Chapter 32

CHAPTER 32

S elena

Heartache.

Fear.

Exhaustion.

Love.

The four emotions didn't necessarily belong in the same place, but I felt them all furrowing inside of me, struggling to get free. After popping in the address for the medical examiner's office into my GPS, I tried to take deep breaths as I was driving, but my mind was spinning from what I'd learned. How could…

Greed.

My father had always told me people would sell their souls and half their families for money. I'd laughed at him.

Until now.

He was right, sadly so.

The fact he was in danger continued to nag at my mind, but he was a big boy. As long as he hadn't been poisoned. I tried my mother again, finally ready to give up on my family entirely. Why did things have to be this way?

As I tossed the phone, I almost missed the passenger seat from the force I used. I was strangling the steering wheel with one hand as I did my best to keep the phone from sliding onto the floor on the opposite side. I managed to catch it but not before almost swerving into another lane.

The blasting horn was a reminder I needed to keep my wits about me.

I turned a corner, barely glancing at the GPS. Thankfully, it wasn't the busiest time of day, allowing me some leeway with my less than stellar driving skills. When the phone rang, I jumped, half laughing from my nervousness. I snatched it quickly, relief flooding through me.

Thank God.

Valerio.

Just before I answered, I noticed a vehicle I'd seen before. A big black SUV only two car lengths behind me. Was the bastard following me? I could swear the first place I'd seen it was just outside Valerio's house when I'd left.

Stop being an idiot.

My inner voice tried to soothe my nerves. It wasn't working.

"Valerio," I breathed.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm on my way to you. I think anyway. We need to talk."

He sighed. "Not over the phone."

Was he really worried about someone bugging our phones? "Okay. I'm only five miles out. Are you still at the morgue?"

"No. On my way to you. There's a Starbucks on State Street. Stop there and we'll talk."

"You won't believe what I found. Your father was brilliant in trying to hide his yearlong investigation."

When he paused, I glanced into the rearview mirror again. Shit. I'd be damned if the fucking SUV wasn't closer. I knew the area well enough that I could take a slight shortcut. I calculated the distance, waiting until the last moment to switch lanes, not bothering to flip on my turn signal.

The moment I made the turn, I sucked in my breath but heard the strangled moan escaping.

"What's wrong?" Valerio asked.

"Maybe nothing. But I could swear someone is following me."

"What the fuck? Where are you?"

"Miller Avenue. I took another route."

"What do you see?"

The rush of adrenaline was high as I waited to see if the person made the turn. When I noticed it again, I groaned. And the fucker was speeding up.

"A black SUV. Shit."

"Listen very carefully. Don't try and outrun this person. Pull over somewhere safe."

I was close to panicking. I'd never been chased before. My instinct told me to press down on the gas pedal. That's what I did.

"I think I can lose him," I said in a weak voice.

"Don't do it. I'm on my way."

But I did anyway, speeding down the road and deciding what turn to make. My little car was a piece of crap, but she could handle turns like she was cornering on rails. I made two quick ones, pressing down on the accelerator both times.

Goddamn it. The asshole was able to keep up.

"Don't. Listen to me," he growled.

"He's right behind me. Oh, God."

When the asshole sped up again, I could almost hear his powerful engine roaring. I was no match for the driver. I scanned the road, realizing I'd made a wrong turn somewhere. Shit. "I don't know where I am. But's he's close, so close."

"Pull over. Pull the fuck over somewhere safe."

As the vehicle crowded my car on the left, I did everything I could to keep control. I glanced to the left, shaken to my core. "Valerio. I can't. He's right here. He's right…"

Valerio

The line went dead. Nothing. There was no noise, no crackling sound. Just…

Nothing.

I slammed my foot onto the accelerator, zooming around various vehicles, plastering my hand on the horn to try to get them out of the way. I was less than two miles from her. I had to find the woman I'd fallen far too fucking hard for.

My entire mind was focused on one thing.

Getting to Selena.

After skidding around a turn, my mind went into overdrive trying to process where she might have turned. One thing I knew for certain. There was no room for error, no time to waste. Whoever was following her must have realized she'd been searching.

I spun around another corner, barely avoiding being hit head on. As I sped down the road, I noticed something in the windshield. What the hell was that?

