“Ambulance is in route.” The response was immediate. “Were airbags deployed?”
“It’s a classic car, no airbags,” I rasped, barely able to get the words out as I looked at her delicate frame slumped unnaturally over the wheel.
“Don’t move her, sir. They’re on their way.”
“Did you hear that, baby?” I asked her hoarsely. “They’re comin’ okay? And I’m here. You’re gonna be okay,” I told her, my eyes blurring. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d cried, but the thought that my sweet girl could have a broken neck or worse was more than I could bear. “There’s so much I haven’t told you yet. You don’t even understand that you’re mine.” I talked to her through the broken driver’s side window. “But you will. You’re gonna be fine. I’ll make sure of it,” I assured her just as much as myself.
I put my phone back to my ear, my hands shaking and bloody from my haste to get to Wren. There was one other call I needed to make.
“Sal? Yeah, I found her.”
****
The next hour was complete chaos. The paramedics arrived in record time, but making their way down the hill had been slow going. Getting Wren back up on a backboard was even slower.
I’d ridden alongside her in the ambulance as they took her vitals. She had a huge laceration on her head, but other than that, it was difficult to tell what else might be wrong. I was able to hold her hand, hers so small and delicate in mine.
Sal and Kat were out front of the emergency room when we came in, but were only able to see Wren for a moment before she was rushed off.
Now, we waited.
Most of the club and their women and children had arrived. We took up almost the entire waiting room. I paced, waiting for news.
“Was she drinking?” Sal demanded of Liv.
“She had one beer. She was fine,” she told him the same thing she’d told me.
“She’s a great driver,” Sal muttered to himself, as though trying to piece it all together.
“Sal, man, there were two sets of skid marks,” Axel shared, the desire for vengeance clear in his countenance.
I hadn’t even noticed. I’d been so consumed with getting to Wren.
“What the fuck?” I roared, knowing I was drawing attention to myself by showing how much I cared and not giving a single fuck. “Someone ran her off the road?”
“Might have,” Axel replied, giving me a perplexed look.
“Max, you should get those cuts looked at,” my mom put in gently. Gunner and Cole had already tried to get me to do the same.
“Later,” I ground out. I wasn’t gonna be anywhere but here when the doctor showed up.
I’d nearly worn a hole in the floor by the time the doctor appeared. Kat and Sal shot to their feet. “Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong?” he called, looking at his clipboard. “Would you like to talk in private?” he asked, appraising the room full of bikers.
“Here is fine,” Sal ground out, clearly anxious for news.
“Your daughter is stable,” he shared, and the news nearly had me collapsing with relief. “She suffered a skull fracture, but X-rays aren’t showing any swelling of the brain, which is a very good thing. She has two cracked ribs and some severe bruising, but all in all, I’d count her very lucky, especially considering the lack of safety features in the car.”
I made a mental note to forbid her from driving anything without top-of-the-line safety features from this moment forward.
“Unfortunately, other than managing her pain, there’s not much we can do, but I’d like to keep her here for observation for the next day or so.”
“Can we see her?” Kat asked anxiously.
He nodded. “I’ll take you back there.”
I moved to follow, ruled my instinct to be with Wren, when a firm grip on my arm blocked my progress. “Not now, son.”
Everything in me wanted to argue with my pop, to shove his hand back and follow them.
“I know you’re in your own personal hell, but this is their child,” he coaxed, his eyes on Kat and Sal. Fear and anguish were written all over their faces as they rushed to follow the doctor. “This isn’t the time.” His words were firm but gentle as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, giving me a gentle squeeze.
I took a deep breath and nodded. He was right. Out of respect to them, I’d wait, for now.
It was hours later. Visiting hours were long over, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave. I’d crammed my body into a tiny-ass chair, my arms crossed at the chest as I dosed off and on alongside the other poor souls in the same position.
“Why are you still here?” Sal’s voice was accusing as he woke me from a restless sleep.
“Sal.” Kat placed a gentle hand on his arm in a bid for calm.
His nostrils flared. “No, I want to know why he’s still here and why the fuck Wren is asking for him when she’s barely conscious.”
The fact she’d asked for me had my heart pounding in my chest.
“This isn’t the time,” I replied, trying like hell to keep my voice calm.
“This isn’t the time for what?” He glowered, leaning over me menacingly. I remained seated, knowing if I stood it would only serve to escalate the situation.
“To tell you that I’m in love with Wren,” I shared.
His fist flew at my face, making contact with bone-crunching force. My head whipped back, stars blinding my vision as I righted myself, staring up at him calmly. He clenched my jacket in his fists as rage burned in his eyes tinged with anguish.
“I love her, Sal,” I repeated quietly, prepared to take anything he had to give. I’d take it for her and for him. “I haven’t touched her. Out of respect for you, I wanted to talk man-to-man.”
“Man-to-man?” he demanded. “She’s a fucking kid! You’re way too old for her!” he bellowed as hospital security came in to investigate.
“We’re fine,” I growled at them, telling them in no certain terms to beat it. They looked uncertain for a moment before making a hasty retreat.
I turned back to Sal, ready to take his anger, all of it. “I love her.”
He shoved me back. “You keep saying that,” he grumbled, rubbing his fingers through his hair.
“It’s true.” I shrugged. “It will always be true.”
Somehow, I knew that without a doubt.
“This is why you insisted on handling the Portland business,” he surmised.
I nodded. “I want to protect her. I want to take care of her.”
“She know that?” he demanded, and I swore Kat was fighting a smile behind him.
I shook my head. “She’s pretty pissed at me actually. I pushed her away. I was worried about what it might do to you, to your relationship with her. But I love her, and I need her to know it.”
He let me go, taking a step back with a grumbled “fuck.” He strode out of the hospital, leaving Kat staring at me with a mixture of concern and revelation.
She sat beside me with a watery laugh. “Well, you really did it now, didn’t you?”
“Yep.” I grunted, touching my eye with a wince. It’d be a hell of a shiner, but I’d had worse.