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I notice the dried blood on his fingers. A few splatters across his neck and shirt. “The bullet nicked an artery. I don’t know if I stopped it in time.”
“You did your best.” I squeeze his shoulder and he lets out a breath.
“If anyone can survive this, it’s Dylan. He’s too stubborn to die,” Garrett says. I believe him.
Brando, Jackson, Skye, and Vera rush into the waiting room and one of a thousand knots inside me untangles. John intercepts Vera and Skye throws herself at me. I wrap her up and choke back the sob that wants to escape.
I meet Jackson, then Brando’s eyes. They’re both filled with concern, but I can’t allow myself to fall apart yet. Liv still needs me to be strong.
Skye turns to Jordy as he approaches and she gasps and fusses over his injuries. He pushes her hands aside and pulls her in for a long hug while she falls apart. I move over to stand by John at the window. Neither of us speaks.
A nurse approaches us. “Luke? Liv is awake and asking for you.”
I turn to John. He nods, and I follow the nurse.
We enter a room and I walk around the curtain. Liv sits in the bed in a hospital gown, clutching my bloodied shirt to her chest. Her face is clean but blood still cakes her hairline and there are small smears on her neck. Her eyes well with tears when they meet mine, and I dig deep to keep it together.
She sobs and I’m by her side, sitting next to her. She collapses into me and grips me with a strength you wouldn’t think she possessed. Her body trembles against mine and a piece of my soul evaporates away to nothing. I always thought that breaking your heart was just a metaphor, but a deep pain fills my chest as a crack forms. The guilt threatens to crush me, but I hold steady. For her. I need to stay strong so she can fall apart, then use me to come back together.
“Sh baby, it’s going to be ok,” I soothe into her ear. We cling to each other. Her sobs turn to sniffles and then her body relaxes as she gives in to her exhaustion. Her face is slack, pushed up against my chest. I kiss the top of her head and try to ignore the faint metallic smell.
I hold her to me and stare out the window and contemplate how the fuck we got here. The sky lightens and heavy footsteps precede John as he enters the room. His gaze turns soft when he takes in Liv’s sleeping form tucked into my side. He leans over me to move her hair out of her face and stares at her for a few beats.
He glances at me and motions with his head for me to follow him. I lay Liv’s head onto the pillow and cover her with the blanket before following John out into the waiting room. Everyone looks up when we enter.
“I just spoke with the doctor. There’s no evidence of rape,” John says.
A collective sigh fills the room. Relief surges through me, but the feeling is short lived. “She has a lot of bruising and lacerations, but she’ll be ok. I talked to the detective, and he thinks she killed Scotty before he could attempt anything more.”
“You’re goddamn right she did,” Brando says, his voice cracking with emotion as his eyes water. Vera squeezes his hand.
“My sister is a fighter, but she’s not a killer. She’ll need us to help get her through the emotional damage that fucker caused.” Everyone nods and his eyes meet mine, but I glance away like a coward. I promised him I’d keep her safe, and I failed.
There are too many questions without answers. Who was the guy I shot? Did he help Scotty hide? How did they get past a state-of-the art foolproof security system? How the fuck did the front door open? But those questions will have to wait. I shift my focus to keeping Liv safe and getting her home. Then I’ll face the consequences of ever thinking that I deserved a happy, normal life with the woman I loved.
