Fast Forward – Hit Play
Now…
We stood in the hospital waiting room withDuke and the gang was all there.
Allof the gang was there.
The place was crowded, standing room only.
But I didn’t have it in me to take them in, to look forfamiliar faces.
All I could think about was Darius.
And Ally, who was in front of us, her gaze on my son.
“That’s your father’s,” she announced.
I moved close to my boy as Liam’s eyes got huge and theywere fixed to Ally’s bloody hand.
I heard a gasp.
Dorothea.
Damn.
She didn’t know about Liam…
Yet.
Well, now she knew.
“Don’t, Ally,” Eddie bit out.
“Lay down the truth, darlin’.”Duke’s rough voiceencouraged.Ally looked to him.So did I.He nodded to Ally.“Now’s the time.”
“It’s not the fuckin’ time,” Lee bit out.
Ally’s attention returned to my son.
“A bad guy was touching me,” she declared.“Your father hadalready been shot in both legs and slammed in the head with a tire iron, but hestill got him off me.He barely got a hand on me, and your father draggedhimself to me and pulled him off.I was drugged.I couldn’t defend myself orhelp him.But he kept him off me even when that asshole stabbed him.He kepthim off me until help came.Blood pouring out of him, and he kept himoffme.”
“Ally—” I whispered, my voice pained, because I was pained.
I got her need to do this, I hated what had happened to her,butmyneed was finding out if the love of my life was going tosurvive all of that.
Ally spoke over me.
“Look around you,” Ally ordered Liam.“All these people,this,”she jerked her bloody hand in the air, “that’syour father.”Sheturned to me.“I don’t know what went down with Eddie and Lee.What I know isif Darius makes it through this, he’s gonna stay away.From you.From his son.”She swung an arm out behind her.“From everybody.”
She took a step toward us.Liam put an arm around my waistand pulled me back just as Lee put an arm around Ally to stop her.
“Don’t let him,please,” she pleaded in a whisper.
“Zano, a little help,” Lee said about two seconds before hereleased Ally.
He did this because a dark-haired, fine-looking man clampeddown on her with both arms.
His lips at her ear, he said, “All right, baby, that’s out.Now come sit with me.”
