Page 16 of Crossing Lines

Needless to say, I had a lot of road rash in places where my clothes tore, a goose egg on my temple, half of my face was bruised, and one eye was slightly swollen. I had a piece of metal embedded in my thigh, and if that’s not enough of a kicker, I’d busted a few ribs and my ankle was shot. I had torn ligaments and a hairline fracture. Thankfully it was on the same side as the thigh wound, but it royally sucked ass. Stella needed to stay calm and relaxed right now. Her morning sickness was bad and her emotions were all over the place on top of her freaking out about being pregnant to begin with.

Now, she’d have to deal with this.

“Hang in there, man, the nurse said they have a doctor coming in to remove that metal from your leg. X-ray shows it’s not deep and not up against anything vital. They’ll irrigate the wound, stitch it up, and give you some antibiotics. Possibly more pain meds. Then the ortho doc is coming down to put a temporary cast on your ankle. They’ll make an appointment with the orthopedic office at home for you to be reevaluated, and they’ll handle it from there.”

“Stel is going to lose her mind,” I said, leaning back. The pain meds the nurse had given me were helping, but I still hurt like hell. My eyes closed tight as I fought to stay on this bed. The asshole responsible for this was a few bays down...I just needed to punch him in the face once. Three times, max.

“Eh, at least you have someone to worry over you. She’ll be all right.” Chip shrugged and winced. His left arm was bandaged up past the elbow, and the right was bandaged on the forearm.

“How is everyone else?” I asked him, giving him another once-over. “You alright? What happened anyway?”

“Road rash and a few cuts. No stitches, so I’m fine. Just a little sore. I refused the pain meds.” I nodded, knowing my best friend well. He liked to know what was happening around him at all times. I usually did too, but tonight, I had to have a barrier between me and this pain. I was man enough to admit when I was throwing in the towel.

I just wanted out of this place. The drive home was going to be painful for both of us. “Soon as you’re released, we’re out of here. I have a hotel booked for the night. We’ll head home in the morning.”

“Alright,” I sighed as the nurse came in with a man behind her. His lab coat said ‘Dr. Norton.’ He looked like he was maybe ten. Great. I was in the hands of this generation’s Doogie Houser.

Three hours and multiple shots and stitches later, I was nowhere near high enough to deal with this pain. I’d asked Chip to find me liquor from somewhere. I needed to pass out and try to sleep some of this off, but while I waited for him to come back, I called Stella. It had taken a while to get through to her. I’d finally had to call and text Carter so he could get her to answer me.

My girl had been asleep. I felt bad, but in that same breath, I’d needed to hear her voice. It was the best medicine there was. My only worry now was her reaction to seeing me banged up. Shit was going to get loud and hysterical quickly.

“She’s going to rip you a new one for not telling her about all of this. You know that, right?” Chip looked at me, shaking his head. “Then she’s going to have my balls cut off for not telling her.”

I chuckled. He was probably right. “Don’t worry so much. We have to stop off at the station, that will give us some extra time to plan out what I tell her first. Just relax. I’m just as worried about how AJ is going to take this news.”

My sister was a bit dramatic.

“She’s going to be mad, that’s a promise. I don’t think she’ll be as over the top as Stel though. That one is going to hit DEFCON zero.” I gave him a look. There was no zero. DEFCON 1 was the end—oh, yeah, I see what he meant. She’d hit zero.

“Now who’s being dramatic?” I chuckled, then wished I hadn’t when my ribs protested.

“That serves you right.” He chuckled in reply, pulling into the lot beside the Burke County Law Complex. I got out carefully, using my crutches to guide myself up the long ramp leading into the building. It took a lot more effort than it should have. If this was an indication of what the next six to eight weeks would be like, I was fucked.

Shouts and cursing came through the glass door as soon as it was opened. Chip and I exchanged looks. We walked through the next set of doors and right into chaos.

“You arrest her now! She attacked me!” A woman stood, cuffed and half-dressed, glaring at Jacks and Charlie. My eyes started to scan the office when I saw her, fire burning in her eyes. Stella, her hair a wild mess, her face red on one side, was being held at bay by her brother. Trevor looked murderous. Peter was standing, his back against the back wall, his face pulled tight in anger.

“Attacked you! Bitch, I will squeeze the life out of you for what you did! Ignorant cunt!”

Trevor had to fight to restrain Stel when she lunged for the woman. She was wiggling worse than a fish in a barrel. The doors opened behind us and both Shelby and Dani Lynn came in.

“Boys, what in the hell happened to you?” Dani Lynn asked softly. I shook my head and motioned to my girl being restrained.

“What’s this about?”

Dani Lynn’s face morphed from concern to anger in a split second. “A shitty mom, that’s what happened.” She pulled out a piece of paper and moved toward the crowd. “Derek Landry! Sheriff Cartwright!” Her voice rang out through the room. Everyone stopped mid curse. We all knewthattone.

I watched as Stella seemed to relax. Shelby set her bag on a desk and took out her stethoscope.

“Here, Ma.” Derek came out of the back, a baby carrier in his hands.

“Give me my baby!” the woman who had been facing off with Stel called out.

“Oh, now you want him? You left him on the side of the road like a bag of trash and sped off with no fucks to give. And now that your skank hooker ass has been caught, you want him!” Stel once again fought to get free of Trevor’s grip.

She almost won that fight, even with one arm totally out of commission. She was beautiful when she was feisty like this. Though, I’d never tell her that. It would just encourage her crazy to come out and play more.

“Stel, for fuck’s sake, calm down!” he snarled; it did no good. She was still struggling.

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