Part 6
I smelled the antiseptic smell and knew where I was even before I opened my eyes. A hospital. Again.
I looked around the room, trying to blink the blurriness out of my eyes. I tried turning my head, but that proved both impossible and painful.
“Don’t move,” a familiar voice said softly. Paul appeared beside me and squeezed my hand. “Adam wanted to be here when you woke up, but he had some things to tend to.”
“How?” I asked. My voice was scratchy and my throat was raw.
“The couple from the accident.” He poured some water in a cup and held it gently to my lips. After he was satisfied I’d had enough, he sat it down on the table. “They hunt rogues. When they realized you were running from the others, he called Adam.”
“Why not-”
“Steven? Ben? No respect,” he told me. “They aren’t wolves, Jenna. They’re just human beings doing what they think is right. Live and let live, until one of us step over the line. Adam respects that, as they respect our right to be who and what we are. Ben and Steven don’t. They’ve tried many times to get rid of their entire family.” He took his phone out of his pocket, fiddled with it and then put it to his ear. “Drop what you’re doing and get up here. She’s awake.” He hung up and put his phone beside the glass on the table. “Now, I’m going to go let the nurses know you’re awake. Security is right outside the door so you’ve nothing to fear here. Adam’s taking no more chances.”
Unless of course they can be bought, I thought. Logan had simply been enticed by the prospect of money when he kidnapped me. I could only imagine what someone with the money already in their pocket would be capable of.
I pushed that thought from my mind and focused on my body. My head felt like it was going to explode. The brace around my neck kept me from doing any more damage. My torso was so sore gills were starting to sound like the way to go. My left forearm had a cast on it, as did my right leg. I could feel bandages in random places all over my body.
Despite the pain and I was sure a long road ahead, I still had my memory. I knew who I was, where I needed to be and who I needed to be with. Suddenly I wanted nothing more than to be home.
Voices outside the door caught my attention. Paul was talking to another man. Judging by his manner of speaking and tone, I assumed it was the doctor. He didn’t sound happy, but then again, neither did Paul.
“He’s not supposed to know anything,” Paul was saying. “Jenna is over the age of eighteen and therefore able to make decisions regarding her care. Ben has no say and she will not be released into his care.”
“I apologize for the discrepancy,” the man said graciously. “The situation has been remedied and the nurse reprimanded.”
“Good. Adam will be relieved to hear that. Her recovery?”
“That depends on her of course. She escaped any major damage, though the bones will take time to heal. We’ll keep her one more night. If all goes well, she will be discharged tomorrow.”
“She’ll be discharged tonight.” My heart practically beat through my chest when I heard Adam’s voice. “Ben’s people are camped out downstairs. Steven’s have already been stopped at the door. She’s not safe here. She leaves with me.” When he walked through the door the pain seemed to melt away. He winked at me and put a bag on the table. “Do you think you have the energy to shift?”
I wasn’t positive I could, but I knew why he was asking. Shifting speeds healing. “I can try,” I told him.
He turned back to the doorway. The doctor was still standing in the hall, trying to get Paul to help persuade Adam to allow me to stay another night. “Has she eaten anything?”
Paul shook his head. “You get her home. I’ll take care of everything else.”
“Thanks, Dad.” He emptied the bag and laid a robe on the bed along with a pair of fuzzy slippers. “Doc, you can go get those papers anytime now.”
The doctor stepped into the room and came to stand beside the bed. “Jenna, if you leave now and we’ve missed something, by the time you get back here it may be too late. This is ultimately your decision, but I strongly advise against it.”
“I’d like to leave,” I told him. Adam gave me another drink to ease my throat. The doctor shook his head and started to say something, but I spoke first. “Please, I just want to go home.”
He walked out of the room still shaking his head. Adam kissed my forehead and carefully helped me into the robe. Paul removed the IV and monitor. Alarms went off, but there was no rush of staff into the room. Just a single nurse, quietly shutting down machines and then moving on to the next room.
