Embracing Everly (20 page)

“What shit? You’re scaring me.” My back was pressed flush against the door in fear, and my fingers clawing the wood.

“The girls, the drugs, that’s how I make money. I’m a dealer. How do you think I got the asshole you dated before me out of the picture.” He snapped his fingers. “It was that easy. I couldn’t tell you since your precious daddy is a fucking NARC, so I hid it. As for the girls, well, most of the ones I’ve been with aren’t here anymore. The few that are were just one-night stands that didn’t mean shit to me. But the ones that did. The ones that told me they loved me and then screwed me over aren’t here.” His eyes were big and had a look in them like a crazed man. I was so afraid of what he was saying; so afraid of whatever it was he was planning on doing to me.

Frantically, I searched for anything I could use to stop whatever he had planned for me. I knew Billy was somewhere, and even though I barely knew him, I couldn’t imagine he was okay with this. “Billy, help me,” I screamed, banging on the door, praying he came to his senses and rescued me. I knew it was a stupid thought since he was the one who left me with a lunatic, but right now I was grabbing at straws.

Charlie moved his head slowly. “No one here, baby, but you and me. Boys are all at a fundraising gig with another charter for the weekend. Scream as loud as you want.”

I pushed my back against the door again feeling a sharp prick go through my shirt. My hand slipped into my back pocket finding one of the pencils I had been writing with earlier. I didn’t know if I had it in me, but I needed to try. It was all I had, and my dad always told me to use anything I could to my advantage. “Charlie, I’m sorry I hurt you. We could try again.” It was a long shot, but I was pretty much willing to say anything to avoid him hurting me.

“You think I want you now? After he’s been inside of you? Inside of what was mine,” he screamed, spit flung from his mouth like a Doberman frothing ready to fight. My mind was reeling. I had never seen this side of him.
I’m going to die.
I’m going to die and never see Mick again to tell him that I love him. I’ll never see my dad again or make my dreams come true.

“Are you on something? Please don’t do this, Charlie.”

“I’m about to introduce you to what I’m on, babe, and you are going to love it.” He stalked slowly toward me with a mean, devilish grin on his face, but he swerved every few steps he took.

I gripped the pencil tightly in my hand, waiting for him to come close enough, knowing I only had a split second to beat him from poking me with whatever the hell he had in that needle. The only thing I had going for me was his reflexes seemed off balance from whatever it was he was on, and I prayed it gave me the edge to win.

Charlie inched closer, staring more at the needle in his hand than at me. I dragged my hand to my side, tucking the pencil against my shorts. “Only me, Ev. No one else can have you,” he slurred. I had only a second before I was cast under the same crazed spell the drug had him under. I didn’t have time to think what could work to my advantage. My body moved on its own accord. Fight or flight screamed at me. Since I couldn’t flee, I had to fight.

My hand punched out with all its force; the pencil driving directly into his abdomen. I heard the sickening noise it made as it entered his flesh, the gasp of surprise that bellowed from his throat, the bile that rose in my own. I pushed him down, kicking him as hard as I could in the groin before trying the door again. Locked.

Shit!

He was curled up on the ground, screaming, his eyes bugging out like he couldn’t believe what just happened. I wasn’t sure if it had been the drugs that kept him down or my kick. I ran quickly to his window and lifted it up. I didn’t hesitate even knowing it was two floors from the ground. It wasn’t high enough to kill me, but I knew I’d get hurt. With one foot on the sill, the other dangling, I spared one painful glance toward him debating. His arm reached out to me, his voice shouting my name in pain as he crawled on the floor toward me with my pencil sticking out of his gut.

Closing my eyes, I leaped from his window. A scream ripped from my throat as I jumped to safety. My arm snapped the minute I landed on the grass with a loud thud. Lying there I couldn’t move at first feeling like the wind got knocked out of me. I couldn’t breathe. I got to my knees, slowly pulling myself up from the moist ground. I crawled a few steps hearing voices coming toward me. I fell back down, exhausted, hurt maybe more than I originally thought. The stars swam in circles above me knowing he was coming for me. Everything grew fuzzier, darker. Until my eyes quit, and I lost myself to the darkness, knowing the voice I heard coming closer seemed eerily familiar.

