“I’m not trying to get you to forgive him. This is about you, Rachel. You are a very giving and kind person who has helped every person in this town at one time or another, yet you didn’t give any of us a chance to stand beside you when you needed us. You ran.”
“I was so angry at my brothers and Cash. I didn’t want to be near them.”
“If you keep letting them control you, they will. Learn to stand up for yourself.”
“That’s easier said than done,” Rachel replied.
“I’m willing to bet they’re more willing to compromise since you left. I’ve seen Tate, and he’s in bad shape. Dustin and Greer aren’t much better.”
Rachel blinked back tears. Her brothers might be idiots, but she missed them. “I’ll call them.”
Dean’s hand squeezed her arm. Standing up straight, he then gave her the smile she had seen on so many Sunday afternoons.
“I’ve missed having you to talk to. Do you miss the church at all?”
An indiscernible look crossed his face. “I miss talking with and helping the people I grew close to while I was undercover, but getting up early every Sunday? No.”
Rachel laughed at his attempted joke.
“If you need to talk, I’m just a phone call away,” Dean offered.
“I am, too,” Rachel returned the offer as he left then stood, staring sightlessly at Cash on the bed.
Gingerly reaching out her hand, she touched his foot and attempted again to connect with something in him. Nothing.
She sat back down on the chair, waiting.
Chapter 12
Rachel was crossing the parking lot to her car when she saw her brothers walking toward her. She thought about going back inside the ICU where they couldn’t go—Shade had put them on the ‘do not admit’ list to provide her with a safe zone from them—instead, she stopped and waited for their approach.
She refused to feel guilty when she saw how worried they were. Tate’s face was haggard, and he had aged at least ten years in a matter of weeks. She braced herself for their harsh words, but was ill-prepared when Tate didn’t hesitate to jerk her into his arms, holding her close. When he finally released her, she was enfolded in Greer’s then Dustin’s embrace.
“I’m going to give you an old-fashioned butt whippin’ for scaring the shit out of me, Rach,” Tate threatened.
She didn’t get angry; she could tell he had taken her disappearance hard.
“I’m not sorry I left, Tate. You needed to cool down. You don’t have the right to talk to me that way. And Greer, your behavior humiliated me in front of my friends, and it’s not the first time. You need to get your act together. Dustin, you’re a father now; you’re too old to be picking fights and should be setting an example for your son. You’re letting Holly raise your child and set all the limits. Is that how you want to raise Logan? Tate, you told me that Mom and Dad would be ashamed by my behavior, but I don’t think my behavior is the one who would be shaming them.
“Not a one of you have tried to do anything but sell weed. Is that the legacy we’re going to leave Logan; another generation running from the law, living on the outskirts of society? Until you three get your act together, I don’t want to talk to you.”
She left her three brothers standing there with their mouths open.
* * *
“We decreased his medication so he’s in more of a deep sleep versus a coma.”
Rachel stood behind the large group of bikers as they listened to Cash’s doctor explain his condition.
“His spinal injury is quite severe, and we’re going to begin to wean him off the ventilator.” The doctor paused. “I do not anticipate him walking again.”
At his proclamation, several of the women began crying. Viper put his arms around Winter, Knox pulled Diamond closer, and Evie turned to King. Everyone there stood stupefied at the doctor’s prognosis that the consequences of the wreck would be life-changing for Cash.
The Last Riders began making plans as soon as the doctor left.
“We can put him downstairs. It’s accessible with a wheelchair and has the exercise equipment and hot tub,” Viper stated.
“I’ll call Donna as soon as he’s out of the rehab center,” Winter said.
Cash was loved by this group of people who he had made his family.
Lily and Beth both came to stand by her side after the others had left.
“Don’t you ever do that to me again.” Lily’s tearful voice brought a sheen to her own eyes. “You could have at least called me.”
“I’m sorry, Lily.”
Lily’s bright smile appeared, and Rachel was grabbed in a tight hug before she was released and grabbed by Beth.
