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"Why the fuck didn’t you tell us this before?" Jace said to Gabe "Can’t believe you kept this from us Especially if you didn’t make damn sure Charles wouldn’t be a threat in the future"
"I couldn’t tell you when it happened," Gabe said between his teeth "Mia was freaking because she didn’t want her brother to knohat kind of relationship we had or that we even had a relationship And then after, it didn’t seem so important He went away Months passed and he seeht he wasn’t going to be a probleer"
"What you did was piss him off to the point that he beat the shit out of Josie and now he’s gunning for Mia and Bethany," Jace said in a furious tone
"You need to close ranks around the girls," Ash said, veering the subject away froht Mia was his sister But that wasn’t as iht now The women’s safety was all that o nowhere until he’s taken care of"
Ash nodded "And I’ll let you knohen the issue has been resolved"
Jace’s expression was still uneasy but he kept silent, though it was obvious that he and Gabe weren’t finished with their conversation
"Mr McIntyre?"
Ash whirled around to see a nurse standing in the doorway He rushed forward
"How is Josie?" he demanded "Can I see her yet?"
The nurse smiled "The doctor will see you now She’ll update you on Josie’s condition and then you can ask her if you can go back Stay right here while I let her knohere you are"
Ash fidgeted with i with no word and he was slowly losing his mind He didn’t like that Josie was alone Or at least surrounded by strangers She’d wonder where he was He’d sworn to her that he wasn’t leaving her, that he would be with her every step of the way How could he keep that proave her treatment?
A moment later a wo, the ponytail her hair was pulled back in contributing to her youthful appearance
"Mr McIntyre?"
"Yes, that’sforward
She extended her hand and fir Miss Carlysle’s care"
"How is she?" Ash asked anxiously "When can I see her?"
The doctor’s expression softened "She’s pretty banged up Of most concern is the traumatic pneumothorax I’ve inserted a chest tube to help suck out the air trapped between the lung and the chest cavity and it will also help the lung reinflate We’re going to be closelyheals Right now I don’t think she requires surgery, but a surgeon will be consulted and he’ll make the final determination
"She has several broken ribs, a concussion and broken fingers on her right hand She also has a hairline fracture of her right wrist Numerous contusions and other more minor injuries She was badly beaten, Mr McIntyre She’s lucky to be alive"
Ash blew out his breath while Gabe and Jace swore softly behind hio in She’s back froets done on her ad she’ll remain in ICU That will be up to the internal ned to her care But you can stay with her until they move her up to the unit They’re usually pretty lenient about letting family members back even when it’s not the scheduled hours"
"I’ her," Ash bit out
The doctor’s expression was sympathetic "I understand And as I said, they’re usually pretty lenient Unfortunately when she’s first et her settled, but they’ll let you knohen you can go back"
"Thank you," Ash said in a low voice "I appreciate all you’ve done for her"
"That’s my job, Mr McIntyre," she said in a cheerful voice "Now if you’ll excuse me, I have other patients to attend If you like I’ll walk you back and show you which room she’s in"
Ash turned to Gabe and Jace "Are you going to let Mia and Bethany knohat happened? They’ll be worried about Josie"
"We’ll let them know," Jace said "I’ll have Kaden drive them here and they’ll stay with us until we leave"
Ash nodded and then turned back to follow the doctor to Josie’s room
When he walked into the small cubicle where Josie was, he sucked in his breath and tears burned the corners of his eyes It hurt to breathe His chest was so tight that his hand auto to rid himself of the discoutted hi in a hospital bed all because sorind with him and Gabe and Jace He went to her bedside and tentatively reached out a hand to stroke her forehead He smoothed her hair back and then leaned down to brush his lips across her brow
"I love you," he murmured "I’m here With you, just like I said I’d be I’ll always be here, Josie You and o of that"
She lay perfectly still, the only sound the low huh theof the heart ile, bruised and swollen The blood had been cleaned away, but the dark purpling of the bruises was already vivid against her pale skin
He touched her neck where the collar he’d given her had rested It looked bare He wanted that collar back around her neck Wanted his ring on her finger and her promise to marry him He wanted to tie her to hi, silken ties in the world
He’d pale day of his life
He stood at her bedside for two hours, onlywhen one of the nurses came in to check on her And then finally, they came to move her to ICU
To his frustration they told him it would be a while before he was allowed back to see her But that was okay because he had the problem of Charles Willis to take care of The sooner he was out of the picture, the sooner they could all relax and not worry that Mia or Bethany would be next
After updating Gabe, Jace, Mia and Bethany on Josie’s condition and exacting a promise from them to stay with Josie until he returned, he strode out of the hospital, detereance on the bastard who’d put Josie there
Chapter thirty-three
Pain It ca driven into her head by a hammer She hurt everywhere It hurt to breathe It hurt to open her eyes
There were voices, or at least one voice It was hard to tell because there was a roaring in her ears she couldn’t entle hand on her forehead A kiss Sweet, soft words whispered over her skin She gave a little sigh and proh her chest
"H-hurts," she said in a pitiful voice that she wasn’t even sure was actually audible
"I know it does, baby The nurse is co for pain"
"Ash?" she whispered
"Yes, darling, it’s ht here"
She tried She really did But her eyes wouldn’t cooperate and it hurt to try and force the issue
"Can’t," she ain he pressed his lips to her brow and she felt his hand in her hair That felt nice The only part of her that wasn’t hurting