Page 73 of Rage’s Rose

I watch and hold back a laugh as Peyton rolls her eyes before turning towards the door and seeing both Fang and Whip walk in.

“Can’t even walk away for two minutes by myself.” She mutters under her breath, but still walks over to both men and kisses them on the lips before leaning into Fang.

“Why don’t you all sit down, you’re making me nervous standing around like that.” I say once everyone quiets down. “So has anyone heard anything about Brynley?”

“She was still in surgery when we came up here. We are sorry, but from what you’ve told me about Brynley, she’s stubborn. She’s a fighter. She’ll pull through this.”

I nod my head because it has to be true. Brynley has been one of my best friends since I was a little girl and there is no way in the world that she disappears from it. I won’t be able to handle it.

We all sat there in that room talking and trying to ignore all the serious shit that was happening throughout the hospital and throughout the club. I knew that Chaos had brought Travis and those other bitches somewhere, but I wasn’t sure where. Part of me wanted to know. Part of me really wanted to know what they were going to do to them. But then part of me wasn’t sure I should know. I just didn’t know how to feel about everything that was going on.

Rage and I really needed to talk about everything, yet I didn’t want to ruin this safe place I had right now. So I sat there and let him hold my hand while he cradled our son on his chest. I ignored all the serious shit that we needed to talk about and to work through. Finally after what felt like an entire day in this never ending day, Abby came to my room and there was a brother trailing behind her. She rushed over to my bed and climbed up next to me. I wrapped my arms around her and held her as she cried. I didn’t know if this was a good thing or a bad thing and honestly I didn’t know how long I would be able to handle her not telling me what was going on. I rub the back of her head as she cries into my shoulder.

“Abby, I’m going to need you to tell me what’s going on? I’m thinking the worst here.”

She sits up and looks at me, “I’m so glad you are okay. I’m sorry I didn’t come in here sooner. When they told me they got to you and you were alright, I was relieved, but I needed to make sure Brynley was okay. How bad are your injuries?”

“She’s going to downplay it for you and tell you she’s more than fine. She is fine, but she has a broken wrist, that is why she’s got a nice wrap on her arm there. Some fractured ribs. A nice fractured cheek bone. I guess we are lucky it wasn’t worse. He beat the shit out of her.” Rage says before he mutters, “I’m going to return the favor.”

Abby sighs and looks at me cupping my face gently.

“I hate him so much.”

“Abby, just tell me, is Brynley okay?”

Tears well in Abby’s eyes and she takes a deep breath, “She made it through surgery, but she is still in critical condition. The bullet tore her spleen, punched through her stomach and several sections of her intestine. It also damaged blood vessels supplying her bowel. She was bleeding very heavily internally, honestly, it is a miracle that she made it to the hospital. The surgeon told us that they removed her spleen, stopped the bleeding, repaired her stomach and removed the sections of the intestine that couldn’t be saved. They had to reconnect the healthy bowel and clean the contamination from her abdomen. She has a long road to recovery. They are keeping her sedated and on a ventilator for about twenty four to forty eight hours. Then you know she’s going to have a long way to go after that. But she’s alive.”

I sob and Abby brings me carefully in for a hug.

“She’s strong, she’s a fighter. She already proved that. Now she just has to wake her ass up and make that man of hers not worry anymore.”

I nod my head against Abby’s shoulder and squeeze Rage’s hand that I have not let go of since he put it there. He squeezed back to provide comfort and let me know that he was there and that he was going to help hold me up.

Visiting hours were up and the doctor said they wanted to keep me overnight so everyone, but Rage left. He told the doctor under no uncertain terms that I was his ol’ lady and he was staying with me. Devil came and picked up Reid and I met his ol’ lady Liz for the first time and got to say goodnight to Mason. Who was in tears when he saw that I was okay. The little boy has definitely captured my heart in the two weeks that he has been staying with me. Honestly, with everything that has happened it sure as hell feels a lot longer than two weeks since I had Reid. I was glad that the doctor was letting me pump and not giving me medication that could harm him through my breast milk. I was also so fucking thankful that I was found when I did.

“Well, are you ready to get some sleep, baby?” Rage asks from the chair next to my bed.

“No, I think I want to talk for a little bit. Are you still up for some conversation?”

Rage sighs and rubs a hand down his face.

“Are you sure you’re up for more emotional bullshit today, Rose? It has been a long day and honestly it feels like it’s been an entire fucking month since everything happened today.”

“I think we need to talk about it right now. I know there has been a lot of shit that has happened today and maybe you don’t want to talk about the heavy shit because of what happened, but we need to get everything out in the open.”

“Fine. We can talk, but you are going to need to let me get everything out and not interrupt me.”

I nod my head and wait for him to start talking.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Rage

I knew this was going to happen, I even tried to mentally prepare myself for this shit before we met up for lunch today, but no matter how many times you run the words through your mind it is hard to get them out. I stare up at the ceiling and close my eyes. I take a deep breath before I look down at her.

“I really do need you to be patient because the shit I’m about to tell you, I have never told anyone. No one knows everything, I mean I guess Sophie and Lash might know because from what I was told the Sirens did background on all of us and Sophie hinted at knowing parts of my background I never freely gave to anyone. I never even told my caseworker anything. I’ll tell you my trauma and this is not my excuse for how I acted or the things I said, but I want you to understand why I pushed you away the way I did and why I have such a hard time opening up to anyone, to trusting people especially women.

I don’t know if you know this or not, but I didn’t know my dad until I was eight years old. My mom hid me from him. Never told him she was knocked up, never really told me who he was. But obviously she knew him enough to know his real name, which was listed on my birth certificate. My mom’s name was Rachel Dawson and she grew up around here. She knew my dad from high school. They hooked up from what I was told periodically, but it was never anything serious. She wanted more, he didn’t want more and didn’t see more happening with her. So when she found out she was pregnant, she left town without telling him.