Page 6 of Empire of Carnage
She pulled the IV’s out of my arm, but before I could get up she placed her hand on my chest.
“I’m not stupid. I woke you up because I knew you were well enough to hopefully not kill yourself by going out there. I know they need help. But I can’t turn down Zerkos’ drugs yet. You and I both know he’ll kill himself to save them. And that’s just the thing Kane, hewillkill himself if he wakes up now. He got shot…twice.”
Shit. If I was lucky to be alive, then the sentiment doubled for Ronan. But all I could think about was her being out there again, surrounded by enemies.
“I can’t help them alone,” I told her.
“You’re not alone,” César Villalobos’ voice called out from the corner.
I leaned my head around Dr. O’Connor’s body to see his smug fucking self, sitting in the chair, ankle crossed over his knee with his motorcycle club vest on. He had the need to announce what gang he belonged to at any given time of the day—like anyone fucking cared.
“Fuck me,” I groaned.
“Who the fuck do you think convinced the pretty Doctor here to wake your bitch ass up pendejo?” He smirked but it only lasted a second or two, like he quickly remembered the situation.
“You got enough men to help us get them back?” I asked as Emory finally gave in, helping me into a sitting position.
“Yeah, I got the men.” The cocky bastard stood up putting a cigarette in his mouth and just as he was about to light it, Emory snagged it from his lips.
“You’re insane if you think I’m going to let you light this in here.” She stomped over to the trash and broke it in half before dumping it in.
“Are you?” He paused, tilting his chin. “Insane?” His eyes hooded over, and he wet his lips with the kind of audacity only someone like Villalobos had.
His tongue ran over the diamond glued to his canine.
She stared at his mouth unblinking, like she was stuck in a trance. I cleared my throat, breaking the hypnosis he had her under, and she shook her head, walking back in my direction and tucking her red hair behind her ear.
“Why are you helping her? You left her to die once, why’s it any different this time?” I needed to know.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to trust him. Not with her life on the line.
“I didn’t leave her to die, I left her withhim.I left her to put this shit behind her and try to live a normal life, something I knew I’d never get a chance to do. I’m not sorry and she doesn’t expect me to be.” I could tell he was annoyed that I'd even say something about what he did to her.
How could I think anything but?
The things I’d seen him do to her, the things hefailedto do for her.
Too many people had let Celia down, and I wasn’t going to be one of them.
I ran my hand over my face before grabbing the hospital bed to pivot my legs onto the floor. Emory and César both rushed to me as if I was seconds away from breaking and if I was going to be honest with myself—I kind of fucking felt like it.
“We have to wake Ronan up.” I looked past the doctor, my words meant for César alone.
He nodded like he agreed, and Emory tsked loudly.
“I swear to fucking God Mateo, I’ll put all of you to sleep. If Ronan so much as moves the wrong way, his internal stitches could open, and he’ll die. Donotmake me wake him up.”
“You don’t understand Doc. If I go without him,that’llkill him. Ronan would rather die out there trying to save her, then spend one more second in this hospital, asleep, avoiding our problems. I know my brother,” I reminded her.
“This is wrong.” She shook her head. “At least give yourself time to get your legs back under you. You can’t help him if you can’t help yourself,” she bit back at me.
“Fuck. Fine. Help me up then,” I told her, but it was César who came to my aid first, though I wasn’t sure it was a love for me that did it or a need to keep the Doc from touching me any more than she had to.
Something happened between them while I was dying.
But the only thing I cared about was getting Santos and Celia back.
4
