Chapter Nineteen
Xander
My phone wakes me up. Linc's phone is ringing. Jesse's phone is ringing.
Something bad has happened.
* * *
Isiton the private plane in silence. No one is saying a word. We're all too fucking scared out of our minds.
Dad called. "Tera's in surgery." A red haze is circling my vision. "She's been assaulted, Xan." I struggle to breathe and fist my hands on the armrests. "It's bad. Really bad." I pound my fists on the armrests twice, then press my fists to my eyes.
"Motherfucker!" I shout. I'm angry. I'm sad. I'm fucking devastated for her. "I should have fucking been there!"
"Xan," Ben says.
"No. Don't. You know this isn't right.This isn't right." Tears well in my eyes and I just let them fall. "She's our family. She's mywife. I should have been there to protect her. I don't give a fuck about Good Morning America or the fucking Today show. All I care about isher. How is she ever going to be able to forgive me? How will I be able to forgive myself?" I pause, then my breath hitches. "What if she doesn't make it? Oh, God, what if she doesn't make it."
"Breathe, Xan," Jesse coaxes, handing me a paper bag. Apparently, I'm hyperventilating as I sob out my grief. The anger will come later. It's simmering right now. I'll keep it there until the time is right.
"Fuck! I need to get this out now before I get there. She's going to need me to be strong. For her, I have to be strong. Linc," I call out. He looks at me, his face white and devoid of emotion. "She's going to need us to be strong for her. Like she's always been for us."
He nods once then turns to face forward again. Ethan's sitting next to him, murmuring softly.
Ben's stiff as a board in his seat. Kennedy's slumped forward, his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands.
I look to Jesse sitting next to me. "I'm going to kill someone."
He nods. "I'm there with you, brother."
"We all are," Ben tells me.
I look over to him across the aisle and nod.
Someone's going to pay for what they did to her.
* * *
Ihitthe hospital doors at a run. The elevator is slow as fuck.
"Fourth floor," Jesse reminds me.
I nod. Like I'd forget.Fourth floor, room 406, third door on the right.
The elevator doors open and my dad is standing there waiting. I look at him, searching for something good, but it's all bad. He looks bleak, distraught, worried. He's been crying.
I rush forward and hug him. "Dad."
He crushes me to him, holding me so tight. "She's still in surgery. It's been four hours, Xander. Four hours," he whispers.
I nod. Even I know that's not good. "She'll make it. She has to."
Dad lets go and wipes tears from his cheeks. He walks over to Linc and hugs him just as tightly as he hugged me.Fuck. This is so fucking bad and I'm helpless. There's absolutely nothing I can do to help fix this, fix her.Nothing.
"Why are we on the fourth floor if she's still in surgery?" Jesse asks.
Dad sighs. "Rosa needed to be sedated." He pauses and no one even asks why. Dad just needs a minute. We can see it as he swallows—hard. "When we got here, Jose was immediately pulled to the desk to fill out paperwork. We were trying to find out what was going on. They wouldn't let us back to see her, but the door to the ER opened and we caught a glimpse just as Tera was being wheeled to surgery." He pauses again, looking down at the worn carpet beneath our feet. My stomach is tied up in knots, dread fills my chest, and I'm about to lose my shit. Dad looks up. His expression. It guts me further. It's filled with despair, fear, and panic. "There was so much blood. So much bloodeverywhere."
