Page 26 of Viper (The Dark Angel’s MC #4)

Lake

“Fuck it is good to have you back at work,” Callum mutters, and I raise a brow as he grumbles, “I got stuck with May.”

I laugh, not able to keep it in. May is a colleague who has had a major thing for the idiot after he had a one-night stand with her, thinking she was alright with it a few years ago, not realizing that every colleague she has slept with has gone a little cray-cray.

Now she’s basically stalking him, even following him to the supermarket on his days off.

If I’m not in, he gets paired with her after she demanded it.

Several times now, she’s tried to get our boss to swap us, but it never works, much to her dismay.

For years, she hated me, thinking I wanted Callum, even though he’s like a brother, but today, when I walked into the center, she hugged me before rubbing my stomach, clearly seeing I really don’t want him.

Crazy woman… Just because the guy screwed her doesn’t mean she can basically stalk the poor man.

God knows what he’s going to do when I go on maternity leave…

“The suit was dropped, wasn’t it?” Callum confirms as we drive up towards the traffic lights, and I look out of the window and admit, “Yeah, I forgot about that to be honest, not the little girl, though, that death will forever haunt me, but the suit, yeah, I forgot. She claimed she wanted to focus on her anger instead of her grief or something, but that isn’t the truth. ”

“What do you mean?” he asks with confusion, and I smile and reply, “Jaylen fixed it. Dad let it slip last night when he brought him up again, and we had a heart-to-heart over everything.”

“That man loves you more than life, Lake,” Callum says quietly and I hum and admit, “I’m beginning to see that and I’m beginning to realize we can work on our crap, we can make it and maybe, just maybe, I will make a good mama, especially with him by my side.”

“About fucking time,” Callum replies with relief, and I smile, shaking my head.

“Maybe I could sue May for sexual harassment,” he mutters, and I laugh before our radio makes a noise and Wendy’s voice echoes, “Crash at Carbone lights, a car ran through a red light and hit a motorcyclist, rider unconscious, receiving CPR at the crash site.”

Crap.

“This 8921, ETA one minute,” I reply on the receiver on my top as Callum puts the lights on for the two cars in front of us, gaining the lights, we were lucky to be approaching.

They move out of the way, and he speeds up before halting at the lights, and he gasps, “Oh shit… no,” looking at the scene and my heart stops, and fear hits me hard as my eyes widen, recognizing the bike instantly and the body sprawled out on the concrete.

I scream, “Jaylen!” with absolute terror before I jump out of the rig and sprint over to the few people near him, Fury giving him CPR while my dad stands behind him, his fingers linked behind his head, breathing heavily.

No, no, no…

This can’t be happening, please, I can’t.

“Lake, be careful you’re pregnant!” I hear Callum yell, but I ignore him, my attention on Jaylen lying on the concrete, blood pouring from his head, his left arm scraped up by the asphalt.

My dad looks my way with tears in his eyes as Fury snaps, “Come on, brother, don’t fucking do this!” before blowing breaths into his mouth.

A sob works up my throat, but I swallow it and skid near Fury before I quickly shove him out of the way and check his pulse.

“Lake?!” Fury demands, and I shake my head, the sob leaving my throat, and I quickly continue CPR and shout, “ Callum defibrillator now!”

I count my compressions, four, five, six, seven, while Callum sets up the defibrillator before I pinch Jaylen’s nose and cover his mouth with mine, blowing air into it before continuing my compressions.

“Please don’t leave me,” I choke, “You’re not allowed to leave me…”

“Blade, Vipers been hit by a hit and run, he went flying over the car,” I hear Fury choke, “Lake’s giving him CPR…”

“Please, Jaylen,” I sob, pressing harder causing his body to jolt.

“D-fib’s ready,” Callum states, and I stop compressions, breathing heavily as I press a hand on my stomach, our daughter moving, and another sob releases from me.

Callum quickly puts the equipment on, and the machine makes a few noises before it states, “Continue compressions…”

No.

I quickly do as it states, following its instructions, my tears falling hard and fast before it says, “Stand clear,” and I move my hands, lifting them up.

