Loving Enough (The Enough Series Book 2) (14 page)

Rylee

My momentary haze lifts and I crawl over in a panic to see
how badly Ruzek is hurt. I check his arms and back for signs of Ryan's shot
before turning him over. There are no outward signs he was hit, but I check his
pulse to be sure. He is still with me. He is still alive. The blood continuing
to pour from the gash over his right eye worries me.

Running to the kitchen, careful to avoid Ryan's limp body, I
find a clean towel. I wet it so I can apply pressure to Ruzek’s wound while we
wait for help to arrive. On my knees next to my unconscious friend, I place the
cool cloth against the cut and apply as much pressure as I can stomach.

A commotion stirs near my front door and an officer
announces his presence, prompting me to yell in return.

“In here! Please call an ambulance - Ruzek is hurt.”

Officer Walker comes through the kitchen. Shock flashes
across his face as he takes in the scene. Ruzek remains still beneath my hands
and a large pool of blood is circling Ryan’s motionless body. The officer still
has his weapon drawn as two more uniformed officers make their way into the
room.

He looks to me. “Miss Ash, are you armed?”

“No, I dropped the gun over there.” I gesture with my head,
refusing to take my hands off the towel that is slowing Ruzek’s bleeding.
“Please, he needs an ambulance. It won’t stop bleeding.”

I wipe my tears and sweat-covered brow on the sleeve of my
shirt without lessening the pressure on Ruzek.

Walker leans into the radio on his shoulder and calls for
two ambulances. Another officer leans down and checks Ryan for a pulse before
nodding at the Officer Walker.

“He is still alive.”

The name badge on the officer beside me reads
Spiller
.
He holsters his weapon and takes a knee on the other side of Ruzek. I look him
in the eyes.

“He came to for a minute before the shot was fired. I
thought he was shot, but I don’t see any more blood so maybe he just passed out
again.”

My voice is shaking and my words come out in a jumble. He
stares at me for a moment before responding.

“OK. We’ll keep the pressure on his head. The medics should
be here soon. Are you all right?”

Am I all right? That is a hell of a question at the moment,
and one I do not feel like dissecting, so I nod. He stands up and walks over to
further survey the disaster that is my living room. I am surprised he has not
asked what happened.

Officer Walker comes over to ask if I need anything. I
decline. He tells me they caught Micah running from the house shortly after the
shots were fired. Micah has been arrested. Well at least something went right
tonight.

Upon the paramedics’ arrival, there is a flurry of activity.
They check both Ryan and Ruzek before loading them onto stretchers. I ask the
officers if I can go to the hospital with Ruzek to make sure he is OK. Thankfully
they agree, because I can’t imagine staying in this house after the events that
unfolded in the last hour.

Ruzek looks better in the ambulance, once he is pumped full
of fluids via the IV in his arm. I hold his hand and say a silent prayer in
hopes he will pull through this. I don’t have the mental capacity consider any
other option.

After arriving at the hospital, I am told to sit in the
waiting room. Ah, the cold, lifeless waiting room. I had really hoped I would
never see it again, but here we are. Sitting in the familiar gray chair, again
in the corner of the room, I begin to decompress and process the horrors of the
night.

Deciding I don’t want to be here alone any longer, I call
the one person who I know is close enough to be here soon: Eric. It is three in
the morning and I know this will piss Jen off, but whatever. I hit the button
on his contact information and hope he answers.

“Hello,” Jen answers in a sleep-riddled voice.

Great. The last thing I need is to have to explain this
situation to her.

“Hi Jen, it’s Rylee. I need to speak to Eric please.” I try
to stay calm as I speak to her, despite my rapidly deteriorating mental state.

“Rylee, what the hell? It is three in the morning. Can’t
your latest drama wait until the sun comes up?”

True to form, she is being a bitch and I am running out of
patience.

“No, Jen, as a matter of fact this can’t wait. I need to
speak to Eric now!” I yell at her, disturbing the relative quiet of the waiting
room.

Eric is in the background now, asking who is on the phone. She
finally hands it to him. It sounds like she slams the phone into his hand.

“Ry? What’s going on? Are you OK?” His questions come in quick
succession despite his less than awake state.

“Eric, I am sorry to call.” The tears begin to flow when I hear
a friendly voice. “I need you, Eric. J is in New York, Bode is halfway around
the world somewhere, Austin is in Texas, and I shot Ryan tonight.”

He is moving around and the sound of rustling clothes comes
through the line before he finally responds.

“Wait, what did you just say? You shot Ryan?” His voice is
full of shock and disbelief.

“Yeah, I shot Ryan and now I am at the hospital waiting for
an update on Ruzek.”

“What the fuck happened, Ry? Jesus. I’ll be right there.
Just let me get dressed and I am on my way.” He sounds as flustered as I feel.

I start to speak again when I hear Jen yelling at him.

“You’re not going anywhere. I don’t care what kind of mess
she is in. She’s a big girl, she can take care of herself.”

I really do hate that girl. From the sound of it, Eric isn’t
too pleased with her right now either.

