My eyes fluttered open, the light crashing in violently for a split second, before the darkness washed over me again, leaving me alone again, scared, lost.
Fingers wrapped around mine, warm and solid, but a warmth I couldn’t quite touch back.
Take me! I wanted to cry out. I need help. A way out.
Words failed, only breath escaping, only pain surfacing.
The flash of light, extinguished.
The darkness, darker.
The will to keep going, gone.
Chapter 4
RYDER
Staring down at Cherry brought a flood of memories that I tried like hell to push away. I’d seen too many people lying in hospital beds, looking like death was just a breath away. Seeing my old friend in such rough shape left me reeling.
I grabbed her hand, squeezing hard, wishing like hell I could transfer some of my own life into her. The constant beep of the machines surrounding her was enough to make a man go mad, and all I could think about was unhooking her and taking her home to Doc.
But Doc wasn’t there anymore.
And home wasn’t ‘home’ anymore — at least not for Cherry. She’d been gone a good long while now and I’d not seen her in years, but we’d stayed in touch after she left. I’d missed her, but life had gone on. I never in a million years expected she’d be lying in a hospital bed when I saw her again.
She was busted up pretty badly. Bruises covered her face and arms, and just about every inch of exposed skin. Tubes protruded from her nose and an IV was dripping fluids into the back of her hand. Her skin, normally rosy and vibrant, was grey and sallow. The only color was provided by her signature copper curls that I’d grown to love so much over the years.
Cherry was a firecracker, on the inside and outside. She knew it, I knew it, and all the Gods knew it. She never apologized for her sassy attitude, and we never asked her to. She was tough, but matronly. She was nurturing, but her sharp tongue could cut you like a knife.
And she was the best damn friend you could ever ask for.
Rage, mixed with worry, filled my veins like a white-hot cocktail that was increasingly difficult for me to tamp down with each passing moment.
If only she’d wake up…
“She’s been asleep for two whole days now,” Hannah, Cherry’s sister said from the chair next to her bed. She chewed on a thumbnail, her face looking as worried as I felt.
“Has her doctor given you any indication of when she might wake up?” Grace asked.
She shrugged. “He said it was up to her.”
I sighed and looked around the room impatiently. We’d come straight to the hospital after landing and Lacey had taken Sadie to the cafeteria, while the rest of the Gods waited outside. Slade and Riot were itching to get into see her, but the hospital limited the number of visitors in the ICU.
“When was the last time you talked to the doctor?” I asked.
“Yesterday,” she replied. “He doesn’t come by too often. Most of the updates I get are from the nurses, who don’t seem to know much themselves.”
I nodded, frustration building up inside of me. I needed answers. I needed to know how this happened. Cherry was an excellent driver and always had been. It wasn’t like her to just run off the road and flip her vehicle. I’d never even known her to have a minor fender-bender.
“You said you suspected someone had caused this accident,” I said to Hannah. “Can you tell me more about that?”
Her eyes darted past me out into the hallway and then she lowered her voice, shaking her head. “Not here.”
I raised a brow, but nodded curtly. I knew that the walls had ears in small towns like this, and I respected Hannah’s caution, but the look of fear in her eyes worried me. If she wasn’t safe to talk in Cherry’s private ICU room, then just how safe was Cherry?
“Hannah, have you been here the entire time?” Grace asked.
“Yes,” she nodded. “I hopped the first flight out of New Orleans when I got the call.”
“You must be exhausted,” Grace said. “Why don’t you take a break? I can stay by her side for a while. Go get some rest and something to eat.”
“The nurses have been taking care of me,” she said. “But a break would be nice. I haven’t spent much time in my hotel room. Thank you.”
“Of course.”
“You’ll call me if there’s any change?”
“Immediately,” Grace said, as Hannah stood up. Grace hugged her and then she turned to me.
“You know, Cherry never talked about many people from her past. But she talked about you. And Doc. She loves you both so much,” she said, smiling at Grace, and then me.
“We love her, too,” I said. “I’d like to walk you to your car. Grace, I’ll be right back.”
“Of course,” she said, sinking into the chair next to Cherry’s bed. “I’ll be right here.”
After she kissed Cherry’s forehead, Hannah and I walked out of her room and headed down a long, bright hallway.
“Thank you for coming,” she said.
“Of course, thank you for calling,” I said.
“I wasn’t sure what to do,” she said. “Everything is so weird, and to be honest, I’m a bit frightened.” The worry lines on her face deepened and I wanted to erase every single one. Quiet and petite, the only indication Hannah and Cherry were sisters was the shock of red hair they both possessed.
A couple of nurses passed us in the hallway, nodding politely. I noticed Hannah stopped talking immediately and I couldn’t help but wonder if Cherry was safe here again.
Once we exited, the rising heat of a Savannah afternoon washed over us. We reached her car, and after looking around to make sure we were alone, I began to quiz her.
“Hannah, do you think Cherry is safe in this hospital?”
“I hope so,” she answered, more tentatively than
