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“Fuck!” he says loudly.
“Was that Luke that tore out of here like that?” I ask him.
“Yeah. He took the news about as well as I expected him to. I tried to get him to come up here and just talk with us for a few minutes but he was hell bent on hitting the bar instead,” Cole answers, a note of concern in his voice.
I go over to where he stands and wrap my arms around him, feeling him soften against me. He’s so strong, but I can tell that he needs to lean on me just a little. I run my hands up and down his broad back and he slides his down to cup my ass. I tilt my head back and he catches my mouth with his, his tongue tangling with mine. I know how to make him feel good and I happily oblige.
I start to unbutton the shirt he’s wearing and place soft kisses over his smooth chest. He lifts my shirt over my head and, with the flick of his wrist, discards my bra. He picks me up and sets me on the counter, dipping his head low to take a nipple in his mouth. He suckles until it is hard and wet and moves to the other one to do the same. I moan in response, enjoying the feel of his tongue on my tender flesh.
Cole plucks me from the counter and carries me to the table where he lays me down and unbuttons my jeans. I lift my hips so he can slide them and my panties down before he drops his own around his ankles. He leans over to kiss me and I wrap my legs around his waist, guiding him inside me. I grip the edges of the table as he pounds his need into me, using his thumb to trace small circles on my swollen clit. Within a few seconds, I am calling out his name as I come. Simultaneously, Cole plunges deep and empties himself inside me with a groan and I can see the bliss on his handsome face. When the fog of our shared orgasm clears, however, reality reclaims his mood.
Sometime later in the middle of the night, I am startled awake by a noise in the room. I sit upright and it takes me a minute to remember that I’m now in Cole’s bed, and he is on his phone. His voice is panicked and his face looks stricken. He puts the phone down and turns to me.
“Cole? What’s going on?” I ask groggily.
“It’s Luke, there’s been a bad accident.”
***
I am suddenly wide awake and rushing to get my clothes on. Cole grips the steering wheel with both hands, white-knuckled, as he speeds toward the hospital in Billings where Luke has been airlifted. His terror is palpable.
“I knew I shouldn’t have let him go,” Cole was saying.
“Stop. Cole, you are not responsible for this,” I try to tell him.
He shakes his head and stares at the road ahead of him. “No. Ben is,” he spits through clenched teeth.
I try my best to soothe him as we drive, but it is of little use. He is scared shitless for one brother and pissed as hell at the other. It’s time like these that I don’t mind being an only child. I close my eyes and say a prayer for Luke and for Cole too, I don’t know what he would do if Luke doesn’t make it.
After about forty-five minutes, we pull up to the hospital and rush in through the Emergency doors. Cole spots the reception desk and heads for it, a man on a mission. I follow behind, trying to be supportive without interfering.
“Can I help you?” the woman asks as we approach.
“Yeah, my brother Luke Parker was brought in by helicopter just a little bit ago,” Cole says and I can see his strength begin to waver. He is terrified.
The woman types a few things into her computer and then rises from her desk. Coming around the corner, she takes Cole gently by the elbow and ushers us toward a private waiting area.
“If you can just wait here, I’ll have someone come in and talk to you as soon as they can,” she says sympathetically.
“Can’t you tell me anything?” Cole nearly begs the woman. “Is he still alive?”
The woman looks at Cole and smiles sadly. “He was when he came in, that’s all I know,” she says before leaving to fetch someone who can tell us more.
Cole paces the room like a caged animal and I try to offer what comfort I can. I know the ugly scenarios that are going through his head and I wish I could take them away. After a few moments, a young doctor enters the room and asks us to take a seat. I do not like the sound of that.
Cole’s ass barely touches the cushion and his grip is enough to nearly rip the armrests from the chair. “What’s happening with my brother?” he asks.
The doctor clears his throat. “He was brought in by helicopter and taken immediately to surgery. He has several broken bones, including his lower spine, and some damage to his lungs and liver. If he survives, he will have a very long and very painful recovery ahead of him.”
Tears begin to well in my eyes and I stifle a cry with the back of my hand. I need to be strong for Cole, he doesn’t need to worry about me breaking down.
“You said he has a broken spine,” Cole is asking. “Does that mean he’s paralyzed?”
“It is too early to know,” the doctor says. “The level at which the break is, is low enough that it might not impact his ability to walk, but a lot will depend on the swelling around the spinal cord. I will be back in when there is more news to share.”
The doctor leaves and Cole swings his haunted eyes in my direction. In that moment, all of his strength leaves him and he slides to his knees on the floor. I quickly gather him in my arms and hold him as he weeps.
Chapter Twelve: Cole
