Chapter Forty-Eight

Lyrical

T he beeping noise from the machine stirs me out of my sleep and I look around the room, the lights blinding my eyes. Relief washes over me to find that I'm safe in a hospital. My body feels like it's on fire. Exhaustion overtakes me as the room spins. I glance down at my fingers intertwined with Snow's. I've never been so happy to see him more than I am now.

I'm forever grateful to him for rescuing me from his father and Carter. Snow sits up, rubs his eyes, and when he sees I'm awake, he immediately cups my face and kisses me deeply. I allow him to kiss me long and hard.

I miss his lips on mine.

I miss being at home with him.

I miss him controlling my body.

Tears rush down my cheeks, and he brings me into his arms, stroking my hair.

"You're safe, Lyrical. You're so beautiful and brave."

I've never felt safer than I do now. He lets me sob uncontrollably on his hoodie. When I pull away, he uses his thumbs to wipe away my tears.

He whips out his phone and types on the screen before tucking it back into his pocket.

"I texted your parents to let them know you're okay." He brushes his lips against my forehead. "How are you feeling, Blue?"

"Where is Bailey? I want to see her."

"She's right next door."

"Take me to her, please."

I can't wait to see her and hold her in my arms, I miss her terribly. When we get out of the hospital, we're going for milkshakes, and I'm to help her however I can so she can get through her trauma of dealing with her father and Carter.

"What happened to your father and Carter?"

Snow grabs a bag from the corner, pulling out a sweater and some sweatpants. He removes my gown and helps me into my clothes, trying not to touch the stitches on my side and the back of my leg and below my ass cheek.

"Carter is dead—I killed him. I can't locate my father, but Clemon and Keanu are working on it."

Good. I'm glad Carter is dead. He deserves it. And his father needs to be killed too.

My legs burn so Snow picks me up, and I snuggle up in his arms. My face feels like it's lit on fire from being punched earlier. Even though we've broken up, I like the fact that he's still taking care of me.

He carries me to Bailey's room, and I sit on the bed next to her.

She's thin and weak. I hug her and kiss her forehead as tears continue to run down my cheeks.

"I can't believe you're alive," I whisper. "I'm so happy to see you. I missed you so much. The last several months have been hell without you. When you get out of here, we're going for ice cream, and I'll catch you up on the latest gossip, and you'll meet Lilac and Winter too. They are cool friends. We can have a girls' night out."

Snow stands behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

Bailey stirs awake and her eyes land on us, then she smiles weakly. Her eyes drink in the way her brother clings to me, and he holds her hand, squeezing. She glances around the hospital, then back at us.

"Hey." Her tone is weak and low.

I slip my fingers into her other hand, and I kiss her palm.

"We're going to get through this together, Bailey. I promise we will. We love you and we miss you so much."

"I'm… tired."

She lets go of my palm and slips back into sleep, and the monitor makes a beeping noise before all of the numbers say zero.

Realization hits me like a ton of bricks as I shake her shoulders.

"Wake up! Please, Bailey, wake up!!" I scream as I sob uncontrollably.

Doctors and nurses push us out of the way as I stand there in shock, but Snow drags me out of the room while I keep my eyes glued to the window, feeling numb, unable to breathe, clutching my sweatshirt and trying to catch my breath. I turn to Snow, wrapping my arms around him as he keeps his eyes glued to the window.

The nurses turn off the monitor and remove the IV and breathing tube. A moment later, one of them states Bailey's time of death. The nurse places a white sheet over her body.

The doctor walks up to us and places his hand on Snow's shoulder.

"The infection in her body was too great and she was already severely malnourished. I'm sorry."

I collapse to the ground, screaming, while Snow just holds me in his arms.

Snow

I drive Lyrical to the farmhouse because she told me she didn't want to be bothered by anyone. She sobs the entire ride. I'm trying to be strong for her, but I'm also trying to fight the urge to spaz the fuck out. It feels like someone took a sledgehammer to my chest. I thought for certain Bailey would survive after we found her and that I got my sister back.

Sometimes fate feels as if it's fucking with us. My sister had a tragic life. I didn't protect her like I was supposed to or stand up to my father like I should have. Maybe I could have prevented all of this and my father would pay for his crimes. Once he is found, he's going to suffer in the worst way.

Once I pull up to the driveway, I carry Lyrical into the living room, laying her on the couch, then I sit next to her. Eventually, she cries herself to sleep.

