When Merrick returned, I was grateful to have Eva as a buffer while we navigated our uneasy truce.
A few hours later, Dr. Patel returned with an update. “She’s out of surgery.”
We all breathed a sigh of relief and waited for her to continue.
“She’s in critical condition, and we’re taking her to the ICU. She’s still intubated, but we’re optimistic. You can come back later, when visiting hours start.”
“I want to see her now,” I insisted.
Eva rubbed my back. “You should go home and get a few hours of sleep. The doctors will take care of her.”
My eyes fixed on the double doors. “I’m not leaving until I see her.”
Eva looked to Merrick for help.
“Pull yourself together,” Merrick rumbled, his jaw ticking. “You think I’m not scared for her, too? It doesn’t do us a damn bit of good to pace holes in the floor. Go home, shower, take a nap, and I’ll see you back here at eleven.”
“Stubborn fucking woman,” I muttered. “I never should have listened to her. We should have taken care of Luca from the start. When he started cornering her at work. When he slit her fucking tires.”
“Hold up. When did that happen?”
“Three weeks ago. We didn’t have proof, but I know it was him.”
Merrick’s nostrils flared. “Why am I just now hearing about this?”
I stiffened. “She didn’t want anyone to know. She said she had it under control.”
Merrick’s jaw flexed. “Fuck. How many other secrets have you been keeping from me?”
I stiffened as Eva pushed between us.
“Enough. Arguing isn’t going to help. When Merci wakes up, she’s going to needbothof you. Hatchet, I’m taking you home. Reaper said the prospect just dropped off your bike. You can come back in a few hours.”
I huffed as this five-foot-nothing woman pushed me out the door. Eva was deceptively strong, and I didn’t have the energy to fight her.
By the time I stepped through my front door, the weight of the night’s events hit like a sledgehammer. Jessa appeared from the kitchen before I could even take my boots off, throwing her arms around me.
“She’s going to be OK,” she said with tears running down her face. “She has to be.”
Kenna stood by the oven, fresh-baked muffins sitting atop it. She wrapped her arms around both of us before pulling away. “I’mheading home to check on Merrick. Call me if you need anything.” She glanced at Jessa. “Make sure he eats.”
Chaos whined at my feet, almost like she could read my anguish. I wrapped my arms around Jessa, my throat tightening. I hated that my kid sister was the one trying to hold me together.
“Merci’s a fighter,” I said, my voice rough. “She’s going to make it.” But the words sounded hollow, and I couldn’t tell if I believed them.
I moved through the motions—showering, eating, and then restlessly lying in my bed. I couldn’t sleep. My body might’ve been running on fumes, but my mind kept circling back to the moment Merci crumpled in my arms.
When the clock on my nightstand clicked over to ten-thirty, I stood and left my room, feeling like a mindless zombie. Jessa was filling out paperwork at the counter.
“What are you working on?”
“Just some stuff for school,” she said, not looking up.
I scrubbed my beard with my hand. “Fuck. I forgot. You start school on Monday.”
Jessa stood and handed me a small duffel bag.
“What’s this?”
