Chapter 42
Forty-Two
Blair
Iawake with a dry throat, and pain pulsates through every inch of my body. It comes in waves; becoming agonizing before subsiding to something more manageable.
Holy shit… have I ever hurt this bad before? I don’t think so. Sweat has my clothes sticking to me—the feeling gross and overstimulating. My body trembles as a new wave of pain flares up. I suck in a sharp breath and hold it as I suffer through it.
As it begins to dull, I let that breath go.
What’s going on? Why do I feel like this and where am I?
Slowly, I open my eyes. They don’t even make it halfway before I end up closing them. The room is spinning too fast and my stomach can’t handle it.
I choke on a groan, knowing I have to be quiet. I always have to be quiet. Especially now, when I’m feeling so vulnerable.
My mind is foggy but I try to dig through the haze to get some answers. Vaguely, I remember trouble. The sound of glass breaking, bullets flying… The thundering of footsteps going up stairs.
The fear of seeing Dad surrounded…
A blurry vision of Ledger bending over me, looking more frightened than I’ve ever seen him before. I remember being unable to move, speak, or cling to him as the world sank away…
I flinch as that particular memory seems to unlock the rest of them.
Being captured by Dixie.
Trapped in a car filled with poisonous fumes.
Managing to make it out only to suffocate there on the garage floor.
My eyes fly open in alarm. The room spins even faster this time and my stomach lurches. Slamming my eyelids shut, I dig my fingers into the soft fabric beneath me in an attempt to stop the spinning. A groan slips past my lips without my control.
Suddenly, it’s like I’m back in that garage.
My lungs won’t fill with air as panic spikes through me.
I try but my throat squeezes closed. As I gasp, I start to flounder.
At first, just to figure out exactly where the pain is coming from.
When that doesn’t help me, I try to sit up but the move hurts so bad that the agony threatens to pull me back under.
Fighting through it, I try to brace myself with my elbows.
My teeth gnash together. Blinking rapidly, I blink to clear my vision.
Where am I?
What happened?
What’s going on?
Where’s Ledger and the others?
Is Dad okay? Whatever happened to him?
“Hey, cut it out,” a rough voice growls. “Blair, calm down. Breathe!”
My eyes fly open.
A blurry figure appears over top of me. Hands grab my shoulders and gently give me a little shake.
The motion, though careful, causes me to gasp in pain.
It radiates from my shoulder specifically.
Blinking again, I carefully open my eyes to find Ledger leaning over me, his brows pinched with concern.
If Ledger’s here, I’m safe.
Forcing myself to relax, I sink back onto a bed. My bed. The room comes into focus behind Ledger, and I realize I’m back at the cabin.
And we’re not alone.
Dad is leaning against the wall beside the door with his arms crossed over his chest, watching me. I’m hit with a wave of relief that he’s alive and okay, then another wave—this one made of shame and regret. I just acted out, something he’s taught me not to do.
Shit.
Swallowing down the embarrassment, I look between both men.
“What happened?” I ask. Or try to, at least.
My throat is so dry and raspy that the words are barely audible.
“I’ll get you some water,” Dad offers, pushing away from the wall before disappearing.
God, I want this mattress to just eat me up. He must be so disappointed in me. Not only did I just make a scene, but I was captured. I’m better than that. I should’ve fought harder. Should’ve jumped out the window with him. Or I—
“Be careful, Blair. You’ve got a handful of stitches just under your collarbone,” Ledger growls out as he sits beside me on the edge of my bed. “A few in your leg and hip too. You can’t move around too much or you’ll pull them all out. You’re going to be hurting for a while, so just take it easy.”
I swallow, wincing at how dry my throat is, but then nod.
“What. Happened?” I wheeze out.
Ledger’s jaw clenches tight as his eyes travel over my face. “We found you just in time. Dixie’s dead and the hit on you and Anchor is over. You’re safe now.”
A weak smile pulls at my lips. “Always. Been. My. Hero.”
Rather than smile back, Ledger’s expression darkens.
“It wasn’t just me. It was a team effort but…” He sucks in a deep breath. As he lets it out, he admits, “We almost didn’t make it in time, Blair. It was the scariest fucking moment of my life.”
I roll my eyes. It doesn’t matter when he showed up, just that he did. Reaching out, I find his hand and cover it with mine. Ledger flips his over and intertwines our fingers together.
“You are the thread that holds my soul together,” he mutters. “Without you… I’ll unravel. I can’t lose you, Blair.”
My heart swells at the admission. God, I thought I loved this man before I came to Gnarly Pines but every day that passes, I realize I’m just falling more and more in love with him. Ledger is not an emotional man. He’s not even sweet. For Ledger to admit such a thing is big for him.
