Chapter 16

SIXTEEN

AUSTIN

The shrill ring of the house phone had me jolting awake. It took me a moment to get my bearings and then remember where the house phone actually lived. I couldn't recall the last time I'd used it.

"What the—"

"Shh, it's okay. Get back to sleep," I said quietly to Jasper as I scooped up my cell and eased out of bed. A strange grumbling noise followed me as I left the room, switching on my cell that I always turned off at night.

There was just enough light filtering through the house from the almost full moon to help guide my way and stop me tripping. Just as the phone stopped, my cell came to life. Within moments, notifications of missed calls popped up, one after another. My heart lurched. They all seemed to be from Dad .

Quickly keying in my passcode, I hit his name. The call connected, and one ring sounded before he answered, "Austin, thank God."

"Dad, what's wrong? What's going on?" Nausea swirled through my gut as I entered the kitchen, turning on the light as I did so. I cast a look at the wall clock. It was just after 4:00 a.m. Nothing good ever came from calls at this time of the day.

"I need you to come to Chicago." His voice was tight, carefully controlled.

I froze. The swirl in my stomach sped up, and a burst of adrenaline pulsed through me at his request. "What's happened?"

"It's your brother." The sound of his gulp was loud, the emotion in his voice evident with the quiver. "He's been in an accident."

Clamping my hand on the countertop, I held tight, willing myself to remain upright.

"He's unconscious."

I had no idea what to say, what to do.

"I just need you to come to the hospital."

My voice had disappeared. A high-pitched whine sounded through my head, making my thoughts blurred.

"Austin, are you there? Can you hear me?"

I didn't startle from the hand on my shoulder. Instead, breath rushed into me, bringing much-needed oxygen. After a few more moments, but not quite sure how much time had passed, I heard Jasper talking and realized I no longer had the phone in my hand.

My baby brother….

I shook my head.

Dad asking for me meant this was serious. It wasn't a simple scrape, whatever this was. But this was Frankie. He was reckless and passionate and fierce, but he also had an energy about him that was powerful and beautiful. I can't lose him.

"You won't lose him," Jasper said, his words pulling me out of my head. He palmed my face, his eyes kind, worried. "I love you."

My shoulders sagged, and I dragged in a new breath.

"I need you to shower while I book you a ticket, okay?" He waited a beat, and I figured he was waiting for a response. I nodded. That tender smile of his that I loved so much tilted his lips. "I'm going to pack you a bag, and when I'm driving you to the airport, we'll talk, okay?"

"Thank you," I said, my breath hitching.

"Always." He dotted a small kiss on my mouth and led me back upstairs before ushering me to the shower.

Under the warm water, reality and the need to pull myself together seeped into my bones. I'd never reacted like that before, spaced out to the point of losing control. And as I patted myself dry, I knew Jasper was the only reason I'd allowed myself to be so vulnerable. I love you were not simply words shouted out in the heat of the moment. They weren't empty, weren't insignificant, not if the soul was invested and truth carried them to the person you loved. Never before had I been lucky enough to have such love, to allow it to become a part of me, and tonight, I knew I was irrevocably in love with the man who would hold my hand and raise me up through anything and everything I had to face.

When I stepped into the room, Jasper was closing the laptop. A packed carry-on was next to him, and he was picking up my laptop bag.

"Hey," I said, my voice soft.

He stood and walked over to me, wrapping me in his arms. That I was bigger didn't matter. Secure and loved and protected. I felt it all in his arms.

He pulled away, and I went to the clothes he'd laid out for me on the bed. My heart swelled at his thoughtfulness.

"I managed to get you on the ten-fifteen flight this morning to Chicago."

My eyes widened. Chicago was not home. I had a slight recollection of Dad saying Chicago, but his words hadn't registered at the time. It was apparently where Frankie had wandered to .

It would take us just over two hours to get to the closest airport from here, which meant we had enough time not to be racing out of here like we were being chased by coyotes. "Thank you."

"I've texted Billy, and he's already answered. That man seriously needs to not be awake, exercising or doing whatever he does so early in the morning." He shot me a smile and a wink, and I appreciated him trying his hardest to calm me. "He'll take care of Penny while I'm taking you to the airport." His lips then pinched.

"What is it?"

"I wish I could come with you." His hand gripped mine and gave a light squeeze. I still didn't know what had happened or the severity of Frankie's condition. The control freak in me was desperate to know, but I held on to the ignorance for a while longer. "But there's work, and Penny."

