Page 183 of Between Secrets and Obsession

“I have some questions first.” I hear a familiar voice, turning to see Blake and his partner walking toward me. Of fucking course.

Narrowing my eyes at the asshole, I grunt. “I don’t have time for this right now.”

I follow behind Maddie as they load her inside, adding an oxygen mask to her face and wrapping a blood pressure cuff around her arm.

“We need your statements and to write up a report considering your car exploded,” Blake says sternly. “You think you’re getting out of this that easy?” He steps closer, lowering his voice so no one else hears. “I know this shit is your fault.”

I flex my jaw. “Still pissed you didn’t get that second date, huh? Go fuck yourself,” I whisper-hiss loud before stepping into the ambulance.

The EMTs look at me.

“I’m riding with her,” I demand before the back doors close, and they drive off.

I take Maddie’s hand and rub my thumb across her knuckles, hoping she can feel me comforting her. I grit my teeth thinking about what happened. One button is all I pushed, and a goddamn bomb went off. The vehicle has keyless-go too, so as long as my keys are on me, all I have to do is touch the handle and it unlocks. So whoever did it probably hoped I’d be next to the vehicle when it exploded so that I’d blow up with it. Two days ago, I moved the G-Wagon into the street to get to my truck and left it there since I don’t drive it anymore, so this had to be planted between then and now.

What the actual fuck? None of it makes sense.

Someone was watching me and planned this recently.

I’ve sent some bad guys back to prison over the last year, ones that weren’t happy I caught them, but this has Victoria’s name written all over it. However, she bought the G-Wagon and when our deal ended, she wanted it back. If it was her, I don’t understand her motives, but then again, I never have, not until it’s too late. Unless her plan was to kill me and get the ultimate revenge so I couldn’t use those pictures against her ever again.

We finalized the divorce last weekend, and she seemed fine in court that it was over. It’s not like we ever loved each other. She said she’d pick it up when she could. So if it wasn’t her, I’m gonna have to explain what the hell happened, and at this point, I have no idea.

My mind goes crazy with theories, but I need to focus on Maddie right now.

I whisper in Maddie’s ear, telling her everything is going to be okay and that I love her. Nothing will ever make me leave her, not even Blake and his insinuations. Her being unconscious and her having the possibility of internal bleeding from the hit concerns me the most. The piece that smacked her flew over so fast, there was no way she could’ve seen it in time to move out of the way.

The ambulance pulls into the lot of the emergency room. They unload the stretcher, but I don’t let her out of my sight as they rush Maddie inside and take her into a room.

One of the EMTs gives the nurses a brief summary of what happened and her injuries. I watch in panic as chaos ensues, a nurse hooks her up to an IV of fluids and another inspects the wound on her head. They talk to each other, listing what tests need to be done, and what they’re looking for.

“Her O2 is a little low,” a female nurse says.

“What? Why?”

“It’s not uncommon, especially if she inhaled any smoke.” She gives me a soft smile. “This should help.” She increases the oxygen levels.

I can’t inhale deep enough to fill my lungs so I’m nearly gasping for air. Maddie lays on the bed, looking so fragile and battered, and I’m helpless to do anything. All I can do is hold her hand and beg her to wake up.

“Wow, this one is deep,” one of the nurses says as she inspects her head wound.

“Is she gonna be okay?” I ask nervously.

She glances at me. “Are you her husband?”

“I’m her boyfriend and was with her when this happened,” I explain, looking down at my shirt, noticing blood on it. Maddie’s blood.

All this time, I’ve been worried about her getting hurt being around me. But I never imagined something like this could happen.

Once the wound is cleaned, a male doctor enters and introduces himself to me, then he looks at her cut. The doctor explains sutures will help avoid infections and to stop the bleeding. Afterward they’ll take her for a CT scan to check for any fractures or internal bleeding. All I can think about is how confused she’s going to be about all of this. She’ll have a lot of questions, but unfortunately, I don’t have many answers.

Whoever did this will fucking pay, it’s the last thought that comes into my mind as my phone buzzes with a group text message from Lennon, Sophie, Hunter, and Mason.

Sophie

We’re all on our way there right now.

Lennon