“Turn off the light,” Ryat orders, and then I hear the click of the switch, and I open my eyes slowly to a softer lit room with the main light now off. “Better?” he asks, his hand picking up mine and gently squeezing it.
I nod. “Yeah.”
The door opens, and Abbot enters with a nurse behind him. “Good evening, Blakely. How do you feel?”
I groan. She’s way too chipper with her big smile, bleach-blond hair pulled up into a cute twist, and brown eyes that I notice quickly scan my husband before coming back to mine.
“She said she’s got a headache.” Ryat answers when he realizes I’m going to ignore her.
“I can give you some pain meds.” She nods enthusiastically. And then looks at him again. “I’ll be right back with those.”
Leaving us, I close my heavy eyes. “What happened?”
“You were attacked,” Abbot answers.
Ryat squeezes my hand again. “Do you not remember?”
“No,” I answer, opening my eyes and looking at him.
He looks exhausted. His pretty green eyes aren’t as bright as I remember. There’s stubble on his jaw, and I know he hasn’t washed his hair since he has a hat on.
“How long have I been here?” I ask, licking my chapped lips.
“Three days,” my father answers.
“Here, I got you some of these when I chased down the nurse.” Abbot shoves a cup of ice into Ryat’s free hand.
He lets go of mine with his other hand and spoon-feeds me a few ice chips. I just let them melt in my mouth, wanting the water more than chewing ice. I’m so thirsty. After I swallow, I slide my tongue along my upper and lower teeth, making sure they’re all there. I feel a little better when they are.
“Want some more?” Ryat asks, and I nod.
The nurse returns with a syringe and that stupid fucking smile on her face. “This will make you drowsy. Probably be in and out—”
“No,” I say, interrupting her. I’ve already been out for three days? That’s too long. “I don’t want …”
“It’s okay, Blake,” Ryat tells me and then looks up at her, nodding. His eyes return to mine. “We’ll be right here when you wake up.” Leaning down, he gives me a soft kiss on my knuckles as my eyes grow heavy.
CHAPTER FIFTY
RYAT
IEXIT HER room and walk down the hallway. I need a fucking energy drink. Hell, I need them to hook me up to an IV of straight caffeine. It’s like when she ran all over again, but this time, I know she’s right in front of me, not missing.
She could have been, though. Matt could have easily taken her. And I’m more confused as to why he didn’t. I mean, thank God that’s not the case, but why? What the fuck is he doing?
Is this his way of playing with his food before he eats it?
A way to draw out his torture. I murdered his only two allies, and he just left her when he had the opportunity to take her and make her pay for my sins.
Coming up to a vending machine, I stick in a five-dollar bill and press on the energy drink that I know isn’t going to do shit for me.
I’m not sure what the fuck he’s up to, but it’s not sitting right with me. Nothing about her being in a hospital bed is.
“Come on.” I slap the side of the machine when I see it hasn’t given me my drink. “Son of a bitch!” I kick it.
“I gave it a twenty earlier and got nothing for it.”
I look over at Ty standing beside me and sigh heavily. “What are you doing here?” He promised me he would watch her. I was the one who failed her by expecting anyone else to keep her safe.
He tucks his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and rocks back on his heels, dropping his head. “I can’t leave, knowing you’re still here.”
I roll my eyes and go to walk away. Fuck the five dollars, but his words stop me.
“You were here with me …” Pulling his hand from his pocket, he runs it through his unruly hair, and my eyes drop to his shirt, realizing he’s still dressed in the same one he was wearing when he brought my wife in. I know this because it still has her blood on it. I haven’t left this place, but thankfully, Gunner brought me some new clothes. “I just didn’t think you should be alone in case …” He stops himself.
My hands fist. “In case she dies?” I finish it for him. I’m being dramatic. I’ve spoken to Gavin, and he said that everything looked good as far as no serious injuries. No hemorrhaging. She does have a broken nose and some cuts and bruises, but it’s still the fact that it could have been so much worse.
His shoulders drop. “I didn’t know …”
“What, Ty?” I raise my voice. “That Matt was there? Because he knew she was there.” We’d been staying there all week. Not like it would have been hard for him to find out. I let her dance with Sarah the night before, wanting her to have some fun. I should have just run with her.
