The nurses were looking on as if they were some kind of circus act.
“I don’t care who you are, Tate. No one touches my woman, no matter what. You’ll f**king apologize for that right now,” Lash said.
Tate glared at him, but Killer saw the real tears in her eyes. She turned toward Angel. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Please, forgive me. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”
“I know, honey.” Angel tugged on Lash’s arm. “All’s forgiven. Let her go.”
Slowly, Lash pulled away. “You forgive too easily,” he said. The tension eased slightly.
“I’m sorry, Killer. I have no right to blame you.” Tate took a deep breath, closing her eyes. “What the hell happened?” she asked, running fingers through her hair.
“Sandy mentioned some shit about her mood and how she’d want to put Kels under suicide watch. I tried to call her, but she wouldn’t answer. She slit her wrists.” Killer shook his head recalling the sight of her in red tinted water. He knew he’d never get that image from his mind. Fuck, he needed a drink or something to take his mind of what he just witnessed.
Instead, he walked over to the nurses’ station where he needed to fill in the necessary paperwork. Looking down at the list of questions and details, Killer suddenly realized he didn’t know a f**king thing about her. He never asked her any real questions about her life, but he hadn’t told her anything about himself either.
He took the forms to the waiting room where several people were sitting.
“I can’t do this,” Tate said. “She’s always seemed so strong and calm. I never for one second thought she was capable of killing herself. None of it makes any sense to me. Kelsey is not like this.”
Killer couldn’t say anything. “We need to get in touch with her husband,” he said.
“What?” Tate turned to glare at him. “Why would you get him involved? Kels wouldn’t like it. She hates him.”
Pressing the forms against her chest, Killer glared at her.
“Can you answer all these questions?” he asked. “I’ve not got a clue, and I bet that f**ker knows more about her than we do.”
Murphy, Angel, and Lash sat opposite them staring. Killer felt stripped to the core at knowing his woman was suffering. Fuck, what if she doesn’t make it. He didn’t know how he’d live with himself.
“No one knows how to get in touch with him,” Tate said.
Someone charged through the front door, and Killer recognized him immediately. “Speak of the f**king devil.” Getting to his feet he walked over to Kelsey’s husband, who was shouting at the nurses.
“I want to know where my f**king wife is, and I want to know now,” Michael said, slamming his palm against the counter. He looked angry and frustrated as he spoke.
“Sir, you’re going to have to take a seat.”
“No, I f**king won’t—”
“Kelsey is in surgery with a damn good doctor,” Killer said, speaking up over the commotion going on around them.
“What?” Michael turned to him. “What the f**k are you doing here?”
Tate stormed over. “He’s the one who found her.”
Michael looked from him to Tate. “Then why don’t you tell me what the hell is going on.”
“Why are you here?” Killer asked. He needed to stop thinking about Kelsey, pale and lying in the bath surrounded by red tinted water. He’d never stop thinking about her like that. What could have been so horrid to make her kill herself?
“I got a call from one of my men guarding her apartment building. He told me what happened and how you carried her out of there. I left my hotel room to get here as quickly as I could.” Michael glared at him.
“She doesn’t want you here.”
The rest of the hospital fell away as Killer glared at the man opposite him.
“No? Well I’m the one who pays her fees and make sure she’s well taken care of.” Michael snatched the papers from Killer’s hands. “These are all hers I assume?”
Gritting his teeth, Killer nodded, wishing he could wipe the smug smile off the bastard’s face. He saw the ring on Michael’s finger, taunting him with the prior claim he had over his woman.
Walking away from the man, Killer stood near the secure door wanting to meet Sandy the moment she came out of the room.
Fuck, Kels. You’ve got to live. I can’t live my life without you. I love you. Fucking please, don’t die.
****
Zero cleaned away the used bottles and crap from the night before. Most of the men were at the hospital trying to wait for news of Kelsey. He felt sorry for Killer. The man clearly loved her, and now he’d seen her at her most vulnerable.
The door to the clubhouse opened. Zero stopped to watch Sophia walk inside carrying her daughter on her hip. The more he saw her, the more he felt like he’d been hit in the gut by what he couldn’t have.
“Let’s clean this place up so Aunty Kelsey knows we all love and miss her,” Sophia said, talking babyish to her daughter.
He dropped the bottle making her cry out.
“Jesus Christ, Zero, you scared me to death.”
“Sorry,” he said, holding his hand up.
Her daughter started to fuss, and he watched her place the bag on the floor and rock her.
“I thought everyone was at the hospital or dealing with club business. Nash has gone to help his brother out. Angel won’t leave the hospital because of Tate. I heard a lot of stuff went down last night.”
Zero nodded, taking in the sight of her beauty.
“Yeah, Kelsey tried to commit suicide. I’ve not been called for an update, so I’m taking that as good news. Tiny and Eva are on their way back from Vegas.” Zero stayed out of the mess. When he got the call from Angel about what was happening, he chose to stay away from the drama. He had far too many problems of his own, including this woman before him.
“I couldn’t believe it when Nash told me this morning. Kelsey is so strong. I wonder what set her off,” Sophia said, placing her daughter in the crib set up in the corner.
Forcing himself to look away from her, Zero wondered if there would ever be a time when he didn’t have feelings for the young woman.
The only real meaning his life had was in trying to avoid this woman. Fuck, he didn’t know what he was thinking or feeling anymore. He loved the club, but seeing Sophia everyday was starting to hurt like a son of a bitch. She held such power over him, and from the way she smiled down at her daughter, she didn’t even have a clue.