Torn (2 page)

“Oh my God.” I grabbed at the wall, turning
so my back was against it. Viper ran over and hooked his arms under
me.

“Whoa, babe. Lei, take a deep breath. Don’t
pass the fuck out on me.” He held me up and looked around for help.
“Barb,” he yelled.

The curtain flew open and I could see the
team working on Jaxon. Barb rushed out and cinched the curtains
back together, cutting off my view. I knew I was just about to pass
out. Everything started to get fuzzy. I could hear Barb talking to
me, but she sounded so far away, almost as if I was hearing her
from under water.

“Lei, you need to slow your breathing down.
Lei, look at me. Shit,” Barb’s voice echoed.

I tried taking deep breaths as Viper lifted
me off my feet. The last thing I could see was Drew and Brody
running toward us. Before they could reach me, the blackness
swallowed me whole and pulled me under.

Chapter Two

Brody

I rushed into the emergency room looking for
Leila, only to be told she was in the back and I needed to have a
seat in the waiting room.

Grabbing my cell from my pocket, I called
Drew. He answered on the second ring. “How far out are you?”

“Pulling up now.”

Turning, I saw his black unmarked Tahoe fly
into one of the parking spaces reserved for police vehicles.
Waiting for him just inside the doors, I tucked my phone back in my
pants pocket as he rushed through the doors and straight up to the
registration desk, flashing his NCPD badge.

“I’m looking for Jaxon Henderson. He would’ve
been brought in about forty-five minutes ago.”

“He’s in trauma room three, but—”

“Let’s go.” Drew nodded for me to follow him.
Looking back to the young lady, he said, “Buzz me in please. My
sister’s an RN here and the patient’s fiancé. She’s already back
there.”

The door buzzed. “Go ahead back. Do you know
where you’re going?”

“Yeah, we’re good.” Drew walked past the
desk, pulling the door open, and looked back at me. “Let’s go.”

I followed as Drew weaved around nurses and
stretchers toward where I hoped to find Leila. As we rounded the
corner to the trauma corridor, I heard a deep gruff voice yelling
Barb’s name. Looking down the hallway, everything slowed down to a
crawl. Barb was rushing to Jaxon’s friend, who had just caught
Leila as she collapsed.

“Lei.” Shouldering past Drew, I sprinted to
her. “Barb, what happened?” I took Leila from the arms of the
long-haired, burly man.

“I need a stretcher over here now,” Drew
shouted back up the corridor toward the nurses’ station.

“Cole just told her about Jaxon, she
hyperventilated and passed out,” Barb explained as a nurse ran a
bed over to us. After setting Leila down on the bed, Barb steered
the gurney into an empty cubicle.

Turning to Cole, I said, “Don’t you think it
would have been a good idea to wait until someone was with her to
tell her?”

“How the fuck was I supposed to know she’d
pass the fuck out?” Cole bowed up.

“She’s thirty-four weeks pregnant you
ass—”

“Stop. Both of you need to relax, this isn’t
helping,” Barb chastised us. “Cole, can you please go wait out by
Jaxon’s room?”

“Yeah.” He glared at me then slowly turned
and left the room.

Drew reached over and clamped his hand down
on my shoulder. “I’m gonna go find out what the hell happened. Text
if she wakes up before I get back.”

I nodded, then watched as Barb connected
Leila to a hell of a lot of monitors. “How is she?”

“I’m sure she’s fine, I just wanna be
certain.” A machine beeped. “Her BP is a little high.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have let her come back
here by herself.” Silently, I cursed myself as I sat down in the
chair next to her bed.

“When have you known Leila to
let
anyone tell her what to do?” Barb chuckled and then
added, as if she could read my mind, “Besides Drew. He doesn’t
count.”

“In that case, never.” I watched Leila’s
round abdomen move slightly. Leaning forward, I placed my hand over
the thumping and whispered, “I hope you’re going to be just as
strong-willed as your mother.”

Barb finished attaching the wires to the
computer as I sat and watched. Leila had to be okay. I kept
replaying the nightmare I had a few weeks ago when she was in the
hospital and I thought I would lose her and our daughter.

No. Leila would be fine. There was no way she
was going to die and leave me alone to raise our daughter. She was
the toughest woman I knew. She would be fine.

