Lucifer sits to my right, his massive frame making the chair look like it belongs inside a preschool.He briefed me as soon as I got here.Apparently, Russell never gave up where they were keeping Della.The only thing he said was that Landry Oil was behind both attacks.Revenge for selling Meadows Ranch to the MC.
The news burned my ass because I underestimated the oil tycoon, and the two most important women in my life paid the price.I don’t know where we go from here, but Lucifer assures me that he has neutralized the threat.When I pressed him for more information, he told me that out of respect for our partnership he couldn’t divulge that information.He didn’t want me to be an accessory to his crimes, and I really have no choice but to respect that.
That doesn’t mean I won’t be taking the proper precautions going forward.As soon as I know Della is okay, I’m hiring a private security firm for the ranch.I can’t put electric fences around the property because of the animals, but I’ll find other ways to protect the people I love.
My gaze cuts across the waiting room to where Shadow sits by himself, hunched forward with his elbows on his knees, staring at nothing.His knuckles are raw and bloody.
I push out of the plastic chair and make my way toward him, taking the seat next to him.
“Della’s going to pull through,” I tell him, my voice raspy.“She’s a Meadows.She’s strong.A lot stronger than I give her credit for.”
“She’s gonna be a King.”He turns his gaze to me.“She makes it out of this, I’m marrying her.”
A couple of weeks ago, those words would’ve surprised me.Not just because I couldn’t picture Shadow settling down with anyone, let alone my sister—but mainly I was a jaded man.But I get it now.Time doesn’t stand still when you find the one you’re meant to spend the rest of your life with.It keeps pushing forward, and you realize that the days you have left on this earth are best spent with that person as your partner.So you take the plunge.You put a ring on her finger, and you wake up every day thankful that she chose you.
Amelia’s faces flashes in my mind, and before I can stop myself from going down that path, I imagine myself standing under the trellis by my grandma’s garden, Amelia walking toward me dressed all in white., her arm looped around Dylan’s.
“Think she’ll say yes?”The question comes out horse, and as it leaves my lips, I’m not sure what I’m asking Shadow.
“Doesn’t matter,” he grunts.“I’ll convince her one way or another.”
I shake my head, dismissing the image I’ve conjured, and focus my attention back to Shadow.
“Don’t think you’ll have to do much of that, brother.You ask her, she’s gonna say yes.”
Suddenly a doctor appears, and we both pop out of our seats.
“Meadows’ family?”
“That’s us,” I say, stepping forward.“I’m Della’s brother, and this is her fiancé.”
The doctor goes on to tell us that Della made it through surgery but coded on the table.They had to remove her spleen, and she needed a blood transfusion.Yet despite all that, he expected her to make a recovery, so long as there were no unexpected complications in the next forty-eight hours.
Relief floods me fast.It feels like I’ve been holding my breath since I first discovered Della was missing, and I can finally breathe.
“We’re going to keep her in the ICU for the night.Only one person can visit at a time.I’ll let you decide who that is, but I should warn you she’s not yet awake.”
My gaze locks with Shadow’s.“You should go first.I’ll wait here.”
He nods, giving my shoulder a squeeze.“Thanks, man.”
I spend the next couple hours alternating between pacing the hallway and thumbing through months-old magazines.Lucifer had to leave to handle club business but promised to return.The other Fallen Demons filter in and out, asking if I need anything.
When Shadow finally appears in the doorway, I jolt upright.His expression is softer than before, though exhaustion clouds his face.
“She’s awake,” he says, his voice rough.“Asking for you.”
I stand so fast my vision blurs for a second.“How is she?”
“Go see for yourself.Room 312.”
The walk down the sterile corridor feels never-ending.When I push open the door to Della’s room, my stomach drops.Nothing could have prepared me for how small she looks in that hospital bed, hooked up to machines and monitors that beep steadily.
Bruises mar her face, and a line of stitches runs along her cheekbone.Her normally vibrant complexion is ashen, making the bruises stand out even more.
But her eyes are open, and when they find mine, I feel something cracks inside my chest.
“Hey, big brother,” she whispers, her voice raspy.
