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Chapter Fifteen

Adelaide

I coughed, pain gripping my chest as I came awake. I ripped my eyes open, squinting them against the bright light in the hospital room. Tristan was passed out in the chair next to my hospital bed, his hand wrapped loosely around my own with his head resting on the bed. Jesup was passed out in another chair on the other side of my room, the hood of his black jacket thrown up over his head, soft snores sounding from his lips.

Both of the men were covered in soot, and they looked exhausted as hell. I pulled the oxygen tubes from my nose and winced at the beeping sound that instantly filled the room, jerking both men from their sleep.

Tristan snapped his head over to look at me, a relieved smile stretching his lips as his eyes landed on my open, tired eyes. God, he looked like he’d been through hell and back.

“You’re awake,” he breathed.

A nurse burst into my room before I could nod my head at him, and she blew out a relieved breath when she realized that I was awake. “Good to see you’re awake, Miss Berkeley. I’ll let your doctor know.” She turned off the machine that was beeping before she strode back out of the room in search of my doctor.

“How are you feeling?” Tristan softly asked me as he gently ran his thumb over my cheek.

“Tired,” I admitted a bit hoarsely, leaning my face into his hand as I closed my eyes again. “What happened?”

“You passed out. Smoke poisoning,” Tristan informed me. I grunted. That would explain why my chest and throat hurt so damn bad. “I tried to get to you, but I couldn’t.” He sounded guilty as fuck. I looked up at him. He swallowed thickly. “The firefighter got to you just in time.”

I sighed softly. “It was Vin,” I told him quietly. “It had to be. No one else makes sense.”

His hand tensed on my cheek, and I slowly opened my eyes to look up at him. His eyes were blazing with fury, and his jaw was clenched tightly. “How do you know?” he asked, his voice quiet but terse.

“I got a text right before the place exploded. It said, ‘time’s ticking, gorgeous’. Besides Jessie, Vin is the only one to call me gorgeous, and he only does it when he’s threatening and belittling me.”

“Fucking hell,” Tristan cursed right before someone knocked on the door, most likely my doctor. “Come in!” Tristan called, stepping back from me as a doctor stepped into the room.

The doctor gave me a warm smile as he moved over to my bed. “How are you feeling, Adelaide?” he asked me.

I shrugged. “Kind of burns when I breathe, and I’m still really tired.” I hated how hoarse my voice sounded.

He nodded. “That’s to be expected. I want to keep you here tonight to observe you since you are pregnant, and we’ll see how everything looks tomorrow.” I sighed. I hated hospitals. “I did an ultrasound while you were out with your husband’s consent.” I shot a dark look at Tristan, but he just evenly met my gaze. Sighing, I looked back at the doctor expectantly. “The baby seems fine as of right now, but if you begin to notice anything that seems even the tiniest bit abnormal, hit the button for the nurse.”

I nodded in understanding. He smiled. “Let us know if you need anything.” Then he was slipping from the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Tristan turned to Jesup. “Call River and Tank. I want them stationed outside of this hospital room door. No one gets in this room besides you and me, the doctor, and her nurse on duty.” Jesup nodded, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Tell Dray and Wren that I want them on surveillance around this hospital, and one of them is to keep an eye on this hospital room window at all times. I’m not taking any more fucking chances. Not a goddamn soul comes near her without first being approved by one of the club men.”

“Got it,” Jesup told him, pulling his phone to his ear.

I looked up at Tristan. He looked exhausted and stressed, but under all of that, I saw how worried he was that he wouldn’t be able to properly protect me from Vin. I grabbed his hand in mine and tugged him closer to the bed. “Lay with me,” I quietly requested, giving him a small smile.

It was dangerous as fuck to want to be close with him like this, but I needed his comfort. Too much shit was happening back-to-back lately, and my rock was gone. Tristan was now all I had to keep me from spiraling.

With a soft sigh, he kicked his boots off and laid on the bed beside me, pulling me into his arms without a single complaint. I sighed softly in contentment, nuzzling closer to him as I began to drift off into peaceful oblivion again.

My mind slid to Joey, and I frowned for a moment.

Somehow, Joey, I know you’re looking over me.

He always had. Somehow, someway, Joey always found some way to protect me.

I just wished he was physically with me.

I wanted him— just him. I covered my belly with my hand, tears threatening to fall from my eyes.

Joey, baby, why?