Reckless Mind (29 page)

He left then. It had already been at least two hours in the emergency room and still no word on Cole. Over the next few hours I asked several more times about Cole, getting the same answer as the doctor gave me. There was no way he was still in surgery. Was this a
,
we can only give family information,
thing happening.

I was back in the emergency room, the same doctor coming back in to discharge me. When everything was done and all the paperwork signed, I just couldn't think of leaving without Cole.

“I need to know about my fiance,” Both the doctor's head and Brandon's snapped my direction. “Just take me to him and let me see him, okay? I can handle it, whatever it is; I just need to see him.”

“
Will his father vouch for this new bit of information?” He started at me with disbelieving eyes.

“Yes, Travis will be able to vouch. You can bring him in here, go ask him without me there, take me to him...whatever you feel you need to do, but I need to see Cole. If you don't take me to him I will find him myself.”

He nodded then, calling one of the nurses in and telling her to take me up to ICU. If he was in ICU then he was alive. “Let me tell you a few things, Kahlen. He is in critical condition, just because he is alive does not mean he is out of the woods yet. The stab was deep and hit areas that would have already killed most people. He is a fighter, your fiancé, but don't be surprised when you see him and he doesn't look like your Cole. He's very pale and sleeping right now. We don't know if the surgery he had is the only one he needs or if we are going to have to go back in.”

I nodded, and then the nurse took Brandon and I to ICU.

Chapter 27

Walking into the room and seeing Cole lay there was like a punch to the gut. I ran to the bed and crawled in next to him. The nurse tried to protest, but Cole's dad told her to just leave me be, and she left the room.

Before Brandon had left to go home and update Dan, Jules, Emma, Becca, and Jax who were all waiting for more information, he told me he'd have Emma bring me up a change of clothes and wanted to know if I'd be going to class and would need a ride.

It was already Monday night, so I'd missed class again today. I knew I needed to be there, but I couldn't imagine Cole being here without me. Travis told me I had to go though, that he would stay with Cole and as soon as anything happened or changed he could call me and I could always come right over. So Brandon said he would come back tomorrow morning and get me for school.

As I lay next to Cole, my eyes got heavy; I could sleep now feeling his heartbeat under my fingertips. “I'm here, baby.” I kissed Cole on the lips before settling my head on his shoulder. “Please don't leave me Cole.”

***

Lips lightly brushed against mine, reluctantly my mind began to wake from sleep. A hand wrapped around my neck, pulling my mouth closer. My eyes didn't need to open for me to know it was Cole's lips on mine. I moaned into his mouth, gently running my fingers over his cheek, and moved my body as close to his as I could.

“Hey, pretty girl,” he whispered, a huge smile on his face. Those were the best words I'd ever heard in all my life. I buried my face in his chest and began to cry. He was okay, he was here with me, kissing me, I was touching him, he was okay. My palmed moved flat over his chest right over his heart and I felt the strong beat under it. I just couldn't stop crying.

“I almost lost you.” Shifting so I could sit up a little, I held his gorgeous face in my hands and just stared into those eyes. My lips touched his briefly, then moved and placed feather light kisses all over his face. “Don't do that to me again, okay? Never again.” My voice broke and I shook my head, then I kissed him with all the passion and love I held inside myself for him. The taste of his tongue on mine was perfection. “I love you so much, Cole.” I said against his lips before he captured my mouth with his again.

“I love you too, baby. Don't cry, everything is okay now.” He did his best to shift me closer to him, if it was up to him I'd probably be on top of him, but I could tell he was in pain. I moved myself as close to where I thought he wanted me without hurting him. “You're moving in with me. Immediately.” I laughed lightly at his matter of fact tone and the need to take care of me that fueled it.

“You just tell me when, I'll get everything in my place packed up and ready to go and I'll be there.” He pulled my mouth to his and kissed me like I was the air keeping him alive. His hand slowly moved down my side to cup my butt and he pulled me closer to his side. “You comfortable, I know it can't be great having to lay on your back for so long. Maybe they'll want to try and move you today, or let you reposition yourself on your own in the bed.”

“I'll do whatever they tell me so I can get out of here and have you in
our
place as soon as possible.” Those mad hornets were back dive bombing my stomach at the sight of his dimpled smile and the fact that he just called his place, ours.

“Alright you two,” I yelled out in surprise at another voice in the room. Looking over in the corner I saw Cole's dad, Travis sitting in a chair with the newspaper up in front of his face. Slowly he lowered it looking at the two of us, and smiled. “Good to see you awake, Cole. How are you feeling?”

“I kinda feel like I got stabbed,” both of us just stared at him, jaws dropped a little. “What? Too soon?” He laughed, then went to grab his stomach because it hurt him too much. “But really I'm not doing too bad, it's sore for sure even with the pain medication, but I'll do whatever they tell me I need to do and I'll heal up just fine.”

There was a knock on the door, and Officer Ryan walked in. He looked surprised to see Cole awake, and even more surprised to see me in the bed with him. He looked Cole straight in the face, but pointed to me and asked, “F
iancé?” Cole laughed out loud again, and again grabbed his stomach from the discomfort of the movement. There was a knowing look in his eyes because I'd done the same thing he had, but he didn't answer the officer.

Ryan continued, “I just wanted to come and let you know that we apprehended your previous foster mother and she is in custody. She'll be transported back to Vegas where she'll await trial with her husband. But I wanted to give you a heads up that you'll probably be subpoenaed to testify at the trial. I'm going to do everything I can, giving them the documents from Dr. Hyland and the statement you gave me and see if I can get you out of it though. I'll keep you updated on that.”

“Thank you officer Ryan, I appreciate it. If there is any possible way I won't need to testify and I don't ever have to see them again that'd be the best thing.” He nodded knowing everything I'd gone through.