“Rachel, I understand how you felt. Do you remember how Georgia called me names on Christmas Eve? The men were the ones who made fools of themselves; no one thought badly of you.” Lily’s words struck home.
“I was just so embarrassed. Then I was angry and wanted to get away.”
“I know how you feel. Sometimes, you need to take a step back and let yourself heal before you can face things,” Lily said, squeezing her hand. “Next time, please don’t go off without telling anyone where you are, though.”
“I won’t,” Rachel promised.
“How are the babies?” she asked Beth, changing the subject.
“Growing big.” Beth laughed, showing her pictures on her phone. The twin boys looked just like their father. The chubby babies were both wearing baby Harley t-shirts in the picture.
“Let’s go get some lunch in the cafeteria before you come back,” Beth said, sliding her arm through hers. Lily slid her arm through the other as they made their way through the hospital.
They sat and talked for over an hour, and it was the most normal she had felt since the party. Then Rachel returned to Cash’s room.
She had grown used to the nurses’ curious stares, but Shade had gotten the doctor’s permission for her to stay in the room with him.
Two days later, the prognosis was looking even grimmer.
Cash was free of the coma-inducing drugs, but he had yet to wake. Their efforts to wean him from the ventilator had led to two serious crises that Rachel had been afraid he wouldn’t pull out of. The latest attempt had been the worst.
The doctor straightened, tired and worn after stabilizing Cash. “You should call his friends and grandmother in to see him. He won’t survive if he crashes again.”
Rachel could only nod as the doctor and nurses left. She walked closer to his bed, looking down at the man she had loved most of her life, and knew she was going to lose him.
Deep in her heart, she knew why her powers hadn’t worked. Lying in this bed for this last week, he had been hers. This was the only way she would ever have Cash—when he was unable to physically leave her. It was sick and twisted, but she had lied to herself each day. If she wasn’t honest with herself, she was going to lose him forever.
Rachel shut the door and pulled the curtain across the glass to the observation room before going back beside his bed. Ever since the doctor had told her Cash was no longer in a coma, she had felt his consciousness stirring.
She drew her focus into her hands the way she had been taught by her grandmother. Her gift would be at its full strength since she deliberately hadn’t used it, unconsciously building it for this moment.
Relaxing, she touched Cash, letting her mind forget the last time she had seen him, going back to when she was a young girl and had come across him in the woods.
He had been having a picnic with one of the cheerleaders from school, and they had been lying on the blanket sleeping. His hair had glinted in the early morning sun, and she had thought he looked like a male angel. She had stared at him several minutes then run off when he woke, staring at her. They had never mentioned the incident, both pretending it had never happened.
She touched his shoulders, running her hands down his arms. Moving to his feet, she ran her hands up his legs then touched his waist and chest. Sh
e let her energy flow from her fingertips into his body. Gracefully, she slid her hand under his neck and carefully glided her hand under his back, letting her hand rest for several minutes where he was injured the worst before coming to a rest on his lungs.
Praying for her grandmother’s and mother’s help, she gave what she could, infusing healthy energy into the damaged organs. She made herself stop briefly only because she was covered in sweat and trembling, feeling like she was going to throw up. She took a seat, making herself drink several glasses of water while she regrouped.
She had never worked on anyone this injured, heeding her grandmother’s warning that the energy required to heal someone of a critical injury could only come from one source. Rachel prayed for His help as she once again went to Cash, this time placing her fingertips against his temple.
* * *
Cash lay in the darkness, comfortable in the warmth surrounding him. He had tried to get to his feet in the darkness, but every time he tried, the agony overwhelmed him. The darkness wasn’t so bad, though; it was a hell of a lot better than the pain.
Somewhere in the void, Cash heard her voice first. She was calling his name.
“Rachel?”
“Cash!” He felt her take his hand in hers.
“What are you doing here? Where am I?”
She didn’t answer him, beginning to pull his hands, wanting him to get to his feet.