Текст книги "Tempted"
Автор книги: Alana Sapphire
сообщить о нарушении
Текущая страница: 9 (всего у книги 9 страниц)
CHAPTER 17
***Gage***
Fear.
It’s a hell of a thing. I’ve seen it in people’s eyes when they see me in full biker gear; in the eyes of countless men as they stared down the barrel of my gun. I’ve never experienced it, though, not until today, but I’m getting a fucking quick lesson. Heart-rending, soul-crushing, mind-altering fear. I’m scared shitless that I could lose my baby doll.
I rush to the hospital’s entrance, not really knowing how I made it here. The only sound I hear is the deafening pounding of my heart. I can’t even tell if it’s beating too fast or too slow. My hands shake as I push the door and step inside. I fucking hate hospitals. The smell, the people scurrying about, the anxiety and fear of people waiting around. The injured. And Raven is one of them. Please, God, please let her be okay.
Ron jumps out of his seat when he sees me. Toni and Chrissy are next to him, crying and hugging each other. Chris is on the opposite side.
“What the fuck happened?” I growl.
“I don’t know, Prez. They were putting her in the ambulance when we got there. Neighbor heard her screaming and called the cops.”
“Screaming?”
The room spins. My world tilts on its axis. She was screaming. Someone was hurting her and I wasn’t there. I feel like I’m having a panic attack. I can’t breathe. I lean against the wall and run my hands through my hair. “The doctors…have you heard anything?”
“No. But I called Einstein. He should be here any minute.”
I need to know something now. I march over to the nurse’s station, and the woman there gives me a weak smile.
“Raven Alvarez…can you tell me anything about what’s going on?”
“Are you family?”
“Does it matter?”
“I can’t give out any information unless you’re related to the patient.”
“Look…please. I just need to know if she’s okay.”
She gives me a sympathetic stare and directs me back to the waiting area.
“I’ll see what I can find out.”
“Thank you.” I take the seat next to Ron and drop my head into my hands. “Find Lonnie,” I instruct him.
She’s the only one they’ll talk to. I need to know she’s okay. I need to know what happened. I need to know who hurt her. I need to kill him. I look up and Chris is staring at me. The message in his eyes is clear – this is my fault. Maybe it is. It could be anyone. This could have been payback for something I’ve done. What have they done to her? How badly is she hurt? How long did she suffer before the cops arrived? God…did she cry out for me? Beg for me to save her? I wasn’t there. I wasn’t there.
I jump from the chair and pace the hall. What the fuck is taking so long? I should have heard something by now.
“No-go on the Lonnie situation, boss,” Ron says. “No one’s seen her in days, and she’s not answering her phone.”
“Keep trying. Talk to what’s her name…Gina…Super Head. Raven said she and Lonnie are friends.”
“Got it.”
Finally, I see E heading my way. He stops at the end of the hallway and motions for me to follow him. He leads me to his office and closes the door quietly.
“What’s going on, E?”
“You should sit down.”
I don’t like the look in his eyes. He’s struggling, having a hard time with whatever he’s about to tell me. I don’t even know how to prepare myself. “Just tell me.”
He takes a deep breath and perches on his desk.
“Raven was attacked…assaulted.”
“How bad is she hurt?”
“Gage…”
“Talk to me, damn it!”
Tears gather in his eyes, and I struggle to find something to hold me up. E doesn’t cry. Raven…my baby doll…
“I’m sorry, Gage.”
CHAPTER 18
***Gage***
Empty. Hollow. Dead. That’s how I feel. All my physical senses have deserted me. I can’t see, hear, smell, touch, taste. I fall back on the wall and slide slowly down until I’m sitting on the floor. The last three months flash through my mind. Everything I said and did. Everything I should have said and done. Now, I’ll never get the chance. I’m sorry. Doctors only say that when…no. No.
“What do you mean you’re sorry?”
“Maybe I should start from the beginning.”
“Is she…alive?”
“Yes! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”
“Well, what did you mean?”
“She’ll be fine. Eventually.”
I expel the breath I’ve been holding. Relief floods my body. She’s going to be okay. “What happened?”
“When the cops found her, she was tied to her bed.”
He holds my gaze, as if willing me to figure out the meaning behind his words. One word flashes in red neon in my mind – bed. “Fuck, no! Please, E…don’t tell me –”
He nods.
“Jesus Christ!”
I can’t breathe. The only thing I can think about is finding the motherfucker responsible and making him suffer.
“They did a rape kit, nothing invasive yet. They’ll need her permission for that when she wakes up but they’re not optimistic about DNA. Her attacker used a dildo.”
“What?”
“Yeah…pretty big one, too. He…it was still inside her when they found her.”
“Oh, God. E…”
He pulls up a chair, sits next to me, and places his hand on my shoulder.
“I’m not going to lie to you, brother. He did a number on her. The doctors had to stitch her up.”
I stare ahead of me, numbness taking over. The pain she must have felt. The fear. And I wasn’t there.
“She has a dislocated shoulder. They think that happened from her fighting against the restraints. There are a few shallow cuts on her body, but those are the least of her injuries.”
“Can I see her?”
“I’ll try to get you in once they’re done with her.”
“Thanks. Make sure they put her in a private room.”
He nods. “Already taken care of.”
I walk back to the others in a daze. Toni and Chrissy run to me, staring up at me hopefully.
“She’s going to be fine.”
They breathe sighs of relief.