My heart was in my throat as I passed several other vehicles, fighting to keep focusing.

Within seconds, I realized what I'd seen before.

Smoke.

Very few times in my life had time stood still, so much so that even breathing had been difficult. There was no concept of breathing as I tried to comprehend what I was seeing.

Selena's car.

Her ugly, aging, unreliable car had flipped upside down, the front smashed into a streetlight. The moment was surreal, my mind finding it impossible to comprehend what I was seeing. I'd just spoken with her. I'd just been able to hear the lovely lilt, her voice sultry and inviting.

Something snapped inside of me, the anger and hatred spiraling together. I was barely aware I'd managed to pull over, somehow able to get the gear into the park and the door opened. Nothing mattered but getting to her.

The stench of gasoline was strong, the smoke rising far too rapidly. From somewhere, I was certain I heard sirens, but they wouldn't get here soon enough. Within a few yards, I noticed she appeared trapped in the car.

No. No. No!

Rage tore through me in an entirely different way, the emotion fueled by adrenaline.

Then there was a spark that I caught out of the corner of my eye. I was certain of it.

Fuck. Fuck. I might be too late. Hell, no. Nothing would stop me from getting to her.

From saving her.

A slight puffing.

And a clunking sound.

"Get out of the way. Move. Move. Move!" I was yelling as I raced forward, dropping to my knees by the closed driver's door window. Frantic, I tried the door. Locked. I beat on the glass, praying for any sign of life.

When she slowly lifted her head, the sight of blood covering her forehead and mouth infuriated me even more. There was no chance she could focus.

"Baby. I need to break the glass. Close or cover your eyes."

It took her a few seconds, her entire body appearing stiff.

Goddamn it, the smoke was rolling, the stench of gasoline getting worse. As the first real flame licked up from under the crushed hood, I sucked in my breath and slid back. I would have one chance at getting her out safely.

"Valerio!"

One of my brothers was calling but it didn't matter. Nothing else did but freeing her. I slammed my foot against the glass.

Nothing.

The sirens were blaring.

My heart racing.

Her life in my hands.

Nothing would stop me.

Nothing.

Using every ounce of strength I had, I kicked the window three more times. When it finally shattered, I uttered a sharp roar and scrambled forward.

"I'm getting you out, baby. Hold on. Just hold on."

"Va-leer-io," she moaned, fighting to get to me.

"Just relax." I reached across her, trying to unfasten the seatbelt. It was stuck. Jesus Christ. The heat was oppressive, the crowd forming suffocating.

I pulled and tugged, becoming frantic and furious.

"Use this, bro," Gage said, the very Swiss Army knife I'd given him as a Christmas gift when he was a rough and tumble kid appearing in my line of sight.

There were no words.

There was no time.

"Get back. Get back!" someone was screaming.

"Sir. We got this," a deep voice said.

"Like hell you do." I sliced through the belt, gently tugging her closer.

The flames were getting close.

The smoke made it tough to breathe.

The sirens continued blaring, horns honking in every direction.

But I was focused.

Completely focused.

Echoes everywhere.

People yelling.

Smoke rising.

I managed to wrap one arm around her, carefully easing her from the seat. "I've got you, baby. I've got you."

"Get back! It's going to blow."

While I didn't recognize the voice, it didn't matter. I was scrambling, fighting to protect her while crawling away.

Flames had reached the back, near the gas tank.

Hands grabbed my arms, muffled voices screaming my name. As soon as I was pulled upward, I picked her up, cradling her against my chest. I turned, yelling into the sky as I willed my aching legs to move.

Move.

Move.

The explosion was horrific, the force driving me off my feet and while airborne, I managed to look down at her beautiful face.

And eyes that were staring into mine.

And I heard myself say it, words that could be too little, too late.

"I love you."

Life changed on a dime.

There was no guarantee of tomorrow, often no chance to say goodbyes or words that should have been said years before.

That's what I was thinking as I stood staring out the window of the busy waiting room of the hospital. I wasn't even entirely certain how I'd gotten there. I only knew I'd refused to let go of her.

Now, waiting in the crowded emergency room, raised voices and people scurrying about like rats was just another stark reminder that life was too short.

"Drink some coffee."

