Love Renewed (Entwined Hearts #3) (28 page)

“Goodnight Dex,” I tell him pulling my arm from around his neck, as I do I allow the knife in my hand to slice his throat. Letting him drop his eyes find me as the life seeps out of him. I smile until his eyes hold nothing, then I turn and try to get Nova down. I look for a phone to call someone. Anyone. At this point, I’d call the police just to get Nova to the hospital, even though it mean’s I’d probably go to prison. I’m not sure that even Archer has enough stretch to keep me out of a cell when the evidence is such a bloodbath. I hear a noise and grab the knife sliding it into my jeans then grab the gun aiming it. My arm drops when Lewis comes around the corner.

“Fuck dude,” he says then flips his phone open. As he mumbles into the mouthpiece I step up on the trolley Nova is still attached to and release her. She drops into my good arm. I lower us both down to the floor and lean against the wall, knowing Lewis has help coming. I cradle her in my arm, softly kissing her forehead. I look over her beautiful face. Now broken and tarnished.

“Nova, I know you can hear me. Help is coming, baby. Please don’t give up. If you give up, I give up. It’s that simple. You’re my air. My life. You need to fight. For you, for me, for us baby. For us. You’re like the rays of light that break through me. My survival depends on you. I love you, Nova. My supernova. I want to marry you, baby. Please don’t give up…Please.”

The air is saturated with fear, so much so that I can hardly breathe. I gasp and fight for every breath I swallow. I see Dane looking at me, but I can’t reach him. “You’re my air. I need you to exist,” he whispers. I can’t understand how I’m able to hear him when he’s over the other side of the room. I watch as a dark figure approaches him from behind. Opening my mouth, the scream I need to warn him is stuck in my throat. I can hardly breathe, so speaking isn’t even a possibility. All I can do is look on as the figure steps behind him and slits his throat. Dane drops lifeless to the floor and Ryan’s face appears. The trademark smirk locked in place. “Now he’s gone, there’s nobody in our way,
Nova.”
His laugh bounces off the walls.

I gasp and choke opening my eyes. My heart pounds against my ribcage and I blink rapidly as I look around, trying to calm myself down. The walls are grey and there’s a beeping next to me. I’m in the hospital. My body relaxes knowing I’m here, but then picks up again when I think about Dane.

Is he alive?

Like my plea is answered his voice surrounds me, I try to move my head, but it’s so painful I stop after the third time. I’m scared that his voice is a remnant of my nightmare. Then I hear another voice.

I must be dreaming.

Lewis. He wouldn’t be here, but why would he be in my dream?

“Dane, there’s a reason you’re sitting in a wheelchair.”

“Yeah, because the doctors are fucking idiots. I told them I can walk.”

“True. But they don’t play our game, they don’t understand the rules. Don’t realise that when we’re brought low, we get right back up. That the pain teaches us more than any training ever could.”

“I know they’re doing their job, Lewis. I just want to be able to walk to the bathroom to take a piss without being shouted at. I don’t even know why Archer brought us to a hospital rather than one of the private medical centres we usually attend.”

“I think it was just time. He didn’t know how bad either of you were. He just wanted you fixed. Don’t worry he’s dealt with the cops.”

“Police.”

“What?”

“You’re in London now, it’s police.”

“Is there a difference?”

“Yeah, ours don’t carry guns.” I can almost hear the smirk in Dane’s response, but still can’t work out whether this is real or not. It feels too unbelievable to be real.

“Well, Ryan’s still out there.” At that moment my body locks up, Lewis’s words start ricocheting around my empty head. I heard what was said, but I can’t quite work out what that means. It’s like everything was voiced in Swahili and now my brain can’t process it.

“I’m going to kill that fucker,” Dane slams his words out.

“Easy, down boy. Unless you want the whole of this floor to hear you.” Lewis chuckles.

“Not funny Lewis,” Dane snaps.

Lewis’s tone changes. “No, it fucking isn’t. I’m glad she’s got you, because if she didn’t I’d be hunting him down right now. That offer still stands. You nod, I’m gone. In the wind, and I’ll find him. It’s what I do.”

“No. He’s mine. Anyway, it’s not what you do anymore.”

“True. But I will if I need to. And you never forget how,” Lewis replies.

“I know. Appreciate it. But no. I need to end this.”

“I understand. Now, are you going into her room? You want me to help you with your chair old man?” Lewis’s tone is back to normal.

“Fuck you, shithead,” Dane replies but I can also hear the humour implied.

My door rattles and he appears through it, like a vision in a hospital gown. Even in the attire and my fragile state he makes my mouth water.

“You’re awake?” he stammers and I realise this isn’t a dream. Everything I just heard was real. Everything I saw when I was at the factory was true. I watched him beat a man to death. Yet, I’m not afraid of him. The only thing I’m scared of is him leaving me. That’s hurt that I wouldn’t be able to absorb. Not again.

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. My throat feels scratchy and my head throbs.

“Don’t try to speak baby.” You’ve been out for a couple of days now. You probably need some water, you were pretty hurt Nova.” I watch as his teeth grind and the muscle in his cheek jumps.

My brave man.

My protector.

My life.

Wheeling himself backward he pulls the door and whistles through his teeth. It’s ear-splittingly loud. “Can someone get my woman a glass of water? She’s awake in here, so we need a doctor too,” he shouts and I cringe, hoping that the hospital staff aren’t annoyed and that the other patients haven’t been disturbed. He wheels back over to me and smiles. “Don’t give me that look, I’m not going out of this room and you need water and a Doctor. They can fucking deal with me shouting. And stop rolling your eyes,” he tells me off, but I can hear the softness in his voice, the love. The love that’s all for me.

