“Why was she alone?” I ask.
“You weren’t fucking here!”
“So what?” I scream back. “You’re here! You’re all here! She’s as safe with you as she was with me!”
“She wouldn’t allow it,” Pop inserts with a sigh. “She said she could take care of her and the girls on her own, she’d been doing it for years, and she wouldn’t let us move her in with us or stay with her.”
I’m pacing around the driveway, not believing my ears.
“You have got to be kidding me.”
“You messed her up, man,” Isaac says. “She’s been a mess. The girls cry a lot.”
Direct hit, right to the gut.
“I left because I thought it was the right thing to do.”
“You left,” Matt says, “because you’re a fucking pussy.”
“Where are they?”
None of them will answer me, and it tears me apart that they don’t trust me. That they think that I’ll hurt Brynna and the babies.
“Where are they?” I repeat. “Dad, I love them. That’s why I’m here.”
Pop sighs and rubs his eyes with his hands.
“They’re at Harborview.”
Without answering, I jump in my car and peel out of my parents’ driveway.
My girls are hurt!
I race down to Harborview, not paying attention to the posted speed limits or traffic laws, find parking and run inside.
“Brynna Vincent,” I bark at the woman behind the registration desk. “I need to find her.”
“One moment,” she murmurs and types on her keyboard. “Looks like she’s up on the fourth floor, Room 409.”
I bypass the elevator and climb the stairs, three at a time, until I reach the fourth floor. As I stomp past the waiting room, I hear, “Caleb!”
I stop dead in my tracks at the sound of that little voice.
“Hey, buttercup.” I fall to my knees as Maddie throws herself in my arms, crying and clinging to me. “Hey, are you okay?”
“I have stitches.” She pouts and leans back to show me her little hand wrapped in gauze.
I kiss it gently and offer her a smile. “Where is Josie?”
“Caleb!”
Josie jumps on my back, hugging me around the neck. “I had to pee!”
I tug her around and wrap my arms around both girls, breathing them in. Josie has a black eye, and Maddie’s lip is split.
I’m going to fucking kill whoever got their hands on Brynna’s brakes.
“Are you sure you’re both okay?” I ask with a rough voice. They nod, and Josie snuggles close to me.
“Where did you go?” she whispers.
“I had a job,” I respond and clench my eyes shut. “I’m home now.”
“Brynna won’t be happy to see you.”
I glance up to find Luke and Nat, Meg, Nate and Brynna’s parents watching me. Even Leo and Sam are here, along with Dominic.
Of course the whole family is here.
“I have to see her,” I respond and kiss the girls’ heads softly. “You stay here, okay? I’m gonna go see your mama.”
“She’s sleeping,” Maddie informs me with tears. “I wanna see her, too, but she keeps sleeping.”
“You’ll get to see her soon, sweetheart.”
“Jules and Will are with her now,” Sam calls to me with a sympathetic smile. “Welcome home.”
I wave and hurry to Bryn’s room and approach just as Jules and Will are coming out.
“Oh my God,” Jules mutters with wide eyes. “Who called you?”
“No one,” I scowl. Why didn’t anyone call me?
“She’s not your woman,” Will counters and crosses his arms over his chest, blocking my entrance to the room. “And you’re not going in there.”
“Yeah, I am.” My gaze bounces between my brother and sister. “I love her. More than anything. I know I fucked everything up, but I have to make it right. I have to see her to make sure she’s okay.”
“She’s okay,” Jules assures me. “But I don’t think you should go in there either, Caleb. She won’t want to see you.”
“For the few minutes she was lucid, she insisted we not call you,” Will tells me, and for the first time, what looks like sympathy moves across his face.
“So, here’s the thing.” I cross my arms, mirroring Will’s stance. “I’m going in there. You can both either move, or I can move you. It’s your choice.”
Jules rolls her eyes. “Fine, stubborn ass,” she mutters and stomps off toward the waiting room.
Will doesn’t move.
“Well?” I ask him.
“You’ve already hurt her enough.”
I stare at him for what feels like minutes. Finally, I sigh and drop my head. “I know.”
“She deserves to be treated with respect.”
“I know.” I nod and pace away in a circle, right here in the hallway of the hospital.
“She deserves to be loved unconditionally.”
“Look, I know I’m not good enough—”
“That’s not what I said, asshole,” Will interrupts. “You are exactly what she needs, but she needs you to love her and her girls. To stay, Caleb. So if you’re going to puss out and run again, I need to know now so I can throw you out of here on your sorry ass.”
“I’m never leaving her again. I promise you that.” I sigh again and prop my hands on my hips. “I’ve been seeing a shrink. Working my shit out. I’m here to get my girl back, Will.”
He watches me carefully, and then a slow smile spreads across his face.
“I’ll be in the waiting room.” He slaps my shoulder and pauses next to me. “And I’m warning you now, she won’t be happy to see you when she wakes up. You’ve got some work to do.”
I nod and push her door open, step inside and feel my stomach fall to my knees.
There are monitors beeping and wires running under her hospital gown. Her face is white and scratched. Her hair is matted with dried blood.
