Page 53 of Damned By His Angel

“Meelz!” I whimper and blink my eyes open at the sound of my dad’s voice. I slam my eyes closed as pain vibrates throughout my body. “Thank fuck. Stay still, baby, you’ve been shot and have lost a lot of blood already.”

“Kingsley?” I croak out. Dad’s face falls and a sob claws out of me. “No!” I cry out.

“Cronos went after her, we have cars coming to move us all. Rook needs to get seen to ASAP, he’s not in a good way,” he says somberly. Guilt over putting my entire family in this position fills me.

“Dad, I’m so sorry?—”

“Shhhh, we’ll worry about everything else later. I need to get you out of here and to a hospital?—”

“Mom?” I rush to ask.

His face fills with pain. “I need to get back to her as well, I had her airlifted to New York and I haven’t… heard anything since.” I swallow and nod my head, we’ll deal with that later as well I guess. When cars begin to pull up, Dad helps me to my feet and I stagger. Uncle Knight and Uncle Gage each help Uncle Rook to the first SUV that takes off the instant he is inside with Uncle Knight. “We’re next,” Dad says as we both limp toward the second car. Before he can help me in, I pull back and shake my head. “Meelz?—”

“I can’t just leave my daughter, Dad. I need to find her?—”

“You’ve been shot!” he argues.

“I don’t care, I need to find her and Cronos?—”

“He’s already on his way to the local hospital with your daughter, Meelz.” I spin around and stumble back, but Dad is there to catch me before I slip in my own blood. “London is with him, Artemis will be there as well.”

Tears prick my eyes at Royal’s words. “They’re both okay?”

He nods. “You guys get out of here, we’ll clean up and meet you all back at Dad’s.” Before he can leave I ask.

“Where is he?” He doesn’t have to ask which he I am referring to, he can tell from the hatred in my tone.

“Him and his bitch of a sister have been patched up so they don’t die on their flight back to New York. We’ll deal with them when we?—”

“No.” Royal frowns and looks to my dad. Before either of them can say a word I cut in. “No one touches them but me. The human body can survive three days without water, give them enough water to keep them alive and food every six days until I get there. I want them to suffer from the moment they land until I can deal with them.”

“Meelz—” I look at my dad and whatever he sees in my eyes has him clamping his mouth closed.

“It’s my decision. You wanted me to embrace who I am, this is me doing that.” I turn back to my cousin. “No one is to touch them. Keep them separated. Find some recordings of a woman screaming and play it to him every so often so he thinks his sister is being tortured. Do the same to her, I want their minds broken before I break their bodies.”

“Jesus, you sound exactly like my fucking daughter,” Royal says with a shudder as I turn away from him and climb into the car.

I’m about to rip my nurse’s throat out if she doesn’t hurry the fuck up. We were taken to a private hospital and they refused to allow me to see Kingsley until I was cleaned and checked out. I went to reach for my dad’s sidearm and shoot the bitch, but when they reminded me of the risk of spreading infection to my preemie baby, I resisted.

Artemis, Dad, Uncle Knight and Uncle Rook are all in the ER with me, it’s no surprise that my family had the local hospital locked down so only our people can be treated. I make no comment because a part of me is extremely grateful for that, it means my daughter is safe. The only reason I have been able to remain this calm is because I know Cronos is with her and he won’t let anything happen to our daughter.

“I have some clean clothes, pads and some toiletries in the shower for you. I can assist if you need?” Given the fact I’m in a fucking sling, I have no choice but to accept her offer. She helps me off the bed. I see my dad begin to panic across from me but I reassure him I am just showering, then I’ll return. I’m way past caring about who the fuck sees my body, I’m a doctor and know how desensitized these nurses are to seeing a naked body. The woman is careful in helping me remove my sling and removes the shower head from the wall and holds it at stomach level, so I don’t wet my bandages.

By the time I have changed and exit the bathroom in a fresh set of clothes and my hair in a messy bun, I feel ten times better but exhaustion is weighing on me now. Dad and Artemis wait at the edge of the bed I was occupying. I raise a brow at him.

“We’ll come with you. Knight will stay with Rook, he needs surgery. When he is well enough to travel we’ll have him flown back home.” I nod my head in understanding, I know my family hates being separated, which is why they all live together pretty much. Artemis looks like he is about to jump out of his skin if he doesn’t set eyes on London soon. I can’t blame him, my own skin is crawling with the need to see my daughter and Nos.

“Follow me.” The three of us follow behind the nurse, nerves wracking my body the entire way. I can’t seem to control the urge to tell her to hurry the hell up, but I know what it's like being in her position so I refrain. As we draw near to where we see the signs for the NICU, my dad grips my hand in his and gives it a squeeze. I relax at the feeling of his comfort.

When she swipes her badge and the large doors open automatically, my breath hitches. As we enter the NICU, I immediately dart my gaze around and spot London across the large room. Artemis practically runs to her, and at the sight of him, she smiles and stands as he embraces her. Dad and I stand back and give them a minute, I’m fighting not to tap my fucking foot.

“Excuse me?” a new nurse asks from beside us.

“What?” I snap and cringe, I shoot her an apologetic smile that she ignores.

“It’s parents only allowed in here.”

‘What?” I snap.

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