Repeating that to myself over the next five
minutes, I listened to the whooshing of my little baby’s heart
beating, fast and strong.

Barb walked to the curtain and pulled it
back. “I’m gonna run and check on Jaxon. I want to make sure
someone has called his parents.”

“Aren’t they in Greenville? How are they
going to get here?”

“I guess they’ll have to drive,” Barb
replied.

Pulling out my phone, I sent off a text to my
pilot, Charles.

“Call them from your cell, see if they have
left yet. I’m making arrangements to get them here.” As she left, I
looked down to my cell at the incoming text from Charles. He had a
few friends who lived in the Greenville area that may have access
to a private jet. He was waiting for a response.

Barb came back into the room on the phone and
mouthed, “The Hendersons,” as she continued to update them. “Brody
is working on arrangements as we speak. We didn’t think it would be
a good idea for you to drive that distance right now.”

My phone buzzed with a text from Charles.

Will hv plane ready n 10
Greenville Jet Ctr ask for Geoff

Handing her my phone, Barb relayed the
information to Jaxon’s parents then said, “I think he’s just doing
a nice thing, Mrs. Henderson. I don’t think there is any ulterior
motive here.” Barb looked at me and I saw her sincerity. “He can
actually be a great guy when he tries. Okay, I will stay in touch.
See you soon.”

“I’ll call the car service and have someone
waiting for them when they land.” Reaching out and plucking my
phone from her hands, I sat back down by Leila’s bedside.

“I’m gonna run down to the nurses’ station
and try to get an update on Jaxon and see if I can find Cole,” Barb
said, slipping her cell into the front pocket of her scrub top.

“Wait.” I stood and moved to her. “When is
Leila going to regain consciousness? It’s already been more than
ten minutes.”

“Brody, I don’t know. I don’t know what to
tell you. She’s exhausted, stressed, and pregnant. It could be a
few minutes or a few hours. Just stay here—”

“Barb, where’s Jaxon?” Leila’s voice rang
out, full of panic.

*****

Leila

I could hear Brody and Barb talking as I
slowly blinked my lids open. Allowing my eyes to adjust to the
bright lights, I scanned the room. I was in an ER room. What the—?
Immediately, my hands sought out my belly, making sure my baby girl
was okay. As if on cue, she gave me a little thump. I felt the TOCO
monitors then I saw Barb and Brody hovering around the curtain near
the foot of the bed. It took me a moment to figure out what was
going on.

Great…this shit
again.
Then it all came rushing back.

Jaxon. Shot twice.

I sat straight up. “Barb, where’s Jaxon?”

Brody rushed over and grabbed my hand. “Jesus
Christ, Leila, you’re finally awake. Don’t ever do that to me
again. You scared the shit out of me.”

I looked at Brody and saw pure terror in his
eyes. “I’m sorry, but I’m fine, really. I just passed out, couldn’t
catch my breath. I hyperventilated. No big deal.”
Right.

Setting my sights on Barb, who had on fresh
scrubs, I asked, “What’s happening, Barb? Talk to me, please.”

“They’re workin’ on him and you know that’s
all I can tell you. I’ve called his parents, they are on their way
down from Greenville.” She gave me a sympathetic smile. “Brody is
makin’ sure they get here quickly.”

“Just tell me, is it bad?” I looked into her
eyes because I knew her face as well as I knew my own.

When she looked at me, it was like a cover to
a book. She immediately looked away, her eyes glassy.

Barb never cried. I mean never. This was
really
bad.

“Who’s in with him? Please tell me it’s
Drake,” I said, fighting the tears back as I pulled the monitors
off and reached over to drop the side rail.

“Whoa, honey, you need to lie down. You’ve
gotta relax and think about our daughter right now. Your blood
pressure was through the roof and Barb said you’re having
contractions again.” Brody yanked the side rail back up and shot
daggers.

“When Jaxon’s parents get here I’ll have them
give the hospital permission to talk to you.” Barb strapped the
TOCOs back on and reconnected the rest of the monitors. “’Til then
you’re stayin’ in this bed, otherwise, we’re moving you up to Land
D. You feel me?”

Glaring, I kept my eyes on her. “Yeah, I feel
you,” I said begrudgingly as I slowly turned my attention to Brody.
“Now what’s all this about
you
getting them
here?”

“I called in some favors, that’s all.”