I glanced down at the Styrofoam cup in front of me, shaking my head. I knew Gage was trying, both my brothers remaining by my side. I doubted I'd be standing there if they hadn't partially pulled us to safety.

"I can't," I said.

"Come on, bro. You've been standing here in this position for an hour," Braxton said as he moved his back against the window so he could stare at me.

"At least he's not screaming at the nurses and doctors any longer," Gage chortled. "Take the damn coffee."

He jutted the cup in front of me and I finally snagged it. While I knew all the emergency care workers were just trying to do their jobs, they weren't working fast enough. Not for me.

"Why the hell haven't they told me anything yet?" I demanded, turning enough to give the workers at the emergency room desk a nasty glare.

"They will when they can," Braxton said quietly. "Remember, they are worried about spinal cord injuries and internal bleeding."

"Fuck. Fuck!" I slammed my fist on the glass and several people waiting glanced in my direction. "What if I didn't save her? What if she's died because…" Of me.

"But you did. You were pretty fucking heroic out there," Gage told me.

We were all staring at the cops remaining just outside the emergency room like vultures. Even the press had found out, waiting until our departure. Well, fuck them.

"Not according to the cops and the firefighters," Braxton said mostly in jest. I knew what he was doing, trying to keep me from spiraling into a place of darkness.

"Fuck them too. I did what I had to do." I was even pointing at my chest. What was I doing, trying to convince myself I'd done everything in my power? Shit. What if she was paralyzed? Because of me.

I couldn't stomach the thought.

Goddamn, if another child started screaming, I was going to lose my shit. When I heard several sets of feet thumping as they ran in our direction, I spun around so fast I almost dropped the cup.

Several medical professionals were racing someone on a gurney our way down the corridor. I started to race forward and Braxton stopped me.

"It's not her, brother. You need to breathe."

"How the fuck can I breathe when she's in there and I'm out here?" Neither Gage nor Braxton had seen me completely off the rails like this.

I rubbed my eyes, finally taking a sip of coffee. The rage continued. Whatever she'd found was on the goddamn laptop. At least I'd had Tony remain at the house, ensuring no one tried to steal or damage it.

But finding the person responsible would have to wait.

For now.

"A black fucking SUV. That could be anyone including half the employees working for Dad's company. I mean our company," Gage grumbled under his breath. "This is a fucking shitstorm."

He was right but no one I knew drove one, including any of the board members. That left a huge hole in my scenario. Had someone been trying to use her against me? Had they been planning on kidnapping her? Had she triggered some alarm system when she'd opened the file? My father's laptop had been connected to the network, which was the one thing he'd either forgotten about or he hadn't comprehended anyone could hack into the system.

Anyone.

Thoughts continued preying on my mind, some of them barely making any sense.

"I think I dropped your knife," I said absently, uncertain why I had. But without it, I can't imagine what would have happened.

"It was my favorite gift, but you know what? I'd give it up ten times over, bro." Gage grasped my shoulder, shaking to try to get through to me. "She's going to be okay."

"She damn well better be or I won't stop until the motherfucker is dead. Dead!" My voice was far too loud but I honestly didn't give a shit.

"Try and calm down. Clear heads, remember? We will find the asshole," Braxton added. "I've got feelers out with a few buddies of mine. Plus, the police are looking for the vehicle responsible."

"Right," I snickered. "They don't give a shit. Not like I do. The fucker has likely dumped the vehicle by now or at minimum is hiding it."

"Maybe so but we need to explore every avenue." Braxton sighed. "You look like shit, by the way. You should get some medical attention."

"I couldn't care less what I look like. Fuck this shit, man." The waiting was going to drive me to murder if nothing else did.

"Did you call her mother and father?" Braxton knew I didn't want to hear the man's name. He'd ignored his daughter's calls. He'd acted as if she was nothing to him. And it pissed me off.

"Yeah, I had to leave her fucking father a message. I know I'm enemy number one, but to ignore his own daughter? Disgusting."

"Fuck. You're right. He'll be sorry." Braxton was as angry as I was.

I wanted to say yes, the man would be but I realized I was shifting completely off the deep end. As my mother would say, that's what love did. Love. I'd finally found the perfect person that I could easily let my guard down around and she might die. Because of me. No. Because of fucking greed.

