Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

WHIP

I brought her old stuffed toy dog with me.

This thing has seen better days. It’s old, ratty, and falling apart. She used to drag it around like that stupid cartoon boy and his blanket. I’ve repaired it over the years to retain its shape.

I fixed the ears, which flopped back down as I held her hand. The steady beeping of the machine is my only solace as I try to be patient. Abel went back home two days ago. We’re going on a whole week of her in this bed, not waking, and I can barely stand myself.

The staff is wonderful. The team of doctors taking care of her is the best money can buy. They’ve scheduled the bone marrow transplant for this week, and it’s just a matter of waiting.

I hate fucking waiting.

“Sissy, I need you to open your eyes,” I beg her yet again.

I put the toy she lovingly called Puppy under her arm and pin it to her chest as I stand and stretch. I need to eat and smoke, maybe even shower again. I’ve pretty much been living here on a cot the hospital staff pushed up against the wall.

I open the door and run into Mayhem’s chest.

“Stepping out,” I growl as I walk past him.

“Shit, shower, and shave, asshole.” His words hit the back of my head as I walk away.

I can take care of two of those, but the shave will have to wait. I can’t stand being away from her that long, and my greatest fear has become not being there when she wakes.

I take care of business as fast as I can and hustle back to Eden’s room.

As I approach, I see Mayhem in a silent standoff with a guy in a suit and the photographer from a few days ago. Frowning as I get closer, I notice she’s got her camera pointed at Eden’s open door.

“Don’t you fucking take that photo,” I growl.

“Mr. Dare? James Leon, Raleigh Gazette . Can we speak?” The reporter offers me his hand, but I ignore him, staring at the woman with him.

“Put the camera down, Goldilocks.” I move my eyes from her shocked expression to the long waves of blonde hair hanging past her large breasts.

Fuck, where did that come from?

I mean, I’m a man, so of course I’d notice them, but the interest behind my internal thought shocks the shit out of me ’cause I’m not that type of guy. I don’t notice chicks.

Ever.

“Sorry, I was just color correcting . . . You know what? Never mind. I wasn’t photographing your sister. So fuck off with your attitude.”

Wow, feisty little thing.

Did my dick just throb?

“I apologize for my colleague’s attitude.” Mr. Reporter glares at her, and I want to wipe the floor with his face.

I must be more tired than I thought.

“Listen, I’m not ready to speak to anyone. I never agreed to an interview. This is starting to border on harassment. So please leave us alone.” At my words, Mayhem moves into the guy’s face, and a rumble sound starts in his chest.

I feel sorry for the dude if he pisses off our SAA.

“Mr. Dare?” I turn at her voice.

“I thought you might want these. They are the photos from the other day. I’ve deleted the file, so those are the only copies. I just wanted you to see what I did. Again, I’m sorry for overstepping that day.” She hands me an envelope and turns to follow her coworker.

My eyes go to her ass, and I shake my head.

“You need to get laid.” I slam the door shut in Mayhem’s face.

His tone sounds way too amused for my liking.

The machine’s beeping changes, and I turn in a panic, thinking I broke something by closing the door so hard. But all I’m greeted with are large green eyes.

The same as mine staring right at me.

“Sissy?” I step forward, but her arms rise as her mouth opens to scream.

Then she notices Puppy. I’m not sure what math happens in her head, but she looks from the toy dog to me and back a few times before swallowing hard. When she looks up at me, her lip wobbles just like it did when she was little.

“Bri?” I nod so hard my vision blurs.

To be fair, it could also be all the tears in my eyes.

“Yeah, Harpy, it’s me.” I use the nickname I gave her for when she was being a pest.

She gasps and then starts to sob. I’m across the room in seconds, gathering her up in my arms so quickly I don’t think I touched the fucking floor. I begin to rock as I press the button for the nurse.

As soon as the light dings, Mayhem bursts in. When he sees her awake, he runs to get a nurse.

“You found me,” she wails as I rub her thin, bony back.

“Always.”

It’s all I’m capable of saying as I join her, crying my eyes out.

Two days later

Brice, stop fucking hovering.” Eden slaps my hands away as I try to fix her hospital gown.

No matter how hard I tie it, it just falls off her shoulder.

“Fine,” I hiss back at her as I wheel her down to the procedure room.

The nurses have been pissed at me all morning. I can’t blame them. I’m not letting them do their jobs. She wanted a bath, so I carried her into the bathroom. I got her whatever food she wanted against doctors’ orders ’cause who the fuck wants to eat hospital food after being starved half to death all their life?

’Cause that’s what happened.

The first twenty-four hours, she told me everything. And then, I placed a call to Seer. The police will never find the fuckers who took her. Those motherfuckers aren’t good enough for jail. They’re going to rot away in a hole before they meet their maker.

“Brice.”

Oh shit, was she talking to me?

“Yeah, Sissy?” I stop walking and look down at her.

“Go to sleep. Have a drink. Get laid. But get out of here for a few hours. Please.”

I chuckle at her. “Fine,” I mumble, and she grabs my hand and intertwines our pinkies.

“Swear.”

For just a moment, I see her as the four-year-old stubborn brat, and my mind is trying to reconcile with the grown woman in front of me.

“I promise.” I kiss her forehead as the nurse grabs the handles of her wheelchair.

“It’ll be a few hours for the treatment and then three days of isolation. She’ll be able to take calls if she’s up to it, but she’ll be very sleepy the first day.”

I nod.

The staff has repeatedly told me to leave since I won’t be needed. Mayhem has vowed to go nowhere so I can rest.

Fat fucking chance.

We stand and watch her go through the silver steel doors that close with the same finality as a jail cell. Mayhem slaps my back.

“Here you go.” He hands me his hotel room card.

“My Harley is outside. I don’t want to see your ugly face for two days. She’ll call you.” I frown and think of a reason not to leave, but I honestly have been neglecting my own body and need a solid eight hours in a real bed.

“Thank you.”

He grins. “How much did that hurt to say?”

Fucker.

I flip him off and then head for the elevators.

Fifteen hours.

That’s how long I slept, waking up hungrier than I’ve ever been and then flying into a fit of rage because this is what they did to her. I look up the closest boxing ring and buy a one-day pass.

If I don’t hit something, I may explode.

It’s only a few blocks away, so I decided to walk and grab a sandwich to eat on the way there. The worst thing in the world is working out on an empty stomach.

I fling the door open harder than necessary, but luckily, the glass doesn’t break.

“Sorry,” I say as I walk up to the receptionist and show my ID.

“No worries.” She tentatively smiles.

I’m sure my aggression is coming off me in waves, but hopefully the punching bag will help.

I’m going at it for the second hour when blonde hair catches my attention out of the corner of my eye. Then my gaze drops to her ass to confirm the reason I’m sporting a semi now.

FUCK.

No way, it can’t be her. The world can’t be that small. She’s like a specter I can’t shake. She’s invaded my brain, infiltrated my dreams, and now she’s got me checking every blonde woman I see in public.

I level the punching bag I abandoned and follow my dick across the gym to make sure I’m not losing my fucking mind.