Her left arm is in a sling and on her right index finger is a clip with a red light on it that seems to monitor her oxygen.
She looks small and frail, and it brings me to my knees.
I lower myself into the chair at the side of her bed, lean over and grip her uninjured hand in my own, bring it to my lips, and kiss her knuckles. Her skin is soft, and I can smell her lavender and vanilla body wash.
I press her hand against my cheek and gaze into her face.
“Hey, Legs.” I clear my throat and glance up at the heart monitor, mesmerized by the blip blip blip of the machine. “I’m so sorry, baby.”
She doesn’t stir. I kiss her palm and lay my head on her stomach, and for the first time in as long as I can remember, I let tears come.
Please, baby, forgive me.
Chapter Twenty
~Brynna~
Everything hurts.
Everything.
I’m fighting against the weight of sleep. I want to wake up and see my babies. My eyes are so heavy, but I blink them open and then slam them shut against the light in the room.
It feels super bright, although I know it probably isn’t. My head is killing me.
My shoulder is on fire.
I try to move my head, but it just aches, and I feel myself moan in protest.
“Bryn?”
My eyes open again at the sound of his voice, and I stare at him in awe.
“Am I dreaming?” I ask, my voice unrecognizable.
He shakes his head and kisses my hand, then leans forward and kisses my forehead, making me moan again.
“Head hurts,” I whisper.
“I know, baby. I’ll call the nurse.”
When I look up at him again, I frown at the worry in his eyes. What’s wrong?
“Kids?” I whisper.
“They’re fine. Your parents took them home a little while ago, but they’ll come see you tomorrow.”
My mouth is dry, and now the room is starting to spin. I whimper.
&
nbsp; “Ms. Vincent, you’re awake.” A nurse bustles in and checks the monitors.
“Hurts,” I mutter softly.
“I’m going to give you some more medicine. You’ll sleep for a while.”
She pushes some buttons, and my veins feel warm, and sleep folds around me again.
“Love you,” I hear Caleb whisper, but I can’t make my mouth move as sleep claims me.
***
Someone is holding my hand. It’s probably Stacy or my mom. I wish I didn’t have to take so many meds that make me sleep so much.
My head has gone from a hard, pounding throb to just an ache. My shoulder is still screaming.
“Had a dream,” I whisper, keeping my eyes closed. It feels so much better when I just keep them closed.
Mom or Stacy gently brushes my hair off my forehead.
“I dreamed he was here,” I whisper and feel a tear fall. “Why do I keep dreaming about him? When is it going to stop?”
“I’m so sorry, baby.”
I open my eyes and gasp when I see Caleb sitting beside me, leaning his elbows on my bed. I cry out in pain at the abrupt movement, and he curses.
“Don’t move, Bryn.”
“What are you doing here?” And why did I just say that in front of you?
“You’re hurt,” he responds, as if that explains everything.
“You’re not supposed to be here.” My voice is gravel, and the dull ache in my head has returned to a pounding throb.
“Brynna, I didn’t know you were hurt until I got here. I was coming home for you, baby.”
I frown and stare at him. “Who said I wanted you?”
He clenches his eyes shut and kisses my hand, but I tug it out of his grasp.
“I don’t want you here, Caleb.”
“Look, Brynna.”
“Shut up,” I mutter and close my eyes, turning my head away from him, embarrassed and hurt and not ready or willing to trust him. “Go away.”
“Please,” he whispers.
“Go away!” I yell and wince as I wrench my shoulder with the movement and reduce myself to tears. “Just go.”
“I don’t want to leave you.”
“Get the hell out of here!”
“Mr. Montgomery, you need to leave,” the nurse insists as she comes into my room. “She’s in too much pain to be this upset.”
“Let me just sit with you,” he pleads, his voice rough with pain, but all I can do is cry and shake my head.
“Go,” I whisper around my tears.
“Please, Mr. Montgomery. Your family is still in the waiting room.”
“I want my mom,” I cry.
“I’ll send her in, sweetheart.” He stands and kisses my forehead. “I’m so sorry, baby.”
“Go,” I whisper again.
He leaves the room. I lie and cry in silence, trying not to jar my body too much, but unable to stop the flow of tears. Finally, after several long minutes, my mom pushes through the door and hurries to my side.
“I’m so sorry, sweet girl.” She kisses my cheek and gently strokes my hand. “He loves you, honey.”
“I don’t want him,” I whisper.
“Your tears say something different.”
“He left me, Mom.”
“I know. He’s just a stupid man, Brynna.”
I gingerly turn my head and look at my mom through swollen eyes.
“I can’t have him hurt my girls again, Mom,” I whisper.
“I know. Don’t worry about it now. Rest and get strong so you can go home and take care of your girls.”
“Are they really okay?” I ask her.
“They are fine. Nothing that time won’t heal.” She offers me a reassuring smile. “Your father just took them home to bed.”
“Good.” I sigh. “I’m thirsty.”
“I’ll get you some fresh water,” the nurse replies and hurries out of the room.
“Did they find him?” I ask my mom.
