They抮e all there, thank God.
The second I scramble off the boat, carrying her, I hand her off to the EMT, who lays her out on a stretcher. A second team rushes past me to Troy, who抯 apparently still alive梐 fact I couldn抰 have imagined feeling so indifferent to an hour ago.
揧ou want to ride to the hospital with her??he asks.
Fuck.
After that parting look, I wonder if she抣l want me there.
Still, I抎 drown myself in this storm before I let anything keep me away.
I have to make sure she抯 okay梐nd if she抯 not, I have to tell her parents. Troy may have made up his mind to murder her, but her winding up in this mess is entirely my fault.
There抯 barely time to tell Destiny to stay with Brock through her machine-gun questions before I ride to the hospital with Eliza.
The whole way there, I lace her fingers through mine, kissing her knuckles.
揚lease be okay. Please wake up so I can apologize for the clueless asshead I抳e been.?My voice cracks as I push my lips to her ear. 揘o matter what happens, Eliza, I抣l always fucking love you.?
After I抦 able to tear myself away from her with multiple warnings from the medical staff, I find Destiny and Brock waiting for me in the lobby.
Dess stands and throws herself at me, a little cannonball looking for a hug. 揂re you okay? Is Eliza…？
揑抦 fine and so is she,?I say.
揌oly crap. That抯 great news. But you don抰 look fine.?She studies my face, her brows knit together.
揓ust a little banged up from the scuffle. It happens when you抮e wrestling an axe away from a maniac,?I grumble, realizing too late I shouldn抰 be spilling too much to Destiny without considering the consequences.
Until he went insane, Troy was an estranged uncle reunited. That has to be hard on her, one more disappointment in a family as tattered as ours.
揝orry, Dess. I didn抰 mean to棓
揧ou can say it, Dad. I don抰 care about Troy. He tried to hurt her. God, he wanted to kill you,?she whispers angrily. 揑 hope they nail his butt to the wall. Like a hundred life sentences.?
I smile. 揙nly a hundred, huh??
揌ow抯 Eliza??she asks eagerly.
揝table. Sounds like she抣l be fine in a day or two. I抦 not family, so I couldn抰 pry much out of the doctors.?I sigh. 揑t抯 been a long night. We抮e going home now, okay??
Brock stares at me. 揧ou抮e sure you don抰 need a checkup yourself, Lancaster??
揑抣l live. Eliza had it a lot worse than I did and she抯 the one worth fussing over. Thank you again, Brock, for everything.?I grab the hand he extends, shaking it with both of mine.
He gives me a tired smile. 揌appy to help. I抣l leave you folks to your business.?
We watch him head down the corridor, and I wonder if I抳e gained a friend to replace the lunatic frenemy I lost tonight.
揥e can抰 just leave her here.?Destiny folds her arms and stares at me, her bottom lip jutting out.
揥hat do you mean? We抮e not family, Dess, and privacy laws are pretty strict.?
揝o? I don抰 care if we wait all night. We can抰 leave Eliza alone.?
揇estiny, she抯 a grown woman. There won抰 even be visiting hours until tomorrow. I just got off the phone with her parents and I owe them another update soon. I promised.?
揊ine, Dad. But she抯 gonna be pissed at you again if she wakes up and you抮e not here,?she flares. Her eyes are sad, accusing me of high crimes I haven抰 committed yet.
揑抦 sorry. I can抰 rewrite the rules of the world, however much I wish I could,?I say bluntly. 揥hen we see Eliza again, it抣l be on her terms, little bee. Understood??
She looks at me angrily before releasing a loud sigh. 揜eally, Dad? You抮e just going to give her space? How well did that work out last time??
I don抰 answer, I just start heading for the lobby.
On the long drive home with an exhausted Tom at the wheel, I realize Destiny is right.
I can抰 let Eliza wake up alone, even if I抦 stuck in a waiting room.
Once we抮e home and I抳e got Destiny fed and off to bed, I call Lincoln Burns.
揥hat抯 up, Lancaster??
揂ny chance I can speak to your darling wife without her wanting to kick me in the balls? I don抰 have her number.?
He chuckles. 揇akota wants your balls crushed? What did you do??
揑t抯 about Eliza.?
揙h. Oh, shit.?I hear soft chatter and a baby laughing in the background. 揑f you guys are busy棓
揘o, it抯 fine,?he clips. 揥hat happened? Is she okay??
揝he抯 in the hospital.?
揇amn. I抦 sorry to hear棓
揌ello? What did you do to her, you lump of numbnuts??Dakota answers sharply, no doubt jerking the phone away from her husband.
I grit my teeth.
I explain the situation, ending with, 揝he抯 okay minus what looks like a few bruises, just resting and under observation. I don抰 want her waking up alone棓