Page 85 of Bae

“She was involved in a car accident tonight. We’re at the scene now. I wanted to let you know she’s being transported to Primary Hospital—”

The phone hit my foot. I didn’t even know where it went after that.

Now here I was in a helicopter, on my way to the hospital. I had no idea what Rim’s condition was, but it didn’t matter.

I was scared.

More scared than I’d been in my entire life.

Including the day we’d lost Evie and I watched Rimmel nearly crumble.

Never again.I didn’t want to do that ever again.

A fine tremor worked through my joints, always there, reminding me nothing was steady, nothing was solid. It wouldn’t be ever again until I saw my wife, until she looked at me with clear eyes that weren’t wracked with pain.

“Almost there,” Braeden said quietly at my side.

My eyes flicked to the window. All I saw were lights. Lights that blurred together.

I should have asked what her condition was. I should have asked to speak with her. Anything. I should have demanded any shred of information that would make this ride just a little more bearable.

Braeden’s leg was bouncing, his own agitation showing.

The second I rushed off the field, he’d been right at my heels. I couldn’t even tell him what was wrong. I’d just looked up from grabbing my shit out of the locker and said her name.

He knew.

He knew from the tone of my voice, from the rigid set of my body… There was nothing else on this planet that could make me lose my shit like this.

He hadn’t asked for details. He didn’t say anything at all.

Instead, my brother made a call to Gamble himself, roused the man out of a closed-door meeting, and spoke quietly into the line. I was already running toward the exit of the building. Just before I stepped out into the lot—I’d run if I had to—B grabbed me, yanked me back, and pointed to the stairs.

He still spoke, but I didn’t listen. I ran the stairs without even stopping. I took all ten floors double-time.

When I hit the door that led to the roof, I burst through and stared at the sky.

Braeden slid his phone away. “Any second now. You’re going to have to tell the pilot where to go.”

I did. The hospital name ripped right out of me, and Braeden took the news like he’d been punched in the face.

Here we were… the chopper descending out of the sky toward the giant X on a large building.

The second we touched down, I was out, despite warnings from the pilot. The wind was so strong it was like running against gale-force hurricane gusts.

I withstood it.

Nothing, not even wind brought forth by our creator himself, would keep me from getting to her.

Braeden kept pace but fell behind me. Even he knew not to get in my way. I burst into the ER like a man with a bomb strapped to his chest. People stopped what they were doing and stared.

“Where is she?” I bellowed to no one and everyone.

A nurse behind the station rushed around. “Follow me.”

I ran after her. She glanced behind me at B, and I growled. She turned back without another word. I wasn’t putting up with any kind of rules from the staff. We were both going in. No arguments.

It seemed I went down the longest hallway ever, despite the speed at which we walked.

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