Page 94 of Shadow

“You okay, Zeke? You look like you just saw a ghost?”

Looking back at Kali, I placed my arm around her, kissing the top of her head. “I’m good, Jinx.”

I didn’t know how long I sat in the waiting room of Comanche Memorial Hospital, but as I looked around the room, I saw everyone waiting with me.

My sisters, Ghost and Ari, even the Diamondbacks.

None of them left.

The second the ambulance arrived with Joan a medical team rushed her straight into surgery. During that time, Detective Harris had been thorough with his questions. Myself, Kansas and even Monk left nothing out. In the end, Detective Harris had more than he needed to close three cases, the mystery of his former partner, the massacre at the clubhouse, and Joan’s break-in. Though we left out certain parts, like the club’s involvement and their trip down to Mexico, it was all out now. Even Monk’s involvement with the Witness Protection Agency.

I could tell the man was worried about my angel. We all were. In the end, he stayed with us, waiting for any word on her condition.

When news broke of what happened at the High School, the press swarmed the hospital. Even Joan’s supervisor at the radio station stopped by to check up on her, along with a young girl named Cherise and her mother.

Through it all, I never moved from my seat. I couldn’t. I would have thought my mind would play tricks on me, but it was silent. The only thing that filtered into my mind was images of her smiling face. Her laughter and angelic voice whispered words of love and reassurance.

“You know I still don’t like you, right?” Monk said, taking a seat next to me, jerking me out of my thoughts.

I said nothing, wondering where he was going with this.

“When you showed up at the club, I wanted to kill you for what you did to my brother. Part of me still does, but I want to thank you for what you did.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Yeah, you did. You took a club that had too many secrets and made us all come clean. There isn’t anything between us anymore, thanks to you. Never thought I’d see the day when the Diamondback club was all on the same page, but we are now and that’s because of you. So, thank you.”

Grinning, I bumped my shoulder against his. “You still want to beat my ass, don’t you?”

“Oh, yeah.” Monk growled before walking away, as a doctor in scrubs walked over. “Family of Joan Trinity?”

Jumping to my feet, I hurried over to the doctor as Kali and Faith stood next to me, holding me tightly.

“I’m her husband,” I lied, not that I gave a damn. She was my woman and as soon as she was able, I was putting my ring on her finger.

The doctor nodded. “Sir, your wife survived the surgery. The damage done was extensive. I didn’t have a choice. I had to remove one of her kidneys. Your wife is in critical condition. Infection is what I’m most worried about right now. The next twenty-four hours will determine if she lives or not.”

“She told me she couldn’t feel her legs. Will she walk?” I asked.

“When the machete cut her, it cut her on her lower right backside. The blade struck her lower spine. We’ve repaired the damage, but until she wakes up, I won’t know. Right now, her reflexes are good. I would give her a fifty-fifty chance of walking again, but like I said, I’m more worried about infection. The machete was rusty and covered with some kind of grime I’ve never seen before. I have her on several regiments of antibiotics. I am also keeping her sedated for the moment.”

“Can I see her?”

“Not yet,” the doctor shook his head. “She is in an isolated intensive care unit. No one in or out. I don’t want to risk anything.”

“Can we at least look through the window?” my sister Faith asked, tears rolling down her cheeks. “She’s my sister. She needs to know her family is here for her.”

The doctor sighed. “One at a time. I can’t have you all hovering around outside her room. And only for a minute. I need to get back to her.”

“Thank you, doc,” I muttered, as he walked away.

“Angel, please.” I begged, trying to stop her from getting out of bed.

“No Shadow. I want to go home. I’ve been in this damn hospital close to a month. I hate it. I want my own bed.”

“Baby, you don’t have a bed anymore. Keys destroyed it along with all your other belongings, remember?”

The look my woman gave me had my balls seeking shelter in my pancreas. Holy fuck, did she look scary?

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