The doctor comes in bringing a pretty nurse with him. She fusses around giving me a glass of cool water while he checks me over. I drink about half the glass before the doctor interrupts me by gently pulling it away.

“Sips Miss Burchall. Please, it’s better for you.”

I nod and test my voice. “Th…Thank you, doctor,” I reply and Dane’s smile lights up the room.

“Okay Miss Burchall, you’re doing really well. You have no injuries to the brain. We have given you a CT scan and there’s no swelling or bleeding. You’ve actually woken up a couple of times since you came in.”

“She has?” Dane snaps. “Nobody told me,” he complains and I smile.

“Sorry, Mr. Matthews but you shouldn’t even be in here now. We had this discussion only this morning. You should be in bed recovering,” he tells Dane, sympathy in his voice.

“Yeah, well, you got me to keep the sling on, stay in this wheelchair and wear this shitty gown, you should be holding a fucking parade,” Dane moans and I laugh, I can’t help it, but it hurts though. A lot.

“Oh sugar,” I say holding my stomach.

“Really Miss Burchall, you need your rest.” He tuts and looks back to Dane, who’s frowning at me, the little v in between his eyebrows is so cute that I can’t stop smiling even as he gives me an irritated look.

“No, really, I’m okay, thank you, doctor.” I look up at him. “Please don’t take Dane away,” I whisper and his face softens as he smiles, patting my hand, then nodding as he walks out.

Dane wheels back next to me. “You’re a pain in my arse, Nova.” That statement warms me from my head to my toes. He used to say that to me all the time when we were kids.

“No, I’m not…I’m a fucking delight,” I tell him and watch as his whole face lights up with warmth and recognition.

“You remember,” he says.

“Of course, I told you I did.” He nods and grabs my hand leaning down and kissing the back of it.

“It’s like you’ve just given me the best Christmas present ever.”

I gaze down at the top of his head. “Perfect, because you’re a pain to buy for,” I tell him with a giggle.

“Oh, and what was that with the doctor?” he asks looking back up at me.

“What?” I’m genuinely confused by his question.

“Oh, Sugar?...Are you twelve?” His lips twitch as I slap his good arm.

“Shut up big guy.” I give him what I think is a snarky look and try not to smile.

My thoughts turn serious and I know at some point we’re going to have at least three separate serious conversations, but for right now I want to know what he knows about our injuries, then I need to find out about Ryan…and Lewis. “So what happened when we come in? You were beat up so bad, I was so scared Dane.” I can hear the worry in my own voice and fear twists my stomach, so I’m not surprised to see anger spreading across Dane’s features.

“I had a bullet in each thigh, the doctor removed them and as the wounds didn’t damage anything they just cleaned it up and bandaged me.”

“What! You didn’t have stitches?” I ask surprised.

“No, they just put some cream shit on it twice a day and re-bandage me. I’ve got stitches for the slash in my side, though if that makes you happy?” He chuckles.

“You were stabbed, big guy, hardly something to laugh about.”

“No, it was just a slash, it’s superficial. A lot of blood but thankfully no real damage. It was the dislocated shoulder that killed, but they popped it back in and checked me with x-rays. Fuck, I’ve had more doctors and nurses around me in the last two days than I ever have. It’s pissing me off.”

I smile at him. “Have these doctors and nurses been female by any chance?”

He looks at me and raises his eyebrows quizzically, he has no idea what I’m getting at. So I just giggle. “Anyway, it looks like you need to rest it if that sling is anything to go by, I tell him pointing at his arm.”

He looks down at it. “Oh yeah, this fucking gown, like the wheelchair, is something else they insist I have while I’m here. It’s driving me fucking crazy.”

I let my eyes roam over him. He’s still every bit as sexy as he was. Even with the bruises and stitches which seem to cover a fair bit of his face. He’ll probably be even sexier when the stitches come out above his eye and he has a small scar.

“Scars are hot,” I blurt out then slap my hand over my mouth. The sudden movement hurts and I complain. “Ow!”

“You need to keep calm and still Nova. You took a beating.” He stops talking and I look at him. He’s holding the wheelchair with his good hand. His knuckles are white and I can see the muscles in his lower arm flex and strain. Pursing his lips Dane’s eyes turn steely. I allow him the moment to calm down. Then he continues, “You have mainly bruises and scrapes. Your stomach is pretty bad. At least that’s what the doctor told me. Obviously, I haven’t seen myself.” I stare down at my tummy, suddenly dreading looking at it. Then I gently feel around my face, I’m also dreading looking in the mirror. “Your face is pretty bad too Nova. Luckily they didn’t do any permanent damage, but you do have two broken ribs and they knocked a tooth out, that’s scheduled to be fixed next week.”

“My arm?” I suddenly remember a gun going off then a burning sensation in my arm.

“You’re okay, that was just a graze. Thank fuck.”

“Why did I pass out?”

“They say it was a concussion. Did you get hit in the head?” he asks.

“A few times,” I mumble and look down. I know Dane’s not happy as I hear him growl. So I look back to him and realise that he’s barely holding it together.

“You arrived at Pea’s with a bruise?” he says.

“Yeah,” I answer staring at my toes.

“Who?” he demands.

I wait for a moment then decide to tell him. “Davy.”

He says nothing just works his jaw silently. Then he sighs rubbing his face and hanging his head. Five minutes of silence later, I’m about to ask him what’s going on, when he starts speaking again.

“I don’t know who was looking over you, but I thank them every fucking time I think about it, every time I close my eyes and see your face, as you laid motionless in my arms. I wouldn’t have coped Nova, not finding you again only to lose you. I was holding on by a thread baby. I still am,” he tells me. I can hear the undiluted anguish in his voice.

“I know Dane, I know,” I reply, holding his hand tighter. “I hate to bring this up, but I’m sorry about Jenson. He protected me and they—”