I WAS DONE.

Done with her and done with this job. She never even came home. Talk about shoving it in one’s face. I couldn’t believe I put so much faith so quickly in someone so heartless to not even come home. My stomach was sick knowing she could be and most likely was with him. I could barely remember how I let myself get this far. It was just supposed to be one kiss all those weeks ago. A simple kiss in that damn cop car that led to this jealous rage that seemed to be consuming every part of my body, as I paced the apartment not knowing my head from my ass. The kicker was my caring too much seemed to be what had pushed her away. But, then again, I knew it was my fault, I shoved her away and into someone else’s arms. I gave up first.

The one thing I had strived for since I left Boston was shattered in a matter of weeks. I had turned any love I had for my family off the minute they chose their life over me. My dad was nothing but a damn criminal, and my mom supported his lying ass the whole time as long as she was able to shop and vacation on a whim. I had no problem with doing your own thing since I was not the most law-abiding citizen out there, but not the shit he approved of. The drugs, the religious hate he had for Protestants, the things he voted on that killed innocent people on Irish and State soil. I wanted no part of it. I never got the religious persecution. If you believed in a God, which I didn’t, who the hell was I to question which one you prayed to in order to provide yourself the necessary comfort to keep you going.

The last person I wanted to hear from had been ringing my cell through the fucking wee hours of the night. I had refused to answer knowing I’d tell him everything, but now I had nothing keeping me back. She was gone. Maybe it was all in my head, but my heart ached like it never had before, and since I had nothing left to lose, I gave in. “What the fuck do you want?” I answered buzzed and still pissed I ever landed this assignment.

“Mick, I need you to get to the hospital downtown. I’m on my way,” he spoke to me in a somber but hurried voice. With his words, I almost collapsed to the floor.

My heart plummeted. “What?” I asked quietly, numbness setting in knowing something had happened to her. I’d never forgive myself if someone hurt her, while I was babying a broken heart over a bottle of booze and not doing my job.

“I don’t know the details. She rattled off Thomas’s number. They called me per his orders if Everly ever reached out looking for him through his office. The hospital called saying she was admitted for a broken arm and such. I need you to find out what the hell happened, and stay with her Irish, until I get there. I have a flight in one hour. I’ll be there in under three.”

I barely heard the last words, my heart pounded in my chest so loudly, running to my truck as fast as my feet would move to get to her. “I’m coming, baby,” I mumbled all the way until I got to the Medical Center she had been taken to.

Flying, breaking every speed limit to reach the Emergency entrance, I finally felt like I could breathe knowing she was close, knowing she’d be in my arms in a matter of minutes. I slammed my truck into park and ran for the sliding glass doors. “Everly Moore,” I panted, drained and worried in need to get to her.

“Are you a family member?”

“No, but…”

“I’m sorry, sir,” she spoke softly, shaking her head. “Family only.”

“You don’t understand. She doesn’t have anybody but me. Her dad is gone, and her mom is dead. I’m the only one.”

“Sir, I am sorry, but hospital rules forbid me from allowing you to see her.”

“Fuck!” I screamed; my hands were grabbing at my hair wanting to cause pain to myself. I should’ve lied and said she was my wife or fiancée—something to get back there. Anything to see her.

A loud gasp came from a woman seated a few spots away. “What? What the fuck is your problem?”

Her mouth dropped open as she picked her crap up and moved to the rear of the waiting room.

With no other choice, I took a seat and waited. The ticking of the clock was enough to make me want to shoot myself. Every minute that slipped by was her thinking I wasn’t there for her. That perhaps I didn’t love her enough to come. And it was entirely my fault. I didn’t trust her. I didn’t follow her when I should have. I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain and loved her too much to stay, worrying about my own damn heart.