“How long have I been here?” Adam took the brace off my neck and eased the bed to a more comfortable upright position.
“A week,” he answered. “Long enough.”
“What about Logan?”
“They’re gone,” Paul told me. I looked at Adam, wondering if he’d done it himself. Killing an enemy is one thing. Killing a friend is another. “Not him. Me.”
I was so stunned all that would come out was why. Paul didn’t strike me as the killing type.
“As an Enforcer it’s my job,” he said. “They crossed Adam. They crossed you. They crossed the pack. Not every discretion warrants death mind you. In this case, there was no question.”
“They won’t be the last,” Adam growled. “After this, it’s clear how dangerous men like them are. Not just to you, but the species as a whole. It’s high time we eradicate the vermin.”
“How? You know how much muscle Steven keeps around him. Ben may not seem as dangerous, but he is.”
Adam patted my thigh. “I’m ready for whatever he’s got up his sleeve. We all are. I know some of their pack members are as well. Several have already come to me for protection.”
“Protection?”
“Steven doesn’t let anyone leave his pack alive. Ben isn’t much better. He may not kill them, but he doesn’t allow them a minute of peace either.”
Nobody knew that better than I. My uncle had a habit of having defectors as he called them followed and harassed endlessly. A few he managed to commit suicide. Others he drove into other states. Of course, simply moving didn’t stop him. He called them all hours. Sent letters. Sent people to their homes or workplaces.
“So how do we stop it?” I asked him.
He smiled broadly. “I like hearing we. And I’ll tell once you’re better. This isn’t going to be easy and it won’t be quick. I promised you though, it will be worth it once it’s over.”
“Nothing worth having ever comes easy,” I told him. “Count me in.”
I looked around the room, trying to blink the blurriness out of my eyes. I tried turning my head, but that proved both impossible and painful.
“Don’t move,” a familiar voice said softly. Paul appeared beside me and squeezed my hand. “Adam wanted to be here when you woke up, but he had some things to tend to.”
“How?” I asked. My voice was scratchy and my throat was raw.
“The couple from the accident.” He poured some water in a cup and held it gently to my lips. After he was satisfied I’d had enough, he sat it down on the table. “They hunt rogues. When they realized you were running from the others, he called Adam.”
“Why not-”
“Steven? Ben? No respect,” he told me. “They aren’t wolves, Jenna. They’re just human beings doing what they think is right. Live and let live, until one of us step over the line. Adam respects that, as they respect our right to be who and what we are. Ben and Steven don’t. They’ve tried many times to get rid of their entire family.” He took his phone out of his pocket, fiddled with it and then put it to his ear. “Drop what you’re doing and get up here. She’s awake.” He hung up and put his phone beside the glass on the table. “Now, I’m going to go let the nurses know you’re awake. Security is right outside the door so you’ve nothing to fear here. Adam’s taking no more chances.”
Unless of course they can be bought, I thought. Logan had simply been enticed by the prospect of money when he kidnapped me. I could only imagine what someone with the money already in their pocket would be capable of.
I pushed that thought from my mind and focused on my body. My head felt like it was going to explode. The brace around my neck kept me from doing any more damage. My torso was so sore gills were starting to sound like the way to go. My left forearm had a cast on it, as did my right leg. I could feel bandages in random places all over my body.
Despite the pain and I was sure a long road ahead, I still had my memory. I knew who I was, where I needed to be and who I needed to be with. Suddenly I wanted nothing more than to be home.
Voices outside the door caught my attention. Paul was talking to another man. Judging by his manner of speaking and tone, I assumed it was the doctor. He didn’t sound happy, but then again, neither did Paul.
“He’s not supposed to know anything,” Paul was saying. “Jenna is over the age of eighteen and therefore able to make decisions regarding her care. Ben has no say and she will not be released into his care.”
“I apologize for the discrepancy,” the man said graciously. “The situation has been remedied and the nurse reprimanded.”
