Page 11 of Burning for the Truth

I feel the need to comfort him, so I go ahead and take his hand in mine and lean closer to him. His hand is warm and mostly soft, but the callouses tell the story of a hardworking man. His eyes are still moving rapidly under his closed lids, so he’s still dreaming. I get close to his face and whisper, “Hold on, Dean. I’m here. Don’t let go.” I place the briefest kiss to his cheek and feel his fingers grip my hand.

My gaze falls down to our hands and then back to his face. One eye flutters open. “Bree?” he says in a raspy voice.

I don’t give him the chance to fully wake. He’s bound to be pumped full of drugs to keep him comfortable right now, so the chances of him remembering this are slim. I rest my forehead to his gently. “Shhh. It’s me. I had to check on you. I’m glad you’re okay. Get some rest and get better,” I say before standing straight again and slipping my hand from his.

Both of his eyes flutter open as I step back into the dimly lit room. “Wait, don’t go,” he starts. But his eyes are too heavy to stay open.

“I can’t stay, Dean. I hope you’re better soon. Take care of yourself,” I almost whisper as I exit his room, quietly closing the door behind me, and then I breeze down the hall to leave. I can’t be here a moment longer.

When I reach my car, I drive straight home and close the door behind me. I stare into my empty loft apartment. Which is exactly how I feel…empty.I don’t know what to do. I simply walk to my bed and sit on the floor beside it.

I pull my knees to my chest, hugging them as tears silently fall. With each teardrop the emptiness feels closer to swallowing me whole. I hear noise outside my door, but I don’t move to check it. My lock turns and for a moment my mind says it’s Drew.

But when I glance up, I see Sterling’s and Tate’s worried but handsome faces staring back at me. Sterling called in reinforcements. Tate makes his way to me first. He sits beside me and pulls me into him as I finally let the pain of this nightmare settle into me. He doesn’t say a word; neither does Sterling. He simply sits on the other side of me and holds my hand.

I may feel utterly alone, but the men beside me are proof I’m not. I know somehow, they’ll help me through this…Ivie and Lucy too, and of course my parents. I know I’ll heal in time, but a part of me will always be missing—an innocence in me was stolen tonight, violently. I don’t think I’ll ever love again.

What I know in what’s left of my heart at this moment is: first, eventually I’ll be okay with the help of my family, and second, I’m going to nail this bastard’s ass to the wall if it’s the last thing I do.

“Good morning, Dean. How did you sleep?” a perky nurse asks as she checks my vitals.

“Like heaven,” I bite out sarcastically as I grimace in pain.

The nurse blushes, but quickly recovers. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so—”

I hold up my right hand. “It’s fine. I should apologize. It’s not your fault,” I say as I try to shift. I could’ve sworn Briella was here last night. I blink as I try to differentiate between my dreams and reality.

“Did anyone come into my room last night after my parents left? Visitors I mean?”

She furrows her brows as she considers my question. “No, not that I’m aware of. Did something happen?”

“No, I just…it’s nothing,” I reply with a tight smile, not wanting to explain further.

She smiles back warmly. “Well, we’ll be spending quite some time together over the next few weeks you’re in here, so let me know if you need anything. I’m Chelsea.”

“Thanks, I’m Dean. Well, obviously you know that.” I let out a puff of air as I run my right hand through my hair.

“That’s okay. Nice toofficiallymeet you.” She winks a little flirtatiously. “Listen, I’m getting off shift now, but I’ll be back tonight. Margaret will be your nurse today.”

“Okay. Thanks.” I can’t muster up any other words. Chelsea keeps checking things and making notes while occasionally glancing at me and blushing. She’s probably around my age, maybe a little younger. She’s attractive with blonde hair and blue eyes, but this isn’t the time or place. And she’s not…shit. I close my eyes.Briella.

“Are you in pain?” Chelsea notices the grimace on my face.

“Um, no. Not any more than I have been. I’m fine,” I respond quickly.

She swiftly wraps up her work in my room and leaves. She briefed me on the carousel of medical staff I’ll be meeting today.

As I take it all in, my heart aches. Sterling is my childhood best friend. But you meet people in your adult life and end up having new best friends. It’s my belief there’s not only one person who gets to claim that title. And I lost one of mine.

I feel tears trickle down my cheeks again and I angrily swipe at them. I have to get better and out of this hospital. I can’t be laid up in this bed, or any bed while the criminal responsible for Drew’s death is still out there planning who knows what.

No, I have to do what the doctors and nurses tell me. I can’t get distracted or stray from my goal. It’s going to take time and persistence, but I’ll do it. I have to do it—for Drew, and…

“Knock, knock,” Sterling says as he enters my room.

“Hey, man. How’s Briella?” I ask before he can say anything else. His face falls and his tired eyes give away the truth.

“Don’t lie to me, Sterling. How is she holding up?” I push again. My number one goal is to make sure the asshole who did this is locked up for the rest of his life. But a close second is keeping the promise I made to Drew—to take care of Briella. My job is to protect her at all costs.

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