There is a knock at the door, so I grab my gun from under the couch, slowly walk to the door, and look through the peephole. I sigh in relief to see my mother, so I tuck the gun in the back of my pants and unlock the door before opening it.

She throws her arms around me, hugging me and sobbing. We stand there for several moments, but it feels like eternity.

I walk her to the kitchen, and she sits on of the barstools with neither one of us saying anything.

"The hospital called and your sister… your sister passed away… again."

She doesn't know anything that happened between my father and me, so I tell her. I tell her everything about what Carter told me, and that I have to find Revi.

"My poor baby," my mother says, her eyes bloodshot from crying. "I'm so sorry, Snow. I failed you and Bailey."

"You did the best you could w—"

"I chose Revi over you, and I shouldn't have. He blamed you for something that he staged because he's filled with control and power. I should have protected you two. I should have left him when I had the chance, but instead I allowed your father to treat you and Bailey like shit because I didn't want to be a single mother."

I don't respond because I don't know what to say to that. I always felt like she always took his side, and I understand that she was staying to survive. My mother gets up and holds out her arms, and I embrace her. She wraps her tiny arms around me, squeezing tight.

I sit on a barstool, and she sits back down, next to me.

"So, how is marriage with Lyrical?"

"She wants a divorce but I'm not giving it to her. I don't want to lose her. She feels as if I put her second and she thinks that I won't change for her. She thinks I chose my revenge over her."

Mom smiles sadly at me. "I understand where she is coming from. Your father was always putting me second. When he was out for blood, nothing stood in his way. Stop choosing revenge over her. Choose her over the Billionaire Club. I know your father taught you to serve the club, but that is what drove a wedge in our marriage. It drove him to cheat." She runs her fingers through my hair. "I'm sorry."

I watch her in bewilderment, but she goes on.

"I'm sorry for choosing your father over you and taking his side. I'm sorry for blaming you for your sister's death—the first time. I'm so sorry, my sweet boy. I'm sorry that I was a neglectful mother and I'm sorry that I allowed your father to destroy our lives. That's why I had to move to San Francisco. I couldn't take the guilt. I had no idea that your father did what he did. Do you forgive me, son?"

"I do. You don't have to continue to say you're sorry."

"I want you to hear it."

I nod. I love my mother, and I already lost my sister a second time; I don't want to lose her too.

I need to make up for my behavior toward Lyrical. I should have believed her in the first place when she said the car accident was staged, but I couldn't see past my rage. Instead of choosing love, I chose my rage—my revenge over her—but not anymore. My revenge got us in this predicament. I'm going to change by picking her. Going forward, I will always pick her no matter what. She deserves an apology from me again, I owe her that much. And I'm going to spend the rest of my life making it up to her.

Lyrical limps into the kitchen, and my mother gets up from the barstool and hugs her, cupping her face. Mom drops a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you for loving my kids."

She turns on the ball of her heel and says, "I'll be in the guest room."

Lyrical stares at me for what seems like forever.

"If you need anything, ask me. Don't be walking on your injured leg, you could tear your stitches."

"I'm fine, Snow."

"I need to talk to you," I tell her, pulling out a barstool and helping her sit on it. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired."

"What kind of revenge do you want me to exact on my father?" I ask, resting my elbows on the breakfast nook.

She gives me a puzzled look. "Come again?"

"I want your help getting revenge on my father. So, what are your ideas of how you want me to kill him?"

"You want to include me in your plan for revenge against your father?" she asks, skeptical.

"Yes."

"Why?"

I tuck a strand behind her ear, and her cheeks turn a pale pink. "Because I'm not the only one who lost Bailey, you lost her too. For a while, I didn't take any consideration of how you felt about her death. This revenge isn't just mine, it's yours too. We're a team, Lyrics."

Her eyes water, and she wraps her arms around my shoulders. "Really?"

I nod.

She squeezes my hand. "Thank you. It's all I wanted, to be seen and not be second to you."

Tears tickle down her bruised face and I use my thumb to wipe them away. Leaning forward, I brush my lips against her forehead.

I grab her by the neck and squeeze tightly, kissing her deeply, and she moans against my mouth. God, I miss my wife.

My phone dings with a message, so I grab it from my pocket.

Keanu: I found your father.

Me: Send me his location.

"Keanu found my father, are you ready to pay him a visit?"

She wraps her arms around my neck. "Yes. Let's show him who he's fucking with."