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Sirens were blaringin my ears. Something was grinding on metal. Someone unfamiliar was speaking above me, saying some kind of medical gibberish I would never be able to understand.
And then, I heard his voice.
“Baby?” Those usually warm, calloused hands were chilled by the rain as he cupped my cheeks. “Cannon, baby, can you hear me?”
A moan of pain slid from my throat as I slowly opened my eyes. Whiler was leaning over me, tears sliding down his cheeks, mixing with the rain. His eyes were bloodshot, agony coating his features. He sobbed when my eyes met his. My heart shattered. He wasn’t supposed to be sad. He wasn’t supposed to cry like this.
“Oh, fuck, baby. Oh, God, you’re going to be okay,” he croaked. It was like he was trying to reassure himself as much as he was trying to soothe me. I slowly blinked, my head getting fuzzy. “You’re going to the hospital. It’s going to be okay.”
“You came,” I slurred, my eyes already shutting again.
I felt his lips press to mine. “I’llalwayscome for you, baby. You fucking hear me, Cannon? Always.”
Everything went dark again.
* * *
The next timeI woke up, there was a steady beep echoing in my ears. My wet clothes were gone, and I was now warm and dressed in dry clothes, though the sheets were a bit scratchy. And wherever I was didn’t smell like Whiler’s room. The scent of disinfectant was thick in the air. It just smelled…sterile.
I slowly opened my eyes, staring up at the gray, black-speckled tile ceiling above me. Turning my head to the left, I eyed the machines next to me.
I was in a hospital.
You’re going to the hospital. It’s going to be okay.
Whiler.
Where was Whiler?
Oh, God, and Jessie. What happened to Jessie? Was she okay? Alive?
“Whiler?” I croaked. I slowly turned my head, but I didn’t have to turn it far before my man was looming above me, concern etched into his features, his brows pulled low over his misery-filled eyes.
“Hey, baby,” he rasped, cupping my cheek. “How are you feeling?”
“Sore,” I mumbled. I lifted my left arm, my eyes widening at the cast that went from mid-bicep all the way down to my wrist and over part of my hand. “Jessie?” I asked. Questions about my own injuries could wait.
“She’s fine,” Whiler assured me, his thumb brushing my cheek. I leaned my face into his touch, and a sad smile tilted his lips. “Just a severe concussion. She doesn’t remember the past few days, but other than that, she’s okay. Ink is with her.”
I licked my dry, chapped lips. “And me?” I croaked.
A dark look passed over my fiancé’s face. “You have a minor concussion. Two chipped teeth and one missing. Your left arm is broken at your elbow, and your right shoulder was dislocated, but it’s been reset. You have four broken ribs and hairline fractures in both thighs—four in your left and seven in your right.” He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath before opening them again, looking a little calmer. “Who thefuckdragged you out of Jessie’s car, baby?”
And the rage I’d been waiting for was now simmering in his eyes. My man wanted blood for what happened to me, and I was more than happy to give him the information he needed to make that fucker pay for what he did to me.
“Richard,” I whispered. “Paul’s brother. I never thought—” My throat closed up with tears. “I thought I was safe,” I croaked. “I never thought he’d come after me. And his son was with him. I don’t remember the accident, but I imagine they ran us off the road.”
Whiler planted a hand on either side of my head and leaned in until our noses touched. I inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of him. “They’re dead, you hear me? Fuckingdead. I’ll slaughter them for what the fuck they did to you.” He closed his eyes again and drew in a deep breath before pressing a soft kiss to my chapped lips. “Dash cam footage shows Jessie was run off the road. Like you, I’m pretty sure they’re the ones who did it. You were rear-ended—we can hear the collision in the video—and from there, Jessie lost control.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, tears sliding down my cheeks.
Whiler shook his head and kissed me again, gently clasping my face in his large, warm, calloused hands. God, I was so glad they were warm again and not cold like they had been on the highway. “Don’t. Don’t you dare fucking apologize for just trying to live your life, Cannon. Even Jessie doesn’t blame you for this, baby. No one does.”
He stood to his full height, and I shifted a little on the bed to get more comfortable. White hot pain ripped through me, coming from my ribs, and I cried out. Whiler instantly pressed the button for the nurse. “Tell me what hurts, baby,” he ordered, his hands resting on me, ready to help me.
“Ribs.” Vomit rose in my throat. “Gonna be sick.”
He grabbed the trash can, and I threw up, sobbing as I did so, snot falling. The pain was so fucking intense, I almost passed out. My vision went dangerously hazy. As soon as I was done, Whiler held me to him, whispering low, soothing words into my ear until I wasn’t on the verge of screaming anymore.
