Page 3 of Needing More
She felt rather than heard the sheriff take another step closer to her bed. Vic shifted from the deputy toward the sheriff in silent threat at his insistence.
The sheriff continued to ignore him. "Are you sure? I want to find the person who did this to you, but for some reason, neither you, Finn, nor Booker can remember the man's face."
She heard the suspicion in the man's tone and she knew he knew she was lying. Still, she said nothing.
After a few seconds, the sheriff let out a lengthy sigh and turned to the door. "I truly hope for everyone's sake that we find this man first." Turning to Vic, the sheriff leveled him with a hard look. "And you're sure you don't know where Joel and Hayden are?"
Sapphire jerked up at this. She had been wondering the same thing. Shouldn’t they be here with her now? Surely, they knew she was hurt if Vic and the sheriff did.
Vic shrugged. "They told me they were going to take care of a few things and they would be right back. Until they come back, I'll be taking care of her."
The sheriff didn't look pleased with this and turned to the door before looking over his shoulder at her. "If you do remember anything, give me a call, Miss Waters. Rest and get better soon."
Once they were gone and the heavy door closed, she looked at Vic.
"What's going on? Where are Hayden and Joel, really? And why aren't they here? And where's Finn?" With every question, her throat tightened and the stinging pain of oncoming tears threatened the back of her eyes.
Vic held up both hands. "Whoa there, take it easy." Sitting down at the chair directly to the right of her bed, it brought him to eye level with her.
Reaching for her hand, he took it in his as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do. Sapphire stared at it for a moment, remembering the warm feeling from somewhere before.
"Finn is fine," he assured her. "I bet you weren't aware that her dad is super protective of her," he paused, waiting for the shocked look on her face. "He and his brother came up here raising holy hell when they found out. Practically carried her off."
Sapphire didn’t know that. She imagined men resembling Finn with her handsome looks and sharp features coming up to the hospital with anger and worry etched into their faces. Finn would probably never get to hang out with her again.
"And Joel and Hayden?" she asked weakly.
Vic looked away, somewhere over her head avoiding her desperate gaze. "They're out…taking care of the problem," he said, his dark eyes finally coming back to meet hers.
Though his words were vague, she instantly knew exactly what he meant. Hurt and worry pulsated painfully in her chest as she imagined the two men she cared most about out there tracking down the man who shot at her. Shouldn't they be here with her now instead of out risking their lives?
Looking down at her hands, she flicked the edge of the medical tape with her nail. "I don't understand why he tried…" The words faded on her tongue as a shiver ran through her.
Tyler, or whatever that bastard's name was, tried to kill her. Memories of his determined eyes flashing in anger on the other side of the glass as he pointed the gun at her replayed in her mind.
Vic reached for her. His strong hands squeezed at the tense muscles in her neck making her sink back into the pillows behind her at the relaxing feeling.
"Don't think about him. Once they find him, I can guarantee he won't be an issue." he said crisply.
The tension came back full force and Sapphire sat up alarmed. "But what if they get hurt? What if something goes wrong or that guy's friends or family get angry and come looking for-"
Vic's fingers worked themselves expertly into the taut muscles of her shoulder. Kneading the flesh, he watched as her eyes fluttered under the soothing ministrations and her body slowly sagged back against the bedding.
"Listen to me," he spoke softly, but there was a thread of authority in his tone that commanded her attention even as he moved to massage her other shoulder. "Tyler is a piece-of-shit junkie who was mad that the little crew he did manage to scrape together scattered to the winds when he pissed off Hayden and Joel the first time. I don't know what he was thinking trying to hurt you. Maybe he was desperate. Maybe he was trying to do something bold, something big that would make a statement and get his crew back together or maybe he was just so fucking high he was out of his mind. Whatever it was, he's dead now and no one, and I mean no one, will give a shit."
The easy way he said it startled her. With his long, dark hair hanging around his face and his piercing dark eyes, Vic reminded her of a pirate. There was something cold and worldly about his jaded expression that reminded her of Hayden when she had first met him. Men who had seen and done too much. Sapphire thought of Hayden now. Would it be that easy for him or Joel to kill Tyler?
Looking past all her memories of their laughter, smiles, or even their molten looks of need when they took her in their arms, she knew what kind of men lurked underneath, the kind of men they were very capable of being.
Sapphire looked wearily at the whiteboard on the far wall with the names of the nurses and orderlies on shift for her room.
"They should be here with me," she mumbled.
Vic's hand dropped away from her shoulder and he stood up. A sharp pain lanced through her head as she tried to look up at him.
"Well, in the meantime you got me," he told her roughly.
Sapphire couldn't be sure if he was angry or not. The throbbing pain in her head made her squint and the room felt suddenly too bright.
