Page 27 of Buried

Fuck, I didn’t want to do this to her. I really fucking didn’t. “Darlin’, Jesup just called me… Tristan has been shot, and his odds of surviving aren’t looking that great,” I gently told her.

Her expression was blank for a moment as she processed my words. Then, her expression quickly fell, tears filling her eyes as her bottom lip trembled. I instantly pulled her onto my lap and cradled her to me as she burst into tears, her pain-filled wail filling my room.

And my beautiful Adelaide fell apart in my arms.

Joey grabbed her hands in his, bringing her tear-filled eyes to his. “Tristan is not leaving you, pretty girl,” he soothed. She sobbed, shaking her head. “He’s strong as fuck, and he’s stubborn as hell. This isn’t going to take him out.Breathe,” he coaxed.

“Darlin’,” I called as I gripped her chin, drawing her broken expression up to mine, “live for me,” I begged her. My heart squeezed in my chest as her face scrunched up in pain. “Just live. It’s going to be okay.”

She whimpered as she squeezed her eyes shut, fucking tearing my heart apart. “Sorry, bro. Kick my ass later,” Joey whispered.

Before I could question what the fuck he was about to do, he gripped her face in his hands and smoothed his lips over hers. She sobbed into their kiss. “Keep me with you,” he begged her. Her hands fisted in my cut, but she didn’t tear her lips from his.I clenched my jaw but managed to keep my temper in check. She needed him. I fucking hated it, but sheneededhim. “Just keep me with you, pretty girl. You’ve survived so much shit by holding me with you, so do that. Live for your man and justkeep me with you.”

I gritted my teeth as the urge to break his fucking jaw and his fingers so he’d never be able to touch her again pulsed through my veins like hot, scorching lava. But when her whimpers quieted, her eyes falling shut, some of that anger evaporated. I glared at him over her head though, but he only shrugged at me. “All for her,” he said quietly. I sighed. He pressed his lips to her temple as her cries became a little quieter as well, all while she drew herself closer to my body, seeking my comfort. I tightened my arms around her. She only silently cried in my arms as she continued clutching my cut in her fists.

Joey brushed his hand over her dark hair. “Live for him, pretty girl, and let us handle everything else.”

Chapter Nineteen

River

After managing to get Adelaide somewhat calm, Joey took off, promising her that he would come back the moment she needed him to. She’d cried as he walked to his bike. It tore me apart to see her want him with her so badly, but I pushed it down. She needed him. He could help her in ways that I couldn’t.

Because he taught her how to breathe.

If it hadn’t been for Joey, I wouldn’t have Adelaide now.

I slowly eased Adelaide’s Nissan Rogue onto the familiar gravel lot of the Sons of Death. I brought the SUV to a stop, looking over at Adelaide, who was passed out in the passenger seat of the car as I turned the key in the ignition. Blowing out a soft breath, I looked forward when I noticed someone step out of the clubhouse, my eyes meeting Jesup’s through the windshield.

He looked like shit, to put it lightly. He had a lot sitting on his shoulders now that he had to cover for Tristan. On top of that,he was living with the fear that he may be burying the man he’d known his entire life.

I knew that shit wasn’t easy.

I slid out of the SUV, quietly shutting the driver’s side door behind me. Jesup walked over to me, his hands stuffed deep in the pockets of his jeans. “The doctor said that I can choose to keep him on life support, or I can just go ahead and pull the plug.” He blew out a harsh breath. “I can’t make that kind of decision for a guy I’ve known for my entire life, River.” He nodded his head toward the SUV. “I figured I would let Adelaide make that decision.”

I nodded in understanding, even though I didn’t like the idea at all. He was putting more pressure on her shoulders. She was dealing with enough shit as it was. Even unconscious, Tristan was fucking her up.

I walked around to her side of the vehicle and gently opened her door, catching her before she fell out. Her eyes snapped open, and they locked onto my face. Then, she slowly took in her surroundings, her expression falling again, but this time, no tears escaped.

She was living for me and holding Joey with her. I knew she would show no weakness here, and she was clinging onto everything she could to keep up a brave, strong front.

It was one of the things that I loved about her. When the world was an absolute shit place for her, she still remained strong.

“Let me out,” she whispered.

Nodding, I stepped back, moving around to the back seat to grab Axel. As soon as I lifted his car seat out, Adelaide was next to me. “Give him to me,” she quietly ordered.

I took one look at her face and nodded again, realizing that she was going to use Axel to try to keep herself held together. I handed her the car seat and watched her as she walked off into the clubhouse, striding past Tank and Dameon with just a nod of her head.

She was on the very edge of that cliff, looking down into the dark abyss. I just hoped that I would be enough to keep her from tipping completely over the edge.

My heart squeezed in my chest for her.

I pulled out my phone, shooting a text to Joey, ignoring Jesup, who was watching me. I didn’t answer to him anymore, and he knew better than to overstep the boundaries that I had set.

River:

Made it.

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