And it means the world to me.
“You should’ve never gone through any of this,” he continues. “I’m sorry about Dixie and that I wasn’t there sooner.”
Before I can force out how grateful I am that he came and that Dixie isn’t his fault, Dad returns. In his slinged arm, he gingerly holds a glass of water. In his other hand, a bowl of oatmeal by the smell of it. He limps across the room and places both items on the nightstand.
I frown—how hurt is he?
“Let me help you sit up,” Dad offers.
I blink in surprise, then look at Ledger for answers. He shoots Dad a bewildered look, too, before waving him off.
“Don’t worry about it, I got it,” Ledger says and moves to help me.
Dad’s hand slams down on Ledger’s shoulder, preventing Ledger from going anywhere. The two men glare at one another.
“I said I would do it,” Dad growls.
“Since when have you ever been doting?” Ledger counter with a scoff. “Relax, Anchor. I know what I'm doing when it comes to my girl.”
I can’t help but beam with pride at his possessiveness, ignoring the fact that Ledger hasn’t quite ever been doting either.
My reaction goes unnoticed as Dad’s expression turns murderous. “She’s not your girl, Ledger.”
“Oh, she definitely fucking is.”
“Who do you think you are, stopping me from—”
As the two of them argue, I reach out for the glass of water. The motion hurts and my hand trembles but I manage to grab the glass and bring it to my lips. The cool water instantly soothes the dryness in the back of my throat. After taking a few more sips, I place the glass down.
“—and you think you can just step in now and take over?” Ledger snarls. “Besides, you should be taking it easy.”
“I can do whatever the hell I want when it comes to my daughter!”
Ledger scoffs. He opens his mouth to reply but I beat him to it.
“This has already grown old. Dad, if you want to help me up, you can.”
Dad would never lower himself to gloat or smirk—that’s too much wasted energy and emotion on his part. But he does dramatically turn his back on Ledger to help me sit up. By the time there are pillows propped up behind me and I’m upright, I’m sweating profusely and trembling.
Both of them notice immediately.
Ledger gets to his feet at once. “I have some heavy-duty pain meds ready for you, but you’ll just end up throwing them up if you don’t eat something first.”
“That’s why I brought up the oatmeal,” Dad tells him coolly.
I frown. “You made the oatmeal?”
Glancing at the bowl, there’s brown sugar, sliced banana, and a drizzle of peanut butter on top. This is way too luxurious of a meal for Dad to make.
“Well… Wesley did,” Dad corrects stiffly as he takes Ledger’s spot beside me on the edge of the bed. “He gave it to me when he realized I was getting you something to drink.”
I look past Ledger and Dad toward the door.
“Where is everyone else?”
“Santi and Rhett were driving all of us crazy with their moping so we put them to work,” Ledger says, his voice growing rough. “They’re overseeing all the Zones for the day. It’s keeping them occupied.”
Dad frowns in disapproval. “You haven’t been alone since your return three days ago. If it’s not one, it’s two or three of them hanging out in here. I’m surprised you’ve slept through most of the talking. You’re usually a light sleeper.”
Again, shame wells up.
I should wake to noises. It’s a safety instinct, for sure. One that I thought I had down pat. I’ve never been a heavy sleeper.
“She’s been recovering, Anchor. Of course she’s been sleeping. I’d be worried if she hadn’t been,” Ledger growls defensively.
He doesn’t realize it, but I’m grateful for his intervention.
In fact, ever since Dad arrived, between Ledger, Wes, Santi, and Rhett—Dad’s disapproval has hit a wall of muscle. They’ve been sticking up for me without hesitation. While I’m used to Dad’s way of talking, it is nice to know there are others ready to shut it down when it gets to be too much.
Dad glowers at him. “Why don’t you go get my daughter those pain pills?”
Ledger opens his mouth like he’s ready to argue but seemingly decides to let whatever he’s about to say go. Instead, he turns and stomps out of the room. The minute he’s out of earshot, Dad turns to me.
“Why are you two bickering so much?” I ask him before he can speak. “You two never fought so much before.”
Dad’s upper lip peels into a silent snarl. “We’re not bickering.”
He could’ve fooled me.
Rather than tell him that, I attempt to reach the bowl of oatmeal. Now that I’m awake, I’m very aware of how empty my stomach is. Unfortunately, it’s too far for me to reach and I wince before dropping my arm.
Dad notices my struggle and immediately grabs for the bowl to hand it to me.
I eye him suspiciously before taking it. “Not that I don’t appreciate it but… why are you helping me?”
He frowns as his brows smash together.
“Because you’re my daughter and you’re hurt. It’s my job to take care of you.”
I want to laugh.