Page 62 of Hard to Love

“And I think we may need some other bedroom furniture.” Her brow furrows in thought.

“I have some. Anything in particular?” Her eyes narrow as she looks at me. “Oh, no, buddy. Wedding first. Then a hundred babies. But I want my wedding. And you better not even think about messing this one up.” She jabs me in the side when I start to laugh.

“We shall see. How about a wedding and baby all on the same day?” I want to marry her now.

“We shall see.” She lifts me from the seat to kiss me on the cheek.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving; I have so much to be thankful for this year. After making love to Thayer once more, she falls asleep in my arms. When this day started, I never thought I’d be here with her. And as I fight sleep, it’s only because I’m afraid this will be a dream. And I don’t want to wake up.

I hear a noise. Then again. It’s enough to rouse me from the deep sleep I fought so hard against. The dogs begin to stir as my feet hit the floor. My truck is in Thayer’s garage because we need to have hers towed, so no one knows I’m here with her.

Stepping into the hall, I hear the noise again, and this time so does Thayer. She’s by my side in no time. I motion for her to gather the dogs in the bathroom, hoping they’ll stay quiet so I can see what’s happening here.

The sound is coming from her dining room. She has French double doors there, something I’ve always hated. They’re not safe, so easy to break into. As Thayer stands at my back, the glass in the door is shattered. An arm comes through the door. This fucker is about to die.

Thayer steps back into the hallway as I get against the wall. The minute the guy steps through the door, I punch him in the back of the head. He falls to the ground, and I jump on him. As I wrestle him on the floor, I feel the cold metal before realizing what’s happened.

I’ve been stabbed. Sitting up on my knees, I grab my side as the blood begins to pour from the wound. Eric jumps to his feet, kicking me over and continuing his assault. The cold metal hits me time and time again. Knocking the breath out of me.

I try to fight him off, finally getting a solid punch in, and he falls back. I kick at him, struggling to my feet. Once standing, Eric rights himself. I kick him as hard as I can in his face. Blood flies as he hits the floor again, me falling with him. The last thing I see is Thayer coming up behind Eric. I hear the buzz as my sight grows dim.

The lights go out.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Thayer

The blood covers my dining room floor. It’s everywhere. I kneel beside Hardy, holding dish towels on every puncture I see, praying. Eric lays over in the corner, still twitching from the taser. Between Hardy and me, he’s not going anywhere until the police get here.

Hardy’s eye flickers to mine, speaking volumes without words. I try to talk to him and keep my eye on Eric. “Come on, baby. We didn’t fight this long, and this hard to lose now. I love you, Hardy. Come on, baby, stay with me.”

I begin to hear the faint sound of sirens. One, then two. So many sirens, I lose count. By the time the emergency personnel burst through our door, I have as much blood on me as Hardy does. As calm as possible, I explain to them what’s happened. I seriously consider killing Eric with my bare hands.

As they furiously work on Hardy, I grab my phone and purse. Following them to the ambulance, I’m escorted around to the front seat. I want to be with Hardy, but he needs them. They can save him. By God, they better rescue him.

On the way to the hospital, the siren screams, mirroring how I feel inside. Trying to remain composed, I call One. There’s no way I can call my parents and stay collected. I don’t manage to do it with One either. The second he answers the phone, the tears begin.

“Eric. He broke in. Hardy’s been stabbed multiple times. I tasered Eric. I need you.” Sobbing between each word, the paramedic reaches over to hold my hand. I gladly take it.

“We’re on our way. We love you both.” How many times can I say my brother is amazing?

I stand back as they pull Hardy from the ambulance. Staying closely by his side, we enter the hospital together. The paramedics take a different door, directing me to the waiting room. When something touches me on the shoulder, I turn to stare into a horrified face.

Chord looks me up and down before dragging me into his chest. It’s at that moment I realize that I’m shaking uncontrollably. My tears soak his shirt as Hardy’s blood smears the rest of his clothes. Chord picks me up, carrying me to a chair. He holds me while I totally lose my mind.

While Chord holds me, he gently rubs my back. In the distance, I hear my family begin to show up. One bypasses me to the nurses’ station. He lets them know who’s here and that we are his only family. Dad walks over, taking me from Chord. My tears fall even faster, if at all possible.

After a while, Lea takes me to the restroom along with my nieces. An assembly line is formed to get me cleaned up. Lea washes me up as best she can while the girls bring clean clothes and take out the bloodstained mess in a bag.

As she cleans my arms, my hands are twisted under the water. Red tinted, it splashes everywhere. A sparkle in the light gets my attention. My engagement ring. I begin to rub my hands together over the ring until it’s immaculate. The two-carat, antique-style floral square-cut diamond shines new under the water.

Back in the waiting room, I still have yet to say anything more. There’s talk of shock, but it’s not shocking, I feel. I’m mad as hell. But the first words I speak again will be to him. Wrapping my arms around myself, my nephew Lath comes over to add warmth to my side. I need it so.

One continues pacing the floor, holding Wren on his side. Mom is holding a sleeping Harlyn. Two detectives arrive, wanting to ask me questions. One pounces, and by the time he finishes with them, our Dad has Wren, and Aksel has his dad. My nephews are kinda badass, just like their father and their grandfather.

An hour drags into two. We’re all beginning to climb the walls when the door finally swings open.

“Hardison Turner?” a gentleman asks as he removes his paper hat. I jump to my feet as I’m joined by half of the waiting room.