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“How are you feeling, Ms. Murphy?” He looks one more time at Rook, then takes a step away from the bed.
Like I was just attacked by a crazy fucking sociopath, then watched the love of my life kill him, doesn’t seem to be an appropriate answer. So instead, I go with, “Like I hit my head.”
“How many fingers am I holding up?” He places his hand in front of me at the foot of my bed.
“Four fingers.” I’m already growing irrationally tired of this.
“And do you know where you are?” He side-eyes Rook, who grunts, and I swear this doctor has to think Rook is a threat from the way he’s reacting to him.
I guess, in a way he is, while Rook is playing the part of my bodyguard.
“I’m in San Diego, California. I’d tell you today’s date if I knew it, but my best friend had a baby last week, and I’m not actually sure of the date. October something. Fifth, sixth, seventh? Something like that. It’s Monday. My name is Carys Murphy. The man being a pain in the ass is Rook...” I look at him and tilt my head. “What the hell is your last name, soldier boy?”
“She’s being sarcastic, doc. I think she’s fine.”
The doctor looks between us and shakes his head. “You have a concussion, Ms. Murphy. But there’s nothing leading me to believe you need to stay in the hospital. The good news is you only lost consciousness once. The rest of your symptoms seem to be mild. So, I want you to go home and rest,ifand onlyif,” he looks hesitantly at Rook, “you will have someone there with you.”
The curtain is pulled back, and Cooper darts to my side, blood spatter still covering his shirt. He wraps his arms around me, and I sob uncontrollably.
Relief, fear, and grief all pouring out at once.
I’m vaguely aware of Rook answering the doctor. “She’s got someone. How about we get those discharge papers now, doc?”
I pressmy lips to her forehead and hold Carys close to me while she cries, ignoring everyone around us. Lost in the relief that she’s here. She’s alive and clinging to me, like I didn’t just shoot someone in front of her. “Shh. It’s okay. We’re okay.”
“Are we?” she asks between ragged breaths. “Are you okay? What did the police say? What did the Navy say?” She clings to me, and I finally feel like I can breathe again.
“It was self-defense. I’m not under arrest. Ford is dealing with the Navy.” The local police made me go over everything with three different detectives more times than I can count before the military police showed up. They still have jurisdiction since Axel was a Navy SEAL. Even if he was AWOL. Ford smoothed things over with them so I could get to Carys as soon as possible.
Holding her in my arms with her bloodliterallyon my hands as she passed out was the scariest fucking moment of my life.
Now, as I sit next to her, she lays her head on my chest, and I refuse to let go. I glance over at Rook and nod. “Thank you for being here when I couldn’t.”
“Any time, brother. Do you want me to stick around?” Rook shoves his hands in his pockets and looks at my girl with soft, concerned eyes.
“No. I appreciate it. I’m going to take her back to Trick’s house for the night.” Carys pulls back and tips her head up to mine.
“For the night? I don’t want to go back to the house tomorrow. I don’t want to see that room again. Ever.” What little color she has drains from her cheeks. “Where’s Emerson? Where did she go with Elodie?” Her eyes grow worried. “Oh, God. Did she see...? Was Elodie there?”
“Don’t worry about it, I offered her Trick’s house, but she said no. I don’t think she wanted to be in Linc’s room.” In reality, she freaked the fuck out, but Carys doesn’t need to know that now. I think if I’d taken Elodie from Emerson’s arms and handed her my gun, she’d have gone upstairs and shot Axel again. “Ford took her back to her house. She said she was there with Rook earlier, and she threw together a bag to take with her.”
“Should we go there? What if she needs help?” My beautiful girl has a heart of gold, but this time, I’m making sure she thinks of herself first for a change.
“No,” I shut her down. “We’re going to Trick’s house tonight, and then we’re getting on a plane tomorrow and going back to Kroydon Hills. I’ve already spoken to Dad and Katherine. It was the only way to convince them not to fly out here.” I press my lips to her head. “And I’ve got to tell you, I really don’t want them here.”
She opens her mouth to argue, but I gently press my lips to hers. “I love you. Let me take care of you. Please, baby.”
With a gentle nod of her head, she whispers, “Fine. Let’s go home.”
She’s quiet for the better part of the next hour, listening to the instructions from her doctor and signing away her life on the discharge papers. It’s not until we get in the Jeep that Carys laces her fingers through mine and begins to crash after her adrenaline rush, slumping against the seat.
“You okay?” I squeeze her hand as we pull out of the hospital parking garage. “Want me to stop and get you anything?”
“No. I just want... I’m not even sure what I want at this point, Cooper. To sleep for a month, maybe... How areyou?”
“I’m fine.” I don’t even sound convincing to my own ears. When Carys’s eyes bore into the side of my head, I glance her way. Guess I’m not fooling her either. “I’ll be fine.”
Maybe if we both say it enough, we’ll start believing it.
