Total pages in book: 173
Estimated words: 174632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 699(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 699(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
“It’s all right. I can do it.”
She’d do anything to get home.
Guilt was frying his insides.
Jameson wasn’t sure what day it was. Or what to do next. He stared at the empty hospital bed.
He’d failed her.
“There was nothing else you could do for him.”
He glanced over at Ryan’s words, seeing the sympathy on the other doctor’s face.
It’d been a whole week had passed since Maggie had disappeared.
The wedding should have been four days ago, but it had been postponed indefinitely. Doctor Evans had disappeared out of the country, likely helped by the Purity Party. But that was all white noise to him.
What mattered was Maggie. Finding her. Making sure she was all right.
How many times had he failed her? He felt . . . defeated.
“Go home, man.”
“I’ve got another hour.”
“And you’re no good to anyone. All you’ve done for the last half hour is stare at an empty hospital bed. He’s gone. You can’t bring him back.”
Jameson nodded numbly. Ryan was right. He wasn’t doing any good. He was a liability in this condition. Walking out of the hospital, he climbed into his SUV.
But he didn’t head to his empty apartment. He couldn’t handle it. Didn’t know what he might do there on his own. As he drove up to the gate where Ian and Jack were, his headlights picked up something on the ground.
Fuck. That wasn’t a something. That was a someone.
Parking, he jumped out and raced over to the person. A woman. With dark hair. Dressed in black.
“Oh God. Oh fuck. Please be alive. Please, be fucking alive.” He turned her over carefully.
Tears filled his eyes, spilling down his cheeks at her moan.
“Oh, sweetheart. What did they do to you?” He couldn’t make out too much. But she looked rough. Beaten up. Dirty. Her clothes torn.
Then her eyes opened and she stared up at him. “J-Jameson. Want . . . want . . .”
“It’s all right, sweetie. I’m going to get you whatever you want for the rest of your life. You tell me, I’ll make it happen. For now, though, we need to get you to the hospital.”
“No!” she cried out as he reached down to pick her up.
“What is it? Are you in pain? Where does it hurt?” Fuck, what was wrong with him? He needed to assess her before moving her.
“I’m . . . I’m fine. H-home.”
“Sweetheart, I’ll get Ian and Jack to meet us there.”
“N-no. Please, Jameson.”
He closed his eyes, breathed in deeply, then let it out slowly. The hospital might not be safe anyway.
“I’ll take you home to them. But,” he added sternly as she let out a small sigh, “you will let me examine you. And if you need to go to the hospital, it will be happening. You will do everything I tell you.”
“So bossy.”
He stiffened. Hell. He was acting like she belonged to him. And he had no right. Not yet.
“Lucky for you, I like bossy.”
“I’m going to lift you now.” He picked her up. He didn’t want to let her go. Even for the short drive to the house. But he had to. He sat her in the passenger seat, carefully putting the belt on her. She let out a small whimper as he stepped away.
“Hey, what is it?”
“Don’t leave me.” Her hand reached out to grab his. He could see her better now and he hated what he saw. One eye was swollen, she could only open it slightly. The skin around her wrists was rubbed raw. She was breathing shallowly and was extremely pale with red spots on her cheeks.
Was she running a fever? He put the back of his hand on her forehead and swore softly.
“When was the last time you ate or drank, precious girl?”
“I’m not precious.”
“Yeah, you are. And you’re about to find out just how precious you are to us. I mean to Ian and Jack.”
“Not you,” she whispered.
Did she sound sad?
“I don’t know you as well.” He lightly brushed the hair from her forehead. “But I think that when I do, then you will become my whole world.”
“I think I’m hallucinating again.”
“Let’s get you to Jack and Ian.” He was actually trembling as he shut the door and moved around to the driver’s side.
He got in and hit the button for the gate, heading up the driveway.
“You didn’t answer me about when you last ate or drank.”
“I don’t know,” she mumbled. “I’m tired.”
“I bet, precious girl. But don’t fall asleep just yet. Stay awake for me.”
He parked the car and then quickly rang Ian.
“What?” He didn’t sound like he’d been asleep.
“Come outside. Now!”
He ended the call and ran around the other side of the car.
Maggie was fumbling with the seatbelt, so he brushed her hands away before undoing it himself and lifting her into his arms again.
She let out a low moan of pain and he froze. “Shit. Are you all right?”