2014 - Santana
I’d never thought being home would bring me so much joy. The relief I feel when we touch down is so overwhelming, I drop my head into my hands and force my emotions down. Pippa is beside me, here eyes wide as she takes it all in. The pilot’s second in command, and the owner of this plane, comes out, glancing down at Maddox once the plane has touched down.
“If I didn’t respect him so damned much, I would have never let him con me into flyin’ you mob over there.”
I don’t know much about Jeremiah, the man who owns the plane. All I know is he’s got a fuck load of money and travels the world for work. He doesn’t like flying airlines, so he got his own plane. Maddox helped him at one point, and Jeremiah owed him. I’m thankful for him, regardless of how he feels about us now.
“Thank you,” Mack says, offering his hand.
Jeremiah takes it, and glances at Maddox who we had to strap down to the floor so he wouldn’t be jerked around with turbulence. “Take care of him,” he says. “And tell him he owes me, now.”
Mack nods, and orders the guys to get Maddox off. I don’t leave his side; I help them down the stairs. The moment we’re out, I see Ash and Indi, both of them waiting anxiously. The moment Ash sees Krypt she lets out a pained cry and runs towards him. They meet in a tangle of arms and legs. My chest aches.
Indi stares at Zaid, her eyes watering, her hand over her mouth. He stares right back at her, and then she drops to her knees. He’s by her side in a second, scooping her into his big arms and nuzzling his nose into her neck. She’s holding him tightly, I can tell even from this far. A cool hand slips into mine, and I look down to see Pippa, holding onto me.
“He’s going to be okay.”
I nod, my eyes burning...but no tears slip out.
“I know.”
He’s made it this far. It was a bumpy ride, and a few times on the flight his breathing become gurgled and shallow. I held onto his limp hand, begging him to keep fighting. I lay awake with him when everyone else slept, my hand never leaving his. I don’t care if I die from exhaustion, I won’t leave his side.
Ash lets go of Krypt and rushes towards me. The moment she reaches me, she throws her arms around my neck and I let her. Indi is there in seconds, and together we all hold each other. I bite back my tears, still not letting them go. Not until he’s safe. We finally pull apart and Ash turns her eyes to Pippa, and they soften.
“You must be Pippa,” she says, extending her hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Ash.”
Pippa hesitates, staring at me. I nod softly to her and she takes Ash’s hand, shaking it wearily. Ash doesn’t hold back, she wraps Pippa in a hug. The look on my sister’s face would make me smile any other time. She looks both overwhelmed and humbled. Ash pulls back but keeps an arm around her. “Come on, I’ll bring you back to my place and you can rest.”
Pippa looks to me again. “It’s okay, honey. Ash will take good care of you, I promise you that. I’m going to be at the hospital.”
“I promise I’ll bring you as soon as you’ve rested,” Ash assures Pippa.
Pippa nods. “O-o-okay.”
I hug her, whispering into her ear, “Trust them, they’ll be as much your family as they are mine.”
She squeezes me tighter, but she’s a strong girl. Stronger than she looks. She pulls back and Ash gives me a warm smile before leading her away. We all separate then – Krypt calling an ambulance. They arrive twenty minutes later, asking a lot of questions but not getting a lot of answers. They take Maddox all the same. Mack and I follow in a cab and the guys that are injured come along also. Austin is quite sick, so he went in the ambulance. The rest of them go back to the club.
The moment we arrive at the hospital, doctors swarm Maddox, whisking him off. A tall man, probably around fifty years old, stops me before we make our way to the waiting room. His cool fingers curl around my arm. “Miss, I’d like to ask you a few questions.”
Mack steps in. “She ain’t givin’ you any information.”
The doctor flicks his eyes towards him, but I step in before he can say anything.
“About his condition, I’ll answer your questions.”
The doctor nods, still giving Mack a weary look. He turns to me. “Can you tell me what exactly happened to him?”
“There’s only a few people that, ah, know,” I turn to Mack. “You might need to call Krypt.”
He nods, taking out his phone and disappearing.
“He’s been stitched, his bones very basically aligned. Who did that?” The doctor asks when Mack is gone.
“I can’t tell you that, but he was a doctor.”
“You don’t need to be afraid of me, I can help...”
“Please,” I say, giving him a hard stare. “I’m safe and well. I need you to focus on that man in there.”
He closes his eyes a second, opens them and takes a deep breath. “Very well. Can you tell me as much as you know?”
I do. I give him everything I’ve got. Mack comes back twenty minutes later with a list that makes my stomach turn. Kicked, punched, starved, broken bones, and a stab wound that was explained so horrifically, my legs give way. Twisted. Inside him. Oh God. Mack kneels when my knees hit the cold tile, and his arm goes around me. “She needs help, too.”
“Bring her in, I’ll check her over,” the doctor says.
Mack lifts me, carrying me into the room. I don’t fight. The very thought of Maddox having a knife driven into his chest, and twisted, makes my stomach turn so violently, I gasp out, “I’m going to be sick.”
The doctor has a little bag in front of me in a matter of seconds. I throw up into it, Mack still holding me. He lays my body down onto the bed, and the doctor checks me out. He’s happy with how my leg has been dealt with, but says I need to spend at least a night. That’s fine; I wasn’t planning on going anywhere.
“When will he get out of surgery?” I croak before the doctor leaves. “How long until I know if he’s okay?”
“It’s going to be a good, solid four hours. Get some rest. I’ll let you know the moment I know anything.”
I nod. “Thank you.”
He nods in return, and leaves. Mack pulls the covers back, not giving me a choice but to lay in them. A nurse comes in a few minutes later, connecting me to a drip at the doctor’s request. She also gives me an injection. When she’s gone, I slide into the cool sheets. Mack sits beside me, and he looks exhausted.
“Your leg?” I croak, noticing on the plane that he was injured.
“It’s nothin’, I’ll get it fixed soon.”
“Mack...”
“Sleep,” he says, ignoring my protest. “You need it.”
“I can’t...if I close my eyes I’ll see him like that and-”
My voice breaks.
“He’s in the best hands now. You gotta rest, Tana. If he wakes and you’re not...”
“I know,” I whisper.
He strokes a thumb over my cheek.
“Mack?”
“Hmmm.”
“Will you...please...just lie with me?”
He doesn’t hesitate; I guess he just knows I need it. He climbs into the bed, tucking me into his arms.
And together, we sleep.
Still praying.