Two Minutes (Seven Series Book 6) (18 page)

“I did everything I could to protect her, but I can’t protect her from life! She’s the one who went away.”

“My
mother
sent her away! I wasn’t any more thrilled about it than you were, but we can’t go back in time and change things. I’m sorry if that cut your duties short, but dammit, you keep looking for someone to blame. She got a chance at a better life—a chance to see the world.”

“The world?” he said incredulously. “Her whole world was right here!” He opened his arms wide. “Was her family not good enough?”

Lexi shoved at his chest. “Why won’t you hold her? That’s all I’m asking!”

“Because I’m afraid if I hold her, I’ll never let go!” His shout fell into fractured words that ripped open a dam of pain—the kind only love can bring.

He loved her, goddammit.
Love
. Not the kind of devotion a watchdog gives the person they’re caring for, not the love of a packmate. It was the kind of love that could break a man. Every moment since her return, it had become obvious to Denver that he loved her hard. He loved her in a way that terrified him because of what it would mean.

Losing her.

He should have sent Thomas home and made his claim, but he hadn’t. He’d let Maizy walk right out that door, and that’s why he was standing in this hospital facing the reality of losing the only person who defined him as a man.

Lexi wrapped her arms around him. “I can’t bear to see you cry. Please just make her better somehow.”

Was he crying? Denver snapped back to reality and realized with embarrassment that his face was wet. He lifted his T-shirt and wiped it dry. “You and your mom should get some rest. You’ll need to be thinking clearly when they run more tests tomorrow. I’ll watch over her.”

Lexi nodded. Sleep deprivation would do no one any good when faced with so many important decisions. He didn’t know if there was a sleeping facility in or near the building. Hell, maybe Austin had managed to get them their own room. The Breed had ways of getting what they needed in the human world, so it wasn’t worth dwelling on.

When she left the room, Denver dragged his eyes to the bed. Once he stopped focusing on the machines keeping her alive, his instincts took over. Maizy was barely recognizable with the bandage around her head. He walked to the right side of the bed and tried to find a way to touch her. She’d never looked so fragile.

He leaned over and stroked her cheek with his fingertips. She felt cold to the touch. “I’m right here, Peanut. I’m going to stay with you all night. I want you to rest and let us do all the work, you hear me? Nothing you need to worry about. The pack is all here, and Reno’s already complaining about the cafeteria being closed. That man needs his own machine,” he said with a smile. “Things are going to change when you wake up and get out of here. Between us, I mean. Maybe I screwed it up already, but I’m a stubborn man who never takes things as seriously as I should. You know that.”

As much as he wanted to crawl in that bed with her, there was no room. She needed the space; she needed the medicine and even the air going in through the tubes.

He dragged a chair to the edge of the bed and touched her delicate fingers. There were a few cuts on them, and he wondered what had happened in the car. Did she see it coming? Was it the passenger window she hit her head on or something that penetrated the windshield? Jesus.

He leaned in close, his voice soothing. “Remember that Peter Pan book you always had me read to you? That line about dying being an awfully big adventure is a load of bullshit. Just so you know. If you want to know why I’ve been such a jackass, maybe it can relate to a line in that book. The one about not saying good-bye, because good-bye means going away, and going away means forgetting. When you went away, I thought that meant you wanted to forget me like one of those old dolls in your room. I felt like part of your past and not your future.”

Denver continued stroking her slender fingers, images flashing in his mind of her swimming around him in the creek. Blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight, the way her dimples ensnared his attention when she laughed. She was so full of life, so eager to reconnect with him. Why couldn’t he have seen that? He was so fixated on their past and future that he’d ignored the present.

He stood up and stroked her cheek above the tape that secured her ventilator. Maybe somehow she’d feel his presence.

“You remember what you said when we went swimming? You asked why I wasn’t willing to fight for you. I’m going to make you a deal. I’ve had a lot of noise in my head, but now I’m thinking clearly. I’ve always been ready to fight for you, but I didn’t get what you were saying. Not until now. I’ll fight for you. You hear me? I’ll fight to the death, but you have to make me the same promise. I need
you
to fight. Don’t let go as quickly as I did earlier. I should have pushed that asshole right out the door and sent him on his way, but I didn’t. You’re mine, Peanut. You’ve always been mine. Maybe I don’t deserve you now, but I’ll still fight for you.”

He blocked out the machines that beeped and hissed all around him with their discordant rhythm. It wasn’t likely she could hear him since she was so deeply sedated. But he held on to a thread of hope that the comfort and familiarity of his voice would give her strength.

