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)
Chapter Thirty-Four
Adelaide
River wrapped an arm around my waist as soon as he stepped up behind the bar and pulled me against him, pressing his lips to mine. I gripped his cut in my fists, tugging him up harder against me—well, as far as I could manage with my large belly between us. He pulled back and pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of my nose, a smirk on his lips.
“Always so fucking needy,” he teased, his eyes gleaming with mischief.
I opened my mouth to tell him my high sex drive was all because of him, but then something crashed in the kitchen before the sound of something heavy falling to the floor reached my ears. “Fuck! River!” Reina screamed from inside of the kitchen.
We both rushed inside, and my heart stopped at the sight of Tristan passed out on the floor. “Tristan!” I screamed, shoving past River. I fell to my knees beside him, shaking his shoulders. Panic clawed at my throat, fear filling my veins. “Fucking wake up, Tristan!” I screamed.
This couldn’t be happening. I couldn’t lose him. God, no, not today. Please let him live long enough to meet Jaxon. Please.
“Tristan, don’t you dare fucking leave me!” I screamed, tears pouring down my cheeks.
I vaguely registered Sam talking to a 9-1-1 operator, but I was too focused on Tristan. River pressed his fingers to Tristan’s pulse, nodding something to Sam. I gripped Tristan’s pale face in my hands, tears blurring my vision, making it so hard to see him. I sobbed. “Tristan, please!” I wailed, something in my gut telling me that this was bad. Really fucking bad.
My gut was telling me what my heart wanted to deny.
I was losing him. This was it.
I had no idea how long I screamed and cried and begged, pleaded with a God who never gave a damn about me, but suddenly, paramedics were rushing into the kitchen. River tried pulling me back from Tristan, but I screamed at him to let me go, to put me the fuck down.
“Darlin’, come on. Let them get to him. They have to help him, Adelaide,” River told me soothingly.
“River, let me go!” I screeched. “Tristan!” I yelled, sobs wracking my chest. “Tristan!”
“Patient is breathing. Pulse strong. Get me a stretcher,” one of the paramedics ordered.
I shook my head, crying so hard, I could barely breathe. “Darlin’, come on. Stay with me,” River begged me, but I was losing it.
“No!” I wailed when they lifted Tristan onto a stretcher. I tried getting up, but River held me with him on the floor. “Tristan, please, God, no!” I screamed.
River lifted me into his arms and carried me out of the kitchen as the paramedics began to wheel Tristan out of the clubhouse. Reina was holding Axel, trying to quiet his cries. “I’ve got him,” Reina told River over the sound of me crying. “Go on to the hospital.”
River nodded in thanks, but I continued sobbing, begging for Tristan to come back to me.
Chapter Thirty-Five
River
Adelaide was a zombie. It was the only word I could think of to describe the hollow, broken woman I was staring at.
I leaned against the wall outside of Tristan’s hospital room, listening to the steady beat of his heart monitor as I watched Adelaide through the glass window. She was holding his hand, staring at his face as silent tears streamed down her cheeks.
She had lost all color to her skin. All she could do was stare at him, and occasionally, she would beg him in a whisper to come back to her.
But she’d lost him. I did my best to save him, but all I could do was extend her time with him.
She’d been in this damn near catatonic state since the doctor had told her that they would put Tristan on life support, but there was no chance that he would wake up again. The cancer had eaten away at him. There was no way to save him. If they cut the machines off, that was it.
He was dead.
“How is she?” Sam asked as he strode up beside me, holding a cup of coffee.
I shrugged. “She’s fucking shattered,” I grumbled, clenching my jaw. “I don’t know how to help her. She’s lost to me, Sam. She’s dying inside. I knew this would happen, but fuck, nothing could have prepared me for it.”
Sam sighed. “I called Joey for her,” he told me. I looked over at him, nodding once in thanks. I hadn’t even thought to call Joey with everything going on. “He’s on his way now. He was on a run, but he’s got his Sergeant at Arms and a couple of other patches handling the hand-off for him. He and Ink are high tailing their asses here.”
I nodded once. “Thanks, brother,” I grumbled.
We were silent for a moment. “Is she ever going to come back to you, River?” Sam quietly asked me, worry for my woman in his voice. Everyone loved her, and over the months, she and Sam had become close—almost like siblings.