Page 8 of Hell & Back

The doctor looked around the room and shook his head. “I’m afraid only two of you can go back for maybe fifteen minutes. Tomorrow you can take turns visiting him.”

It was a given Darren and Kylie would be the ones to go back to see Tuck.

“Thanks, Doc, for taking care of him.” Darren shook his hand.

“You’re welcome. Someone will be out shortly to take you back.” He wished everyone a good night and left the room.

Race pulled Bellamy in for a tight hug. “You and Kylie go see our boy and the rest of us’ll take off. If you hear anything, anything at all tonight, good or bad, let us know.” He clasped hands with Darren and squeezed Kylie’s shoulder reassuringly. “Tuck’s going to be all right, darlin’.”

Kylie nodded her head and wiped tears from her cheeks.

It wasn’t long after everyone left, that a nurse came and escorted them to Tuck’s room. He was in his own little cubicle in the ICU. Darren held Kylie’s hand firmly in his own as they stepped through the doorway. His breath caught in his chest at what he saw. Even prepared to see Tuck in this condition, it still jolted him. Seeing his usually outgoing, fun-loving best friend lying in the bed so pale, and white bandages wrapped around his head choked him up.

“Tuck,” Kylie’s voice cracked, shaking Darren out of his dark thoughts. She slowly eased up to the bed, her hand hovering above Tuck’s. She seemed unsure as to where she could touch him without moving important wires or tubes before she settled for touching his bicep.

“I can’t believe someone did this to you.” She angrily swiped at her tears again. She kissed his cheek and whispered, “I love you, Garrett. Please come back to me.”

Fuck. That just about gutted Darren. Kylie was the only one who ever called Tuck by his first name. He had to swallow hard against his suddenly too tight throat. He gently squeezed Tuck’s arm when Kylie stepped to the side. “Hang in there, man. We’re waiting for you.”

All too quickly, the nurse returned and announced they would have to leave for the night, but they were more than welcome to return in the morning.

With his hand at the small of her back, he steered Kylie toward the elevator. Time to go home.

DARREN

As the elevator opened into the lobby, Darren was thankful to see Race and Bellamy waiting near the front door. He hadn’t given it much thought as to how he was going to get Kylie home, but it appeared they had. She was too far along to ride on the back of his bike safely.

He stopped next to the couple and turned to Kylie. “Baby, Race and Bellamy are going to give you a ride home.”

“What?” Her brow dipped in confusion.

“They’re going to give you a ride home and I’m going to follow behind you on my bike.” He brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek. “Can’t take you on my bike, babe.” He settled his large hand on her stomach and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “Come on. I’ll walk you to the truck.”

Kylie nodded her head and slipped her hand into his. Once she was settled in the backseat of Race’s truck, Darren made his way to his bike. He quickly caught up to them at the exit and followed them home. Usually riding his bike calmed his nervesand helped him unwind. That was not the case tonight. All he kept thinking about was when Tuck was shot and how helpless he’d felt when he couldn’t reach him in time.

Race turned into his driveway and pulled into his garage at the same time Darren pulled his bike into his own garage next door. He gave the empty space where Tuck usually parked his bike a quick glance and made a mental note to make sure he got his brother’s bike home tomorrow. He rushed to meet Kylie in the driveway, waved his thanks to Race and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, guiding her inside through the garage.

He took her purse and jacket and dropped them on the kitchen table then led her toward the bedroom. There he helped her undress then slip on one of Tuck’s t-shirts he found on the floor. After she slid beneath the covers, he started to undress, but remembered he still had Tuck’s dried blood on him under his clothes.

“I’m going to take a quick shower before I climb into bed.”

She nodded her head. “Okay.”

Closing the door behind him, he stripped his clothes off and stepped into the shower. He cranked the water on and stepped under the showerhead, letting the hot water ease the tension in his tired muscles. He tipped his head down to get his hair wet and saw the pink tinged water sluicing off his body, swirling around his feet, before disappearing down the drain. He clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut tight. The side of his fist hit the shower tile. Why couldn’t he have gotten to Tuck sooner? Could he have spared Tuck the gunshot wounds or would they have both ended up fighting for their lives, leaving Kylie all alone?

Dwelling on what ifs wasn’t going to change anything. What was done was done. What mattered now was how they were going to move forward. As a club. As a family.

He hurried through washing the last of the blood off and shampooing his hair. Grabbing at a towel off the hook next to the shower, he dried himself off and hung the wet towel over the top of the shower door. Opening the door, he saw Kylie lying on her side facing the bathroom with her eyes open. He’d thought she might be so exhausted she’d instantly fall asleep.

He pushed the covers back and slid in naked next to her. “Hey, baby. You doing all right?”

She shrugged a shoulder, biting her bottom lip. “I think I’m kind of numb. I can’t wrap my head around everything yet. It doesn’t feel real.”

“Come here.” He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his side. She settled her small hand over his heart and hooked her leg over both of his. He thought she might be drifting to sleep until she tipped her head back and cupped his bearded jaw. He dipped his head to check on her and was surprised and grateful when she said, “I need you, Darren. I need to feel close to you.”

“God, baby. I need to feel close to you, too.” He gently rolled Kylie to her back, careful to keep his weight to the side and off her stomach.

“I don’t need a lot of warm up. I just need to feel you.” Kylie kissed his neck before settling both hands on the sides of his face and pulled him down for a kiss.

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