“Good. Adam will be relieved to hear that. Her recovery?”
“That depends on her of course. She escaped any major damage, though the bones will take time to heal. We’ll keep her one more night. If all goes well, she will be discharged tomorrow.”
“She’ll be discharged tonight.” My heart practically beat through my chest when I heard Adam’s voice. “Ben’s people are camped out downstairs. Steven’s have already been stopped at the door. She’s not safe here. She leaves with me.” When he walked through the door the pain seemed to melt away. He winked at me and put a bag on the table. “Do you think you have the energy to shift?”
I wasn’t positive I could, but I knew why he was asking. Shifting speeds healing. “I can try,” I told him.
He turned back to the doorway. The doctor was still standing in the hall, trying to get Paul to help persuade Adam to allow me to stay another night. “Has she eaten anything?”
Paul shook his head. “You get her home. I’ll take care of everything else.”
“Thanks, Dad.” He emptied the bag and laid a robe on the bed along with a pair of fuzzy slippers. “Doc, you can go get those papers anytime now.”
The doctor stepped into the room and came to stand beside the bed. “Jenna, if you leave now and we’ve missed something, by the time you get back here it may be too late. This is ultimately your decision, but I strongly advise against it.”
“I’d like to leave,” I told him. Adam gave me another drink to ease my throat. The doctor shook his head and started to say something, but I spoke first. “Please, I just want to go home.”
He walked out of the room still shaking his head. Adam kissed my forehead and carefully helped me into the robe. Paul removed the IV and monitor. Alarms went off, but there was no rush of staff into the room. Just a single nurse, quietly shutting down machines and then moving on to the next room.
“How long have I been here?” Adam took the brace off my neck and eased the bed to a more comfortable upright position.
“A week,” he answered. “Long enough.”
“What about Logan?”
“They’re gone,” Paul told me. I looked at Adam, wondering if he’d done it himself. Killing an enemy is one thing. Killing a friend is another. “Not him. Me.”
I was so stunned all that would come out was why. Paul didn’t strike me as the killing type.
“As an Enforcer it’s my job,” he said. “They crossed Adam. They crossed you. They crossed the pack. Not every discretion warrants death mind you. In this case, there was no question.”
“They won’t be the last,” Adam growled. “After this, it’s clear how dangerous men like them are. Not just to you, but the species as a whole. It’s high time we eradicate the vermin.”
“How? You know how much muscle Steven keeps around him. Ben may not seem as dangerous, but he is.”
Adam patted my thigh. “I’m ready for whatever he’s got up his sleeve. We all are. I know some of their pack members are as well. Several have already come to me for protection.”
“Protection?”
“Steven doesn’t let anyone leave his pack alive. Ben isn’t much better. He may not kill them, but he doesn’t allow them a minute of peace either.”
Nobody knew that better than I. My uncle had a habit of having defectors as he called them followed and harassed endlessly. A few he managed to commit suicide. Others he drove into other states. Of course, simply moving didn’t stop him. He called them all hours. Sent letters. Sent people to their homes or workplaces.
“So how do we stop it?” I asked him.
He smiled broadly. “I like hearing we. And I’ll tell once you’re better. This isn’t going to be easy and it won’t be quick. I promised you though, it will be worth it once it’s over.”
“Nothing worth having ever comes easy,” I told him. “Count me in.”
Dawn Kirby lives in West TX with Jamie, her husband of 17 years and their three wonderful children Tristan, Aishlynn and Shelby. She's the author of SECRETS, DECEIT and TRIBULATIONS. All three part of the paranormal romance Serenity Series published by Twisted Core Press. Her work is also featured in several 7DS Books anthologies such as SEVEN DEADLY SINS, A MAN’S PROMISE, LINGER, among several others. Another short, DATE NIGHT was published in 13 Tales of the Paranormal by Firefly and Wisp. To find out more about Dawn's work please visit www.dawnmkirby.com.
Places to find Dawn Kirby
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