Page 38 of Guarded By Death

"I'm going to fucking kill him." His tone is full of venom. He lifts me from the bed as I try to hold back the wince from the pain that courses through my body as we head down the stairs.

"Liv," I protest, and he shakes his head.

"Let her sleep, I'll text her soon," he whispers as he opens the front door quietly, turning to lock it behind him. At some point I pass out in his Jeep, all I can hear are his muffled cries of my name as blackness overtakes me, yet again.

Twenty-two

Fluorescents

The persistent tick of machines beeping and a nagging sharp pain in my arm clouds my thoughts as my mind begins to stir. The sound of Zack yelling makes my heavy eyes shoot open. It takes a moment to adjust to the bright fluorescent light overhead.

My gaze pans to a sharp, shiny needle that’s embedded in my skin. Another voice -velvet and deep and angry- floats through my clouded ears. A dark, beautiful tone that makes my dead heart flutter back to life.

Pierce stands firm with tattooed arms across his chest glaring down at Zack. What is happening?

"You weren't there! I was," Zack screams at Pierce with a prideful grin plastered on his face.

Pierce rolls his eyes, speaking back in a calm but stern voice. "She needs me. Infinitely more than she'll ever need you." So smug, so arrogant, so correct.

Now it's Zack’s turn to laugh, apparently. "She doesn't need you! Did you see her back? Did you do that to her?" he spits.

Pierce's smooth demeanor falters as he bows his head. "What? No, it was an accident- I-"

Zack cuts him off. "I didn't leave her; I comforted her last night. If I wouldn't have been in bed with her when she woke up, she could have died!" he roars, throwing his hands in the air.

The muscles in Pierce's jaw twitch. "You were in bed with her?" he fumes, taking a threatening step towards Zack. "If you touched her," Pierce brings a hand to Zacks's throat, "if you even thought about touching her I will destroy you." He sneers.

I can’t bear to witness another smidge of violence. I attempt to muster up a sentence but all I can get out is a low whimper which makes both of their heads turn to me.

I look into Pierce's smoldering jade eyes, flecked with a smoky swirl of black, and watch as relief floods through them, turning them back to his normal glimmering emerald.

He runs to my side, his height towers over the small bed so he gets on his knees to be level with my face. Zack chimes in behind him. "Do you want me to make him leave?” he asks me, his voice is filled with irritation.

Pierce answers for me. "Thank you for taking care of her, but please go." He tries to sound sincere, but I hear the venom in his voice.

Zack ignores him, "I'm not leaving him alone with you," he states in a threatening tone and Pierce stands up and makes his way back to Zack.

Pierce narrows his eyes at him, "You will," he tells him. Zack nods once before he exits the room quietly.What was that?

Pierce walks back to me and sits on the edge of the hospital bed. "Baby, why do you look so sick? Earlier-" His eyes soften as he trails off and reaches his hand out for me, I look at it, feeling betrayed. Where has he been? I've wanted nothing more than for him to be next to me since he left. But he did leave, he left me, alone.

I flinch at his touch and he inhales a sharp intake of breath like I physically hurt him. It makes me laugh.

He raises a brow at me, not finding any of this humorous. "Why are you laughing?"

I throw my arms up a little and feel the sting of the needle inside my arm. "Because you act as if you care. Just so you know I haven't stopped throwing up since youleftme." I emphasize the last few words.

He reaches to my face and opens his mouth to speak but I stop him, no matter how bad the urge I have to feel his touch, he hurt me. "You broke me, Pierce, and Liv took care of me. She was there for me, and Zack... he picked up the pie-"

He cuts me off with a haunted look. "Please, please don't," he pleads in a defeated tone. I can't be mad at him for long, he looks so desperately lost. "I can't think of anyone else comforting you. I can’t, and I won’t. I know that may make me selfish, but God, I can’t help it when I look at you." His head drops into his hands.

I reach for his soft hair and sink my fingers through the thick dark strands to comfort him. My heart flutters when his hand softly slides around my wrist, and just like that, all is forgiven.

"I missed you," I say to him and feel his body shake under my touch as he swiftly clasps my face in his large hands.

"I missed you, too, so much," he replies with a smile that melts the block of ice that was my heart.

The door creaks and Pierce quickly jumps up to protectively stand in front of me, he relaxes when the doctor walks in. He looks over at Pierce and then back at me "Miss, I can only talk to you or your family members," he says and I sigh.