Chapter Thirty-One
The ICU roomwas as stark and bare as Steel’s hope. Since he’d received the call from the hospital, he’d been sitting next to Chenoa, watching her lie there quietly, her breaths matching the beeping of the machines that surrounded the bed. It was the only indication of her heartbeat… her existence. She was in critical condition, having overdosed on a dirty concrete floor in an abandoned building.
He glanced up as Breanna walked in carrying a white Styrofoam cup in her hand. Wisps of steam rose from it. “I brought you a cup of black coffee.”
Taking the cup, he brought it to his lips, blowing on the hot liquid. He took a sip and the bitterness slid down his throat.
Breanna stood behind him and slinked her arms around him, her hands resting on his chest. Light kisses peppered his neck and he placed his hands on hers. “I know this is difficult. I’m here if you need me,” she whispered against his ear.
He nodded and then cleared his throat. “Her name means ‘dove’ in Navajo. When she was a child, she liked to pretend she was a bird soaring high above everything. She’d tell me she liked the idea of being free to go anywhere, to soar above the shit of the world. So… yeah.”
Breanna didn’t say anything, just squeezed him, and he leaned his head back and rested it against her stomach. Looking at Chenoa lying there was surreal. If—and it was a huge if—she pulled through this, she’d be permanently brain damaged.I should’ve been there for her when she called me. I fucked this up. I couldn’t protect her.He inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly.
The nurse came in and nodded at him as she went over to the machines and typed some information in a computer. “Do you need anything?” she asked as she turned to go.
My daughter back.He shook his head.
“If you do, please let me know.” She quietly left the room.
“My baby,” Mika’s anguished voice filled the room as she ran in, Roy standing in the doorway. She rushed over to Chenoa and laid her head on her chest. Tears trailed down her cheeks and Steel sat rigid in the chair, taking in the scene.
He glared at Roy, who shifted his gaze to Mika. “Get the fuck outta here,” Steel said.
Roy scowled at him. “I’ll fuckin’ stay if I want to. I’m here for Mika and Chenoa.”
He leaned forward in the chair, but Breanna’s firm hands on his shoulders urged him back. “I’m not gonna say it again. I don’t fucking want you here.”
“Roy, wait for me outside,” Mika said.
“Are you gonna let him tell us what the fuck to do?”
“This isn’t the place. My God, Chenoa’s his daughter.” Her voice cracked and she looked at Steel, catching his gaze. He gave her a weak smile and then slid his eyes back to Roy, challenging him.
“Fuck both of you.” Roy spun around and stomped away.
Mika stared after him. “He’ll get over it.” She chewed on her bottom lip.
“What the fuck are you doing with that asshole?” Steel rose to his feet.
Before Mika answered, Breanna kissed him quickly on the cheek. “I’ll let you two talk.”
Steel wrapped his arm around her waist. “You don’t need to go.”
“I know, but I have some calls I have to make. I’ll be back.” She kissed him again and walked away.
“How long hasthatbeen going on?” Mika pulled a chair over to the side of the bed and sat down.
“A while. How did this happen, Mika? How did Chenoa end up at the warehouse? Did she sneak out of the house? What the fuck happened?”
“Are you blaming me for this? Where the hell were you? You put your club first,again.”
A surge of fire rushed through him. Since he’d heard the news, he’d wanted to break something, hurt someone, anything to divert the pain from himself. “Don’t fucking go there,” he hissed. “I left her in your care. I just wanna know how the fuck she ended up at that building at five in the morning.” He clenched and unclenched his fists.I gotta calm down. I don’t want to lose it in front of Chenoa.
“She told me she was going to hang out with her friend, Josie. When she called me later that night, she said she would be home around ten. I was so tired, I fell asleep before then. I thought she’d come home, and was shocked when Breanna called me. I ran to Chenoa’s room because I didn’t believe that she wasn’t there.” She covered her face with her hands and cried softly.
Steel bent down on his haunches and put his hand on her thigh. “This fucking sucks. I’m not blaming you. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me. I shoulda known she was in pain. I’m talking about now, but also before she started using. I thought she was okay, but I shoulda known.” He breathed out a ragged breath.
Mika shook her head. “It’s the fuckin’ assholes who sold her this shit. That’s whose fault it is. I hate them. I hate what they did to our baby.” A deep sob filled the room, and Steel put his arm around Mika’s shoulder and drew her to him. As she rested her head on his shoulder, he held her as her body shook, and his daughter fought for her life.
