Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 71179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
All in all, though, it’s not too bad. The adrenaline has kept me out of major pain so far.
Once that subsides, I’m in for all of it.
Savannah offers her hand to help me from the chair, but I shake my head at her. I’m already appearing weak enough. I have to at least get up myself.
I rise, and—
I fall to the floor as my knees give out.
“Vinnie, Daddy, help me!” Savannah cries out.
But no help comes.
Vinnie, Savannah’s father, Savannah’s grandfather, and Declan McAllister are all gone. Only the two goons remain, and they’re busy dealing with Miles’s body.
“I can do it, Vannah,” I grit out.
“I need to get you to a hospital,” she says. “I have the Nissan Leaf outside.”
I look back at where Vinnie was standing just a few minutes ago. “What about your brother?”
She gulps. “I can’t help him right now, but I can help you.”
I manage to get to my feet, and though it hurts like a mother, I stand.
A half hour later we’re at the ER. My head throbs as I open my eyes to the chaotic scene—the sterile smell of antiseptic in my throbbing nose, and the cold, unforgiving surface of the gurney beneath me. Savannah stands by my side, her beautiful face a mix of worry and anger.
“It’ll be okay,” she whispers, gripping my hand tightly.
“Your family…” I mutter, finally grasping the gravity of the situation. The aching in my body intensifies as I recall the brutal beating at the hands of her family’s goons.
I’m wheeled into an exam room, where a doctor sees me immediately. God, it must be bad.
His white coat is stark against the nurses’ green scrubs.
“Hello, Mister…”
“Bellamy,” Savannah says, “Mr. Falcon Bellamy. He’s been badly beaten. Please help him.”
“Mr. Bellamy, can you hear me?” He flashes a light into my eyes.
“Yeah,” I say, my voice hoarse.
“Good. I’m Dr. Logan. I’m going to give you a quick examination to see if you need to go into surgery. If not, we’ll get you bandaged up and your pain managed.”
I wince as he pokes and prods me as he looks me over.
“Aside from the broken nose and surface contusions, you've suffered severe trauma to your head, most likely multiple rib fractures, and from the sound of your breath, I suspect a punctured lung. We’ll get a chest X-ray and possibly a CAT scan to confirm diagnosis.”
“A punctured lung?” Savannah’s eyes widen. "Will he be okay?"
“The condition isn’t uncommon.” He grabs a form and starts filling it out. “I’ll get the imaging tests ordered. In the meantime, I’m going to put you on oxygen, Mr. Bellamy, which will alleviate your shortness of breath and keep you comfortable until we can get the imaging done.”
Comfortable? Is he kidding me? But I don’t have the energy to say it. The adrenaline is wearing off, and I want some drugs. Pronto.
“Pain,” I manage to eke out.
“Can you give him something for the pain?” Savannah asks.
“Of course. I’ll order that and get it administered right away.” He whisks out of the exam room, closing the curtain behind him.
Savannah squeezes my hand tighter, and I muster a weak smile, trying to comfort her. I can't let her know how much pain I’m in. Not when she's already grappling with the guilt of her family doing this to me.
"Hey," I whisper, forcing myself to sound more confident than I am. "I’m fine, all right? I’ve gotten through worse than this.”
My words are a lie, of course. Even Zion and his two minions didn’t get me this badly. I wasn’t tied up then, and I was able to fight back. I fought back and I broke Zion’s jaw.
Savannah nods, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Okay," she chokes out.
A nurse in green scrubs comes in. “I’m going to start your IV, Mr. Bellamy, and then administer the pain medication that Dr. Logan ordered. I’m going to get your oxygen started as well.”
I sigh in relief through the oxygen mask she puts over my nose and mouth.
I breathe in, out, in again, attempting to regulate the pain through breath control.
Yeah, what a crock.
Savannah’s warm hand in mine gives me comfort. The nurse stabs me with a needle to start the IV, but I don’t even feel it.
A moment later, though, I see a river in my mind. A soothing river, and the pain… The pain…
I close my eyes and let it float away on sparkling water.
When I first got here, I measured the time in days.
Ever since Zion’s jaw healed and he’s back to taunting my men and me, I’ve measured it in minutes.
I know, at any minute, he’ll come after me.
And I’ll be ready.
My toothbrush shiv stays with me at all times, hidden in the waistband of my underwear, or under my arm. I’ve learned to move it quickly when I must so it’s not detected.