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Our fuckup—we didn’t follow up with Dutch to see if Charlie had made contact. A fuckup that nearly cost Nebraska’s father his life.
But that wasn’t the only reason she’d been in her head and not giving much away. Lincoln and Zane had found Anna in the basement. Not a hostage, the crazy woman was there to save Charlie. To say her mother being there had fucked with her head was an understatement. To say she was pissed we’d changed our frequency so she couldn’t hear Zane tell the rest of us the new play, a huge understatement.
Upon learning that, it was the only time since her father had been loaded up in an ambulance that she unleashed her attitude. She made her displeasure known by threatening to dismember Zane’s favorite part of his body. She yelled at Cash for getting shot and using only alcohol, Neosporin, and some gauze to treat his wound. Truth be told, it was a graze. It would burn like a motherfucker but there was no need for medical attention. Then she turned on me and yelled some more, for depriving her of the kill shot. When she burned herself out, she dissolved into tears, pointed at Zane, called him a dick, and stormed out of the waiting room.
I’d followed her out, watched her pace the hallway until I’d had enough.
When I pulled her into my arms she nuzzled right in. I gave her a few more minutes then asked if she was ready to go back in. When she nodded I took her back to the team. We all sat there until the doctor came in to tell Nebraska Charlie had made it through surgery but couldn’t have visitors until the next day.
Throughout our time at the hospital Anna was noticeably absent. I didn’t see her at the house, but Zane told me she’d taken off as soon as Maddon was down and he gave her word Charlie was breathing. All Zane said about that was, “Pigeon does what Pigeon does.”
This did not make me happy. Should the time come that Nebraska decided she wanted to have a relationship with the woman, having some flighty bitch who doesn’t have staying power didn’t fill me with glee.
Now we were back to see Charlie, and Nebraska was standing statue-still in the doorway.
Fuck.
Before we came, I’d warned her about the state her father was in. His face was a mess. Bullet holes in his thighs, shoulders, arms. I should’ve done a better job.
The guy had a long road to recovery. One that might lead his daughter up to Connecticut to take care of him.
Something else that didn’t make me happy.
I never claimed I wasn’t a selfish bastard.
When Nebraska didn’t move, I pulled her back to my chest, and shifted her to the side.
Anna.
Christ.
The woman was sitting on the bed next to Charlie holding one of his hands in both of hers and she was silently crying. Charlie’s eyes were opened, two slits that would make it difficult to focus, but the man was trying his hardest.
Anna’s gaze moved to the door. Charlie’s didn’t stray from his woman. I didn’t know if that was because the pain was so great he couldn’t or if he was too afraid to take his eyes off Anna so she didn’t disappear.
“Come in,” Anna softly offered.
Nebraska didn’t move.
Fuck.
This was a bad idea. Too soon. Too much.
“Baby, look at me.”
She took her time dragging her attention from her parents then giving it to me.
Parents.
Charlie and Anna together in the same room.
I had no way of knowing Anna would show. From what Zane had said about the woman I’d thought she was long gone. But still, I should’ve checked the room first. The problem with that was, Nebraska might’ve been quiet and in her head for the last eighteen hours, but that didn’t mean she’d turned docile. Evidence of that was we were standing in the doorway of her father’s hospital room instead of still in my bed resting like I’d begged her to do. More evidence she hadn’t turned meek and agreeable was this morning she’d flat out refused to let me make us breakfast. She stomped around my kitchen, opening and closing cupboards until she found what she needed while I sat at the bar sipping coffee watching her. Good news with that was, she made excellent omelets. Even if they were made while she bitched my fridge was empty and I needed to go to the grocery store. I didn’t think it was smart to remind her I hadn’t been home in over a week. All of that to say, I couldn’t have talked her into waiting in the waiting room while I checked on Charlie first if I’d tried.
When Nebraska wanted something, she got it. The end.
“I’m okay,” she whispered.
“You’re not.”