“It’s not your fault,” he says softly, and I give a rough laugh.
“Thanks for the opinion that I didn’t ask for.” I turn, giving him my back.
“The Lords are only out for themselves, Ryat,” he calls out.
Stopping again, I grind my teeth and turn to face him, but say nothing.
“You want to save her?” He walks over to me. “The only way to do that is to let her go because even if you were to die tomorrow, they would own her.” My spine stiffens at his words. “Her father won’t be able to save her. Your father won’t be able to save her. They take prisoners, Ryat.”
I glare at him, “Then why are you still a member, Ty?” Arching a brow, I continue, “Just betray your oath, and they’ll make that decision for you.”
He smirks, his left hand coming up to rest on my shoulder. “Why do you think I chose the hell I did?” With that, he slaps my shoulder twice and then walks off.
I stare at the energy drink I never got but paid for, and my teeth clench. He was talking about Blackout. The Lords set him up with that club. Purchased the land, built the building, and then handed it all over to him—free and clear. Now it makes me wonder what he has to do to keep it.
Shaking my head, I tell myself not to fucking care about his problems. I did once. I even sat here in the waiting room with him, but I know how that ended. Much worse than my experience here.
I know Blakely will come home, and I know that I won’t let her go. I’ve seen the worst of the Lords, but I’ve also seen how they take care of their members—like fucking royalty.
I’ll do what needs to be done and make sure that Blakely and our future kids are very well taken care of and able to hide if something were to happen to me. That’s the best I can do for them.
Walking back over to the machine, I lean over, placing my forehead on the cold glass and sigh heavily. “Fuck it!” Then I stand, reach up and grip the back of my shirt. I yank it up and over my head, knocking my hat to the floor in the process.
“Oh my God.” Blake’s nurse from earlier walks by. “What…what are you doing, Mr. Archer?” she asks, flustered. Her eyes drop to the way my abs flex from my heavy breathing.
Ignoring her, I wrap my shirt around my right hand, make a fist, and slam it into the glass.
She squeals, jumping back. “Ryat!”
Pulling my arm out through the glass, she watches me wide-eyed as I unwrap the shirt from my fist, shake the remaining glass out and then pull it back on, along with my hat.
Reaching back in, I grab two energy drinks.
“Your hand.” She steps toward me. “You’re bleeding.”
I have blood running down my arm from where the glass cut me once I broke through. No biggie.
“You need stitches …”
“I’m fine,” I tell her. I’ve fucked myself up more in a fight.
“But …” She reaches out, grabbing me. “You may have glass in it.”
“Then I’ll get it out.” I yank my hand back from her. “Go do what you’re being fucking paid to do and help the ones who want it.”
She gasps like what I said offended her, which I did no such thing. It’s literally her job. Leaving her standing there with her mouth wide open, I make my way down the hallway to the waiting room to see Ty still here.
I sigh and plop down next to him, and without saying a word, I pass him one of the drinks I took from the crooked machine.
He chuckles but reaches out and takes it. It’s as close to an apology as he’s going to get. My wife is the only person who will ever hear sorry from me. But I do understand it wasn’t his fault. It was mine. And when she finally gets to go home, I’ll allow myself the chance to come up with an idea on how I’m going to kill Matt for laying his hands on her.
“I had Sarah drive us here in my car,” he speaks. “That way you can look at Blakely’s where it sits. See if he left anything behind.”
I swallow, knowing that I’m not going to like what I see on the inside after what he did to her. But he’s right, I need to look and see if he left any clues to find him before he has the chance to touch her again. “Thanks.”
BLAKELY
“RYAT,” I GROWL.“I can do it.”
“I know you can, Blake,” he lies. If he thought I could, then he’d actually let me.
Shoving his arm away from me, I give up when he doesn’t budge and allow him to help me walk back to the bed. I have a broken nose, not a broken leg.
Getting up and into it, I sigh. “When can I leave?” I ask him. I feel like five days—I was out the first three—is a long time for a busted-up face. They keep sending me for all these tests that come back fine every time.
“They said sometime tomorrow.”
“Why not today? I’m fine,” I say, pushing my split bottom lip out, hoping that will get me some sympathy.
It doesn’t.