“Heal.” His voice broke as soon as he spoke the word.
“Heal.”

After a few minutes, a voice cut through the silence. “Sir, do you have authorization to be in here? The only person I have down is Lynn Knight.”

Denver glanced up at the nurse in the doorway, who quickly turned around when a man caught her arm. He spoke in low words, and Denver rose from his chair to get a better view of the Vampire entrancing the nurse in the hall. Vamps were easy to spot because of their black eyes.

When the nurse walked off, Denver caught up with him. “Did the Council send you?”

The Vampire shrugged. “I was hired by a man who’s protecting his—”

“Prince?” Denver clenched his fists and stepped forward. “Tell him to quit putting his claim where it doesn’t belong.”

The Vampire tilted his head. “It was Prince’s men who were following the girl and able to get her here so fast. And you are?” He scraped Denver from head to toe with an irreverent gaze.

“Your nightmare if you don’t get the fuck off this floor.”

“Careful who you threaten, Shifter. The next nurse on duty won’t know who you are, and without my help, you’ll find yourself escorted off the premises.”

“Go tell your master I want to talk to him. If I see you again, I’m shoving a big stick in your chest. Skulk in the supply closet, but get away from this door.”

The Vamp’s expression soured. Prince must have been paying him well, because he didn’t retaliate.

After the Vampire went out the exit, Denver stalked down the hall until he caught sight of Naya.

She rushed up, eyes wide with worry. “Is she okay?”

“Where is everyone?”

“They’re rotating shifts to keep an eye on the house, so William has the first one. I’m not sure where Austin took Lexi and her mama, but he wanted them to get rest. How is she?”

“Still sedated.” Denver stuffed his hands in his pockets and felt strength coming over him—the kind that intensified with each passing moment. “I want you to go back to the house and pick up something for me.”

“What?”

“Books. Grab some books from Maizy’s room—her favorites.”

Naya knitted her brows and cocked her head to the side.

“Bring me her books, Naya. I’m going to read to her.”

“How much sleep did you get last night?”
Austin asked from the foot of Maizy’s bed.

Denver stared at him from his cheap vinyl chair, unblinking.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. I need you out. Prince flew in some big-shot neurologist, and he’s not happy about keeping her sedated. I don’t know if that’s good or bad news, but I want everyone in the pack to walk around outside and stretch their legs. Get some food in your stomach, and I’ll call you when there’s news. That’s not a request.” Austin hauled Denver out of the chair and led him to the door. “I’m not kidding about sleep. You’re no good to me like this. Go outside and find a patch of grass beneath a tree and relax. Reno is in the cafeteria with Lexi and Lynn, trying to make them eat.”

Denver found himself gripping the rail of her bed. He knew Austin was right, but every second was crucial, and something could happen if he left.

Austin seized his jaw and gave him a pensive stare. “I’ll call you if her condition changes. You’ve got my word. Trevor didn’t like the grub downstairs, so he’s heading out to pick up breakfast for anyone who doesn’t want to eat that hospital shit. Jericho put in a request for donuts, so there’ll be some of those if you’re hungry.” Austin patted Denver’s shoulder and led him toward the door.

“Who’s staying here with her?” Denver looked back at Maizy as if she might have woken up while he had his back to her.

“Izzy. That drink she had last night knocked her out, so she’s well rested,” Austin said with a soft chuckle. “Jericho went home to grab some clothes since the staff doesn’t seem to like him walking around shirtless and her without pants. He’s also picking up a few personal items for anyone who’s staying up here. Toothbrushes, razors, stuff like that. I guess we’re playing it by ear.”

They moved down the hall toward the elevators.

Denver rubbed his eyes, the bright lights in the hallway causing him to squint. “What happened to the guy she was with?”

A quiet moment passed until the elevator doors opened. Austin hit the button and looked at him gravely. “Thomas died. He didn’t have any family, but he’s done a good service for the Breed and his funeral expenses are paid for. Unlike Maizy, he wasn’t wearing a seat belt. They’re not sure what happened, only that the car veered off the road and hit a cluster of trees. From what I heard, all the windows were shattered and the car was tilted on two tires. It’s a good thing she didn’t break her neck, because she must have been whipped around good in there.”

Jesus, it was too much to visualize. Denver rubbed his face as if he could erase the mental images.

“I’d prefer if everyone went home for a few hours and shifted,” Austin said as the doors opened. They walked past two women and crossed the open room. “All that pent-up stress isn’t good for your wolf. If you run into anyone, spread the word. And tell them to turn on their phones. I tried to get ahold of Trevor when he left and he didn’t answer. I don’t see a need for anyone to go to work, but if that helps them cope with this, then fine. We’ve got enough going on up here.”

