The UN Series Complete Box Set (129 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

SAMANTHA

I get out of the shower and dress in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt when I hear the door from the garage open. I take off in a mad dash down the hallway only to come to a quick stop when I see Parker standing in the entryway.

“Parker?” I say throwing my hand over my racing heart. “You need to call Slade,” I start to ramble. “I’ve called and texted him, but he’s not answering.” I gasp trying to catch my breath.

He rushes over to me and places his hands on my shoulders. “It’s okay. Everything’s gonna be okay,” he says trying to calm me down.

I shake my head quickly. “I went to jail. I saw Jax…”

“What?” He lets go and takes a step back from me.

“I had to,” I say when he looks at me wide-eyed. “He knows things…” I wave my hands in the air. “He said someone is after Slade. Parker, you have to warn him,” I plead as tears start to well up in my eyes. “Someone wants to hurt him,” I cry.

He wraps his arms around me and rubs my back gently. “Nothing is going to happen to him. I promise. Jax is just trying to screw with you.”

I cry into his uniform and hug him tightly. After I calm down and am able to take a few deep breaths I pull away. “How did you get in?”
And why do you keep showing up?

“You left the garage door up,” he says still eyeing me with concern. “Did you mean to?”

I shake my head. “I must have forgotten to close it.” I sigh. “Why are you here, Parker?” I can’t help but sound depressed.

“I wanted to come and check on you again. Are you feeling better?” His concern actually makes me wish he didn’t care. I just want to be left alone right now.

I lie. “Yes.” I turn around and go to try to call Slade again when he stops me.

“How was your checkup?”

“It went well.” I swallow trying not to get emotional about Slade not being there. “The baby is doing great.” I pat my back pocket where I placed the ultrasound picture.

“Slade didn’t go,” he states more than asks.

I shake my head as my bottom lips starts to tremble. God, I will never make fun of Courtney for crying ever again.

He takes a step toward me once again, and I cover my mouth not wanting to let the sob escape. I allow my body to go limp when I feel his arms wrap around me.

“I’ve tried calling and texting him. He won’t answer,” I cry into his shoulder. “You have to call him. You have to warn him,” I plead.

“Shh,” he says soothingly as he runs a hand down my back.

He holds me as I bare my soul to him. To this man who just four months ago I couldn’t stand now seems to be the only one who cares how I’m doing.

“He’s going to get hurt,” I whisper.

“No.” He pulls back from me and looks me in the eyes. “I won’t let that happen.”

I shake my head as I try to wipe the tears from my eyes. “He’s still so mad at me. He won’t answer my calls.”

“I spoke with him earlier, and he had a meeting to go to.” He lies for his friend, and it breaks my heart. He’s trying to save me from more heartache.

“Not all day.” I shake my head. “I lied to him. How could he ever forgive me?”

I expect him to say he will forgive me, or that it will all be okay, but instead he sighs and says, “Grab your stuff and let’s go.”

“Why?” I sniff.

“Because I am taking you over to the Long’s. You guys need to talk this through right now. You can explain what Jax told you. I’ll wait for you, and you can ride with me.”

I wrap my arms around myself and continue shaking my head. I saw where Slade had responded to Vivian’s text since I was part of the mass message. He didn’t respond to my message—he doesn’t want to be around me. And I also saw where Tate responded that he was going to be out of town this evening and couldn’t make dinner. “I’m not going. You can tell him.” I don’t want to start another fight in front of his parents.

“I’m going to take you over there,” he says allowing no argument.

Will it make it worse? Yes. I know for a fact that he will walk out once I explain that I went to see Jax. But if that saves his life, then I will do it. “I’ll go over there.” He has been ignoring me all day, and I can’t take the cold shoulder any longer. “I’ll drive myself,” I say. “I don’t know how long he plans on staying over there, and I’m already worn out.” Plus, Parker is in uniform. I don’t want him to get called out and leave me there. It could get uncomfortable quickly.

He looks relieved that I am willing to go over there. “As long as you go over there. I’ll still go as well.”

I hate that the thought of him being there makes me feel better. When did I become this person who needs someone to hold their hand?

Quickly I grab the truck keys.

“I’ll follow you,” he calls as he walk through the garage to his cop car sitting in our driveway.

Closing the garage door as I back out, I pull up to the first stop light. I look in my rearview mirror and see Parker behind me. When the light turns green I go through it. The following light continues to stay green for us as well.

The next thing I know is I feel a jolt, and I hear a squealing noise. My body gets pushed forward, but I don’t go far. My face instantly stings followed by a loud popping sound and then all I see is smoke.

I scream but it’s cut short when I hit the left side of my head on something hard. I can’t breathe, I feel as if something is sitting on top of my chest. I try to gulp in air but there’s nothing. I start to panic and pull on my seatbelt. I can’t get it unfastened.

In the distance I can hear screaming and commotion as I feel like I’m lying on top of something uncomfortable on my left side. I have no more strength. My head pounds and my face stings.

“Samantha?” I hear a familiar voice scream through all the fog and pain. “Hang on, Sam.” It continues to speak but I can’t place it.

Then it all just fades away.

*****

SLADE

I sit in my mom’s kitchen next to Josh as my mom and Micah stand in front of us talking about the trip she had to go on this morning. I can tell he’s still pissed at Holly. She had a six o’clock flight out this morning with her mother and father for two days. Her going on this trip means I have to wait two fucking days before I can get any info on Jeremy that I need from her work.

“Where’s Samantha, dear?” my mother asks. “She didn’t respond to my text.”

