Page 49 of Wicked Attraction

“Damn right I do, but there has to be a reason she hasn’t woken up yet. Her body is almost fully healed, so there’s no reason other than pure fucking obstinance.”

I stopped and stepped onto the elevator. “What the fuck is the reason, Thomas?”

He stepped in and punched the floor button. “I don’t fucking know, Jasper. Sadie has a lot of demons. Maybe she’s making peace with them so she can enjoy the next stage of her life.”

“That sounds like some hokey shit Kat would say.”

“Maybe so, but think about it. All she did in the Green Zone? The way she focused on Lucky Lopez, making sure everything was just right? She’s ready for what comes next. First, there’s Ava Rose, and soon Kat and Maisie will start to have babies. You know your mother. Her focus will be on protecting her grandchildren, the next generation. She can’t do that now.”

We stepped off the elevator at the same time, Thomas still talking shit as if he could stop what was about to happen. We walked up to the nursing station, and I leaned over the counter and snapped at the young woman sitting at a computer.

“Dr. Purcell, where the fuck is he?”

The nurse blinked, terrified, when her brown eyes landed on my gun.

“Sir, I’m going to have to call security. You’re not allowed…”

“This hospital has my name on the front of it. Call Dr. Fucking Purcell now, or your job is toast. Ma’am.”

The nurse paled and looked to Thomas, who nodded, and she took that to mean she should get on it. “Uhm, yes, sir. I’ll page him now.”

“Tell him to meet me in Sadie Ashby’s room. Now.”

She scurried off, leaving Thomas and me to go in the other direction toward the room that looked like it might become Sadie’s tomb.

“Don’t do anything that will take you away from this family, Jasper. They all need you.”

“Goddammit, Thomas, this is my mother.”

“And the woman I’ve loved since before you were born. I know. If I could shake her awake, I would.”

The door opened, and the brown-haired man with a stethoscope around his neck strolled in. “I’m Dr. Purcell and—”

I raised the gun so he didn’t have to look down at it, so he was looking right at me as I made my request. “And you’re the man who’s going to wake my mother up.”

The doctor froze just inside the door, his pleading gaze bouncing between the gun and Thomas. “That’s not a good idea.”

“Do it,” I growled. “You want to pull the plug on my mother. Prove to me she’s beyond help.”

Purcell shook his head. “I didn’t say that. I’m just giving your family the options.”

His hands trembled, but incredibly, he turned to me with steel in his eyes. “Sadie needs to wake up on her own. The fact that she hasn’t means she isn’t ready to, for whatever reason. All we can do is monitor her and keep her comfortable, Mr. Ashby.”

“Wake. Her. Up. Now.” I adjusted my grip and stepped forward to press the cold metal against his flesh. “Now, goddammit!”

“Mr. Ashby—”

“Now. You medically induced her, so that means you can wake her up. Do it.” I pressed the gun against his head harder and harder until he tried to crouch away from it.

“I can’t.” Purcell stood tall and smoothed the sides of his white coat. “She hasn’t had any meds for a while now. Ms. Ashby has to wake up on her own. If you’re going to shoot me for that, then shoot me. This is ridiculous.”

“Stop wasting my fucking time, Doc.”

“Stop wasting mine! I’m doing my job,” he growled back. “You have a gun to my head, so I want,needyou to manage your expectations.”

“Consider them managed.” My jaw clenched, and I nodded for him to get out. “Get out of here. I’ll do it myself.”

Thomas and I sat for hours. I prayed, begged her, and willed her to open her eyes. Hours passed. Then I realized the doctor was right.

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