Page 90 of The Jester and His Outlaw: Part 2

It’s been about a week and a half since my injury. I’ve had surgery to repair the fracture so I can get back to walking and eventually playing. Doctors are hopeful that my paralysis is temporary, but I’m not counting on that. I’m going to put in the hard work to make sure that I walk again, but really, it’s up to my body.

Three days ago, police found Layla’s body, stabbed to death just like Aaron.

Jonas stops pacing at the side of the bed and reaches out to take my hand. I fight hard not to move or flinch away from him. Though I’m positive he isn’t going to hurt me, I don’t want to take any chances. His touch is warm, clammy and sends sparks of fear racing over my body.

“Stupid, stupid girls. Why the hell did they do this? Look at you… laying in this damn bed. You can’t walk, you can’t play. What were they thinking? Don’t worry, my little Miller, I will end them, too. They will pay for what they did. No matter what my father says, you’re mine. He promised you to me years ago. For years you’ve been mine. When you’re better… When I’ve done everything in my power to make sure you walk again, I’ll marry you and make you mine. You’ll see.”

His words wash over me like acid. He’s claiming me. How fucking sick is that? His father promised me to him years ago? Who does that? The Myers family has always been a little odd, that’s why they no longer live in the gated community, but this is next level.

I keep my breathing even, slow, although I want to scream out for help, to do anything to get him away from me. He is a murderer, and has killed at least two people in cold blood. Sure, they attacked me and likely might have done the same thing had Jensen not found me, but they deserve justice, not death. Their families deserve for their names to be tarnished.

He turns, scraping his hands through his hair. “Shit!” he nearly screams. I can’t help my flinch at the outburst. Here I am, laying in a hospital bed, paralyzed from the waist down on pain medication. What the fuck am I going to do to defend myself?

I have nothing and no way of getting away from him. I have little knowledge of how to move around without using my legs at this point because I’m healing from a break and surgery.

I take solace in hopes he isn’t here to hurt me. But why is he here and where the fuck is my guard?

I’m helpless to stop the pitch in my chest from my now rapid breathing. The machine monitoring my heart goes haywire with beeps and I hope that it’s enough to bring the nurses running. No way can I press the call button because the sound of their voice will ring into the room, alerting him.

“Charley? Are you awake?” Through the slit in my eyes, I see his frantic turn to get back to me, to stumble to the bedside. His eyes rake over my body, jumping from place to place as if they struggle to believe that I’m still alive. “You are awake. Charley, shit. How are you feeling?”

The way he asks, like I actually mean something to him, has me feeling sorry for him. As if he truly believes there will be an ‘us’ in the future, that I will marry him and he will care for me. A shiver races through my body at the thought.

I slowly open my eyes, blinking when they take a minute to adjust to the bright sunlight peering in the window.

“Charley, shit.” He paces like a madman, back and forth, back and forth, his sneakers squeaking with the movement once again. I wish they’d squeak louder, catch someone’s attention. The stop he makes is abrupt, then he moves closer to my bedside. He grabs my hand and I try to jerk it away, but he tightens his hold and his eyes flick to mine. The lid is barely on his crazy.

“Jonas, please don’t touch me.”

“You’re mine, I’m yours.” Those words roll around in my head, so similar to the ones that the man I actually love shared with me just before I kicked him out of my room. Why the fuck did I do that? Not only has it been the hardest decision I’ve ever had to live with, the worst pain I’ve endured, he would be here right now. Jonas wouldn’t and my heart wouldn’t be racing. Fear and adrenaline wouldn’t be dumping into my system when I can’t do shit to resolve it, to stop it.

“Jonas, you know that isn’t true. I let you go—”

“No! God damn it. I told you,you’re mine.No one else is going to get you. Not Edmunds, not that fucking scum Sutton. Once you’re really mine, they won’t survive, either. I’ll wipe them from the planet so no one is in my way.” The hand around mine is punishing. My breaths are coming in short bursts as my fear rises. Jonas has been off his rocker for some time, we all knew this, but he really has checked out.

The beeping machine loses its fucking mind with his words. He plans to hurt Brett and Riggs, anyone who has been with me. Will he hurt Foxy? My family? Will he somehow convince his family to help?

Where are the fucking nurses? Aren’t they supposed to monitor my shit? I have to say something. Distract him before he notices just how scared I really am.

I’m surprised he hasn’t already.

I have no clue how this is going to end, but I won’t let him hurt anyone else. Why didn’t I make a plan in case something like this happened?

“What do you plan to do with me? I can’t walk, Jonas.”

“That’s my fault.” He rubs the back of my hand and his eyes trail up my arm to land on my face. There is nothing behind those eyes but possessiveness, and not the good kind like when Riggs looks at me. Riggs…

If possible, my pulse spikes even higher, the beeping relentless in its truth. I’m terrified of this man. Jonas finally takes notice. Nurses finally take notice. Footsteps pound down the hallway and suddenly my room is so full, but all I can see is the heavy black hunk of metal in Jonas’ unsteady hand.

Riggs, Kai, Jensen, my nurse, and Chandler all appear in the doorway, filing into the room before they stop.

A shot rings out and I clamp my eyes shut on instinct, praying the shot is for me, but I know it isn’t.

CHAPTER40

RIGGS

The shot echoesthrough the small room where the love of my life lays terrified and helpless in her hospital bed. Staff promised she would be safe, but somehow he got to her. How the fuck did the asshole get to her?

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