Locke

I don’t speak.  No need to.  I let her words sink in and, for the first time, think of my injury as a badge of what I’ve overcome.  Could she be right?

“I’ll let that simmer while I go check on your wife.”  She pats my thigh and leaves the room.

Some of the ice-cold fear holding me down weakens from just thinking about Emmy as my wife.  When they said it earlier, I didn’t do shit to correct them.  The thought of her walking down the aisle towards me, her body covered in white lace, her eyes full of love, and that heart-stopping smile all for me does something to me.

It takes that flame of hope—the one I’ve been feeling for months, afraid I would somehow extinguish the fire if I just allowed myself a second to believe—to flicker a few times before it starts to warm my body with its warm glow.

We’re going to get past this.  She is going to get past this, and I vow to never let a day go by without joining the fight she’s been warring on her own for us.

I’ll stand by her side until I’m no longer wanted—and then, if that day ever comes, I’ll throw her over my shoulder and carry her the rest of the way.

This is my second chance.  The time that I man up and take a chance at everything being blessed with her love could bring me.

Chapter 23—Maddox

I make the only phone call I need to make to ensure that everyone else is notified.  By the time I get my shit together long enough to make the call, the sun is starting to climb and I know it won’t be long before the officers from last night start trying to find me.

Axel promises to handle getting my cell number switched and a replacement phone to me as soon as possible, knowing that they’ll need to get ahold of me and mine is still somewhere in that hotel’s halls.  I give him the only information I have—that she was stable when we arrived.

I’ve just dropped the phone down onto the base when the door opens and Tracey walks back in.  She gives me a smile, shutting the door softly.

“Can I get some information on your wife?  We can wait for the insurance stuff if you don’t have it on you, but they need to know some general information.”

I nod but don’t move my eyes up from their fixed position on the door, willing someone to come and tell me how she is.

I go over the basic information on Emmy.  Just talking about her so clinically is making my skin itch.  I need to see her.  I have to see her.

“Do you know anything?” I question hopefully.

She looks over her shoulder at the door, I assume trying to decide if she should tell me what she knows.  “When Dr. Moss comes in, let’s pretend we didn’t have this conversation.  I snuck into the exam room with the ruse of needing some paperwork signed.  She had x-rays on her arm and leg.  Last I heard, they had set and stabilized both and will cast them when the swelling subsides.  She’s going to be okay.”

“Jesus,” I pray.  “Anything else?  Extent of her other injuries?”  My eyes wildly scan her face and my heart pounds rapidly.  Goddamn it, I need to get to her.

“I’m sorry,” she says and stands.  “It shouldn’t be much longer.”

“Her family is coming.  Should I be somewhere else so that they can get to me?”

She nods.  “Let’s go out to the waiting area.  There’s a separate room for family that we can have you settle in.  They will be able to find you there.”

It takes me a second to get everything settled with my leg.  The pain is better now that I had the time to get off it.  Not a hundred percent, but an immense improvement.

My new ‘holding area’ isn’t small, but once everyone arrives, it will be.  I walk over to the windows, stuffing my hands into my pockets, and try to reason with my mind.  I feel the almost uncontrollable urge to start bulldozing my way through this building until I’m with her.  My demons, now recognizing her for what she is—their blessing—are restless without her soothing soul.

It took me so fucking long.  I stole years from her—from us—because I was too much of a pussy to take a chance.  I still worry that I might unwillingly harm her, but I now believe that we need each other on a greater scale.

Regardless of my fears and concerns, the only way I might ever begin to heal is with her walking each step with me.

“Maddox?”  I tense when Axel’s hand touches my back.  “You okay, brother?”

I’d love to punch him in the face, get some of this excess energy out, but I know he isn’t asking the ludicrous question for shits and giggles.

“No,” I tell him honestly.  “But I will be when they let me back there.”

“I understand.  Here.”

I turn and look down at the phone in his hand.

“Called your carrier and had your number transferred over, so if they call, it’s all good.”

“Appreciate it,” I mumble.  “Where’s Izzy?”

“At home with Nate.  She wanted to come with me, but Nate’s sitter needed an hour to get there.  Melissa is bringing the girls and Cohen over before she and Greg head this way.  Everyone else should be here shortly.”

I don’t respond, choosing to rather turn towards the window and wait.  It shouldn’t be taking this fucking long.

An hour passes before the room is full of everyone who loves Emmy.  All worried.  Everyone silent.  I’m sure they’re afraid to speak at this point, and I honestly don’t know what I would do if they did.  I’m hanging by a thread that’s been unraveling for hours.

My eyes close just before two small arms wrap around me.  She doesn’t speak—she doesn’t need to—and she just offers me her strength.  I’m fine until she starts to hum and I remember when our positions were switched and Izzy needed me to be her strength.  Her lifeline when her world was crumbling around her.  Before she and Axel finally got past their issues and came together again.  Fought their demons and won.

Her heavy belly brushes against me when I shift and open my arms.  She gives me a soft smile and moves her body closer.  I take everything she’s giving and look across the room where her husband is frowning.  Even though I know he’s worried just like the rest of us, that frown is because his woman is in my arms.

“Appreciate it, Iz, but maybe you should get back to your husband now?”