hangs up and immediately tries Aiden again. When he says he’s still not answering, a weird feeling starts creeping up. I look around to find Cass and finally see him standing guard a few feet away. I call out to him, and he walks over. “Can you see if you can find Aiden? Try his office, his apartment, and Jace’s house.”
Cass nods. “Yes, Sir.”
I pull Oliver closer and wait on news for Jace.
And now Aiden.
Three hours later, we finally get an update that they’re taking Jace to surgery. The doctor was grim as he talked to us and told us flatout that there’s a chance Jace won’t make it through the surgery. Oliver fucking lost it, and he’s been almost inconsolable since. Vince and Zac showed up twenty minutes after Leland called and have been doing what they can to make things easier. Cass called an hour after I sent him to look for Aiden and said there was no sign of him, but he was going to keep looking. Leland started calling him every ten minutes with no success. I called Jace’s parents as soon as I could, and they’re on their way. I’m trying to hold it together for Oli, but the more time that goes on the more it feels like I want to bust out of my skin.
“You need a break,” Vince says, and I don’t miss the demand in his voice. “Let Oliver sit with Leland for a while.”
“No. I’m fine.”
“You’re not,” Oliver says quietly. He slides over beside Leland, and Leland curls his arm around him.
Before I have a chance to say anything, Vince grabs my arm and pulls me to my feet. Zac takes the chair beside Oliver and starts talking gently to him. Vince pulls me outside, and I whirl around on him. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“You need a chance to process. I know you want to be there for Oliver, but you need to think of yourself too.”
“Fuck that.” I turn to go back inside, and he grabs my arm again. “Vince. Let me go.”
“No. I’m not trying to be an asshole, Toby, but you need to deal with what’s going on.”
“What’s going on?” I throw my hands up, frustrated as hell. “Jace is in surgery and has a ten percent chance of making it. Aiden’s been missing for who knows how long, and no one can fucking find him. How the hell am I supposed to deal with that?”
“You let it go. Holding all that shit in isn’t good for you.”
“I can’t. I’m the only one Oli has right now.”
Vince shakes his head and pulls me to the side of the door. “That’s not true. He has me, Zac, and Leland. Oliver would want you to take care of yourself. So would Jace.”
Something about his words hits me, and I almost double over. Vince jerks me into his arms, like that’s what he’s been waiting on. I tighten my arms around him and finally let go of the tears that I’ve been holding back. I cry for Jace, Aiden, Oliver, and myself. Vince cups the back of my head, and I feel his arms shaking. We’ve all been close for a long time, and I know this is affecting him, too, but here he is, holding me together.
“Jace is going to make it. He’s a tough motherfucker,” Vince says hoarsely. “And we’ll find Aiden.”
“Toby?” Vince and I both look up at the sound of Leland’s voice, and he has tears running down his cheeks. “I didn’t want to interrupt, but Jace’s mom called and said they’re just now getting in the air and should be here soon.”
Vince grabs Leland’s hand and pulls him into the hug. “Thank you, Babydoll.”
Leland wraps one arm tight around me. “I should have seen that you needed a break. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” I say gruffly. “How’s Oliver?”
“He fell asleep.”
“Good,” Vince responds. He steps back and brushes Leland’s curly hair out of his eyes with his fingers. “Have you eaten?”
Leland gives him a puzzled look. “I ate dinner with Oliver.”
Vince looks at me, and I roll my eyes. “Yes. I have.”
“Okay. I’ll grab some snacks.”
Vince disappears inside, and Leland gives my side one last squeeze. “Are you good?”
I wipe my eyes and nod. “Yeah. For now.”
“If you need time, just tell Oliver. He’ll understand.”
“I know. I just don’t know how to tell that sometimes. Jace—” I swallow hard. “He usually takes care of everything.”
I know that sounds stupid coming from a grown ass man, but it’s just how our relationship has always worked. I’ve never handled emotion well, and I’m usually over the top. Jace is that calming presence that I need.
I don’t know what to do without him.