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“This has nothing to do with him. I’m the one lying in this bed, and I want to go home. I’m not safe here,” I say, watching as she flinches and her eyes harden before returning to normal.
“She’s right,” Reaper speaks up. “I’ll make sure she rests the entire way back home. And we’ll even drive instead of fly.”
“I don’t think that’s wise,” the doctor tries again.
“Look, if we drive home, there are hospitals I can go to along the way. I’m going to sign myself out of here if I have to,” I tell her adamantly.
“If that’s really how you feel, I’ll get your paperwork ready. What are you going to do about the medicine I prescribe you?” she questions, her voice going hard.
“We’ll pick it up before we leave. I’m goin’ to have to organize a car anyway,” Reaper tells her. “Get the paperwork ready, and she’s goin’ to need somethin’ to wear out of here.”
The doctor leaves us alone, and I’m suddenly not comfortable being here at all. There’s something not right in this hospital, and I believe my father or one of Troy’s men got to the doctor and staff here to ensure I don’t leave here alive. I honestly wouldn’t put it past them to pay off anyone they can to get their way. Troy has always been a slimy asshole, and my father isn’t much better than him at all. I hate how they believe everything a woman does, says, or has to her name belongs to them. I’m more than a piece of property who doesn’t own a single thing; I’m a woman with my own thoughts, dreams, and goals. Not someone who is going to sit ideally by and keep my mouth shut because they deem it necessary.
Before I can unhook the IV myself, a nurse saunters through the door and only has eyes for Reaper. I’m gonna have to get used to this if I’m going to be with him. It’s a small price to pay knowing all these women want my man, but he’s only got eyes for me. At least that’s what I hope happens. Right now, it’s what is happening as I look at his face to find his eyes on me and me alone.
Once she’s done checking my vitals one last time and making sure I’m unhooked from everything, she lets me know she’ll get a set of scrubs and bring them back to me. Before leaving, she asks if I’m going to need help changing into them.
“I’m good. That’s what my man is here for,” I say, letting my attitude shine bright even if my voice isn’t as strong as it normally is. “You’d know that if you weren’t too busy eye fucking him instead of paying attention to me. You know, the patient.”
The nurse mutters a reply before dashing out of the room. Reaper looks at me with his eyebrows arched up. Attempting to sit up, I don’t say a word to him as I try to get out of bed on my own. Reaper’s at my side in a second to help me make my way to the bathroom. It hurts like a bitch to be moving around, but it’s freedom at its best to me. I’m still alive and ready to go home and begin my new life. Reaper and I don’t talk as he helps me into the bathroom. After taking care of business, I stand up and look in the mirror. He’s there to catch me when I break apart.
Even after being in the hospital and in a coma, my face is still swollen a little in places and black and blue. My hair is a mess from them doing whatever they had to do for my head injury, and I can’t believe it was this bad this time. Who am I kidding? I know Troy wants to kill me, and if he ever gets the chance to again, he will. There will be no hesitation or taking his time beating and torturing me; he’ll straight up kill me with a bullet to the head or a knife to my chest.
Reaper holds me close to him. For the longest time, he just holds me while I break in his arms. Finally, he picks me up as carefully as he can, bridal style, and carries me back to the hospital bed. Instead of simply placing me in the bed, he climbs in with me still in his arms and continues to hold me.
“Darlin’, don’t cry. You’re still here, and we’re goin’ home. Trax and Jameson are gonna make sure we get home in one piece, and nothin’ more happens to you,” Reaper promises me, his truth shining from his eyes.
“Look at what he did to me. I’m a mess, and you still want me to go with you?” I question him, needing his confirmation after breaking apart in the bathroom.
“Of course, I do. You make me feel shit I never felt before. This is only a temporary setback. Now, let me call the cops so we can figure out where to meet them, and we’ll go from there,” he states, moving me slightly to pull his phone from his pocket. “Need to shoot a message to the guys about a car too.”
I barely listen to him on the phone as I think about everything that’s happened. In all honesty, I’m surprised my father hasn’t been here to see me yet. If Troy is in custody, my father will find out and start looking into where I am. That thought makes me realize we have to get the hell out of here. My dad will be pissed that I haven’t stayed with Troy and did what they wanted. The abuse I suffered at the hands of Troy will seem like a walk in the park compared to what my dad has done to me.
Granted, he won’t get his hands dirty. No, he’ll instruct one of his men to take me down to the dungeon, as I call it, and take care of me. From there, the men can do anything they want to me. It’s been a long time since I had to take a trip down there, and it’s an experience I don’t want again. My offense the first time was not choosing to wear one of the outfits my mother picked out.
As soon as Reaper gets off the phone, he tells me we’ll head to the police station once I’m released. For a few minutes, we sit in silence. Then I begin to tell Reaper why I can’t stay here any longer. My father and Troy were in the middle of punishing a man, torturing him when I showed up back home. They killed this man in cold blood in the middle of the house I shared with Troy with me as a witness—the only witness to their crime.
“Then there’s the doctor who came in here. There’s something off about her. It’s like she wants to ensure I’m here for longer than necessary. I understand I should be in the hospital after being in a coma and with the injuries I have. It’s just a gut feeling I have that this doctor isn’t just wanting me here for the sake of my health improving and making sure I’m completely okay to leave. I’ve learned to follow my gut after everything I’ve been through,” I tell him, my voice wavering. “I know I should probably take a day or two to make sure everything is okay with me, but we need to go.”
“We’ll make sure the police know all of this before we head out of town. I’ll send Jameson to grab your medicine while we’re in there talkin’ to them. Unless you need to, we won’t stop for anythin’ until we’re closer to home. I can even make sure Jameson stops for drinks and snacks to keep in our vehicle until we get closer to home and can have more men meet us. I swear to you I’ll do everythin’ in my power to keep you safe,” he tells me as the scrubs, and my discharge papers are finally brought in so I can get the hell outta here.
Reaper helps me change out of the hospital gown and into the scrubs before carrying me out of the hospital. He doesn’t wait for them to bring in a wheelchair and doesn’t stop when they call for him to wait. Trax and Jameson flank his sides as we leave the hospital behind us and make the only stop we need to before heading back to Clinton. As soon as we can get outside the doors, I breathe a sigh of relief and take in the fresh air. Today is the first day of the rest of my life, and I plan on making the most of it.
