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“Bou, maybe we shouldn’t...” said Mel in a soft voice. I could barely hear her over the blood rushing past my ears.
“Now!” ordered Bou, and her voice ricocheted off the concrete in the parking garage. “He’s like a brother to me, Maddie, so get the fuck up so we can go. Cook needs you, and I’m not willing to lose him today. So get your ass off the ground and into the car. Now!”
Her order made me move before I thought to. My body just responded. I couldn’t think straight, but I stalked to Mel’s car, reaching it before anyone else had.
Chapter 28
Maddie
The ride to the hospitaltook ages, made longer by the fact that I had to make Mel pull over twice so I could barf. By the time we arrived, I’d chewed the cuticle on my right thumb until I bled, and Mel had pushed my hands into my lap to stop my fidgeting.
Inside the hospital, we approached the receptionist. Bou had ordered me to let Roni ask about Cook, and she held me by one arm. How pathetic was it for me to be using a pregnant woman as a crutch? But I just couldn’t get thoughts of losing Cook out of my mind. Those, more than anything, made my legs wobble underneath me.
Being in the hospital—the stench of antiseptic soap—didn’t settle me at all. I wouldn’t be okay until I saw for myself that he would live. No, I wouldn’t be well until I could curl in Daddy’s lap and thrive on his strength. My own life span had been shortened by just how hard and quickly my heart had pounded on the four hour–long drive from LA to Vegas, like it was about to explode out of my chest.
If they came out now and told me he was gone, my heart would explode. At least then I would be with Cook.
Roni rolled up to her tiptoes and leaned over the receptionist’s desk. “We’re looking for Morris Cook. He would’ve come in with a gunshot wound. There are probably three men waiting with him. Celt Murray, Angel Tuku, and—
“Bou!” a man’s voice barked off to our left.
“Wilde!” Bou shifted me into Mel’s arms and ran.
Roni turned her head and exhaled a long sigh of relief. “Celt!”
Tears pricked the backs of my eyes as I twisted out of Mel’s grasp and flew at the receptionist. If only I could get her in my claws and pull her to me and make her tell me. My hands clutched the counter to keep from latching onto the girl behind the desk. “Where is my Cook? My daddy? Tell me!”
Strong hands latched around my waist and pulled me back, turning me into a chest. I beat on the wall of muscle. Not Cook’s chest. But the arms held me tight. I pinched my eyes shut and squirmed. “Let me go! You’re not Daddy. Put me down.”
“Maddie,” a soft female voice said softly as a hand stroked my back.
I couldn’t stop what’d started, but I slowed. It was a small improvement, but I’d plummet if I didn’t see Cook soon and know he would be okay.
“It’s okay, Maddie. We need to go upstairs to wait. So you can see... your daddy.”
Roni. That was Roni talking. I stilled, still held in the iron-like grip, and I opened my eyes to meet her light green-gray eyes. So much concern in that look. It helped. Grounded me.
I finally peeked up to see who was holding me, and gasped when Celt gave me a sad smile, his blue eyes roiling with a tormented storm.
“We’ve got you, Maddie,” he said.
But I looked back to Roni for confirmation.
She nodded, and Celt added, “And Cook is too stubborn of a motherfucker to up and die on us.”
Wilde, with his arm around Bou, stepped up behind Roni. It pierced my heart to see everyone’s relief, except mine, and tears welled in my eyes again.
Bou hardened her gaze at me. “You’re coming upstairs with us, Maddie. Calmly.”
I liked that she was taking a firm hand with me. It helped inDaddy’s absence.
“Cook is strong, so you have to be strong too. Okay?” she pressed.
Giving her a small nod, I pushed away from the wall of muscle holding me. “Okay.”
Bou ran her hand down Celt’s arm with a silentthank you. I should thank him too. And Bou. Between them both, they calmed me enough to walk to the elevators.
“Cook’s stable right now,” said Wilde, head bent like this was hard for him too.