Denver glanced at the dark circles under Austin’s eyes. “Maybe you should take your own advice.”

“Yeah,” he said, arching his back as he stretched. “As soon as we talk with this new doctor, that’s the plan. Unless something changes. Lexi’s taking this hard.”

“What about Lynn?”

Austin shrugged. “I don’t know. She’s a stronger woman than I gave her credit for, and maybe that’s because she’s already lost a child. She’s holding it together, but I think she’s mentally preparing for the worst.”

“Why is Prince so involved?”

“If his men hadn’t been tailing them, Maizy might still be out there. I’d like to know what his men were doing behind them, but I’ve got too much on my plate right now.” They lingered by the main doors. “I owe Prince. For everything he’s doing for her now, I owe him. That’s not a position I like to be in, but it is what it is.”

That’s not a position Denver wanted the pack to be in either. Especially since he already knew Prince had an agenda.

He stepped outside and took a breath of clean air. The sun heated his face and arms. Somehow it felt real, and all the madness of what he’d endured in the past ten hours melted off his skin. It lifted and amplified the unpleasant smell of the hospital, and he wrinkled his nose.

Austin jingled the change in his pocket. “The body showed up again.”

Denver huffed out a laugh. “Now where?”

“Our front porch sitting in one of our chairs.”

“Ah, shit. The kids…”

They crossed a street and headed for some trees. “They’re fine. April dropped the kids off with Ivy to keep as long as we need.” He glanced up and squinted at the bright sky. “This time there was a note with the body.”

Denver paused beneath a tree and leaned against the trunk. “Let me guess. Return to rightful owner?”

“That about covers it. Said it’s the last time it’ll be returned. I don’t need anyone holding this shit over my head, so I have no choice.” He stared at the hospital building, stroking his bottom lip with his index finger. “I’m going to visit Aaron’s Packmaster and work it out. Maizy’s our priority right now, and I don’t have time to be hauling bodies around the city.” Austin tugged a leaf off the tree branch above and twirled it between his fingers.

“True that. Prince is the one returning to sender, just in case you’re interested.”

Austin’s crystal-blue eyes studied the leaf before he let it fall to the grass. “You sure about that?”

Denver had never been more sure of anything in his life. “He wants Maizy. He made a private claim on her.”

Austin’s biceps flexed when he took his hands out of his pockets. “He didn’t make that claim to me.”

“No, but he did to Maizy. He pointed out she’s human and doesn’t technically have to follow the same rules.”

Austin turned around, eyes alert and scoping out the street.

“I’m going to challenge him if he holds his favors against us,” Denver said.

Despite being outside, Denver felt the energy pulsing off Austin when he turned around and steamrolled him with his hardened gaze.

Austin pointed his finger. “We have enough going on right now. Don’t do anything stupid. I’ve got too many messes to clean up, and I’m running out of brooms.”

Denver shook his head with cool confidence. “Too late, Aus. I’ve made up my mind, and this is one thing you have no say in. If Prince wants her, he’s going to have to come through me. He can fly in all the surgeons he wants, but he’s not holding that shit over her. I don’t want her to feel obligated to pay our debts.”

“She’s not even conscious.”

Denver stepped forward, anger locked in a tight cage. “She
will
wake up, and when she does, I’m putting my claim on her.”

Austin’s jaw slid to the left and he rubbed the back of his neck. “Dammit,” he whispered. “You sure?”

“Never been more sure about anything in my life. The decision is still hers, but you need to know where I stand.”

Austin folded his arms and kicked at the grass. “Maybe you should just wait until she wakes up. Prince isn’t someone you mess with. If he doesn’t agree to a challenge, then you can’t provoke it. That could mean incarceration, at the very least.”

Denver widened his stance. “A challenge for claim isn’t to the death. The only thing he stands to lose is his pride.”

“I’ve subdued your wolf, and he’s not an animal who knows how to back down. Do you think you can keep him from tearing out Prince’s jugular? That’s dangerous ground, brother.”

“So is accepting every handout he gives you. Do you think we can’t afford to buy our own neuro-whatever? Quit accepting his help. Men like him don’t pass favors out for free. He’s holding Aaron over you, and this is going to get ugly if we don’t get our shit together.”

“Think I don’t know that? Running a pack is more than just brawn; it’s a tricky game of moving chess pieces around and making alliances.”

“Just giving you a heads-up. I’m not asking your permission to challenge him, but I need to know you’ll have my back if it comes to that.”