"Shit, work."

Jasper shook his head. "Email whoever it is you need to email, and they'll get it sorted out. The place isn't going to fall apart without you there, okay? You just concentrate on you and your family."

I nodded. I could do that. I'd make some calls before boarding the plane.

"Do you want me to have Penny, or would you like for me to ask Billy? "

I did up my jeans and then paused to face him. I reached out, happy when he was immediately in my arms. "Is it needy of me if I ask for you to stay here with Penny?" I knew it was, but with the uncertainty of the unknown, knowing that Penny was safe with Jasper and that he was in my home, my bed, settled something inside of me.

"Of course I will. I'll do whatever you need me to do."

Relieved, I leaned into him, our foreheads touching as I breathed him in. "Knowing you're here helps. Thank you."

Robin picked me up from the airport in a rental. The drive to the hospital was tense and silent. It was good to see her, but not like this. As we edged closer, I tried my hardest to get my head around the little information Jasper had passed on to me.

Frankie had been in a motorcycle accident. There'd been a passenger with him, a woman apparently. Other than knowing he had broken bones and was unconscious, I knew nothing else. Robin's silent hug when she'd greeted me implied there'd been no change, and I was struck dumb, scared to ask in case something worse had developed.

By the time we entered the hospital, I had fought hard to take a breath and get myself together. It was time for me to step up and back into my role as eldest son and big brother. My dad and sisters needed me. And I hoped like hell Frankie needed me too.

Side by side, holding hands, my sister and I stepped out of the elevator. Robin's voice startled me after our silence. "He looks bad, but he's breathing on his own, so that's good, but yeah." Robin swallowed audibly, and I gently squeezed her hand. "I just needed to warn you he doesn't look great."

I nodded my understanding as I cleansed my hands just outside his room with the antibacterial gel, took a breath, and stepped into the room. The only sound was the heart monitor, beating a regular rhythm. When I stepped fully into the room, my eyes landed on Dad first as I deliberately slipped my gaze over the foot of the bed rather than focus on my brother's form.

Dad shot up out of the chair, looking ashen and ten years older. Immediately, I stepped over to him and hugged him tightly, pressing a kiss on his cheek. His breathing changed, the sound an echo from our past. Emotions were riding him, and I knew the signs enough to know he was struggling to keep it together. But that was why I was here, so he didn't have to.

"Hey, I'm here." I squeezed my arms around him. "We'll get this figured out and make sure he bounces back, okay?"

The small bob of his head had my shoulders relaxing a little. He pulled back, the tiniest tell of relief in his eyes. Debbie was then clinging to me, her sobs silent, her tears soaking my T-shirt.

"I'm so glad you're here," she whispered against me, and I closed my eyes, knowing I had no other option but to take in my brother's prone form.

Placing a kiss on top of her head, I asked, "Where's Georgie?"

She eased out of my hold, wiping her eyes, saying, "At home with Keith. I flew out by myself."

I nodded, knowing that made sense. Her daughter being here would have added an additional layer of stress on her. I assumed it was the same for Robin.

When Debbie stepped fully away, it was time to see my brother. With controlled movements, my eyes traveled the length of his partially covered body. One leg was in a cast, the other heavily bandaged. His right arm was also in a cast. Cuts and scrapes littered his left arm, and what appeared to be fierce road rash bloodied his triceps, making me wince.

His head, thankfully, was unscathed, and I thanked Christ he'd at least worn a helmet. Several tubes poked out of his arms, one fed through his nostril, and right then, I wanted nothing more than Jasper right here beside me to give me the strength and comfort I needed to take care of my family.

Instead, I'd have to make do with a call as soon as I could. I'd already let him know I'd landed safely, but I needed more of Jasper's calm and caring. In the meantime, it was time to get answers.

"What have the doctors said?" I glanced at Dad and then at Debbie, who'd seemed to calm herself. My focus then moved to Robin, who sat next to Frankie, holding his uninjured hand. The other, I noticed, was strapped up.

Debbie spoke. "There's no swelling on the brain, which is a relief." I nodded, allowing the information to settle over me. "They've already operated on his leg and had to put pins in. There were two breaks, one especially nasty." Her eyes watered, her control slipping when she said, "He'll need skin grafts on his left leg." She huffed out a breath and looked up, her way of getting herself under control. "His right arm is a straightforward break, and while he'll probably scar on his left arm, it should heal by itself. "

I took all of that in, aware Frankie had one hell of a journey ahead of him. "Why isn't he awake?"