“Yes. He’s been arrested, and from what Matt said, he’s ratting out the others in Chicago.” She squeezes my hand, and I am reduced to tears once again. “You’re safe, darling girl.”
The nightmare is over.
***
“I don’t see any reason that you can’t go home this morning,” the doctor remarks the next morning as he looks in my eyes with a bright light. “You’ll just need to take it easy with that shoulder for about a week. It’s going to hurt. Take your pain meds.”
“I have small children,” I remind him. “I can’t be loopy.”
“You’ll need help with them,” he tells me sternly. “And I can give you meds that won’t make you too loopy. If you take them when you’re supposed to, you should stay ahead of the pain. But if you faint, get dizzy, or have any concerns at all, come back to the hospital right away.”
“Okay,” I agree. “Can you send my mom in?” I ask the nurse.
“Oh, she left last night.”
I frown at her and then look about the room for my phone. “I guess I’ll call her.”
“You sure are a lucky woman,” she remarks as she helps me get dressed.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“That handsome guy you threw out of here? He sent the family home and camped out right by your door all night.” She grins at me, and I just stare at her.
“He did what?”
“He insisted he wouldn’t leave you, so I took pity on him around midnight and got him a chair. He stayed put all night.”
“I suppose he’s still there?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
“I’m right here,” Caleb responds softly behind me. The nurse has just finished helping me dress, and I close my eyes, not quite ready to face him yet.
“Will you please call my mom and ask her to come get me and take me home?” I ask him quietly.
“No,” he responds. “I’m taking you home.”
“Caleb…”
“I have some things to say, Brynna. I’m not trying to upset you. You need a ride, and I need to talk, so there you have it.”
I turn to face him and have to pull in a sharp breath when I see him. His dark blond hair is a messy riot from his fingers combing through it over and over. He’s in a black T-shirt and faded blue jeans.
His eyes are shadowed, and his chin is stubbled.
He looks like shit.
He looks amazing.
I shrug like I don’t care either way and glance around the room. “Suit yourself.”
“What are you looking for, dear?” the nurse asks.
“My purse and…things.”
“Oh, you don’t have anything with you, honey.”
“Oh.” I frown and look down at my empty hands. It feels weird.
“Can I take her home now?” Caleb asks her.
“Yes, you’re good to go,” she responds with a smile. “Remember, take your meds when you’re supposed to and take it easy.”
“Thank you,” I murmur and follow Caleb out of the room, where a wheelchair is waiting for me. He helps me into the chair and pushes me slowly to the elevator and out to his car.
He gently takes my uninjured hand and helps me from the chair to the car, scowling when I wince. After I’m settled, he shuts my door and joins me in the car.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m sore,” I admit. “Tired.”
“Brynna, I’m so fucking sorry. For everything.”
I settle back against the seat and close my eyes. “Can we talk when we get to my house?” I ask. “I want to be able to see you when you answer my questions.”
“Sure,” he responds and reaches over to lay his hand on my thigh, but I pull it away. “Can I fix this, Bryn?” he asks with a whisper.
“I don’t know,” I reply.
We ride in silence to the house, and when we pull into the driveway, he goes through the motions again of helping me from the car and inside.
“Couch or bed?” he asks.
“Couch. I don’t have the energy to climb th
e stairs.”
“I’ll carry you.”
“Couch,” I repeat, ignoring his scowl. I lower myself into the corner of the sofa and adjust the pillows until I’m as comfortable as I can be.
Until I need to readjust everything in about four minutes.
“Sit on the ottoman,” I order him. I want to see him square-on when we’re talking. I need to see his face. His eyes.
He complies and leans forward, his elbows on his knees, and watches my face.
“I hate that you’re hurt,” he mutters.
“I’m not enjoying it myself,” I reply drily.
“I want to kill him,” he growls, and I can see that he means every single word.
“I understand he’s in jail,” I respond and watch him for a moment. “Where did you go?”
“You don’t know?” he asks with surprise.
“No. I wouldn’t let anyone talk about you around me.”
He flinches. “I was in San Diego on a training contract with the Navy.”
“SEALs,” I guess.
“Yeah.” He nods. “The contract is over now. I’m going back to work at the old job.”
“You hurt my kids,” I blurt, unable to keep it in anymore. “You hurt me, too, but the most important thing is that you hurt them, and they didn’t deserve that.”
“I know.” He sighs. “I’m so sorry I said the things I did. I didn’t mean any of it, I swear. I just didn’t know how to make you let me go. I got scared, Bryn.”
“Why?” I demand. “What is it about the three of us that’s so fucking scary to a Navy SEAL, Caleb?”
“I didn’t know how to handle the way I felt about you,” he begins and swallows. “How I feel.”
“And how is that?”
“I love you so much it hurts,” he responds, his eyes holding mine.
I will not cry!
“So you think you can come waltzing back in here and profess your love for me and that makes it all better?”
He swears under his breath and shakes his head.
“I’m here to apologize, first and foremost. I had a long talk with the girls last night before you kicked me out of your room and before your dad took them home.”
“You did?” I ask, surprised, and worried that he’s gotten their hopes up again.
“I apologized to them, and hugged them, and we got some things worked out.”