Chapter Forty-Eight
Kurt
I paced in front of the door, waiting to get news about Sawyer. Hospitals were not at the top of my list. That was where I’d taken my mother more times than I cared to remember to have her stomach pumped from an attempted suicide, that was where I learned my best friend had been killed, and that was where I watched my other best friend mourn the loss of her baby and husband.
I could not lose Sawyer.
Dustin and George were still in surgery, as well.
At least David had been found. He’d been knocked out and tied in the back of his trailer. After a few stitches, he’d been released.
Steve approached me. “Adriane is in custody.”
I stopped pacing and looked him in the eye. “How in the hell did she get here from Denver without us knowing? And where the fuck are Tonya and Christopher?”
“Adriane’s nurse was found drugged in Adriane’s room. The nurse had similar features as Adriane. From what we’ve gathered, Adriane drugged her, took her clothes and ID, and left the facility disguised as the nurse. Last night during rounds, they thought Adriane was sleeping. From there she caught a private plane. We believe Christopher and Tonya assisted her somehow.”
“Has Adriane said anything?”
Steve shook his head. “The only person she’ll talk to is Sawyer.”
I cursed. What a fucked-up person. “And where are her parents?”
“We’ve had eyes on them all morning. They’ve been at a country club and are about to walk through those doors. Adriane had an accomplice. I don’t believe it’s possible for the tires to be slashed otherwise. We’ll find whoever it is.”
Inside I was seething, but stopped short when I saw Tonya and Christopher coming in. “Get them out of here.”
The doctor came in scrubs. “Are you here for Ms. Wade?”
“Yes.”
Christopher and Tonya joined me and said the same. It took everything I had not to deck them. Somehow, they were involved. Somehow. I was sure of it.
The doctor looked at me. “I presume you’re the baby’s father.”
“Yes. How are they? Sawyer, Dylan?” I searched his eyes, unable to read him at all.
I cannot lose Sawyer. I cannot lose her. She’s my life.
“You have a beautiful baby boy. Seven pounds, fifteen ounces and eighteen inches long. We had to do an emergency C-section.”
Thank goodness. I literally sagged with relief. “And Sawyer?”
“She’s in recovery. Still coming out of anesthesia. The bullet was lodged just below the shoulder and above the lung. She lost a lot of blood. We may need to perform another blood transfusion. Who has her power of attorney?”
“I do.” Christopher, Tonya, and I all said the same thing.
Motherfucker.
I looked at them. “Over my dead body are you making any decisions regarding Sawyer’s life. You neglected her for years and pretended your other child was dead.”
The doctor put his hand on my shoulder. “Excuse us for a second.” He motioned me to follow him. I looked at Steve and nodded over at Sawyer’s parents. In their prim and proper country club shit, they looked like the perfect Leave It to Beaver family. Bullshit. Complete and utter bullshit.
“Are you Ms. Wade’s husband?”
“No.”
The doctor frowned. “Are you engaged?”
“No. We live together, we’re building a house together, and we have a baby.”
“Is Ms. Wade’s name on the property?”
Where the hell is he going with this? “No.”
“Are those her parents?”
“Yes. What are you getting at, doctor?” My patience was strung tight. There was only so much more I could take.
With a deep sigh, he removed his cap. “You better get an injunction quickly if you’re concerned about them harming Ms. Wade. I don’t expect something to happen, but Ms. Wade lost a lot of blood. We’re still not out of the woods.”
“What do you mean?”
The doctor’s eyes shot over to where Tonya and Christopher stood. “Right now, they could technically be in control if decisions have to be made regarding Ms. Wade’s care.”
Oh. Fuck. No. I tasted copper as anger boiled through me. “Consider it done. What about my son and them?”
“You’re the parent. They can’t touch him without your permission.”
“They aren’t to get near him.”
“Understood.”
“Thank you. I’ll have that injunction soon.”
The doctor nodded. I held the phone to my ear. “Waldo, get the lawyers on the phone. I need an injunction for power of attorney over Sawyer within the next thirty minutes. Her parents are here, trying to take control.”
“Got it.”
“I’ll have it soon,” I told the doctor.
A nurse came up to us and spoke quietly to the doctor before turning to me. “Would you like to see your son?”
“Yes.”
Tonya and Christopher approached us. “Doctor, we’d like to have an update on our daughter.”
“Ms. Wade is in recovery and doing well. No visitors at this time.”
The relief that should have been there on their faces was missing. They were cold, stoic. Tonya asked, “Our grandson? When can we see him?”
“Never,” I chimed in.
They looked affronted. “That is Sawyer’s baby.”
“And mine. The answer is no.” I’d had enough of their shit. I would get my injunction and have them escorted out of the building. And I needed to go see my son before I did something rash. I pointed at Steve as I passed him. “Waldo is getting an injunction. I don’t care what you have to do. They do not see Sawyer.”
“Yes, sir.”
Knoah walked in with Garrick right before I reached the door. She ran to me and threw her arms around me. “How is she? Dylan?”
I stopped. “Sawyer’s out of surgery. Tonya and Christopher are here trying to take power of attorney if anything needs to happen. My lawyers are on it. I need to go see Dylan. Dustin is still in surgery. I haven’t gotten an update from the vet on George in the last ten minutes.”