“What happened?” Chrissy asks.
“She was…” I can’t even bring myself to say it. If I do then it’s like it becomes real. Then again, I need it to feel that way. I need it to fuel my anger. “She was raped.”
They gasp and hold each other as fresh tears roll down their cheeks. The boys try to console them, but it’s no use. I know exactly how they feel.
It’s well after midnight when the doctor emerges.
“Are you a family member?” He asks me.
“I can’t find her sister. She’s the only family Raven’s got. Until we do, I’m her family.”
He nods and shoves his hands in his pockets.
“Without going into specifics, she’ll be fine. She’ll need time to heal, but there’s no serious, permanent damage. She’s resting right now.”
“Can I see her?”
He glances around at all our faces and nods.
“Just for a minute.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
I let the others go in first because I don’t know how I’ll react when I see her. When they leave, I step into the room and lose it. Whatever I was holding on to before, to keep from breaking down, snaps. Seeing her lying there, not moving, her shoulder bandaged, rips me apart. The sheets hide her other injuries, but they’re the most prominent ones in my mind. The tightness in my chest spreads through my entire body. I drop down into the chair next to her bed and take her hand in mine, bringing her fingers up to my lips. It’s my fault she’s in this hospital bed. I just know it. It’s a message. As soon as I find out who sent it, I’m sending them to Hell. Someone walks into the room, but I don’t even glance in their direction.
“Sir? Excuse me, but you have to leave now.”
“I’m not leaving,” I tell the nurse calmly.
“Sir –”
“I don’t care what you have to do or who you need to talk to, but I’m not leaving.”
“Sir, please, don’t make me call security.”
“I’m not leaving.” I repeat.
I don’t care what anyone says. There’s no way they’re getting me out of this room.
E’s voice comes from the doorway. “It’s okay, Cindy. I’ll take care of it.”
He places a firm hand on my shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere, E.”
“Don’t worry. You can stay, but she’ll be out for the rest of the night. You should get some sleep.”
“I wasn’t there.”
“You can’t blame yourself for this, brother.”
“Why not? Are you telling me this isn’t some kind of payback? That someone’s not using her to get to me?”
“We don’t know that.”
“I wasn’t there. That’s not happening again. Ever.”
CHAPTER 19
***Raven***
Jesus. I feel like I’ve been run over by a steam roller. Every inch of my body hurts. Even my vagina. What the hell happened at that party last night? More importantly, why don’t I remember?
“Babe?”
Ah…his voice. So soothing. I open my eyes and come face to face with the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. His features are marred by a worried frown. What’s wrong? He’s still in his suit, which I assume is from last night, but he’s disheveled. His shirt is crumpled and his tie is untied and lying around his neck. Why have I not woken up naked in his arms? I look around the room and realize I’m in a hospital. What the fuck happened last night? The ache between my legs gives me an idea, but he couldn’t possibly have done that much damage, could he? Before I can ask what happened, someone enters the room.
“Hunter,” the newcomer says.
Gage clenches his jaw, straightens, and turns toward the door.
“Renley,” he says through clenched teeth.
“Here we are again,” the sheriff replies.
“Fuck off, Renley. I don’t need your shit right now.”
“Well, you’re going to get it. I need you to come with me. We’re taking you in for questioning.”
Questioning? For what?
“What the fuck for? You think I did this?”
Renley approaches my bed and looks down at me sympathetically.
“Miss Alvarez…do you remember what happened last night?”
I glance between the two men in confusion. I think Renley mistakes it for fear.
“I can protect you. Just tell me who did this.”
Okay. Now I’m even more confused. I need an explanation. “Gage?” My voice is barely a whisper. I clear my throat. Renley looks like he just hit the jackpot. Another man comes up behind Gage and starts to read him his rights. Panic takes over. “Gage?”
“She’s crying out for me, you idiots!” He shouts.
“Stop…please,” I beg.
No one is listening to me. Gage is in handcuffs. I’m in a hospital bed feeling like shit, and I’m drawing a complete blank on yesterday’s details. It was yesterday, right? I mean…I don’t know how long I’ve been in here. No, it was. Renley said it was last night. I want to scream out that Gage didn’t do anything wrong, but the look in the sheriff’s eyes stops me. I also realize that parts of my body are bandaged. This is about more than just sex. That’s not how I landed in this bed.
“You’re not getting away this time, Hunter. I’ve got a witness. I got you, motherfucker,” Renley says with a cocky grin.
Tears stream down my cheeks as I watch them drag Gage away. My heart tells me that there’s no way he hurt me, but my mind battles with the word “witness”. Someone saw something. My heart shatters into a million tiny shards. I trusted him.
How could he do this to me?
To be continued....
***Claimed, book 3, coming soon!***
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed it, please take a moment to leave a review at your favorite retailer. Thank you!
~~~~Alana~~~~
I’d love to hear from you!
Follow me on Twitter
Follow my Blog
I’m also on Goodreads
Sign up for my Newsletter
Spotify playlist – Tempted
Other Books by Alana Sapphire
Forbidden (Death Dealers MC Book 1)
Rock Hard: A Collection of Erotic Short Stories
About The Author
Music and writing are my two great loves. I always thought I'd be doing one or the other. Alas, I cannot sing or play an instrument so I'm relegated to listening to music (and eating copious amounts of chocolate) while I write. Hoping you’ll enjoy my characters as much as I do!