“You know what, Jen?” He shouts. “Shut the fuck up. Rylee is
family and I am damn well going to go help her. If you don’t like it, feel free
to pack your shit and get out. I am sick and tired of having this conversation
with you.”

I feel bad causing him more trouble, but I had no one else
to call. However, I would not be overly sad if she did pack her shit and get
out. He returns to the phone.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes, Ry, just hang tight, OK? Wait,
what hospital?”

“Mass General. Thanks, Eric.”

Rylee

As I sit in the unforgiving waiting room chair, several
officers join my vigil. Most have asked if I am doing all right and a few eye
me suspiciously. I guess it makes sense, considering I am the reason why two
men are lying in this hospital tonight. I haven’t given myself a chance to
consider the outcome of Ryan’s injury. They took him straight to surgery upon
arrival.

Eric comes through the automatic doors and my body sags with
relief. He locates me and hurries over, unfazed by the growing crowd. I throw
my arms around his neck, finding a slice of familiarity, and finally let go. My
sobs come in waves as I try to thank him for coming. His gentle touch guides me
back into the corner chair, away from the increasing stares of others in the
room.

I cry for a few minutes until I feel a semblance of sanity
return and notice the concern in Eric’s expression. Eric is a good-looking guy.
He is not as striking as J or Bode, but he can hold his own. His chestnut-colored
hair and eyes are shades of the same color. His hair is generally styled to
perfection, but right now it is a complete mess.

He holds me close as we sit in silence for a few minutes.
The gentle strokes of his hand down my back remind me of J. He always rubs my
back when I am upset. Eric’s soothing makes me feel safe for the first time all
night. The silence breaks when he asks the obvious question.

“What happened tonight?”

In hushed tones I relay the highlights of the evening and
see both anger and disbelief take hold of Eric. Once I finish my explanation,
he pulls me into a hug.

“I hope you killed that son of a bitch, because if you
didn’t, I will.”

I don’t know why, but I can’t help laughing at his heart-felt
statement. If I had killed Ryan, that would make me a murderer. I don’t know if
I can live with that, even if it was in self-defense. Me, a murderer. This
Hollywood fairy tale just keeps getting better.

Eric looks at me in confusion because of my inappropriate
response. Bringing my laughter under control, I explain, “Sorry, but this has
been one hell of a night.”

He nods, accepting my emotional rollercoaster. “It has definitely
been that. Have you called your brother yet?”

“No. I called you because you were the only one close enough
to get here. I will call him later, after I find out how Ruzek is doing. There
is no reason to wake him up in the middle of the night at this point.”

Jeremy will be furious that I didn’t call him and the longer
I wait, the madder he will be. It’s not that I don’t want to call him, it’s
more that I don’t think I can handle talking to him. I love my big brother and
telling him what happened will bring this all into reality. I am not ready to
face it all yet.

“I imagine Jeremy would beg to differ. You know he would
want you to call him.”

“I know, Eric, but I’m still having a hard time wrapping my
mind around all of it and telling J will make it all real somehow.”

He lets it go and we continue to sit in silence. I hold onto
his hand like it will keep me grounded in reality. A nurse walks out and scans
the waiting room, taking notice of the growing police presence. She finally
speaks up.

“Is there a Miss Ash here?”

I glance at Eric, stand up, and we walk over to the petite
woman dressed in purple, flower-covered scrubs. She smiles at me.

“Are you Miss Ash?”

“Yes, ma’am, I’m Rylee Ash,” I answer, wondering why she is
looking for me.

“Mr. Ruzek is demanding to see you,” she says with a
chuckle.

I hear rustling behind me as a few of the officers walk up behind
where Eric and I are standing with the nurse. I know they are waiting on an
update about him.

“Does that mean Ruzek is OK?” I ask.

She smiles. “Yes, dear, he will be fine. He is stubborn as
hell, too. He said if I didn’t come find you, he would check himself right out
of here.”

There is a collective sigh of relief in the waiting room,
followed by a few chuckles. I turn to Eric.

“I am going to go see Ruzek, and then we can get out of
here. I really hate this place.”

He nods. “Yeah, I hear that. Take your time, Ry. I’ll wait right
here.”

My nerves skyrocket as I follow the nurse down the long
corridor to Ruzek’s room. I pull my ponytail tight and smooth my clothes, now
realizing that my shirt is still covered in his blood. Shit, why didn’t I
notice this before? No wonder everyone has been staring at me. I look like I
walked out of a scene in a horror movie. I guess in a way I did, but I still
wish I had a change of clothes.

The nurse – Virginia, according to her name tag - notices my
sudden focus on my blood-stained shirt.

“Honey, I can bring you a scrub top to change into if you like?”

Itching to get out of this reminder of the night, I nod silently
with tears staining my face.

“Yes, please. I don’t want Ruzek to see this.”

She nods in understanding before slipping into a small
closet on the other side of the hall. It feels like she is gone for hours as I
scratch at a few of the drops of dried blood on my arm. I don’t know whose
blood it is, which brings the nightmares of my night back to life.

