Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 57341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
“Only for a few minutes,” the doctor agreed. “If she wakes up while he’s in there, try to keep it light-hearted. She’s been under way too much stress.”
Joey nodded his head at the doctor before he quicky slipped into the room. I stepped into Adelaide’s hospital room with him, leaving Tristan on the floor in the hallway. If he had just fucking listened to me, this shit wouldn’t have happened to her again.
My eyes instantly landed on Adelaide’s pale form. I could tell that she had been crying before she passed out, and her hair was an absolute mess.
“Mommy’s okay,” I whispered to Axel. “Fucking hell, she’s okay.”
Joey’s hands shook as he reached down to grab her face in his hands. I knew he was going to kiss her, but I only gritted my teeth. Adelaide needed this.
“Breathe,” Joey whispered. Then, he soothed his lips over hers, barely letting them touch.
She slowly woke up, her eyes locking on his. He cupped her cheek, letting his other hand drop. “I need you to breathe, so you can live for River. Can you do that for me, pretty girl?”
She nodded, her bottom lip trembling. “He’s leaving me,” she choked out, referring to Tristan.
“Easy,” Joey coaxed, smoothing his thumb over her tear-stained, pale cheek. “I know it’s hard, but try not to think about it. Just focus on staying healthy for your family. River and I will do whatever we can to try to keep him here with you. We can’t make promises, but we will try,” he promised her. “Just hold me with you.”
She nodded. He pressed his lips to her forehead. “The doc doesn’t want you to have any visitors except for River, so I have to go, but I’ll come to see you soon. I promise.”
She nodded at him again. He pressed his lips to her temple. “Live for him,” he whispered.
I dragged a chair over to her bed as Joey quietly slipped out of the room. Holding Axel in one arm, I held Adelaide’s hand in the other, pressing my lips to the back of her hand. “Hold him with you,” I whispered to her.
She sniffled. “I’m sorry he kissed me again.”
I shrugged. “He does it to remind you that you can breathe,” I told her. “When shit gets this bad for you, darlin’, you start dying inside. We both just want you to fucking live.”
“I’ll always live for you,” she swore.
I pressed my lips to the back of her hand again as I slouched down in my chair, getting comfortable. “That’s all I’ll ever ask of you, darlin’.”
I finally allowed my eyes to shut for a little while, holding Axel tighter against my chest.
Thank you, God.
Chapter Thirty-One
Reina
Igroaned in pain as I slowly peeled my gritty eyes open, wincing at the bright light in the room. My shoulder and my thigh were burning in excruciating pain. Was this what hell felt like? I was pretty sure it was.
“Fuck, you’re awake,” Sam grumbled from across the room.
I slowly turned my head to look at him, wincing when the movement only made pain flare up all over my body. I was both shocked and excited to see him there. I’d wanted Sam from the moment I laid my eyes on him, but he tended to avoid me like the plague.
He was just coming out of the bathroom. He didn’t have his cut on, and his hair was a mess, like he’d been running his fingers through it for the past few hours. “How are you feeling?” he gently asked as he came closer to me, running his dark eyes over me.
“Like hell,” I muttered, a thrill running through me that he seemed to at least care about how I was feeling. “I’m in a tremendous amount of pain.”
He brushed some of my hair out of my face in a tender gesture that had my heart rate spiking on the heart monitor. My lips parted the slightest bit. He glanced at the heart monitor for a moment before he looked back down at me. There was no amusement in his eyes to my reaction to his touch—ever the serious one.
It was one of the things that drew me to him. He seemed strong, capable of protecting me from the demons that haunted my soul. The real ones were dead, but the ones inside of me? They would never go away.
“To be expected,” he said quietly. “You had to go through surgery for both of your gunshot wounds.”
I winced. That explained the burning, excruciating pain.
“Is everyone okay?” I asked him.
He shrugged. “Adelaide is facing some trouble.” I frowned. Sam brushed his thumb over my cheek. “Too much stress, but River is with her, and she’s going to be fine. Tristan has tipped over the fucking edge.” I shrugged one shoulder at that, making him laugh huskily. I had never really liked Tristan. He was a complete dick, and he treated Adelaide like shit. “Jesup is with Zyla. She’ll be released later on today.”