Page 24 of Inflame Me
I dart from the room so fast one would think my ass is on fire, but I don’t care. I need time to process all of this.
I RUSH INTO Dagger’s room to find the bed is empty, and my stomach plummets.
“Mom?” I yell, concern and fear cutting through me like a sharp knife.
The door to the bathroom opens, and my mother appears with Princess holding her up.
“There you are.” Her voice is filled with pain. I would do anything to fix that for her.
I move quickly to her side.
“She had to pee while waiting for you, so I took her,” Princess says, sitting Mom down on the bed gently.
I help her get comfortable on the bed, moving the pillows and pulling up the blankets to cover her body.
“Thanks,” I tell Princess, so happy she was here to help my mom.
“Looks like you were busy.” Princess chuckles.
My eyes flash to hers, my hands moving to my lips. They feel full and puffy. I shake my head, hoping she understands me. My mother is lying here, hurt, and there is no reason to bring anything else on the table right now.
“How are you feeling?” I ask Mom, focusing on her. Her brows are tight, and with only slivers of her eyes available to see, I can’t read her fully.
“Like I got beaten up.” She gives a soft chuckle then immediately begins coughing from it.
I sit on the bed, instantly feeling like the adult to her as the child. I grab her hand. “Mom, breathe for me. Slow and steady. In and out.” I mimic what I want her to do, and she begins following. Just by holding her hand, I can feel her body begin to relax.
“Want me to give her something?” Princess asks, angling her head to her tackle box of meds.
I nod my head, not wanting my mom to feel any pain at all. Ever.
“Mom, what hurts the worst?” When the doctor came and checked her out while the boys were gone, he said that nothing was broken, but it would take her a while to heal. I’m also supposed to call him once she is lucid enough to answer questions. I need to remember to do that.
“My ribs and chest.” Her breath comes out a bit wheezy.
“Your ribs are bruised bad, but not broken. The doctor said it’ll take a while for it to feel better.”
My mother turns her head to Princess. “Are you the doctor?”
Princess smiles. “No. I’m Princess, Pops and Ma’s daughter.”
Mom tries to widen her eyes, but comes up short and moans in pain, instead. “Really?” she asks through her busted lip.
“Yep. Got a brother, GT. He’s around here somewhere.” Princess rifles through her box. “So, you and Dagger?” she asks.
My mother turns her head. “Yes,” is her only response, and this time, the ache in her voice is not from the physical pain she’s in. This is deeper. She sucks in a breath. “How’s Ma doing?” She changes the subject.
“Great. She’s with Cooper, my little boy, right now. She’s been by a couple of times while you were out.”
Mom gazes off. “She probably thinks the worst of me. Hell, I bet everyone in this club does at this point.” A lonely tear falls from the corner of her eye.
“Mom, they’ve all been great. You were right; I don’t know what they did, but Dagger took care of everything. We just need to get you better.” I brush the hair away from my mother’s face.
“But I need questions answered.” I jump at the deep voice of Dagger, who strides through the room and stops at the side of the bed.
My mother’s grip tightens on my hand, and I try to get a little bit of reprieve by pulling back, but it doesn’t help. It’s not fear, though. She’s not scared, but I can also tell she doesn’t want me to leave her, and I won’t.
“Here,” Princess says, breaking up the tension that has seemed to enter the air. She hands me a bottle with pills. “These will help her. Two every four hours, no more. They’re strong as hell, so they’ll keep her knocked out, but it’s the best thing for her while her body heals up.”