I don’t notice when she returns with a pink top in her hand.
She pulls my hand away from my arm where I have reddened the skin trying to
remove the red stains. Taking my hand, she guides us into a bathroom a few
doors down.

“Miss Ash?” She looks at me with grave concern before
wetting a towel and wiping the droplets of blood from my arms.

Her touch is warm and gentle, bringing me back from the
brink. I struggle to focus through my tears. When she turns to wet another towel,
I pull my shirt over my head and toss it in the nearest trashcan.

The cool air of the blue-tinted bathroom hits me before I
pull the scrub top over my head. I glance in the mirror at my reflection to
find a broken woman. The stains of blood may be gone, but the memories aren’t.
My eyes are black with remnants of mascara and my face is red from crying. I look
like the disaster I feel inside.

I have to snap out of this. I need to check on Ruzek and
then get out of this hospital. Splashing cold water on my face, I take a few deep
breaths and try to calm the storm roaring inside me. My appearance improves once
the black circles are removed.

Once I have a handle on myself, I brave speaking again.

“I’m so sorry for all of this,” I say. embarrassed by my
near meltdown.

“Don’t you worry about it, honey. Ruzek told me a little of
what happened. You are one brave woman.”

“Thank you. Can I go check on him now, please?”

“Well, if he hasn’t escaped looking for you,” she says with
a giggle before walking out of the restroom.

I follow her down the hallway until she stops, turns, and
gives me a nod of encouragement. Turning back, she opens the door.

“All right, you stubborn man. I found her, so you can stay
put in that bed.”

With a light laugh, she holds the door open for me and shuts
it after I enter.

Ruzek’s face is filled with concern.

“Well, if it isn’t my knight in shining armor,” he says in
an attempt to lighten the mood.

I laugh. “I know, and here I thought it was supposed to be
you protecting me.”

He smiles and motions me over to the bed before turning
serious. “Are you OK, Rylee? I am so sorry for tonight. I don’t know what
happened. I don’t remember anything before waking up and seeing you and then
the shots. Then the next thing I know, I woke up here.”

I wish I didn’t remember tonight.

Sitting down on the edge of his bed, I look into his eyes
and try to quell my emotions. “I’m doing fine. I’m probably still in shock from
the entire mess, but a lot better now that I know you will live. You scared the
shit out of me, buddy.”

The exchange with Ruzek feels weird. We were forced together
by circumstances out of our control. We found a way to be friends despite the
situation, but it’s not the same type of friendship that I have with Bode or Eric.
Maybe it’s the aftereffects of living through a traumatic event.

A half smile crosses his lips before he speaks again. “I owe
you my life, Rylee. If you hadn’t pulled that trigger, he might have killed us
both. I don’t think I will ever be able to repay you.”

“Ruzek, I did what I had to do. There was no way I would’ve let
him kill either of us. You don’t owe me a thing. You have stood by all of us
for weeks now. Hell, you are family at this point, and there isn’t anything I
wouldn’t do to protect my family.”

Tears form in his eyes, so I grab his hand trying to soothe
him despite the raging emotions surging through my body. It is obvious that he feels
like he failed, but I don’t see it that way and I want him to know that. What
happened tonight was not our fault. We survived and I won’t have him feeling
guilty about the way it happened.

The dark cloud hanging over us is unfair. We need to be
thankful that we came out of this with only a few minor injuries. Not wanting
to allow a pity party for either of us, I steer the conversation away from the
hideous night.

“I tell you what, Ruzek, since you are now officially family
I think it is about time you tell me what your first name is. You tell me that
and we can call it even. What do you say?”

I have been dying to know what his name is, and this seems
like the perfect opportunity to find out. He gives me a look that says,
really?
Then he smiles a true smile, bringing my friend back.

“My name is Alex, short for Alexander.”

I shake the hand I am already holding.

“Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Alex. Welcome to my
crazy family.”

He smiles and shakes his head in disbelief. “I am glad to be
a part of it. Although I have a feeling your brother may boot me right out when
he finds out about tonight.”

I give him a wink. “Don’t worry about J. He will be fine as
long as I am. Not to mention he is laid up, so he can’t hurt a fly at the
moment.”

I can tell that does not soothe Alex’s fears, but it is true
nonetheless.

He shrugs his shoulders. “I guess we will see.”

I have no doubt that J will be upset about many things
surrounding tonight. He will be upset with Ruzek - probably with Eric and me
too – but, in the end, all he will care about is whether I am all right. And I
am doing OK right now. I’m not great, but I am alive and so is the rest of my
family. That is all that matters.

“Well, Officer Alex Ruzek, I would say it’s time for you to
get some rest. I will come by and check on you tomorrow.”

I lean in and give him a hug before heading for the door.

“Hey, Rylee,” he says quietly.

“Yeah?”

“Do you know if Ryan made it?” He asks with trepidation.

I turn back towards him. “I don’t know. Last I heard, he was
in surgery. Get some sleep. I will see you tomorrow.”