Only one nurse remained at her station with the partition drawn over. The doors were closed, but I waited for them to open as I hid, standing behind them. It was my only choice. I had to see her. It had been hours, and I needed to make sure she knew how I felt. I needed to see for myself that she was all right. In the back of my mind, I knew I had orders to find out what had happened to her and I intended to, but I needed one kiss, one glance at her before I could move forward.

Just as the doors started to part and my time to make my move, I felt a hand grip my shoulder.

“Fuck,” Dawson muttered after taking one look at me. I knew I had to look like a crazed maniac unable to get to her, to hold her. “I told you to stay away from her, Irish.”

“Dawson, you need to get me behind those doors to see her. I swear on my life it’s not what you think, and I’ll explain every fucking thing once I see her.” He shook his head and marched to the front desk.

The bitch that wouldn’t let me in smiled up when she saw him approach. “May I help you?”

“Yes, I’m here for Everly Moore.”

“Are you family?”

“I am. She’s my goddaughter. Her father has been detained, and her mother has passed away. He sent me to make sure she was okay.”

“One second,” she paused. “Name?” I felt like I was on drugs. My legs wouldn’t stop moving. My hands kept shaking like I was looking for my next fix.

Dawson peered over his shoulder and glared at me before swinging his attention back to the lady. “Dawson Hayes.”

We both waited for her to look back up and say something. “Room 315, Mr. Hayes. Go through the doors, and the elevator is on the right.”

“Thank you, honey.” He winked and then turned to me. “Go fucking sit down and I’ll be back.”

“Take me with you,” I shouted.

Dawson strode over until he was nose to nose with me. “I need to talk to her alone. If she wants to see you, I’ll come get your stupid ass.” He shoved me back until I hit the wall. I slumped to the ground watching Dawson go through the very doors that led to her.

The uptight lady behind the counter watched every move with a massive look of disapproval as she pretended to work.

I couldn’t lose her now. What if she gave up? What if she told Dawson what a dick I was before she got hurt? What if she blamed me for whatever happened to her? Either way I wasn’t winning. Everything was in Everly’s hands at this point.

Another full hour had gone by, and Dawson still hadn’t come down to get me. I was on my last straw, ready to break the doors down to find her. If it meant jail time, I didn’t give a shit. I needed to see with my own eyes that she was okay. I needed to apologize. I needed to do so many things that I couldn’t figure out where to even begin.

Dawson walked out the doors a few moments later, scanning the room until his glare landed on me. The look on his face told me everything I needed to know, but I waited in case my instincts were off. “Is she really okay?” I swallowed back the tears I refused to shed in front of another man.

“Yeah, it was that dick Charlie. I thought you said he was no threat? She told me everything.”

“Charlie? Are you fucking kidding me? That asshole is the one who did this? I didn’t think he had it in him.” I couldn’t believe I never thought of him. I didn’t think his threats were anything more than a jealous ex who had a bark bigger than his bite. If anything I thought he’d come after me. Damn it!

I shoved past him, ready to beeline my way through security when his hand gripped my wrist preventing me from moving. “She doesn’t want to see you, Irish. I think you did enough. Go home and shower and brush your teeth, you smell like a fucking brewery.”

I stood there, rattled in shock for several minutes as his grip kept me locked in place. “She doesn’t want to see me? Why? Did she say?” At this point, I’d take anything he’d tell me.

“She’s kind of banged up. Broken arm and toes, some bruised ribs and a whole lot of black and blue from the fall. She told me about you, and she doesn’t blame you, kid, she just needs some time. They’re releasing her sometime tomorrow. I’m taking her back to her place and staying with her until she kicks my old ass out.” His hands gripped both my shoulders firmly in his. “I got this. You can head back down to Florida; job’s over. Fuzz should have something new for you to work on.”