“Seems a decent kid,” I murmured before turning my gaze out of the huge windows. At least Darren and Jabari would get their happy ever after—to a degree. Mine hung in the balance. Surgeons held my happiness and future in their hands, and there was nothing I could do to help them.
“Stone,” a soft voice said, and I saw Clara entering the hospital holding onto Slaughter’s arm. I hurried over and hugged her. Thin arms wrapped around me, and Clara held on tight.
“Any news?”
“None yet. April is in surgery. She’d taken two gunshots to the shoulder and gut.” Clara released a small cry of pain and grief as I added, “She also had a very nasty head wound.”
“Find this bastard who did this to my girl and make him pay,” Clara hissed.
“That’s a promise.”
Clara nodded, and we stood there together for a while until Dr Simmons came out to tell us April was in the ICU and stable for now.
My hands stopped shaking for a moment. There was hope. My world would be okay, for now.
Chapter Seventeen.
April
Voices came and went. Everything seemed distance, as if I was in a drugged fog, which my logical brain told me I was. However, the rest of me refused to accept that right now. I was quite happy floating on my fluffy cloud of bliss. Somehow, I knew my body was suffering a deep pain, but the blessed drugs kept agony at bay. Not having to wake up and acknowledge it was wonderful. Apart from the pang of remorse every time I heard the worried voices.
“Fine, end the guilt trip, I’m awake,” I muttered grumpily.
“April!” Clara exclaimed.
“Who else?” I griped.
“Are you in pain? Do you need anything?” Stone demanded, and I winced.
“Stop talking so loudly? That would help.” I went to scowl but couldn’t. “What the hell?” Did I have Botox or something? Why couldn’t I frown?
“You had a head wound, darling. You’ve got a bandage, and they had to shave some of your hair to stitch it up,” Clara murmured.
“What?” I turned horrified eyes on her. “They shaved me?”
“Not bald!” Clara hurried to explain. “But you have a three-inch scar. Your hair will cover it, but they needed to trim the area around the laceration so doctors could close it.
“No!” I groaned and winced as the headache came back with vengeance.
Clara reached over and pushed a button on a pad, and seconds later, a cool sensation swept over me. “You can manage your own pain relief, here,” she said and pressed it into my hands. I knew that, being a nurse, but I said nothing.
“Did Julie escape?” I exclaimed, suddenly remembering the poor girl.
“Thanks to you, yes. What the hell were you doing attacking Margrave?” Stone burst out, and Clara sent him a stern look.
“Dial it back,” she warned. “Darling, I have to agree with Stone. What on earth were you thinking? The man is a crazed lunatic.”
“Julie was so scared, and Margrave was wearing her down. She had to escape or become some Stepford wife,” I replied.
“We were minutes away,” Stone stated angrily.
“How was I to know that?” I snapped and winced. I pressed the button again and smiled happily as the pain in my stomach faded. “Wow, this is the good shit.”
“The very best… um…shit,” Dr Simmons said as he entered. “How are you?”
“Alive, Doc.”
“That’s always positive news. April, I’m not your doctor, but I did ask to be included. Dr Fredericks is busy with another patient, so I’m here to inform you that you’ll be fine. The head wound caused a concussion, but you already knew that. You were cut quite deeply and have a three-inch laceration on yourhead. That will heal neatly. Dr Fredericks did a very nice job with the stitches.
