Page 45 of Ride the Sky

Seated on a hard, plastic chair in the waiting room, I stare at the floor. The ice pack pressed against my jaw is now lukewarm. My body is numb and blurry, thanks partly to Davis’s brick of a right hook.

This is the worst night of my fucking life.

We’re all here in a strange city, at a hospital, waiting on word about Fallon’s surgery. It’s been three hours and nothing. Nothing about this is okay. Everything is fucked.

“Fallon,” I whisper. “Please.” It’s a prayer. For someone up there to hear me and do something. To make her okay. Otherwise…

I’m a fucking goner.

I squeeze my eyes shut.

Fallon crawling for me.

Her screams silencing.

Her body twisted, like a broken doll.

The images keep flashing through my mind like a strobe, and I wish to hell it was dream.

This was bound to happen sooner or later. I knew it. Everyone knew it. It’s what I feared. Fallon getting hurt. It’s why I flipped the fuck out when she told us she was riding bulls.

But I’m not ready for it. Not now. Not ever.

My chest aches like that night I found her at the Edens. I thought my heart would never fucking restart again.

At the sound of boot steps, I open my eyes.

Vic appears around the corner of the waiting room, two coffee cups in his hand. He’s been here since Fallon’s accident. He hands the coffees to Reese and Ruby, who give him soft smiles of appreciation. He looks shaken up, but his hands are steady.

I drop the ice pack on the ground and tear up from my chair. I feel helpless as fuck. Waiting around, doing nothing. My brothers watch me with concern.

“Wyatt,” Ford says but silences when Reese touches his shoulder.

I swallow the rock in my throat. Tear a hand through my hair, twist. “I should have stopped her. I should have done something…”

I don’t know if it’s a regret from the past or a plea from the present. All I know is that both ring true. If I had done something…

Dakota wouldn’t be on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Fallon would be okay. She’d be back in Montana. Maybe in my arms, in my bed. She’d be safe. Healthy. Still scowling. Still whole.

And me, I’d be halfway sane at least.

Ford blows out an exhausted breath. “I think that’s what we’re all feelin’ right now.”

“You knew this could happen. I knew this could happen.” Charlie’s eyes are sympathetic, and I know he’s thinking of Ruby. He bows his dark head. “I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, Wyatt.”

“We let her unravel.” Dakota’s face is etched with fear and sadness. “We weren’t there. And she left. And now this happened.” Her heart-wrenching sobs have me looking away. Have Davis pulling his wife up and into his arms, his face pale and grim. I haven’t seen him this frazzled, not since the night Aiden King kidnapped Dakota.

My hand balls to a fist.

Fucking Aiden King.

Fallon’s here because of him.

We’re all here because of him.

He did this, started this bullshit with Fallon. He broke her and she went off the fucking deep end and this is where we are now.

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