Page 70 of Dirty Pucking Tease

I nodded on a heavy exhale, my shoulders sinking. "Fine, but once I know Kaia is okay, Parker's dead."

"Yeah, man," Owen said. "I'll start researching a place to bury the body while we wait." He was being funny, but I wasn't.

We rode the elevators back up, and when we stepped out, my eyes landed on Alex. He must have come up the back elevators because he never passed us in the main lobby. I didn't have time to react before Owen slammed his palm into my chest, shoving me back into the elevator. It was so unexpected that I didn't have time to fight against him.

"This isn't the time or place, Jax," Owen warned. "Whatever beef you two have is on hold for now. You two can work out your feelings when Kaia's all better, okay?"

I nodded. "I'm fine." He wasn't who my anger was directed towards at the moment. He released me, and we both stepped out of the elevator Camryn held open.

"Jax," Syn called out. My eyes shifted to meet hers. "She's out of surgery." I sucked in a deep breath holding it.

"Is she okay?" Cam asked.

"She's stable." A rush of air escaped my lungs, and I fell forward, grabbing my knees. She was going to be okay.

"The doctor said the surgery went well, and they successfully closed the gash in her leg, but the head trauma is a wait-and-see."

"What does that mean?"

Syn shrugged. "I don't know."

"He said there was minor swelling, and she's asleep now," Harlow continued. "He won't know the extent of the damage until she wakes."

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. This was too much.

"Is she going to wake up?" Cam asked.

"He said they have no reason to believe she won't, but head trauma is unpredictable sometimes."

I sank into a chair, leaning forward on my knees, and pressed my praying hands to my face.

"She's going to be okay," Harlow said, sounding more like she was trying to convince herself than us. "I know she's going to be okay."

"When can we see her?" Cam asked, sinking into the chair beside me.

"He said they'd let us back in once she's settled into her room," Alex said, and I tried to hide my irritation at him.

I didn't want him here, but because of me, he was part of Kaia's life. If I had anything to do with it, though, he wouldn'tbe part of her future. Kaia was mine, and I planned to fix every stupid mistake I'd made if she'd let me.

"I love Kaia," I blurted out. "I'm in love with her."

Everyone's gaze shifted, stopping on me.

"Yeah, bro," Syn said, drawing out the words as her eyes narrowed on me. "We already knew that." Of course, they did.

I didn't bother looking at Alex. He'd gotten my message.

47

Three days.

It had been three days, and the doctors had no explanation for why Kaia hadn't woken up. It was clear that the doctors grew increasingly concerned each passing day that she didn't wake up, but no one was giving up on her yet. Even her medical team was still hopeful she'd wake soon.

The hospital room was a constant rotation of people. Kaia's dad and my mom returned early the following morning, and Trystan's flight landed about three hours later.

Cam and Alex were asleep in the waiting room. Syn and Harlow were at home showering before they came back. Trystan was sleeping on the small couch in Kaia's room, and her dad was in a chair directly across from me. I hadn't moved except to use the bathroom in three days. I ate, slept, and watched Kaia from this chair for three whole days, and I had zero intention of leaving until she was awake.

"Good morning." Dr. Torres smiled, stepping into the small hospital room. I straightened in my chair, and so did Robert, Kaia's dad. Trystan's eyes flashed open as he shot up to a sitting position. This had been our routine for three days.

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