Page 69 of Devoured By You
Nolen and Kadon traded a glance. Mom tightened her hold on Dad’s hand. Aspen suddenly found the floor far more interesting. Marlowe’s smile remained in place as if she were frozen.
Everything in my chest shifted. I looked at Jill. “Tell me.”
She transferred her gaze to the doctor.
“No. Don’t look at him. Whatever the fuck is going on, I want you to tell me.”
“Blay, please. The doctor can explain it better than I can.”
Fuck. This was not good. Not good at all. Prickles raced over my skin, and my pulse skittered. I snapped my eyes to the doctor.
“No bullshit. Give it to me straight.”
The doctor nodded. “The bullet went right through your shoulder, but it didn’t hit any bone. You’ve got a fair amount of soft-tissue damage, but it’ll heal in time.”
“And my leg?”
His lips thinned, and he stood up a bit straighter. “Despite the tourniquet your brother applied, when we got you into surgery, we couldn’t stop the bleeding. Added to that the catastrophic damage to your tibia and fibula, I’m afraid it left us with only one choice.”
“Which was?” Christ, it’s like twenty fucking questions.
“We had to amputate your right leg, below the knee.”
“Right.” I waited for panic to hit me. It never came. “So what happens now?”
Mom’s eyes flitted between me and Dad and back to me. “Blaize, did you hear what the doctor said?”
God bless Mom. She clearly thought because I wasn’t throwing things and screaming bloody murder that I hadn’t absorbed what he’d said. I’d absorbed it fine. I only had one leg. But I was here. Alive. Ready to fight on. Ready to save my fucking business from total collapse. It was just a leg. I could afford the best prosthetic money could buy.
“Yeah.” I reached out for her hand, squeezing it. “I heard. It’s fine, Mom.”
“We can arrange for you to talk to a therapist,” the doctor said. “What’s happened to you is life changing. In my experience—”
“No need for a therapist,” I snapped. “I’m perfectly fine.”
“Blaize.” A round tear clung to Mom’s lower lashes, then dripped down her cheek. “Think about it.”
“Aww, Mom. Don’t cry. I don’t need to spill my guts to a therapist. I’m alive. That’s all that matters, right? Could have been far worse.”
Aspen traded looks with Nolen. Kadon scrutinized me with narrowed eyes. I turned to Jill, who gnawed on her lower lip. “I’m not in shock. I’m completely coherent.”
“It’s a lot to take in.” Jill touched my undamaged shoulder.
“I know. But I’m okay. Sure, I’ll have to adjust, and it’ll be fucking hard, but if they hadn’t taken the leg, I’d be dead. Better alive with three limbs than dead with four.”
My family all looked at one another as if I were ready for my padded cell.
“Guys, stop. I’m not faking it. I can buy a fucking new leg.”
“Oh, Blaize.” Mom’s tears came faster now, one after another tripping down her face and spilling onto the hospital bedsheets. I ran my thumb over her hand, my intent to reassure. All that did was make her cry harder.
“Dad, why don’t you take Mom outside for a bit of fresh air? In fact, why don’t you all go?” I clasped Jill’s wrist. “You stay. And Nolen. I want to know what happened.”
“Okay, son.” Dad moved forward and kissed my cheek. “Don’t worry about the business. I’m taking care of everything.”
My chest collapsed. Having Dad swoop in and clean up the mess I’d made was ten times worse than losing a leg. I’d rather lose both legs and keep my father’s faith in me. I painted on a smile, even as my insides shriveled. I’d let Dad down, I’d let the Kingcaid name down, I’d let myself down. A man had gotten on my ship with a firearm. Was I the only one who’d been injured? Had he shot Scarlett after me? What about her assistant lying on the ground? Was she dead?
“Thanks, Dad. You’re the best.”