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“Why?” Reaper asks.

“Because there’s something I need to do before I see her.”

I keep my plan a secret because I don’t want any of them to try to talk me out of it. It’s kind of crazy, but that’s how she makes me feel. She dredged up every emotion I tried to suppress and made me feel it all. For that, I’ll be forever grateful. But in return, I need to do something to show her that I’m fully committed now. I want her to be my old lady forever.

Chapter 25: Julia

Icrack one eye open and find myself in a dark room. The incessant beep of machines combined with the acrid scent of cleaning solutions reminds me of a hospital. Am I in one? What am I doing here? I struggle to sit, but the effort is too much. My eyes close, and I sink back into the bed. The temptation to surrender to the darkness is so strong it’s almost impossible to ignore, but I can’t let go until I figure out what happened to me.

In an instant, it all comes flooding back. The sheriff beating me and demanding to see his son. Gunshots. Pain. The sheriff falling—dying. The last thing I remember is the anguish on Scar’s face. He saved my life, but he’s not here. Where is he?

“Scar?”

I’m alone in the room. I try to sit, but exhaustion drags me back into a restless slumber. Nightmares plague me. Images of faceless monsters chase me through my dreams. Scar’s trying to fight them, but they’re winning. He’s never stopped battling them, and he never will. In one horrifying instance, a demonic creature sinks its claws into Scar’s chest and rips him apart.

I wake up screaming. A nurse rushes into the room.

“Julia, it’s okay. You’re safe now. You’re in a hospital. My name’s Jasmine. I’m your nurse. Are you in pain? I can adjust your pain meds if you need more.” Her soft, melodic voice soothes my fear.

I want to ask her why Scar isn’t by my side, but I’m too afraid to hear the truth. If he really loves me, he’d be here. But he’s not. I should have known our love didn’t mean enough to him. He’s too consumed by his need for vengeance to let love into his life. I tried to save him, but all I did was hurt myself. I rushed into our relationship with blinders on, and look at where it’s gotten me. Nowhere. I’m alone, and now that Max is safe, Scar doesn’t have any reason to be with me.

Tears fill my eyes. I turn away before the nurse can see them. “I’m fine.”

“I’ll call your parents and your fiancé to let them know you’re awake.”

“My fiancé?” What the heck is she talking about? Maybe I’m still dreaming.

“Scar. At least that’s the name he gave us. I’m guessing it’s a nickname?” She smiles before making notes on the computer hooked up to the various monitors.

“He said he’s my fiancé?”

“The night shift nurse didn’t believe him, but she didn’t want to argue with him because, in her words, ‘he was one scary motherfucker’.” She grins. “Based on her description of him, if he is your fiancé, you’re one lucky girl. But if he’s not, let me know so I can alert security. Based on what she told me, it will take three guys to take him down.”

“At least,” I mutter. “But I don’t think you have to worry about that. He’s not going to come. If he loved me, he wouldn’t have left me alone.”

“Some guys get freaked out by hospitals. Jasmine said he looked like he’d been in a fight, too, so maybe he just went home to rest. Regardless, I’ll try calling him unless you don’t want me to.”

I debate telling her not to call him but decide to let her do it. In a way, it’s a test. If he doesn’t come, then I’ll know he doesn’t actually care about me. I need to know where I stand, but I’m afraid to find out. I can’t lay here in silence without losing my mind with worry. When I spot the television on the wall, I turn and ask the nurse, “Can I watch TV?”

“Sure. You have a private room, so feel free to watch whatever you want. But remember to rest. You’re stable now, but you were in a medically induced coma. Your body still needs to heal. It’s going to take time. If you need anything, here’s the button for the nurses’ station.” She hands me a remote with a bright red button on it. “Press that if you need me. Otherwise, this also controls the TV.”

“Thank you.”

After she leaves, I turn it on and start flipping through channels. The usual suspects are all accounted for: home renovation shows, daytime soap operas, and several news channels. I’m clicking through, looking for anything that might capture my interest, when I spot the one face I hoped I’d never see again. Blackstone. That monster doesn’t deserve to live after what he did to Scar and his brothers.

I turn the volume up and listen to his speech. When I realize what he’s doing, shock sends the machines into a frenzy.

“He’s running for Governor of Montana?” I gasp.

Nurse Jasmine rushes into the room. “What happened? Are you feeling faint?”

“I was just watching the news,” I whisper.

“Maybe we should turn that off for now so you can get some sleep. Watching the news isn’t good for you, especially right now. It’s better to stay away from any extra stress until you’re completely healed.”

“Usually, I don’t watch the news. I was trying to find something, and Blackstone was there and—”

“Scumbag,” Jasmine mutters.