Page 88 of Second Chance Serenity

“Bianca. I like her,” I say.

Bianca’s familiar face comes into view. “Reyna, you and these near-death experiences. You gotta stop, girl. We can’t be friends if you die on me.” She shines a light on my eyes. “We can’t move her until they get here with the stretcher.”

“How did you beat the ambulance?”

“I was already in my car when Elijah called. And I can drive faster.”

“Michael, Liam is Willy’s brother.” I close my eyes for a moment, my breathing getting more and more difficult with every passing second. I try to move again, to alleviate at least some of the building pressure in my chest.

“Stay still,” Bianca tells me.

“You can tell me everything later, okay, baby? Right now we need to get you out.”

“I love you,” I tell him, my eyelids drooping. “I love you, Michael.”

“I love you, too,” he says. “Hang on just a bit longer, okay? Don’t give up on me, Reyna Acker. We’re just getting started.”

Sirens echo in the distance, and I lose the fight with consciousness, letting myself slip into blackness.

CHAPTER 29

Michael

For the second time in as many months, I’m sitting in an emergency room waiting for news on Reyna’s condition. Only this time, she was in much worse shape when she arrived. They’d had to cut her out of the car, slicing through the metal in order to free her pinned body.

She’d hit the tree so hard—and on her side—that it’s amazing she survived at all.

Liam—or rather Wesley—on the other hand, was relatively fine. At least upon impact. I certainly made a dent in him once I’d ripped him from the car.

Once he regained consciousness, he made a deal with Carter to testify that Zeke Phillips has been running Willy Carson’s business and was behind the attacks on Reyna and me.

Even better news, they’d managed to catch Asher and the other two men Zeke sent to Hope Springs as they tried to get into Andie’s house. Because of Reyna’s warning, Sheriff Vick had stationed deputies at everyone’s homes, and they’d gone to hers first.

They’ve been arrested and have also agreed to help put their boss in prison. Though my request to spend ten minutes alone in a room with Asher was denied, I’m grateful to know he’ll be rotting in a cell alongside his boss.

He and Zeke Phillips will spend a lot of time in prison.

But that doesn’t help me right now. Not when the woman I love is in surgery to repair a bleed in her abdomen.

Lance sits beside me, his silent presence calming some of my fear, but only because if the worst happens and she doesn’t pull through, I won’t have to fall apart alone.

God, please don’t let that happen.

The doors slide open and I look up as my mother and father come in. My dad’s expression is furious. “How is she? Did you get him? Tell me you got that?—”

“Reggie,” my mother interrupts.

“We got him,” I tell my dad.

The former cop looks relieved, but he leans forward in his wheelchair and places a hand on my leg. “She’s a tough one,” he tells me. “She’s going to be fine.”

It means the world to me that he’s here at all. That either of them is. Especially since before my abduction, the only time my parents left the house was for my dad’s appointments or the brief moments my mom had to go run an errand. “I hope so.”

“Lance,” my father greets as he offers Lance a hand.

“Mr. Anderson,” Lance replies, shaking his offered palm.

“You took care of my boy. You call me Reggie. We’re family.”

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