Garrick put his hand on my shoulder. “I won’t let them get back there. And I’ll get updates on everything and get them straight to you.”
“Thank you.” One thing for certain, Garrick had proven to be a man of his word.
I followed the doctor down the hallway. “Would you like to be in the room where Ms. Wade will go after recovery?”
“Yes.”
The doctor showed me to a room that looked like any other hospital room. Sterile and unfriendly as fuck. “The nurse will bring the baby shortly.”
I resumed my pacing, checking my phone every few minutes.
A text from Garrick slowed my pacing.
Garrick: With your permission, I’m going to send Waldo the name of a judge I know to get the injunction expedited.
Me: Whatever it takes.
Garrick: Understood.
A nurse walked into the room rolling a cart in front of her. Dylan. I stopped pacing, unable to take my eyes off him.
“Mr. Hendrix, I’m Brianna. I have someone who wants to meet you.”
A little bundle swaddled in blue moved inside the bassinet on top of the cart. My heart stopped as I stared at this little being—our baby. Dylan. Holy shit.
“May I check your bracelet? I need to make sure your name matches what’s on Dylan’s.”
I held out my arm in a dreamlike state and waited for the nurse to check. “Perfect. Do you know how to hold a baby?”
What am I supposed to do? We did that one birthing class. One. How the fuck was that adequate with a plastic baby?
The nurse carefully picked him up. “Be sure to support his head.”
She handed Dylan to me, and I was rigid as fuck as I held him.
“Relax. You won’t break him. Promise.”
I swallowed, wishing to hell that Sawyer was here. She should be experiencing this with me and showing me what to do.
The nurse stepped back. “There you go. You’re a natural. I’ve put a bottle of formula right here if he gets hungry. We had to give him one feeding, given the situation. Press the call button when you’re ready, and I’ll show you how to feed and burp him. I bet he’ll sleep for a bit.”
“Thanks.”
The nurse closed the door and I sat in the chair, holding my son. My son. “Hey—” My voice cracked. “Hey there, buddy. Dylan. We’re going to hang tight here until your mommy wakes up.”
Dylan opened his eyes when I spoke, and something passed through me. I was totally and helplessly in love. Love at first sight. And in that moment, I knew I would never leave this child or Sawyer. Ever. I was not my father, nor would I ever be.
I closed my eyes, whispering, “Please bring Sawyer back to me. Don’t take her from me. I can’t lose her. Dylan needs his mother.”
I held Dylan closer to me, humming one of the songs from his lullaby playlist I’d made. Sawyer played it every night.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
The phone startled me. Dylan opened his eyes, shifted, and closed them again. I adjusted my position to answer the call. “Do you have an update?”
Waldo responded, “Temporary injunction has been granted. It was one hell of a hoop to jump through. Garrick’s contact helped. I’m emailing you a copy and having it faxed to the hospital now. We’ll have the full injunction once the judge has the rest of the evidence regarding Adriane.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
“How’s Dylan?”
“Perfect. I’m holding him now.” He just needs his mom.
“Good. Send my love.”
About twenty minutes later, Garrick texted me.
Garrick: Dustin is still in surgery. Damage was worse than initially thought. George is out of surgery. Vet said he did well.
Me: Thanks for the update. I have the injunction and Dylan is with me. I need to wait until Sawyer sees him before anyone else does.
Garrick: Knoah and I send our love to Dylan.
Me: Thank you. Make sure Adriane doesn’t get bail.
Garrick: I’ll have our lawyers coordinate to make it so. It might be easier for mine to assist since yours are on the West Coast.
Me: Whatever it takes.
Garrick: Understood.
From what I gathered, George had saved Sawyer’s life. The distraction he caused with Adriane allowed Dustin to intercept Sawyer before Adriane could get a direct shot at her.
Adriane. That bitch. She would never see the light of day again by the time I was done with her. Hopefully her parents rotted in hell right along with her. Somehow, they were involved in what had happened. I knew it in my bones.
Now I needed patience while I waited to see Sawyer. I bent down and kissed Dylan. “Everything is going to be okay, little man.”
An hour later, the doctor walked in. “We’re going to bring Ms. Wade in now. Her vitals are strong and I’m happy with her blood counts. Now, we just wait for her to wake up.”
“How long until she does?”
“That’s up to Ms. Wade. She’s breathing on her own now. Press the call button for the nurse the moment she wakes.”
“I will.”
A couple of aides brought her gurney into the room, and the nurses hooked her up before leaving us alone. Sawyer lay perfectly still on the bed. I ran my finger down her face as I held a sleeping Dylan in my other arm. “Hey, baby, Dylan’s here and he wants to meet you. He’s absolutely perfect, Sawyer. So fu—so perfect. However, we may need to make a pair of real cuss muffs for him.”
She gave no response. She had to wake up. With my foot, I brought the chair closer to the bed. Dylan still lay fast asleep against me. “Okay, buddy, let me tell you a story about your mom.”
I told Dylan everything I loved about Sawyer and why we were the two luckiest men on the planet.