“Please talk to me. Whatever is going on, please let me help. I can’t do anything to help you if you don’t let me. You’re killing me by staying in your room. I miss you.”
“I’m sorry,” she balls, clutching onto my shirt. “I saw Trevor at the hospital a week ago. He was there. I should have told you.”
“What?” I’m furious. I’m not mad at her. I understand why she felt like she couldn’t tell me, but I can take care of this problem. We have resources. Trevor doesn’t have to be a threat. “I thought he was dead?”
“I did too. But he found me because of my phone. It’s been eating away at me. I didn’t know how to tell you because of Dillon. I didn’t want the two of you to get hurt, but he threatened my mom and me. He said I owe him money, but if I don’t give it to him, he’ll kill my mom and take me. I turned on my phone and turned the location off, and he has been sending me messages.” She pulls her phone out of her pocket and hands it to me, and I almost throw it against the wall.
Dick pictures.
Pictures of him with a knife.
“I want you. You know you want me. It’s all yours. I’ll kill you if you don’t accept my offer.” I read line by line of disgusting texts from him, and she hasn’t responded. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? You had me wondering if you loved me. I don’t like feeling like that. I love you more than anything.”
“I love you too. I was scared. I didn’t know how to bring this to you, but I couldn’t take the distance I put between us. I know it’s my fault. What do you want me to do? I’ll do anything, Gray.”
“Well…” I slide her phone into my pocket and guide her to the kitchen island. I open the red box and show her the ring I got her earlier this morning. “I want you to wear my ring. I want us to tackle these issues together. Don’t ever not be in my bed because of fear. I gave you space this time, but I won’t next time. We are in this together, and there is no way in hell I’m going to let him ruin that for us. I won’t let anyone ruin what we have. I’m going to give Sebastian the phone and see what Trevor has been up to. Him and Zeke have been hard at work trying to find Kendall.”
When I checked on Dillon earlier, he was playing with the new racetrack I got him. He has been stuck in there all morning, not wanting to come out. He’s happy. He’s being a little boy. Not a little boy who is sick or being pumped full of poison, but just a kid, playing with his toys. I won’t let Kendall take him from me, and I won’t let Trevor touch Finley.
I have my family. I have a purpose in this life now. And no one will fuck my second chance up at happiness.
I slide the ring on her slender finger, and something inside me settles. I’m one step closer to making her officially mine. “You look good with my ring on you.”
She throws her arms around me, and a round of claps come from behind her. Everyone is there, including Doctor Gladstone who has a grim expression on his face, but he’s still clapping. Dillon isn’t in the crowd of people. I search high and low for my little man, but he isn’t there. I place Finley on the ground and take her hand in mine as we stalk toward them. Quinn, Gabriella, Sebastian, Heaven, Owen, and Jaxon, they all have bright smiles on their faces.
My happiness is short-lived by Doctor Gladstone’s expression, though. The claps slow down, and I feel everyone’s curious eyes on us, probably wondering if I’m going to punch him in the face again. I pull Finley’s phone out of my pocket and slam it against Sebastian chest. “Check to see if you can find a location on the Trevor guy. He’s blackmailing her. I want him found immediately.”
Sebastian nods and doesn’t say anything else before flipping the phone on and walking down the hall. He freezes a few feet away, and he probably sees the alarming dick pictures. He isn’t surprised for long. He vanishes around the corner, and Gabriella is hot on his heels.
“What is it?”
“We should—”
“Tell me,” I growl in the doctor’s face.
“His red blood cell count is next to nothing. He needs that bone marrow transplant. Now. Or the three months I gave him turn to the end of this month.”
“The end…” I stagger on my feet. “You said six months, then three and now you’re saying I might have three weeks left with him?” I grab him by his coat and toss him to the floor.
“Stop,” Finley says, grabbing my fist before I slam it against the doctor’s face.
“We need to find Kendall.”
“We will. Everything is going to be okay,” Finley reassures, and this time I explode.
“Stop saying that! Everyone stop. It isn’t going to be okay. Nothing is okay. The only one with realistic expectations is the doctor. And while his truth fucking hurts, at least he isn’t blind by some fucked up delusion that everything is going to work out.” I step over the doctor and look over my shoulder. “I need a minute alone.” I head straight for my son’s door and open it to find him hooked up to fluids and laying in bed. I have to disinfect before
