COLE POV
Iwas going to get even. No fucking doubt about it. There was no way that I would just sit around and let that nasty piece of shit think he was going to get away with what he did to me. Not a chance in hell. Thinking about him being so God damn brazen made me furious.
“You need to calm down a little bit, Cole,” the nurse said with a laugh as she loosened the blood pressure cuff on my arm, “or we won’t ever be able to let you out of here. It’s been two days already. Do you really want to stay longer?”
I couldn’t calm down, though. I was just so angry, and the more I thought about it, the angrier I became. How dare he? And now he had me out of the picture, just where he wanted me, locked away in this stupid hospital room while he could get away with whatever he wanted. If I found out he even breathed near Miranda while I was in here, he was dead.
“Yeah, I’m trying.” I tried to laugh, but the sound came out much too strangled to really be believed. No wonder she was giving me a strange look. “It’s just hard, that’s all.”
“I know for a man like you, who’s always busy and in the middle of something, it has to be a challenge, but I really do need you to cool down a little or this isn’t going to work out. Until your blood pressure is settled, they won’t let you go home and you’ll have to spend another night in here. Not that I think the nurses mind…” She winked, but the compliment didn’t land. Normally, I would have loved hearing something like that, it would have lifted my spirits, but that wasn’t the case here. I had absolutely no interest in flirting with anyone. I just wanted to be home with her.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Miranda, about the way the world shifted the moment I spotted her sitting alone in the bar. There was a protectiveness and a possessiveness inside me that I couldn’t control. I immediately knew that she was mine.
And now, at the worst point in her life, I was trapped here away from her.
Ivan hadn’t told me much, but I could see the light fading in his eyes when it came to Miranda’s fears and her need to run away. She was independent, she was strong, and she would give everything to keep her son safe. If that meant running out of Twin Lakes, then she would. That was the hardest thing about being here, knowing there was nothing I could do to stop her.
“Close your eyes,” the nurse suggested. “Think of something, or someone, that keeps you calm and happy. Then let me try this blood pressure again.”
There was no way this would work, not with so much red-hot anger surging through my veins. But as I took her advice and let Miranda’s face fill my mind, the tension in my muscles did melt away a little. Her smile, the softness surrounding her, the hungry wolf brimming within her…all of it made her that much more thrilling to be around.
But it wasn’t just Miranda. I couldn’t stop thinking about Timothy as well, that sweet wide-eyed boy who didn’t have any of the devil within him, which was amazing considering who his biological father was. He needed stability, calm, a decent life. I knew Miranda didn’t want him to leave this town because he had friends here and seemed happy, but none of that would last with Brady around. He wouldn’t let anyone be happy.
“Good!”
My eyes popped open when I heard the nurse’s pleased tone.
“That’s much better. I think I can take this to the doctor and get you discharged.”
“I can go now?” I almost jumped up with excitement. Freedom at last, thank God.
“No, no. Not yet. The doctor has to sign off, but it won’t take long.”
I sunk back on the bed and watched as the nurse left the room, snatching my freedom away with her. It was good that I could go, but I wanted to go right now. I glanced down at my sling and sighed. I was down but I wasn’t out, and at least I would be able to fight. I wasn’t letting Brady take that away from me. Fuck that guy!
I rested my head on the pillow, knowing things took a long time in the hospital, even if the staff said they wouldn’t. Time seemed to move differently within these buildings. That was just the way it worked. For now, all I needed to do was rest and continue thinking about Miranda because that made me happy.
So happy that I knew I wanted to keep her here in Twin Lakes with me. With Ivan as well. There was absolutely no reason we shouldn’t be together when it felt as amazing as the other night. This was a town full of shifters, and no one would bat an eye at our relationship. If Miranda found the strength to stay, there was nothing keeping us apart. No reason we couldn’t explore what we shared earlier.
I was going to get rid of Brady one way or another.
* * *
I blinkeda few times against the bright white light as I woke up again. I didn’t mean to fall asleep, I just thought I would rest while the discharge paperwork got sorted out, but I guess I drifted off.
As I stretched my one free arm up high and let out a giant yawn, I sensed a new presence in the room, one that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge. But in a good way.
“Miranda, you’re here.” I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. “I didn’t know you were still here. I had the horrible feeling you were gone.”
Her lips twisted down in to a frown. I didn’t like the way her eyebrows knotted together like she had something heavy to tell me. My blood iced over and my heart damn near stopped beating because I wasn’t sure I could handle this. If she was about to give me the worst news possible, I didn’t think I would be able to hold it together.
“I did think about it,” she finally admitted. “Because I hate putting other people in danger. I hate the fact that Brady is coming after me and taking down people like you along the way. It’s really hard for me; it makes me feel sick.”
“But we want to help you,” I jumped in. “We wouldn’t do it if we didn’t want to. We hate the fact that someone is putting yours and Timothy’s life in danger.”
“I know, I know. Trust me, I have already heard all of this from Ivan. He won’t let me hear the end of it. Even when I try to make him see things from my point of view.”
Good, I was glad Ivan hadn’t allowed her to slip through our fingers while I was stuck here. That might have been the final straw. Things might have been running a little smoother with us recently, but I wasn’t about to completely let my walls down with him until I knew we were on the same page. Just in case.