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Jackson surged forward, putting himself between Conrad and me and shoving Conrad back away from the bed. “Fuck off. I realize you’re all up in arms about all your own shit. I get it, but Katie is my priority, and I’d have to be fucking dead and buried before I let another man, any man, including her motherfucking father, force himself or his attention on her. She was violated and betrayed, and you and that cunt that stomped out of here like a spoiled prepubescent teenager are the fucking cause. What’s worse, neither of you seems to give a flying fuck. But I do. So, get the fuck out of my sight before I whip your goddamn ass!”
I buried myself in the blankets, avoiding the altercation behind me. The anger, the shouting, the cursing, and pushing pummeled me until I couldn’t take anymore. I hid my head under the covers with my hands over my ears as tears welled in my eyes, spilling over onto the pillow I’d shoved my face into.
I heard the door open, and Jackson said, “Get him the fuck away from us. Don’t let him back in here. And send in the nurse.”
I pressed my hands and the blankets against my ears harder, trying to block out everything around me. It didn’t work.
“Jackie, what’s wrong? What happened?”
Lillian?
“Nothing, Mama. Just send in an orderly, please.”
“What are you doing out of bed, Jackson?” Lillian asked.
“Long story short, I got up quickly and forgot about that damn tube they had stuck in me.”
“I’ll get a nurse. They need to check…”
“No. Just have them bring me a mop. We’ve had enough for the day. Please find me a phone and put a no-visitors restriction on this room. If you have to, put Adam and Brock out there with a couple of Uzis.”
“Jackson…” Lillian reasoned.
“I mean it, Mama. Unless it’s medically required or Katie and I approve people to come in here, no one is allowed in,” Jackson said.
Like me, I could tell he was at the end of his rope.
“Jackson, let me take care of the mess. You get in bed with Katie and rest. I’ll have your dad take care of the visitor issue. I don’t know how much limiting visitors will help, though.”
“We just need a break, Mama,” Jackson said.
I heard her whispering to him and the smack of a kiss. A door opened, and there were some rustling and shuffling sounds. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but Lillian’s voice soothed me like lip balm in the winter.
“Katie? Darlin’?” Jackson asked softly from behind me.
I flew into his arms, wrapping his neck in a stranglehold. I sobbed into his chest, waiting for the panic, fear, and chaos to fade to black.
Jackson maneuvered us back onto the bed and tucked me next to him. He comforted me, shooshing and rocking me until I calmed.
“I can’t with them, Jackson. Not anymore. What we went through is a direct result of their craziness, and I am done with that chaos, completely and totally over it,” I cried into his neck, pressing myself against him as much as I possibly could.
“And you won’t have to. I promise I will shield you from that as much as I can,” Jackson whispered before kissing my forehead.
The next day, our hospital room was inundated with visits from doctors and the constant presence of the family, except mine that was. I was ready for a break, for some time away from it all, from them all. They talked incessantly, constantly asking questions. Jackson and I either refused to answer or completely ignored them.
Neither of us talked much. We sent everyone home at the end of the day, but Jackson’s parents and the security team, all of whom refused to leave.
I was lying in the hospital bed with Jackson, enjoying the peace and quiet, when the morning nurse came in just as the sun peeked over the edge of the building. It streamed through the slits in the shades, blinding me if I moved a certain way. She checked our vitals without speaking to us. As she left, Hayden peeked his head in.
“Hey, you two. I thought I’d let you know that Liam is pulling strings to get you released into his care so we can get you guys out of here. We just need to know where you wanna go,” he said as he came to stand at the foot of the bed.
“No one’s said anything, and I don’t know about Jackson, but I’ve been unable to ask. Have they been caught?”
Hayden sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. “No. According to Blanchard, Nina and Caleb are in the wind.”
“What about Neil?” Jackson asked.
“Sorry. I forgot you were in surgery when we gave Katie that update. Neil’s in the ICU here. They found him in the house you were held in. He’d been beaten so severely that he was unrecognizable. Marcie ID’d him. He’s not expected to make it. Basing the decision on the information given to the police and the hospital, they are keeping Conrad informed.”