I want to ignore her, but it’s like the third time she’s asked. I go to say ‘she’s sick’ or some lame ass excuse when my phone vibrates.
Parker
flashes across my screen. I press ignore.

Josh’s phone instantly rings.

“What’s up?” he asks casually.

I hear voices rise as if they are screaming.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down man. I can’t understand you,” he says as he stands up and takes a few steps away from his chair. He places one finger over his other ear to hear him better.

I hear what sounds like Parker rattle off a few things then I hear him yell ‘Sam’. I fist my hands on the table. Can’t he stay out of my fucking business? What’s he gonna do? Tell Josh I’m ignoring my wife? It’s not like Josh and Courtney have never had a fight.

“You have to slow down,” Josh says harshly. “I can’t hear a fucking thing! What is that noise? Sirens.” He answers his own question.

“He supposed to be working,” Micah adds.

I hear Parker yell a little bit more before all the noise stops together. Josh stands with his back to us as he slowly lowers his phone down to his side.

I look up to Josh as he turns around. His face is pale, and he looks to be in shock. His eyes lock on mine as he speaks. “We have to go.”

I shake my head and look away. I pick up my beer before answering. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Slade...” He swallows, and I see his eyes start to tear up. “It’s Sam…” He clears his throat.

“What’s wrong with her?” I ask starting to worry. Was she worse than Parker thought? He said she had been sick today.

“She’s been in an accident,” he says softly.

I shove my chair back and stand “What kind of accident?” I demand.

He runs his hand through his long hair and shakes his head letting out a breath. “I don’t know. He was hard to understand. All I know is that Sam was in the Chevy truck and someone hit her. Parker was in the ambulance with her on the way to the hospital.”

“Oh my God,” my mother cries before placing a hand over her mouth. “Is she alright?” she begs.

Josh looks from my mother to me, and I feel my heart sink.

She’s not alright.

*****

I rush through the hospital door in a daze. Looking every which way trying to figure out where the fuck I need to go.

I hear Josh come in behind me. “Where the fuck do I go?” I turn to look at him. He was the one who spoke with Parker. I know nothing.

He doesn’t speak to me as he walks past me, and I follow after him. We walk through another set of double doors to the right of us when I hear Parker’s voice speaking harshly to someone.

“I told you to get a doctor,” he snaps.

“I’m well qualified to make that assumption,” I hear a woman’s voice say before I round the corner and see Parker and a nurse in blue scrubs facing each other.

“Assumption isn’t good enough. Get a goddamn doctor,” he screams in her face.

“What’s going on?” I ask approaching them. “Where is she?” I start to look around the hallway.

The petite redheaded nurse turns to me and starts to speak when Parker interrupts her. “Go change a bed pan, sweetheart,” he says dismissively.

Her head snaps to look at him, and she narrows her eyes before spinning around and taking off. “What’s going on?” I repeat. “Where is my wife?” I demand this time.

Parker takes a step toward me, and that’s when I finally notice his uniform. My body goes cold, and my breath catches in my throat. His dark blue uniform is covered in dark red blood. More than a human could lose and still survive.

“Angel,” I choke out. “Is she…?”

“We don’t know anything yet,” he says softly holding up his blood stained hands.

“I need to see her,” I say spinning around looking for the nurse to give me directions to my wife.

“She’s in surgery, Slade.” He places a hand on my arm.

Surgery?
“For what? What’s wrong with her?” I shout starting to panic.

He shuffles from foot to foot.

I run a hand over my hair. “What happened?” I choke on my words. “What were you even doing with her?” He had just been up at my work earlier today pissing me off. When had he been with her?

He goes to answer but is cut off when I hear a gasp come from behind me. I spin around to see Courtney almost crumble to the floor when her eyes land on Parker’s shirt. “No,” she starts to scream. “No.” Tears run down her face, and she covers her mouth with a shaky hand.

Josh grabs a hold of her and tries to get her over to the chairs that align the wall. I look up to see my mom and dad enter the hospital as well with Micah right behind them as he speaks quickly on his cell. I’m guessing he’s talking to Holly. They have about the same reaction of Courtney except my father is able to get a hold of my mother a lot easier.

I turn back to face the only person who can give me any answers. “Did you get the call?” I know cops get called to crashes all the time.

He shakes his head. “I was following her.”

I pause for a second then repeat his words. “Following her? Why?”

“I went to your house to see her.” I don’t know why but his words make me furious.

I grab a hold of his uniform and slam his back against the wall. “What the fuck were you doing over at my house for the second time today?”

“Really?” he growls placing his face in front of mine. “I went over there to check on her. I told you, she was sick, but you didn’t seem to care. Someone needed to check on her.”

“That’s not your fucking job,” I spit out.

“Where the fuck were you?” he yells.

“What I do is none of your fucking business,” I shout.

He tries to shove me off but I just push him into the wall harder. He takes a deep breath and his light brown eyes stare into mine. “Let me tell you what
your
business
is
,” he grounds out. “Your wife!” he hollers. “You know the one you’ve been ignoring since yesterday? You should be thanking me for being there today. I was the one who screamed her name while trying to keep her conscious. I was the one scared to death that my best friend was going to lose his wife and child while she lay lifeless in the middle of a fucking street. Where in the fuck were you, Slade? What in the fuck did you do besides ignore her all day?” His voice rises with every sentence, and he’s spitting the words at me.

By now everyone is staring at us and Courtney’s cries have grown louder with the details but I can’t seem to focus on anything. My head is spinning and my ears are ringing.
Lifeless body lying in the street? Lose my wife and child?