Page 119 of Crave Me

CHAPTER 28

Evan

“He’s waking up,” a familiar voice calls. It’s Clifton, I think. Anne follows, albeit more stunned, her tone bordering on hysterical.

“He can’t be—Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.”

“Fuck, he looks like shit.”

Oh, and look, Finn’s here as well.

I blink my heavy eyes open, though they fall closed more than once.

Clifton is at my side with Anne directly behind him, her hands clapped over her mouth.

Finn stands at the foot of the bed, eating what I imagine is hospital food. “Hey, Evan. How you feeling?” he asks through a large mouthful. He glances down at the spaghetti rolled up on his fork. “You don’t mind me eating this, do you? You’ve been sleeping a lot lately and it’s a sin to waste food, you feel me?”

I open my mouth, my throat feeling absurdly dry. I try to force myself up, only for a wretched burn to rip through my chest and threaten to tear it open. The plate smashes against the roll up table when Finn drops it and hurries to my side, opposite Clifton, each taking an arm and keeping me from falling back.

“Anne, get the nurse,” Clifton urges.

“Where’s Wren?” I manage.

I glance up at Finn when no one answers. “Where isshe?” I ask, my stomach plunging.

“She’s in ICU,” Finn replies. “She’s okay. Stable, but she lost a lot of blood. Even more than you.” He huffs. “And you got shot in the chest.”

“I was shot,” I reply, slowly, the pieces of the night beginning to take form.

Wren put herself in harm’s way to shield me. She felt lifeless as I lowered her to the ground. Initially, I was stunned, unable to move as was Bryant who meant the bullet for me.

I recovered first, springing to my feet and charging. Adrenaline is a gift, I never knew until the sting of the bullet struck my chest and I kept going, tackling him.

The impact caused him to lose the gun. I tried to kick it away, but my rage demanded his pain. My fists became weapons, only he was armed with them, too. We fought until he stopped moving from the blows I inflicted to his face and skull.

“You fucked up Bryant pretty damn bad,” Finn says. “He’s at the ICU across town.” His features morph to granite. “My only gripe is he’s still alive.”

Perhaps I should care one way or the other. I don’t. “I want to see Wren.”

“Mr. Jonah, you’re awake.” A nurse well into her prime hurries in, trailed by Anne and what seems to be an assistant. “I’m Amy, this is Traci. We’re taking care of you today. Get water for him, will you, Traci?”

“I need to check you,” Amy says, reaching for the buttons on the rails. “Let’s have your friends step out.”

“They may stay,” I mumble, coughing from how dry my throat feels. “Speak freely, I trust them.”

“If it’s okay with you, it’s okay with us.”

The assistant pours water as the nurse raises the back of the bed so I may sit upright. Finn and Clifton edge away, allowing the medical staff to perform their duties. I down the water, passing Anne the empty cup. She clutches it against her, her gaze shifting from side to side, appearing to want to help.

The assistant takes my blood pressure while the nurse listens to my chest. I motion to the IV in my hand. “May I get this out? I’d like to see my wife.”

“One thing at a time, Mr. Jonah,” the nurse responds, her full attention on the bandages on my chest. “Your labs look good, but I need to make sure the rest of you is just as healthy.”

I don’t hear what follows, too fixated on the way Finn arches his brow. “Wife?” he asks.

I didn’t realize what I said until he reminds me. “It’s who she is to me,” I answer truthfully.

A small smile creeps across his face. “Then maybe you should ask her.” He chuckles. “You’ve had my blessing since you made me bacon.”