Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 69511 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69511 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
It was fast and brutal, and I winced every time a punch landed. They were talking to each other, whispering furious words, and I couldn’t understand much of anything besides the occasional ‘fuck you’ and ‘I’m going to kill you.’
I couldn’t tell who was the one getting hit, to be honest.
It was that brutal.
Gable cursed and pushed himself away, his hand at his side.
I felt my heart sink into my feet at the sight of the blood on his hands.
Gable pulled a gun out of a holster at his thigh, and I had the irrational urge to yell, ‘why didn’t you use that earlier, you dummy!’
Luckily, I was able to keep it contained.
Also luckily, the cops showed up just as Gable got Madman down on the ground.
It took all of ten seconds for the cops to realize who the bad guy was.
As soon as it was all in hand, I rushed toward Gable.
Gable who turned his angry eyes on me and snarled, “I told you to call when you were ready to leave!”
Whoa.
I hadn’t been expecting him to be angry at me.
“I…” I began, but he spoke over me. “Get in the fucking truck.”
When I headed for the passenger seat, he was calling out, “No. You’re driving. Go to the hospital. I’ll be there in a minute. I’ll catch a ride with one of the boys here.”
He all but threw his keys at me, and I felt my heart ache.
He was mad.
Not that I blamed him.
He had told me that Madman was an issue…
I got in his truck and drove to the hospital.
Gen X: raised on hose water and neglect.
—Coffee Cup
ATHENA
I didn’t know where to go, so I ended up at the maternity ward instead of waiting in the hospital ER for Gable.
With him so mad at me, I didn’t want to face him right now.
I was dumb, and I knew it.
When I arrived, it was to an almost empty room.
Maven and Auden were there, as well as Garnett.
I waved at them all, but I was still on the verge of tears, so I didn’t say anything.
“Can you give us a minute?” Maven said almost immediately.
Auden studied my face for a long moment, then dropped a kiss onto Maven’s cheek before saying, “Mamasauce and I will join the rest of them for a quick bite to eat in the cafeteria. You probably have about thirty minutes before this room is full again.”
Maven was already shaking their head. “It’s your job to keep them out of here, Auden Carter. I love your family and mine, but I don’t want any of them looking at my vagina.”
I couldn’t scrounge up a smile even for that.
Auden hugged me on the way past, and that overwhelming urge to cry doubled.
He let me go with a kiss on my head, and I walked to Maven’s bed. “No baby yet?”
She shook her head. “No. My water broke, and I’m at five centimeters, but the baby’s still really high, and I’m not effaced all that much.”
I nodded, swallowing past my tears.
“What happened?” she asked quietly.
I drew in a shaky breath, then took the seat next to her, burying my face in my hands.
I explained everything, ending with, “I’m fairly sure he was stabbed.”
Maven caught my hand and squeezed. “Go down there and check on him.”
“I don’t know if he’s here yet,” I mumbled.
“I doubt they’d let him stand there dripping blood for long. Go check,” she said. “Then come back up here when you know that he’s okay.”
I stood up, my belly full of nerves, and said, “I’ll text Auden to come back.”
She was already shaking her head. “I’m texting them all to go…”
My phone buzzed, and I checked it.
Gable:
In the ER. Got stabbed. Probably gonna need some stitches.
A sound broke free from my throat. “He’s there.”
“And his entire family will be, too, since he sent that in the group chat. Go,” Maven urged.
I did, dragging my feet the entire way.
I didn’t bother going to the waiting room because I ended up getting into the elevator that already had a slew of Carters in it. Most of them had half-finished food with them, looking worried.
They were all talking at once, and I had to explain all over again what had happened, this time not being able to help the stray tear that coursed down my cheek when I was done.
“He was s-stabbed,” I stuttered.
I’d gotten Gable stabbed.
My eyes were full of unshed tears by the time I looked up at Gable’s father.
“It’s okay, darlin’.” Germaine pulled me under his arm. “We all would’ve done the same thing.”
I didn’t think so, because none of the others had agreed.
But shit, it wasn’t like I was an expert at having a crazy man after me.
How was I to know?
I may be a freakin’ 911 operator fifty percent of my time, but that didn’t make me an expert on crime.