Chapter 33

CHAPTER 33

SIN

I sit in the waiting room of this makeshift hospital. It really looks more like an office building, but according to Bones, everything in this facility is state-of-the art, although not entirely legal. I don't care about that part. If he can save Kierra, nothing else matters to me.

The nurse has certainly been more attentive than any personnel I've seen in a regular hospital. She comes every hour with an update, which isn't really much of an update. She's still in surgery.

Zade and Amira got here a few hours ago, which was nice I guess, but watching her cry has been difficult, to say the least. I didn't expect it because I didn't realize they had gotten so close. I don't monitor my girls' phone, so I did not know that they text every day, but according to Zade, it is constant.

Bones stuck around until Zade got here, but was itching to find the guys who did this to Kierra. He doesn't handle the emotional shit well, but he also didn't want to leave me alone. I think he was most concerned about me trying to get back to where they have Kierra.

Zade grabs my bouncing leg. "Jesus, man, you're driving me crazy."

He sits beside me with Amira on his other side. They've both, mostly left me alone until now.

"Maybe you should get some fresh air. Clear your mind."

I glare at him. "I'm not leaving her."

Glancing at my watch again, I get more anxious than I already was.

"Six hours. Six fucking hours."

Zade squeezes my shoulder. "Judging by the amount of blood on you, her injuries were severe. It takes time to fix them."

I lean forward and press my face into my hands, remembering the way I found her. "It would take a miracle to survive this."

Amira sits down beside me. "Miracles happen every day, Sin."

I know she's trying to help. And she's my best friend's girl, so I'm trying really hard not to fucking snap at her, but I'm close. There's a danger in convincing yourself everything will be okay when it really might not be. That would be like losing her twice, and I don't think I can deal with that.

"Why don't you get yourself a coffee, Amira," Zade says, clearly trying to get her to leave for a few minutes.

Lifting my head, I see her walk toward the small coffee shop on the other side of the waiting room. Zade clears his throat. "So, what's the deal with Belinda?"

I run my hand through my hair. I might end up bald before her surgery is even finished.

"She was photographed meeting with a Valentine. Bones says Jimmy, the one she met with, handed her an envelope. We assume it was money."

He raises a brow. "Why Belinda? How?"

I shrug because that's not an answer I have. "Maybe they tracked her to the club. I trusted her with everything. This is something I never would've thought she'd be capable of."

Zade chuckles humorlessly, "Sin, I've been telling you for years that woman is in love with you. People do stupid shit for love. Seeing you with Kierra was probably more than she could handle. Are you prepared to deal with her?"

I rub the stubble forming on my jaw. "I can forgive a lot of things, but not this. Bones went to pick her up. I've given him the go ahead to do his favorite thing in the world as long as he gets answers."

Violence against women is almost never acceptable. Even if a woman hit me, I'd never hit her back, but helping a fucking gang not only find my woman but giving them access to my home for me to find her nearly dead body on the floor? That's unforgivable. Add to it the fact that I trusted her implicitly, and she deserves every broken bone she's about to get. My only regret is I'm not there to watch her scream. There's nothing I'd enjoy more right now, but I can't leave Kierra. I won't. If there's any chance she'll live, I'll never leave her side.

The doctor comes out and I hold my breath. As he walks toward me, I swear he's moving in slow motion. When he finally speaks, I breathe again.

"Kierra sustained severe injuries. She was stabbed repeatedly. The worst is the one a hair away from her heart. It was close, but she was very lucky."

I nod slowly. "So she'll make it?"

He shakes his head with a sad expression on his face. "It's too early to tell. The next forty-eight hours are critical. She lost a lot of blood, probably close to thirty percent of her entire blood supply. That alone can be fatal. If you hadn't gotten her here as quickly as you did, we'd be having a different conversation."

I blow out a long breath as he continues, "She survived surgery, which, of course, is a good thing, but she's not out of the woods. There's a high probability that she still won't make it. If she has family, now would be the time to contact them to allow them to say their goodbyes."

Running my hand through my hair, I tell him, "She doesn't have any family. I am all she has."

He nods like he understands how dark this world is, and he probably does. Working for Bones has probably meant he's seen some things most people never do.

"Can I see her?"

Standing in front of me, he folds his hands in front of him, his bushy white eyebrows are the most noticeable feature over his masked face.

"She's in recovery. The nurse will get you once she's able to have visitors. One person at a time. She will be kept on mild sedatives so she'll likely be in and out of consciousness for the next few days. Let the nurse know if you intend to stay and she'll make accommodations for you."

I reach out my hand and he shakes mine. "Thank you, doctor."

He leaves, and Zade squeezes my shoulder. "Good news, man. Very good news."

Waiting to see her now is becoming physically painful. It feels like there's a weight in my chest making it so I can't breathe. This was the best news I could've hoped for, but I need to see her, touch her, just be with her. The next few days are going to be difficult while I wait to find out if I'm bringing her home or burying her. Two very different outcomes, one of which will destroy me. Losing Kierra is something I wouldn't ever get over. There's some pain that's simply too much to get through. It's exactly what happened to my mother. I always thought I was more like my stone cold father, but now I'm not so sure.

Amira comes back with a tray of coffees in her hands and hands one to Zade and then one to me.

"Thank you."

While Zade tells her what the doctor said about Kierra, I sip the hot beverage. I smile when she breathes a sigh of relief and seems so excited to see her friend again. I'm glad Kierra has formed this unlikely bond with her because I know she had to leave her friends behind when she went on the run. She has lived in isolation for so long and my girl deserves everything. If she lives, I'm going to give it to her. Whatever she wants, she gets.

Amira sits on Zade's lap and I smirk. Step-daughter. He glares at me. "Shut up, asshole."

I laugh for the first time since I found Kierra. "I didn't say a word."

Zade holds her tighter with one hand and his coffee in the other. "You didn't have to."

"No judgment here, man. If you're happy, that's all that matters."

"I am," he says and I don't respond because the nurse is walking toward me and it's finally time.