Gage stiffened. "Here comes the doctor. Stay cool."

Cool. I wasn't certain I had it in me.

I don't know why it felt like I was about to face her death but when I turned around, noticing the doctor was scanning the crowd searching for us. I was surprised he'd come to find us given I'd almost given him a black eye.

When the doctor noticed me, the frown remained on his face. He was lucky he didn't have bruises. That would have boded well for an article in the press.

"Shit," Braxton whispered. "Take a deep breath, brother."

I knew I was moving forward but could barely feel my feet.

"Mr. Royal," the doctor said as a lame opening. I couldn't remember his name, nor did I give a shit.

"How is she?"

"She's much better than I'd feared. I waited until the scans came back. I was worried she'd need her spleen removed." The doctor was obviously stressed.

"And?" Gage pushed.

"It appears the organ is only bruised, which can happen in car accidents. No other internal injuries were found. She's a lucky lady."

I glanced into his eyes. "Spinal cord?"

He actually smiled. "No. Just bumps, bruises, and a slight concussion. I want to keep her here overnight for observation but she's a very lucky woman as I said. From what I heard, you saved her life."

Both brothers clapped me on the back. "Can I see her?"

"Yes, you can. We're waiting for a room to open up but she's in a private area. I'll show you where. Just…" Before he led me away, he gave me a stern look. "Just try not to yell at anyone and upset her. Okay?"

While I wasn't certain I could make such a promise, I nodded, throwing both Braxton and Gage a look before following behind him.

The doctor led me through a maze of rooms where drapes dragging along the ceiling tracks provided the only real privacy. When he pulled one back, the sight of Selena with tubes in her arms, a blood pressure and oxygen monitor going, brought me back into another moment of rage.

"Just don't stay long. Not right now. It looks like you could use some rest."

I glanced at the doctor, almost feeling guilty for the way I'd treated him before. Almost. "I'm pretty tough. Just take care of my fiancée."

"Don't worry. I have an entire team that will."

He left us alone and I was forced to take a deep but shaky breath. There were no chairs, no windows, just a pod-sized area allowing her to begin recovery.

I moved to one side, taking her hand into mine. She was so damn cold. There were cuts on her face, maybe from the shattered windshield or because I'd broken the window. One eye was slightly swollen, her bottom lip cut but there were no other obvious outward signs she'd been in such a dangerous wreck.

Selena seemed so fragile even though I knew otherwise. She was one of the toughest women I'd ever met, reminding me of my mother's resilience. But her bones were fragile, her veins and her lovely brain too, and some asshole had fucked with that, purposely trying to take her life. Why? Because she'd gotten too close?

That had to be the reason.

I pulled her hand to my lips, kissing it softly as I brushed hair from her eyes. She was so pale, her skin almost translucent. Seeing her this way was so difficult I closed my eyes briefly. I wasn't a praying man but it felt like the right thing to do.

When I opened them again, her eyes were opened as well. Where before they weren't focusing, I was now able to see her lovely pupils un-dilated.

"Hey, little cupcake. I was worried there for a while." My throat threatened to close.

She darted her eyes back and forth, a single tear forming. "You… saved… me."

Her voice was strained, raspy.

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't?" After gathering the tear onto my fingertips, I continued stroking her hair, thankful she had enough strength to squeeze my hand.

At least Selena managed a smile. "Are you… okay?"

"Stop worrying about me. You need your rest. The doctor doesn't want me staying long. But I'll be here when they move you to a private room."

When she gripped my hand forcefully, digging her nails into my skin, I was surprised.

"Listen to me." She was ready to start coughing.

Another protective moment rushed into me as I glanced around for water. There was a small cup with some and even a straw. "You need some water. Hold on." I grabbed it, sliding my hand under her head and lifting gently. "Take a few sips." I was almost certain she was going to shove it away but thankfully she did what she was told.

When I eased her back, she licked her lips. "You need to listen. You could… be in… danger."

After placing the cup back where it had been, I lowered my head so she didn't need to struggle so hard. Her hand was firmly wrapped around mine, her breath hot.

And her words were clear.

There was no question about whether or not I was capable of murder.

It was going to happen.

And nothing and no one was going to stop me.