“And how are you today Mr. Westwood?” Cole told him what he told us, smiling he pulled me closer to him. “I'm glad to hear it. If there is anything else I can do for y'all just let me know.” We said our goodbyes, and Travis excused himself from the room as well.

“I can't wait until we are out of here,” Cole's voice lowered to a near whisper, his lips at my neck. “I'll be able to move and do more things like I normally do, and you're in for a treat pretty girl.”

“Oh yeah?” I teased, running my lips up his neck. “Why don't you tell me what kind of surprise I'm in for?”

“I think you're going to have to persuade me a little bit before I do all that,” he laughed, then pulled my face to his, his tongue delving into my mouth.

I moved closer to his ear and said in a low breathy voice now affected from his kiss and touch, “Please, Cole.” I closed my eyes and thought about what it felt like when he touched me. “Cole, oh god, please. Cole, oh yeah. Please, baby, please tell me.” I knew he liked it when I begged for it and told him what I wanted, so I figured I'd give him a little treat too.

“Oh, that's how you want to play?” Just as Cole was getting ready to tell me, I don't know what, the door opened and in walked Emma.

Her poor eyes were puffy from so much crying which made me wonder what I looked like. The bags she had were dropped on the floor, and she ran to the side of the bed pulling me into a huge hug. She told me how sorry she was about everything I'd been through, and that she was here to get me up and ready for school and to be sure I got to and from school just fine today.

I thought Brandon was supposed to pick me up, but figured if Emma knew Cole was awake he probably did too and didn't think it was a good idea, which I agreed with. After how great he was yesterday I'd forgotten all the things that had happened between us, but with a clear mind those issues were still there and needed time to heal.

“
Don't you worry your fine ass, Cole, you look just as good as always. Sex-on-a-stick-sex-god type, so you don't have to worry about a thing. You,” she pointed to me. “You need to get in the shower and get cleaned up, then I'll do your makeup and hair and we'll head out.”

“I haven't seen myself yet,” I spoke quietly. “I'm not sure I want to.”

“That's fine, Kay, I'll be your personal hair and makeup artist until you are all healed up, no need for mirrors and looking at yourself when you've got me around.” My eyes filled with tears at her thoughtfulness, I really did love her.

I gave Cole another kiss and when I tried to get up he caught my waist and pulled me back into him kissing me until I needed to break the kiss to breathe. I was in and out of the shower quick, not looking at myself once. Pulling on the clothes Em had brought me, I walked back into the room. A doctor was in there checking up on Cole, telling him if it had been over just a couple centimeters it would've hit his kidney and he'd be in much worse shape, but as it was now and if everything kept progressing positively he'd be out by Saturday.

Cole's eyes shot over to mine. “You hear that pretty girl? Four days, all that packing done in four days. Can you handle it?” I smiled at him and nodded telling him it wouldn't be a problem at all. I sat in the chair as Emma fixed my hair and makeup. She seemed to spend a lot of time on my cheek, just one of them, so I figured that one must be bruised pretty badly. After she finished the quick braided updo, I told Cole goodbye. He was reluctant to let my hand go, he didn't want me out of his sight.

“I'll be back up here the second I finish my shift tonight at Red's.”

“No way, Kahlen. You can't be working somewhere where you are by yourself ninety eight percent of the time. Honestly you don't need to work right now, you can just go to school, but if you want to have a job please,” his eyes were so worried, his actions getting anxious by him fidgeting in the bed. “Please get a different job. Please.”

I nodded and told him I'd call and quit on my way to school, but that I did want to work so I would look online and in the paper this week while I was up at the hospital with him. He smiled and thanked me, kissing me for so long and so passionately I almost forgot Emma was in the room. That is until she started making gagging noises, and using profanity like they were the only words in her vocabulary.

“You cannot flaunt your sexy man in my face like that, you bitch.” She smacked me on top of my shoulder laughing lightly which only made me laugh loud as hell. Cole told us both to get out before we were told we couldn't come back.

“I love you, Kahlen. See you later?”

“Love you too, see you right after class.”

“Ugh, you two make me sick,” Emma sighed as we left the room. “I need to get a man and fast. If I have to see
that
shit all the time and hear about how good I bet he is in bed on the daily, there's just no way.”

“Emma, why won't you date Jax? You know he's crazy about you.”

“If by crazy you mean literally bat shit nuts, just not about me, then yes, you are right. He thinks he's into me until he actually tries to be into me, then he fucking runs scared. I don't know if it's my brother, if it's my personality, or if it's just his own messed up shit, but no Kay, he doesn't
really
want me, not like Cole wants you.”

“Are you forgetting how much Cole had to put up with before I came to my senses? He even walked away from me for almost
a month!” I was trying here, she and Jax really were perfect for each other in my eyes, but if they weren't going to pull their heads out of the sand and figure that out there wasn't much I could do about it.

“Yeah, yeah. I don't want to be the Cole of the relationship, I want to be the Kahlen,” she said as we walked to class.

“You be whatever the other person needs if you are truly in love, Em. Anything they need. Because once everything comes together after that it's so strong and so right you'll never need or want another thing.”

“Look at you going all Freud on me! I guess things have all kind of come together for you, huh?”

I nodded smiling at her. It was true. The sessions with Sarah had been helping, but knowing my previous guardians were in jail, that the man who was set after me was in jail, and finally getting what happened to me out to the authorities who made all of the arrests, well, it was pretty liberating. Then of course there was Cole. He was helping me come into my own every day, teaching me that I was confident and assertive if I let myself be.

Class moved so slow, which is typical because anytime you want something to slow down it speeds up, so of course the time it took to get through two classes would take forever since I wanted to get back to Cole.

***