My attention turned to Dad when he said, "He will have hit his head hard. The scans showed no head trauma, but after such a hit, it'll take a bit of time. They said they expect him to wake in the next few hours."

"Okay," I answered, finally sitting, the adrenaline that had been pumping through my veins since the phone call finally crashing through me, making my knees weak and my head spin.

"Shit, let me get you a coffee or something. Maybe a hot tea with sugar?" Robin had stood, no doubt understanding what was happening with my exhausted body and emotional state.

"Hot and sweet, whatever it is, would be good, thanks."

She smiled, squeezing my shoulder as she passed by.

"Jasper said he was with someone?" I asked.

Debbie gnawed on her bottom lip, not saying anything. I then looked to Dad, who looked nauseous.

Dread settled low in my gut. "What?"

"She died during the operation," Dad said hollowly.

"Oh my God, who was she?" I gasped.

He shook his head. "We don't know. She had no ID. We just know she was young. I'm assuming in her twenties, but we don't know who she was, where they were going, what they were doing. Nothing."

Shock rippled through me. "Seriously?"

Dad bobbed his head once, and I huffed out a breath.

This was all kinds of messed up.

Debbie nudged me awake. I'd fallen asleep in the uncomfortable chair after refusing to check in to a nearby motel. I'd talked Dad into resting, though. He needed it. There was only so much his body and emotions could take before he'd truly feel the effect, and I wasn't prepared for him to get sick and worry about him too.

My eyes sprang open and immediately traveled to Frankie. A doctor was at his side. I staggered out of my chair to reach my brother's other side. At my movement, Frankie's eyes landed on mine. Confusion clouded his gaze until understanding seemed to dawn. And with understanding came panic.

He jostled, gasping in pain, in distress, quite possibly in fear. He opened his mouth, but only a croak came out.

"Hey." I reached out and gently touched his shoulder. "You're okay. "

His eyes darted around the room. His distress was still evident.

"Frankie." The doctor's voice cut through the room. "Frankie," he repeated. "I need you to focus on me, okay. And when you do, I can talk to you about what's happening."

Tension filled Frankie's face, and I was sure the action must have hurt like hell. His eyes slammed back into mine. This time fear definitely the leading emotion.

"Frankie," the doctor tried again. "Eyes on me, and we'll get this all straightened out, okay?"

"It's okay." I tried again, my voice low and comforting. "Stop being a pain in the ass and listen to the good doc, okay?" I attempted a smile, trying my hardest to erase his panic. "Please, Frankie." His eyes remained latched to me for a couple of seconds longer before he dragged his gaze away, and he made eye contact with his doctor.

I eased back a little, giving the nurse, who'd appeared, room to work on checking the machine, my whole focus on my brother.

As the doctor explained to him about his injuries, he also told him about his difficulty to talk due to swelling and damage to his tongue. Surprise hit me hard, and I looked at Debbie, whose face reflected her own surprise.

"I know it's hard, and I'm sure you have questions, but please try to not talk. Tongues heal remarkably fast, but I still need you to take it easy."

Frankie's brows pinched, his fear turning to frustration.

"It's safe for you to have small sips of water, but nothing else for a couple of hours. You should be fine for soup a little later. The nurse will talk everything through with you, okay?"

Frankie nodded, and for the first time, I released a real exhale. He understood. He was cognitive.

"We need to run a few tests, and then we'll allow you to rest some more."

Frankie made to speak, then slammed his eyes shut. I noticed his fist clench, and worry slid through me.

Shit, the woman.

"I'm just going to step outside and call Dad, okay?" I told Frankie when the doctor started a quiet discussion with the nurse. "I'm just out there and will be right back." I walked past Debbie, asking her to stay while I checked in with Dad and Robin, and then wondered how on earth we were going to handle the devastation of Jane Doe.

It had been almost twenty-four hours since the accident, and the police were still investigating. The bike wasn't registered in my brother's name, or a woman's, and apparently, the police were struggling to track down the owner. The positive, though, was it wasn't stolen. I was ashamed to admit the thought had crossed my mind.

I walked to the end of the corridor to a quiet waiting area and pulled out my phone to start making my calls. Once done, I'd reach out to Jasper too. A quick glance at the time and working out the time zones told me he'd be at work, so a text would have to suffice.

I sighed, stretching out my neck and trying to formulate a plan of action. I just hoped Dad had got some rest and his brain was functioning a little better than mine.