Chapter 26

Phoenix

I fucking hate hospitals. I hate the smell, the color of the interior, the whole fucking atmosphere. Hospitals and doctors are one in the same. They tell you what they think you want to hear to keep you calm but it’s never the fucking truth. They whisked Kenna away from me and that pissed me off a little further than I already was to begin with. Thank fuck we knew a few of the cops that came out here questioning us on shit. I basically told them to get fucked because I wasn’t answering shit until I knew how my girl was doing. I pace the hallway because sitting in that stuffy ass waiting room was not happening. I hear the doors open behind me, but I know it’s not about her, it’s more assholes coming in from the waiting area.

“Phoenix.” I hear him call my name. I turn my head and look over my shoulder to see my brother standing there with hatred in his eyes.

“What are you doin’ here?” I ask my voice gruff.

“How is she?” Straight to the point, Ascher doesn't fuck around with other questions and I’m grateful for that.

“I don’t know. Haven't heard shit from them. I’m about to lose my shit here, bro.” Ascher moves towards me, resting his hand on my shoulder as he tries to calm me. My body is taut with tension and I can feel the rage simmering in my blood. I want to finish what we started. I want to bring Phillip back from the dead and watch him die all over again only this time a slow agonizing death at my hands. I shake my head trying to clear all the thoughts of my poor Kenna bleeding the way she was. It was so much blood for a shoulder hit.

“Stop thinking whatever it is you’re thinking, Phoenix.” Glancing over at Ascher I know he’s right, but this is my life lying on a gurney somewhere. She’s my fucking world and I might be losing that. A single tear slides down my cheek at the thought. I can’t lose her. I won’t lose her.

“Bro! I mean it. Stop that shit. She is a fighter. She will pull through this, how could she not?”

“You’re damn right she will!” A woman’s voice blasts from behind us.

Ascher and I both spin around to see a caramel colored beauty strutting toward us wearing a dirty oily coverall. Her aqua colored hair and giant hoop earrings are a stark contrast to the rest of her. My eyes move over the woman until she snaps her fingers pulling my attention.

“I’ll assume since you are the one wearing the blood that you are Phoenix?” The pissed off look in her eyes makes me wonder who the hell she is. Clearly not a family member.

“Yeah, I am. Who are you?” She raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms over her chest making Ascher chuckle. She shoots him a side eye but keeps that pissed off glare trained on me.

“First of all, congratulations at making my girl fall in love with you.” The fuck is she talking about? I’m about to ask, when she steps forward and slaps me across the face. I’m too stunned to react, so I just stand there gawking at her. “That’s for letting her get hurt! What kind of man lets his woman get shot? And don’t you dare try to give me the, no, I tried to protect her bullshit. If I was a betting woman I wou-” Her rant is cut short when the doctor comes through the door.

“How is she?” I ask stepping in front of the feisty little woman.

“She’s recovering. We removed the bullet, but she lost a lot of blood. She’s still weak but you can go see her now. Down the hall on the left.” I nod my head and start through the door when that girl follows me.

“Oh, hell no! Don’t you even think you get to go in there before me! You have lost your goddamn mind. Kenna is my girl. You come second. And why the hell didn’t anyone mention how hot you two are? Sweet baby Jesus. I might just have an orgasm from looking at all that sexy,” she grumbles, as she storms down the hallway next to me. I turn my head to look at Ascher, but he just shrugs. Following the little mouth to the room, she steps inside and gasps. She stumbles back a little and Ascher moves in to catch her.

“She looks so bad,” she whispers.

“I can hear you. I’m not dead.” My heart swells. My sweet Kenna just as mouthy as ever.

“You’re here,” she says locking eyes with me. I walk toward the bed, grabbing her hand in mine, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“Where else would I be?” She smiles up at me when the woman clears her throat once more and comes to stand at the end of the bed.

“Excuse me, Miss Thang. You want to stop with eye fucking and introduce me?”

“Thought we already met?” I ask cocking my head to the side, a smirk on my face.

“Winnie! What did you do?” Kenna asks nearly breathlessly.

“Babe, she hit me,” I tell her. Kenna raises her eyebrow at her friend.

“Babe, she hit me. You, big cry baby. It was a love tap,” the woman mimics me.

“Phoenix, this is my best friend, Winnie.”

“You heard the woman, best friend. Which means I can’t be replaced even by someone as sexy as you,” Winnie snaps, looking me up and down again. I chuckle but Kenna holds tighter to my hand. I know she’s weak and needs her rest. Leaning down, I press a kiss to her lips, closing my eyes and savoring this moment with her. She’s mine. She’s alive.

“Get some rest, Babygirl.” Her eyes flutter but she shakes her head no.

“Don’t leave me alone.”

“I’d never leave you.”