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“Jabarri,” I call.
“Yeah?”
“Help Liam get the security footage for the pawn shop they found Parker’s ring in before it accidentally on purpose disappears,” I tell him.
“I’m on it,” he says as they both walk away. I lay my head against the wall until I feel someone grab my hand. When I open my eyes, it’s Partricia standing there. I am on my feet in her eyes, my intention was to comfort her, but instead, she is comforting me. And like they were waiting for her to show up, the tears flowed freely down my face.
“It’s okay, Jaasiel, she will be fine, she’s a fighter, and she has you to fight for.”
“I failed her,” I cry to her. “I was supposed to protect her, and I didn’t. If she doesn’t recover… I refuse to live without her.”
“I refuse to lose my daughter and my son. You will live because she will live, you understand. How dare you give up on her?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I know you have never been here before in this type of situation with so much at stake, but you two are one now, so you have to be strong for the both of you. Understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Okay,” she says, dragging a chair next to mine so she can sit and hold my hand. It feels like I have been waiting forever when my stomach growls and it occurs to me, it is usually me who cooks and brings food to make sure everyone has eaten, but for the first time, it is me who is in need. No sooner than the thought crosses my mind does the door open again, and in walks Praise pushing a cart full of food. She immediately brings me a plate. “Eat, Uncle Jaasiel.”
“I am not hungry...” I start but stop when I notice not just Partricia’s face but also Praise’s.
“You have to eat so you can take care of Aunt Parker, also so you’ll have the strength to go after that fool that did this to her.”
How can I argue with that? I take the plate and force myself to eat, nothing tastes orange, and nothing will without her.
“Jaasiel,” Brooklyn calls me from the doorway, and I am moving before I even register her calling for me.
“She pulled through surgery and is in recovery in ICU. I will take you back so you can be with her.
When I walk in and see her laying there looking so small, I get mad at myself all over again. I walk over to the bed, gingerly holding her hand taking a seat.
“Reka, I need you to continue to fight and make your way back to me. I’m waiting for you.” They eventually move her into an area where more than just me can be with her. The longer I stay here, the more time Max has to get away. When Jabarri hacked into the security footage of the pawn shop there, he was in living color pawning her ring. I am sure he thought we’d assume the ring was lost in the fire, but that’s not quite how things went. When I get my hands on him, there will not be enough left to be six feet.
Parker
It hurts. Everything hurts. I should be doing something, but I can’t remember what it is. The only time I do not feel pain is when I stop trying to figure out what I am supposed to be doing and let the blackness take me. But someone is pulling me to them. I know that voice, but I don’t know how. Reka. I can hear it filtering throw the fog to me, that voice. I have to go toward that voice, but it hurts and I am not strong enough to fight throw the fog. I’ll try later. I think as I drift back to the darkness.
Jaasiel
“Lennox, shouldn’t she have woken up by now?”
“She had a lot of injuries, Jaasiel, but she’s a fighter. Parker just needs a little time, but she will wake up,” Brooklyn says.
They both have been taking excellent care of Parker, along with the rest of the staff here at the hospital, but I won’t feel better until my wife wakes up. I have moved from her side, except when necessary.
I have Jabarri keeping an eye on Max. He’s already dead and has no idea. As soon as my taku e te paruhi wakes up, his ass is mine. I lay down on my bed, making sure to hold her hand and prepare to go to sleep.
I am not sure what woke me, but my eyes spring open in the darkened room. All that can be heard is the whirring of the machines hooked up to Parker, making sure she eats and is hydrated. I lay there still trying to figure out what it was that woke me up when I hear it again, the faintest whisper of my name. I almost fall out of bed to see if Parker has woken up, her eyes are still closed, and she is still, but there is a difference. I just can’t put my finger on what it is.
“Parker, wake up. Princess, come back to me. Your mom and dad are worried about you. Your sisters are ready to run Max down and skin his ass, True’s words not mine. Your brothers are here, and they all want you to wake up. They’re waiting for you. But I need you, baby. I refuse to stay in this existence without you. You have to come back to me. I know you are spoiled and it’s been my pleasure to spoil you but you have to get your ass back here, or I am going to take your sister up on what she was trying to offer.
“And I’ll kill you and that bitch,” I hear and collapse on the bed in relief. I push the button for the nurse before gingerly hugging Parker to me, weeping in her hair. The room door swings open, and Lennox and Brooklyn lead a team of nurses, all heading to Parker. I move back out of the way so they can take care of her. I shoot a text to Josh, letting him know Parker finally woke up. It was hell getting them to leave me at the hospital alone, but in the end, they took the wives home, but they made sure they were there every day with me. Praise has made sure I have eaten at least enough to keep me alive after Brooklyn threatened to have me hooked up to an IV. Lastly, I reached out to her parents and waited my time until they were done fussing over her.
“I want you to know your ass is on punishment for the rest of your life, you understand. Luke, Liam, and Lucas were in that building, but you had to be grown and not call them and walk yourself to the car. You scared the shit out of me, Reka.”
“I’m sorry, baby. I was running late for our dinner. I didn’t think anything about going to the car by myself.”
