Page 48 of Wicked Attraction

Sadie.

* * *

“Jasper.”

Thomas called to me from a bench surrounded by flowers just off to the side of the hospital, a thick cloud of cigar smoke surround him. “We need to talk.”

His words put me on edge, and it had nothing to do with his commanding tone, which I didn’t fucking appreciate.

“Not now, Thomas. I’m going to visit Ma.”

“We need to talk, Jasper.” There was something in his tone that had my feet moving toward him instead of the hospital entrance.

“Shouldn’t you be at Lucky Lopez getting ready for the raid?”

Thomas nodded slowly. “I spoke to Terry and made the changes you requested. I’ll be heading there soon. You realize we have no underage girls on the payroll, right?”

“I didn’t think we did, but you should be there, anyway,” I barked, angry that he was out here enjoying a smoke and the sunshine when every fucking thing was falling apart.

“Goddammit, Jas. We need to talk. About Sadie.”

“What about her?”

He sighed and removed his sunglasses to reveal red, puffy eyes. If I didn’t know better, I might think he’d been crying, but Thomas never cried, not once in all the time I’ve known him.

“The doctor said it’s time we consider our options. Sadie’s been in a coma for months. She’s not waking up even though she should already be awake and cursing everybody out. She’s healing fine, but she won’t wake up.”

“What the fuck does that mean? Consider our options?”

“It means either moving her to a long-term care facility or letting her go.”

“Go where?” My heart pounded against my chest at the implications of what he was saying. “I hope you’re not talking about killing my Ma because that’s not fucking happening.”

“You know I’d never suggest a stupid fucking option like that. But you’re walking around like an angry kid ready to set the world on fire, which is probably why the doctor spoke to me first.”

“Well, that’s not a fucking option.”

Thomas nodded. “I told him as much.”

“This is bullshit.” I shook my head, unable to believe that we were already at this point, talking about pulling the fucking plug on Sadie.

“Such fucking bullshit. She needs to wake the fuck up.” I said the words more to myself than to Thomas, who was on his feet at my side, one hand gripping my shoulder.

“Relax, Jasper. The doctor is just doing his job, making sure you know what your options are.”

I shrugged off his touch. “My options are for Sadie to wake the fuck up,” I told him and started back toward my car.

“She will. You know your mother does everything in her own fucking time.”

It was true, but right now, that thought didn’t bring me much fucking comfort. “You keep saying that, but she isn’t waking up, Thomas.” I reached my car and leaned inside, pulling out the gun that was always at my hip except when I went in to see Sadie. “It’s time I forced the issue.”

“Don’t do anything you’ll regret, Jasper. I know this is your hospital, but this isn’t the answer.”

Thomas kept up with me as I stormed inside the hospital, ignoring the loud buzzing sound of the metal detectors going off.

“It’s all right,” I heard Thomas say, his hand back on my shoulder. “Calm the fuck down, Jas.”

“Not now. I can’t. This is too fucking important, Thomas, and I need answers. Don’t you?”

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