Austin gripped the back of Denver’s neck. “If you had sprung this revelation on me two days ago, I would have had a problem with it. I’ve always looked at Maizy like a daughter, and I can’t say I blame any man for falling in love with her. But you and I need to have a private talk later. If you’re going to pursue Maizy, then there’s something I need to talk to you about. Now isn’t the time. We need to focus on keeping this pack together and getting her well.”

Just then, Austin received a text.

Denver’s heart galloped as he watched Austin check his phone. “What is it?”

“Lexi’s with the doc. He’s ordering another test. Damn, things are moving along. I need to haul that body off the property. William said if I didn’t make it back in the next few hours, he’d return it to the Packmaster himself.”

“I smell bullshit.” Denver snorted and kicked off his shoes. His feet were starting to toast in his sneakers; he’d always been a fan of flip-flops or just going barefoot. “I’ll drive back to the property and make sure Will doesn’t shirk his duties. He’s going to clean up his own mess, so don’t worry about it.” He ran his fingers through his messy hair. “Besides, I need to shift for a while and run off some energy. Call me if anything changes. I don’t care what it is; I want to know about it.”

“What do you want me to tell the pack? I mean, have you
talked
to Maizy about…” Austin shook his head. “And she’s not even conscious.”

Denver reached down and picked up his shoes. “No need to get on a bullhorn and make a speech, but if anyone asks, tell them I’m her watchdog for life.”

***

By the time Denver made it home, William had moved the body into the trunk of his car—this time wrapped in a bag to contain the smell. Wheeler had hitched a ride home with Denver so he could watch the property while William and Denver returned the body to its rightful owner.

In the meantime, Denver’s wolf wanted out. If Denver kept him caged any longer, he might impulsively shift in the hospital and traumatize a few nurses. Stress and anger triggered that in his wolf, especially when it came to Maizy. Denver had to put his head down when the nurses had come in to draw blood. He knew they were helping, but that fierce protective instinct made it impossible to watch anyone prod her and poke her with needles.

The afternoon sun shone bright—not a cloud in the sky. It wasn’t the dark hue of blue that summer often brings, but washed-out and lackluster. Denver shifted into his wolf, which resembled a grey-and-white Alaskan sled dog. He had a thick pelt and a keen nose. Not exactly the fiercest-looking animal, but that had often worked to his advantage.

Denver savored the world through his wolf’s eyes. The layers of scents floating on the air, the cool grass beneath his paws, the sharp sound of birds chirping, and leaves rustling within the woods beneath the tread of an animal’s feet.

“Mustn’t wander far,” William yelled from the porch. “If Austin calls, I don’t want to hunt you down.” Denver had just entered his shift and still understood William’s words, so he communicated the message to his wolf.

Denver barked once and ran as hard as his legs would allow. Damn, it felt good to just
run
. A rabbit caught his eye and his wolf came to a halt, tongue hanging out as he panted heavy breaths. Naya’s cat had once gotten out just as Denver shifted, and while he was concerned Spartacus might end up as an offering at the foot of the door that evening, his wolf had left him alone. Wolves had a strong sense of family. That cat, on the other hand, hadn’t been as confident. Wheeler had to climb a tree to get him down.

After a minute or two, Denver succumbed to his wolf so he could mentally sleep. Because they were two spirits inhabiting the same space, it was daunting to have both minds operating at once. How the alphas did it was beyond him. Wolves were primal creatures, whereas the human side of a Shifter relied on logic and reason. Too much inner conflict and the wolf might grow resentful of the human, becoming more aggressive. There had to be harmony between both halves, and respect.

Denver’s wolf sensed his distress—after all, they were two spirits inhabiting the same body, linked by emotions. The world blurred around him the faster his wolf ran, and Denver slipped into a peaceful sleep.

Hours later, Denver woke up from his shift in the back of William’s BMW. It smelled like death, and the stereo was playing “Bad Moon Rising” by CCR.

“You have a twisted sense of humor,” Denver grumbled.

William flung a pile of clothes at him. “Let’s get this over with. You were out for a long time, and now we’re running late. Reno’s coming by to switch out with Wheeler and guard the property tonight. I’m guessing one of us will have tomorrow’s shift.”

Denver sniffed his armpit. “I need a shower.”

William glanced at him in the rearview mirror, black sunglasses shielding his eyes. “Indeed.”

Denver sat up and put on his pants. “How did you get my wolf in here?”

“He’s an inquisitive chap. Apparently the smell of a rotting corpse piqued his curiosity.”

God… Denver felt miles better. He rubbed the last bit of exhaustion off his face and cracked his neck. “Did you bring me any shoes?”