“But it wasn’t, Rave.” Colt tried to assure her. “She’s fine. And Jet is going to go get her tonight. Right?” He practically growled at me.
I didn’t hesitate, hating the broken sounds coming from my sister just as much as he did. “Right. I’ll bring her home, Raven. I swear.”
Even if I had to throw her over my shoulder and tie her to my bike, I’d fucking bring her home.
Chapter Two
Emmie
My head was pounding. A mixture of no sleep, stress that would have killed a normal human being by now, and alternating between trying not to cry and being pissed at myself—and the world—was causing my head to ache in a way it never had before. I was glad for the constant distraction of my phone, though. It kept me going, kept my mind off of what was waiting for me back on my tour bus—for the most part at least.
I was such a fucking coward. Hiding behind taking care of all the shit that needed my attention at the hospital when I should have been holding onto Mia was definitely the coward’s way out. I didn’t have to be here. Gabriella wasn’t my client, she was Annabelle Cassidy’s, and Annabelle more than knew what the hell she was doing. But the chick I’d dubbed the Troll Bitch, the woman whom I’d hated almost from the moment I’d met her, had risked her life saving the life of my child. I owed her so much more than just taking care of the police and Feds, not to mention the hordes of paps and fans that were trying to get into the hospital.
If Gabriella opened her eyes tomorrow and asked me to take her place, I would. I would willingly give up my life for her now. How did a parent repay someone for saving their baby? I’d hand over every cent that was in my bank account. Dedicate my life to waiting on her hand and foot. Fuck, I’d drop to my knees and kiss her feet if she wanted me to.
I seriously hoped she didn’t, but I’d do it if that was what she wanted.
For now, though, all I wanted was for Gabriella to open her eyes. For her to live so I could tell her ‘thank you’.
The waiting room was crowded. Most of OtherWorld’s members were there to support Liam as we waited for the doctors to give us an update. So far she was stable, but still in critical condition. Drake and Shane had arrived over an hour ago but I’d been so busy I hadn’t had to deal with them. It wasn’t that I was ignoring them…
Yeah, okay. So I was ignoring them. I knew why they were there and it had nothing to do with Gabriella Moreitti. I’d seen the worry in my two surrogate brothers’ blue-gray eyes. They were there for me, and I knew that the second they were able to say so much as one word to me I’d lose what little hold I still had on my emotions.
I didn’t recognize the woman I was right at that moment. I was running scared, terrified of facing my child—my child who needed me so damn much—because I had failed her. I had always known I wasn’t the best mother, and this nightmare only reinforced that for me. This was all my fault. I’d let this happen.
All she’d wanted was to watch her father sing her favorite song. That was all. One. Little. Fucking. Song. And I’d made her go to bed before leaving to deal with all the crap I had to deal with at every concert Demon’s Wings performed at. I knew how stubborn my child was. Mia was so much like me in every way, that I should have anticipated her sneaking off the bus.
What I hadn’t been expecting was the crazy bitch to destroy Shane’s bus again. I’d thought it had been a one-time thing at the beginning of the summer tour. I’d upped security just to be on the cautious side, but I’d honestly thought it wouldn’t happen again. Then it had, and the same psychotic bitch had tried to take my baby from me. I was racking my brain, trying to figure out who would have a vendetta against not just Harper for marrying Shane…but me as well.
The truth was, it could have been any number of chicks. Before Harper had come along, Shane had screwed anything with a pussy. I was the one who had to get rid of his cast offs, so I could understand why they would hate me. I had never been gentle about getting rid of the clingers, either. I’d never been gentle, period, especially when it came to getting rid of the skanks that my guys had attracted.
Whoever it was doing this to Shane and Harper was making it loud and clear that she had a vendetta against me too. I didn’t care who the bitch was, or even if she was mentally challenged. As soon as I found her I was going to kill her with my bare hands.
Sighing, I blew a few strands of limp, auburn hair out of my face and turned to go back into the waiting room. I hadn’t slept in days. My entire body ached from the stress that kept my shoulders tense. I’d barely eaten and my stomach was making its discomfort felt, but I ignored it as I opened the door. I needed to talk to Annabelle about the latest news from the Feds and…
I knew he was in the room as soon as I stepped through the door. Even after all this time, I could still feel whenever Nik was in the same room. My stomach knotted up and I tried not to meet my husband’s gaze, but it was like he had me under a spell and I found myself trapped with his ice-blue gaze. Tears burned the backs of my eyes and my throat clogged with a lump that practically cut off my ability to breathe.
He hates me. I know he hates me. I hate me, so he must hate me too.
My flight instinct took hold and I started to turn from the doorway. A million things still needed my attention. I would just go deal with them. I would…
Strong hands caught me around the waist and he forced me to face him. I looked up into his eyes. Seeing the tears and torment of those ice-blue eyes that I loved so much only intensified my own pain. “Emmie,” he got out in a raspy voice. “It’s okay, Em. She’s okay.”
I knew he was trying to reassure me, but nothing could have done that right then. “Wh-why are you here?” I demanded, trying to be angry with him. But I couldn’t. This wasn’t his fault. It was mine. All mine. “You should be with Mia and Jagger. They need you.”
“Layla and Felicity are watching over them and I have the bus surrounded with Seller’s men. You’re the one who needs me right now, Em.”
I shook my head. I didn’t need anyone right then. Didn’t he understand that everything I touched I hurt? That no matter how much I tried, I always ended up ruining everything? Why couldn’t he understand that? It was only a matter of time before I destroyed him and our children.
His hands moved to my arms and Nik shook me gently. “Yes, you do. It’s okay. I swear to you, it’s okay.”
The sob I’d been holding back from the moment I’d found Mia bubbled up and finally escaped. “No,” I cried. “It’s not fucking okay. We nearly lost her and it’s all my fault, Nik. S-she only wanted to watch you. If I’d given in, if I’d let her come with us, then none of this would have happened. Our baby would have been safe with us and some twisted bitch wouldn’t have tried to take her from me.”
His arms wrapped around me again, making me feel the one thing I hadn’t felt in days now. Safe. I was safe here in his arms. Nothing could hurt me as long as Nik
held on to me like this. I didn’t deserve to feel this kind of sweet bliss, not when I’d nearly gotten our baby kidnapped.
Nik’s hand cupped the back of my head when I would have pulled away, cradling me against his chest and I couldn’t contain the sobs as they came faster and harder. “It wasn’t your fault, Em. None of this is your fault, baby girl.”