Chapter 3
ZINNIA
Four Days Later . . .
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Hearing the sounds of the beeping coming from the machines has me nearly jumping out of my skin as I come too. I open my eyes and stare around the room, feeling my heart begin to race. I try to recall where I am . . . I know, but I don’t remember how I got here. Then it hits me. I had escaped.
Fear clogs my throat and tears well in my eyes. I need to get out of here. Get away. I don’t want him to find me. I still have to get to Gunner, warn him and his brothers.
Thrashing on the bed, I rip the IV from my arm and yank on the cords at my chest. I’m blind with fear, and tears are blurring my vision. Because of this, I don’t see the man come or hear him as he grips my wrists and holds them down at my sides.
“No,” I scream, shaking my head in denial and fighting back. “Let me go.”
“Shh, Zinnia,” he says, and I know it’s a dream. It has to be. I didn’t make it to him. “Calm down, Dimples. You’re hurting yourself, baby.”
Sobs of hysteria overwhelm me, and I slump in defeat, knowing Basa’s decided to change tactics in torturing me—using Gunner’s voice and calling me the names only he ever called me. I cry out in anguish, knowing Basa has won yet again.
“Shh, baby, I’ve got you. No one is going to hurt you again. Never again.” The gentleness of the voice penetrates a part of my brain. “Fuck, Zinnia, you know how much your tears gut me.”
I suck in a breath and blink. “G-Gunner?” His name leaves my lips on no more than a breath of air.
Slowly, the arms holding me in place loosen, and the body leaning over me lifts. “Yeah, Dimples. It’s me.”
I lift my gaze to meet his and nearly lose whatever oxygen that I have left in my body.
In the years that I’ve not seen him, he’s only gotten sexier.
He looks the same for the most part, but his body is definitely more muscular than it used to be.
Then there’s that chiseled jaw of his that looks way better now.
And his eyes, the dark orbs, are all seeing as they’ve always been.
“Gunner,” I whisper his name again.
“Yeah,” he murmurs and cups the side of my face gently. “I’ve got to get the nurse in here. You ripped the IV out. We’ve got to get you resituated.”
“No,” I whimper, shaking my head erratically. “Please . . . I need . . . I have to get out of here.”
“You’re safe here, Zinnia,” he declares.
“I’m not safe anywhere. Please, Gunner . . . get me out of here,” I plead.
“Baby, you need to be here, where the hospital staff can help you . . .”
“No,” I scream, staring at him with wild eyes. “I didn’t escape only for him to get me here.”
“Who?” he demands, his nostrils flaring in anger now.
I swallow back the fear trying to lodge itself in my throat. I squeeze my eyes shut and do everything I can to catch my breath . . . to block out the emotions ready to race over me and take over.
“Come on, Zinnia, breathe for me,” Gunner coaches, stroking his fingers along my cheeks. “I’ve got you. I swear no one will harm you. Not again. Never again.” He presses his forehead against my own. “I won’t let anyone take you from me again.”
A warning chill rushes up and down my spine.
“I can’t stay here,” I whimper weakly.
“You will, baby, and I’m gonna make sure of it.
You aren’t going anywhere without me close by,” he states firmly.
“I lost you once. You’ve been through hell, and I want to know about it when you’re ready to tell me.
But right now, I need to know who I’m keeping you safe from and I’ve gotta get the nurse in here. ”
Sensing I won’t win against Gunner, I nod and sink further into the bed.
Gunner steps away from me and presses the call button. Feeling overly exhausted, I stare up at him weakly as he keeps his gaze locked on mine.
“Nurses Station, how can I help you?” A voice comes from the intercom built into the bed.
“Yeah, I need a nurse to come help my wife. She’s accidentally pulled the IV from her hand.”
Wife?
What in the world?
Too exhausted to bring it up, I close my eyes. I don’t have the strength to question him about anything else, let alone about him calling me such a thing.
Even in my dreams, I know I’m no longer worth being anything to him.
“We’ll be right there,” the voice on the other end of the intercom states.
I inwardly sigh, wishing no one would come and I could somehow escape yet again.
Only this time, I highly doubt even if I wanted to, there’s no way Gunner would let me.
Besides, he needs to know regardless of the fact it was Basa who stole me from him.
He needs to know the threat coming his way, because soon as Basa knows where I am, he’ll be coming and he won’t come alone.
“Easy, Zinnia, you’re okay. I promise you,” Gunner murmurs gingerly.
“Basa, he’ll come for me,” I whisper, and the darkness consumes me, letting me fall into its abyss.
Waking to a gentle voice humming, I lay there listening. I haven’t heard humming of this song in so long.
I didn’t know I missed it so much.
Slowly I peek out from under my eyelashes and look at the man whose voice lures me from my exhausted sleep.
I see his beautiful face, and the worry lining his cheeks is like a shard of glass against my heart.
There’s been plenty of times over the past nine years that I’ve dreamed of hearing his voice as he hums a song to me while I lay in his arms. More than anything, I remember so many nights laying there, fear overwhelming me.
Yet, I’d still worried if Gunner was okay.
Gunner continues to hum, and I open my eyes fully to take in his features. He must feel me watching him, because his gaze comes to mine, and something flashes in the depths of those beautiful dark orbs.
Before I can do or say anything, he moves. Standing from the chair, he spins and plants himself on the bed next to me, his hip pressing against mine to cage me in.
“You said the name, Basa . . .”
I suck in a breath, having forgotten I said that to him.
“Who is he?” Gunner demands, his voice barely containing the anger I feel radiating around him.
I lick my bottom lip as my chest rises and falls rapidly with the weight of the pain I’ve endured over time.
He needs to know what’s coming and why he must let me go.
“Basa De La Rosa.” The name slips past my lips, and I watch as recognition takes hold of Gunner. The way his eyes seem to flare with rage, and he pushes away from me as if I burned him.
I watch as he shakes his head and stalks to the door. Gunner opens it, and without looking back at me, he steps through, slamming it behind him.
I knew the moment he found out he would hate me, because Basa ensured to coat me with his filth. Gunner would want nothing to do with me. He’ll be more than happy to see me gone. Though first, he at least needs to know what Basa and his father have in mind for him and the club.