Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 38978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
I drove like a bat out of hell with no thought to the speed limit; if there was a high-speed chase, they would have to shoot me down because I wasn't stopping. I drove with a broken heart, the tinny repeal of her plea playing on a loop in my head. When I pulled up to her house, the sight of an ambulance almost gave me a heart attack. I pushed my way past the EMTs and entered in time to see her dad bringing her downstairs bundled in a blanket. I barely held myself up by my will.
"What are you doing here, Gage?"
"Please, Steve, I know you're pissed off, but we can't do this now; you can't take her to the hospital; the media would be all over this."
"You think I give a shit about that boy? This is my little girl."
"I know that, and you know my dad's a doctor; let me take her to him, please."
He looked at me as though measuring my sincerity. "Why should I trust you with her? You're the one who brought her to this; you threw her away like garbage." His voice broke on the last word.
"You have every right to be mad, and after we get her taken care of, you can deal with me any way you wish. Just, please let me take her now."
"Why should I trust you?"
"Because she called me." I saw the resignation in his eyes before he passed her off to me.
I left him to deal with the medics as I bundled her into the passenger seat before jumping into the driver’s side and flooring it. I was on autopilot as I made it to the corner and saw Brian's hummer coming from the opposite direction. He made an illegal U and swerved in behind me. I could make out Derrick's blonde head on the passenger side with Tiffany in the back, her pixie head between them. Mom and dad were right behind them in mom's Audi coupe.
I didn't look at her; I couldn't; I would lose my shit if I did. Hitting the speaker on my dash, I called my parents’ car.
"I'm here, son."
"Dad, it's bad; I don't want to take her to the hospital. Do you have what we need at the house?"
"If we don't, we'll get it, son; just drive carefully now; we don't need you getting into an accident."
I hung up and gave a quick glance to my passenger. Fuck butterfly, what did you do to yourself? I wiped my face noticing the tears for the first time. She had been cold as ice when I took her from her father. Her breathing was erratic, like she was fighting for every breath. I didn't care anymore who did what or why. When he fucked with her, she was mine, my responsibility, my woman. Living in my house, sleeping in my bed. Guilty or not, she was under my care; because of him, she was this broken shell lying half-dead in my car.
I'm gonna make that motherfucker bleed.
"You fucked up, Poole; I swear on everything I have, you're done. I WILL END YOU.”
CHAPTER 17
I sped through the gates and down the driveway slamming on the brakes like a man possessed. All that mattered right now was getting her the help she needed. As soon as I knew she was okay, I could give my anger free reign.
My family was one step behind us as I ran up the steps with my bundle in my arms. She felt so fucking light. Suzette was a small girl; to begin with, she couldn't afford to lose the weight she had.
My dad tried taking her from me, but I wasn't having that shit; I followed him to the makeshift emergency room he kept on the first floor, cradling her against my chest. I saw Connie out of the corner of my eye with little Jonathan. Obviously, she had stayed behind when the others had followed after me.
There was a madhouse of activity as mom helped dad set up the room; I laid her down on the bed and gently removed the blanket from around her; the sight of my favorite black hoodie swallowing her slight frame damn near broke me. I had to close my eyes against the sight.
"Okay, son, let me look at her now, you want to step outside, or do you want to stay in here? If you are going to stay, you're going to have to stay out of the way." I didn't say anything, just walked over to the window and stared outside as they got busy behind me, tending to her.
It was more than an hour later when dad was finally satisfied that he'd done all he could.
"It looks like a case of dehydration, exhaustion, and not enough to eat, nothing too major. I started an IV. That's about all we can do until she wakes up, but I think she should recover no problem physically speaking, mentally, now that might be another story."