“I’m Dr. Coggins,” he says. He pushes back his wire-rimmed glasses.
“He can’t be here,” Sylvie says, pointing at me. “He’s not family.”
Serena’s eyes bug out at her daughter’s words.
“Sylvie, that’s enough,” Serena says. “Of course, he can be here.” I don’t know whether she’s saying this because she believes I love her daughter or because of the information I have on her. Right now, I don’t give a damn.
“Can you please tell me what’s wrong with my daughter?” Randall Rose asks.
“She’s unconscious,” Dr. Coggins says. “It’s possible she has a concussion. The good news is her vitals are stable. We’re going to do a scan, so sit tight. I wish I had more to tell you, but I need information from you. Is there any chance she might be pregnant?”
“I sure hope not,” Sylvie says.
“Where’s your husband?” I ask her. “While you’re thinking about that answer, shut the fuck up.” I turn back to the doctor and say, “She’s not pregnant. She had her period lastweek.”
“We’re still going to do a test, but that’s good to know.”
He walks away, and I think of all the ways I’m going to torture Brennan. That’s the only thing I have to hold onto; otherwise, other feelings would take over, and the guilt might drown me.
I’m the one who pursued her despite knowing she wanted nothing to do with me. I wouldn’t take no for an answer, and because of my own selfishness, I’ve put her life in danger.
“What if she never wakes up?” Sylvie yells into the room. She starts to shake, and her father holds her.
Unable to stomach her for another second, I walk through the front door of the hospital and lean against the wall.
“Leave,” I say to Preacher when he follows me outside.
“It’s not your fault,” he says as if he can read my mind. “It’s not dangerous, what we do. Brennan is a sick fuck. If anyone is to blame, it’s me. I didn’t—”
“That motherfucker tried to get to me through Eden, and he’s going to regret it for the rest of his miserable, short life.” I storm back inside and stand as far away from the Roses as possible.
Chapter 60
Rip
The buzzing of my phone interrupts my train of thought. It’s a picture of Brennan handcuffed. I know exactly where that is. It’s Dax’s cellar, and no one will find him since only Preacher and I know where Dax really lives.
Hours have passed, and the doctor has not returned with an update. In that time, Sylvie has left, and her parents pace the hallway. My blood pounds, and I feel a throbbing in the back of my head.
I know she was rushing home to clean up the mess she left behind. Then she was going to pack, and despite telling her not to worry about making me dinner, she would have had something waiting for me.
She doesn’t know how much I love it when she does that. She doesn’t know that the best part of my day is when she cuddles next to me and puts on that silly show about couples who only have ninety days to get married. I pretend to hate the show, but I’ve told her she can’t watch it without me.
She should not be in a damn hospital. She should be at home, excited to get away for a few days.
Dr. Coggins returns, and I reach him before her parents do. He gets right to the point.
“Ms. Rose is still unconscious.”
My heart drops to my feet, and Serena Rose lets out a sound I can’t interpret.
“The scans show a severe head injury, but her vitals are stable. There’s no intracranial bleeding or fractures of the skull.”
I feel a little relief, but not much.
“We’re going to move her to the intensive care unit so she can be closely monitored.”
“Doctor, is my daughter in a coma?” I hold my breath and wait for the doctor to answer Serena’s question.