“Favors? To do what, Brody? Just spit it
out.” I didn’t feel like playing these games right now.

“I called my pilot and he called some
friends. He arranged for a private plane to pick up Jaxon’s parents
in Greenville and to fly them here. A car service will be waiting
for them at the airstrip. They should be here in about forty-five
minutes.” He reached out and rubbed my belly. “How’s she doing in
there?”

“I can’t believe you did that for him.” It
came out as more of a whisper than I intended.

“I’m not that selfless, Leila. I didn’t do it
for him.” He reached up and pushed a lock of curls behind my ear.
“I did it for you. And for her.”

“Thank you, Brody.” Tears pooled along my
lids. “Where’s Drew?”

“He came in with me but he went to talk with
the officers who found Jaxon.” Brody studied my face. “You
okay?”

I nodded even though I was the furthest thing
from okay as a person could be.

He gave me a weak smile. “Since it looks like
we might have a little while to wait, do you want to go over some
more baby names?” He skimmed his fingers over my belly, then took
out his phone. “I just have to text Drew real quick.”

“Sure,” I agreed, but my mind was a million
miles away.

“So far we haven’t agreed on one name,” he
told Barb with a laugh.

“That’s ’cause he wants to name her stupid
shit like Edna or something,” I justified.

“No. I never said Edna. Jesus, that’s a
horrible name. I said Esme,” he corrected.

“Ugh, she’s not a freakin’ vampire,” I
scoffed.

“Huh, a what?” He was completely lost.

“Never mind. Next name.” I waved my hand in a
circle, telling him to get on with it.

“Okay, how about Ella?” he asked.

“What is it with you and all these E names?”
Barb questioned.

“I actually like Ella. Jaxon and I put that
down as a maybe a few months ago.” I thought back to that night,
before everything went to hell in a handbasket.

“Finally, one we agree on,” he smirked.

“I didn’t say I was naming her that. Let’s
keep going. How about Avery?” I offered up.

“Nah, when I think Avery I think Steve Avery
from the Atlanta Braves.” He stood and wrinkled his nose.
“Skylar?”

Shaking my head, I watched him pace, rubbing
his dimpled chin.

“Alesandra? Or what about Elizabeth?” Barb
chimed in.

Brody’s head whipped over. “Hmm, I like
Elizabeth. What do you think about that one, Lei?”

“I like it, but maybe as a middle name. I
don’t like Lizzy as a nickname. I don’t like Ella Elizabeth. Too
many E’s.” I shook my head.

“I agree.” Brody turned and a dragged a chair
over. “Okay, what about…? How about Lillian?”

Hmmm. Lillian. I think I liked it. I tried to
think of any awful nicknames kids could try to change it to and
tease her with, but I couldn’t.

“Lillian Elizabeth. I like the way it sounds.
It’s a definite possibility. What else?” I didn’t want to limit
myself. Besides, I wanted to be able to discuss all of the names
with Jaxon, once I could go see him. I was determined to remain
positive.

Barb went back to work, leaving Brody and me
alone. Just as I figured now was as good a time as any to tell him
the real reason I made us dinner there was a knock at the door.

“Leila?” a tall, beautiful blonde woman in
her mid-fifties asked from the doorway.

“Yes, can I help you?” I asked, slightly
confused. There was a familiarity about her and when I saw her
amazing honey-colored eyes, I knew this had to be Jaxon’s mother.
She carried herself with confidence and class as she walked into
the room. Behind her stood a handsome gentleman about her age. He
was incredibly fit; broad shoulders filled out a tweed sport coat
and vintage jeans. She looked back at the gentleman and whispered
something I couldn’t hear.

“I’m so sorry to meet under these
circumstances.” She came toward the bed. “I’m Ashley, Jaxon’s mom.
And this is Douglas,” she motioned to the tall man flanking her,
“Jaxon’s dad.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you both. I hate
that it’s like this. Have you been able to speak with the doctors
or nurses? Do you know if he’s okay?” I hated to jump her with
questions, but I couldn’t take the uncertainty and not knowing
what’s going on. “I’m sorry. I know we just met, and normally I’m
not so…impolite, but since we aren’t married and I’m not family,
they won’t tell me anything.”

Just as she looked like she was going to
speak, Brody stood. “Please, take my seat, Mrs. Henderson.”

“Thank you, uhh…”