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“Hi, Heidi.” Lilly’s soft voice drags my head up.
I give her a weak smile. “Hey, thank you for coming.”
She sits in the chair to my right and wraps her arms around me. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get up here sooner.”
“Where’s Chance?”
“With Uncle Carter.”
God, I don’t even know what time it is. Or what day. “That’s good.”
“Have you heard anything?”
“Not recently.”
She sits with me. Quietly offering comfort.
The ticking clock draws my attention. “We’re supposed to be getting married.”
Lilly squeezes my hand.
“I’m such an idiot. Why have I been worried about finishing school and so much other crap? We should’ve just gotten married months ago.”
“Honey, you’re so young. It makes sense that you’d—
“No, it doesn’t.” I hiccup-sob. “And now, we might not—”
“Don’t go there.” Lilly’s stern voice freezes my steamrolling emotions.
“I don’t even care about all that wedding stuff. It doesn’t matter where we do it or what anyone’s wearing.” I reach over and grab a handful of tissues and blow my nose. “I just want to marry him.”
“You will.” She slips her arm around me again and pulls me closer. I rest my head on her shoulder and close my eyes.
“Try to rest a little bit.”
“Okay,” I murmur.
“Murphy’s strong. He’s going to get through this fine. You’ll see,” Lilly promises.
I’m too tired to form any words, but I nod.
“Is she okay?” someone whispers.
My soft, warm human pillow shifts. “She’s been out for an hour or so,” Lilly answers.
“I’m awake,” I mumble.
Blinking, I sit up and stare up at the doctor. “Is he okay?”
“He’s stable. Still in a coma.”
“Oh my God,” I gasp and sit up.
“Pupillary reactions are good,” the doctor continues. “He’s measuring at the mild end of the scale, so we’re hopeful. Right now, we need to keep the swelling down and monitor him.” His severe doctor expression softens. “He’s in a room now. You can go up and sit in there with him. Hearing your voice might help.”
“Thank you.”
I run into my brother in the hallway. He cups the back of my head and pulls me against his chest, kissing the top of my head. “You okay?”
After his initial fury when I told him about Bryce and the blackmail, he set everything aside. “No, I’m not.”
“What’d you hear?”
“The doctor said I can sit with him.” I tip my head back. “You can come if you promise not to be mean to Blake.”
He huffs out a tired laugh. “Why? It might help him wake up if he wants to kick my ass.”
“I’ll kick your ass if you say anything to stress him out.”
“That’s my sister. That’s what he needs.”
“Lunatic.” I shake my head and let him lead me down the hallway.
He opens the door for me, and I step inside.
I gasp as soon as I see what they did to my big, beautiful, burly lumberjack. “Oh my God.”
“Holy shit.” Marcel whistles. “He’s going to be so pissed.”
Forty-One
Murphy
Who the fuck shaved my beard?
Been growing that thing for like ten damn years.
“All his beautiful hair.” Heidi sobs.
My hair, too?
“The world isn’t kind to us gingers,” Charlotte says.
Heh. Charlotte always cracks me up.
“If he grows it back, it’s going to look like you married a stranger in all your wedding photos.” Marcel’s strained laugh is a knife in my gut.
Did I miss our wedding?
“I don’t care as long as he wakes up, so we can get married.”
Is that what this is? I’m asleep?
Why can’t I wake the fuck up, then?
I feel…something. One motherfucker of a headache.
Their voices fade into oblivion.
I drift into a nightmare.
An underground fight I can’t escape. My fists are useless. Nothing can save me, and I’m helpless to save the ones I love the most.
Until fire shoots out of my lungs, incinerating the world around me.
Fire so raw and explosive it sears my throat and tongue as I annihilate all my enemies.
I dream of Heidi living far, far away in a castle of ice high above the ground.
If I can just breathe my fire on it, I can save her…
The next time I surface, I’m aware of the scents around me. Not the blood and fire of a hellish landscape.
Hospital smells.
“Mr. O’Callaghan, you’re okay. You’re at Empire Med. Your family is all here. Any nightmares you’re having aren’t real. You are in the intensive care unit.”
It’s a strong female voice I don’t recognize. A doctor? No one else would call me Mr. O’Callaghan. I welcome her words. They’re a lifeline of hope.
I’m still alive. I’m not trapped in hell.
My family is okay.
Now I have something to cling to.
“He better wake the fuck up soon.” That’s Marcel’s growly voice. “So I can kick his damn ass.”
“Nice. Real nice,” Heidi scolds. “How is that helpful?”
The fire dreams are gone.
This almost seems normal.
Like Christmas mornings where we wake up at Teller’s house. Alexa enjoys shredding the wrapping paper almost as much as opening the presents.
Wait, where’s Alexa?
Then the four of us sit around the breakfast table talking and joking around. Except, Carter’s usually there, too. Then we go up to the clubhouse.
Where is everyone?
“Your brother is having trouble expressing his love for Murphy,” Charlotte says. I can almost picture her patting Teller on
the head as she says it. Just to rile him up. This is why Charlotte’s one of my favorite people in the world.
“Yeah, my love for kicking his ass.”
Love you, too, brother.
“You’re not being helpful,” Heidi huffs. “We’re supposed to make him want to wake up.”
“He loves getting his ass kicked, apparently,” Marcel says.
“He didn’t get his ass-kicked.” That’s my Heidi. Fierce and protective as ever. “He wasn’t there for a fight.”
Holy shit. She smashed that guy in the face with a fucking hammer.
Who was that guy?
Bits and pieces come back to me, but I’m not sure if they’re memories or parts of my nightmares.
“You shouldn’t have been there either. That’s why I’m gonna kick his ass.”
“I made him take me with him. And that’s none of your business.” She’s quiet.
Her soft warm hand squeezes mine. I wish I could squeeze back. Why can’t I squeeze back?
“Good thing I was there, too,” she insists.
No, it wasn’t. I never should’ve taken her.
“Oh my God.” Heidi gasps and squeezes my hand harder. “His fingers twitched.”
There’s a screech of metal and a thump. “Are you sure?” Marcel asks.
“Blake? Blake? We’re here. Come on.”
Huh. How about that?
I concentrate on the feel of her hand against mine. How much I love her and can’t wait to slip that wedding band on her finger.
“He did it again! See?”
“I did.”
“Oh, thank God,” Charlotte mutters. “I’ll go get a doctor.”
“Come back to me, Blake,” Heidi whispers.
Something tickles along my jawline, my cheek.
“Turns out you’re pretty damn handsome under all that facial hair,” she whispers. “Most beards are for men what push-up bras are for flat-chested girls. I’m a lucky girl.”
Weird, but glad you think so, beautiful. Still growing that beard back when I wake up.
There’s a pressure against my chest. Soft. Gentle. The scent of Heidi’s shampoo fills my nose.
