Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 70628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
“I want that. I do. More than you even know. But I can’t just leave the past in the past, because it’s not in the past, Katelyn. It’s here now. In the present. It killed Gloria and Brian, and it almost took Buck away from me.”
Katelyn doesn’t say anything. Simply bites on her lower lip.
I can read her like a book. She cares about me, and she cares about Buck. She has good reason to not want us going after the people who are ultimately responsible for my fate.
I see her point. I do.
But two people are dead because of me.
I’m not going to let anyone else die.
Buck and I will find whoever is responsible.
And they will pay.
3
BUCK
“We can’t find a number for Aspen Davis,” the nurse says. “We got a lot of numbers for people named Davis in Aspen, Colorado.
“She’s from…” Damn, my head hurts. What’s the name of her suburb again? “I don’t know. Some suburb of Denver.”
“Try her parents. Darnell and…” Damn. “Lisa. Lisa Jane Aspen Davis.”
“You know her mother’s middle and maiden name?”
“Yeah, and I’m not sure how the hell I do, but I do.”
She sighs. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“If you could get me a smart phone…”
“I don’t have that authority.”
“Where’s my wallet? You said it was on me when I was brought in.”
The nurse goes to the chest of drawers on the other side of the room, opens the bottom drawer, and pulls out a plastic bag with the hospital logo on it. “Your personal items are in here.”
The bag is bulky. My clothes and shoes are inside. “Could you find my wallet, please?”
“We’re not supposed to go through a patient’s personals.”
“But I’m asking you to.”
“Oh, all right.” She digs through the bag, pulls out my jeans, my army boots, and then…my wallet. She hands it to me.
I open it, pull out a credit card, and give it to her. “Please. Get me a smart phone.”
“Mr. Moreno, I’m—”
“Please.”
She bites her lower lip and sighs. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank—”
I gasp.
In the doorway stands Beauty herself.
Aspen. My Aspen.
“Buck! Thank God you’re all right!”
“Aspen.”
The nurse turns. “You’re Aspen?”
“Yes. Thank you for taking care of Buck.”
“Buck? His ID says Antonio Moreno.”
“That’s my real name,” I choke out. “But people call me Buck.”
“I’ll give the two of you some time,” the nurse says, leaving. “Do you want the door shut?”
I nod. “Please.”
Aspen sits down on the edge of the bed. She strokes her finger over my cheek, and her touch… God, her touch…
“Are you okay?”
“I’ve been better. But I’m going to be just fine, especially now that you’re here.”
“I was so worried. Luke promised you were going to be okay, but until I saw you for myself, I just wasn’t positive.”
“So it was Luke then. He brought me here.”
“Yeah. I didn’t know where to go, Buck. You told me to leave if you didn’t join me in the car within five minutes, but I actually waited fifteen minutes.”
“Baby…” I groan.
“Hey, no admonishing me.” Her beautiful features harden. “I’m okay. I’m here. No harm done. And it was the hardest thing I ever did to leave you there at that house.”
“I’m glad you did.”
“I didn’t know what else to do. So I drove straight to Luke and Katelyn’s house. They’re the only people I know here, anyway, and I knew Luke could help you. In fact, he’s the only one I know who could.”
“Seems I owe him again.”
I groan. I never wanted to be beholden to Lucifer Raven. Not after what he did to Emily.
But maybe he’s the proof that people can truly change. Fuck. I’m still not sure I believe it.
But he’s taking care of Aspen while I’m not able to. That will change soon. I’m getting the hell out of here today.
I open my mouth to tell Aspen when a gray-haired and gray-eyed woman in a white coat walks in.
“Mr. Moreno,” she says, “I’m Dr. Bridges. I apologize for being a little late on my rounds today. I had an emergency this morning. How are you doing?”
“I feel like I’ve been hit in the head,” I say dryly.
“Your vitals look terrific,” she says. “Let me just check the stitches, and then I’m going to need you to answer a few questions for me.”
Dr. Bridges looks closely at the wound on my hairline. Then she shines her penlight into my eyes. I squint against the harsh brightness.
“Eyes look great. Open please.”
I obey and she peers into my mouth.
“Airway is good. Your saturation is great at ninety-seven, and your blood pressure is back up to normal now that you’ve had a transfusion. How’s the pain in your head?”
“I can live with it.”
This pain is nothing compared to what I’ve endured in my lifetime.
“Good. I don’t think there’s any reason to prescribe anything for the pain. Eight hundred milligrams of ibuprofen should do the trick.”