“Shocking.”

Jaylen’s body jolts, and I look at the machine as Dad rasps, “Come on, Viper, don’t do this,” just as the machine states, “Continue compressions.”

I do as it states, counting with each compression.

I won’t let him leave me, I refuse.

I look up at the crowd to see the police guiding people away, before I recognize someone, though her hair is now light blue instead of pink.

The ring girl, Kitty.

She’s grinning widely at the scene, and my heart races.

She did this…

I flare my nostrils as she wiggles her fingers at me, and I choke, “Fury,” and he quickly kneels next to me, but I don’t take my eyes off Kitty as she slowly walks away, and I nod, “It’s Kitty, she was grinning, she’s the driver.

Her hair is now light blue, and she’s wearing blue jeans and one of Jaylen’s tees. ”

“Fuck,” he mutters before he stands, then runs towards the crowd quickly, and I say, “Daddy, call Blade back or Psycho, they need a van.”

“Stand clear,” the voice says on the machine, and I lean back before it states, “Shocking,” and Jaylen’s body jolts before beeping echoes, and I sob, “Callum, gurney now.”

He quickly puts it down next to Jaylen as Dad says, “Psycho, bring a van with a prospect, Fury’s got the driver,” and I look up to see he has his arm wrapped around Kitty’s stomach, his hand covering her mouth as she tries and fights him in the distance.

Later, I’ll focus on that later.

Gently, pulling Jaylen’s body towards me, Callum quickly but carefully puts the board underneath him, and we gently roll him back on it before Dad helps Callum lift him onto the wheels.

I grab the defibrillator, placing it on the gurney before we run to the rig. We get him loaded in the back, and I climb in with him while Dad sits in the front with Callum.

“Don’t leave me, Jaylen, you hear me, do not leave me,” I demand through my tears as I hook him up to monitors, and Callum turns on the sirens before speeding off down the road to the hospital.

Ten minutes later, Callum skids near the entrance to the emergency room. The doors open before I lock eyes with Ted, the man who has taken me under his wing in med school.

“What do we have, Lake?” he questions, and my heart pounds as the doctors help me get him out of the rig.

“Jaylen Lee, twenty-seven years old, was hit by a car while on his motorcycle. He has a major head injury and was receiving CPR when we arrived at the scene, and we continued. He-he lost his pulse on route, CPR given then defib,” I stutter as I climb out of the back of the rig, my dad helping me out.

I quickly follow them inside, something I wouldn’t normally do.

Usually, Callum fills out the paperwork while I clean the rig for the next patient, but this isn’t just any patient, he’s mine.

“Okay, trauma room two and quickly,” Ted demands, and I go to follow Jaylen, but Carey, a sweet nurse with light blue eyes, frowns at me and asks, “You okay, Lake?” gaining Ted’s attention and he looks our way while I look at the double brown doors, my breathing heavy.

“Lake, you can go back on shift, you did good,” Ted says as he grabs forms from Casey for Callum and I choke, “He’s-he’s…

” Ted looks at me, and I know I can’t tell him he’s my husband because he knows me, though it was very lucky he was on vacation when I was brought in and Jaylen said I was his wife.

“He’s the father of my unborn child,” I admit with a sob as I cup my bump and his dark gray eyes widen in shock as he looks to where they’ve wheeled Jaylen then back to me and he mutters, “Fuck,” realizing I’ve just worked on the man he has heard all about and I plead, “Save him Ted, please save him, I can’t lose him, my daughter can’t lose her daddy, please,” and he nods, his eyes tearing then demands, “Carey, take Lake to the family room immediately.”

Carey puts her arm around my shoulders, then gently guides me to the family waiting room without even questioning me, my dad following.

The need to cut builds again for the first time in weeks, and my breathing becomes quicker, life without Jaylen hitting me hard in the face.

“I’ll come get you when I know more,” Carey says before she kisses my head and walks out just as I hear, “We’ve got her…”

“Good,” my dad replies to Blade.

Bile builds, my throat burning, my wrists itching.

“Pumpkin?” Dad questions as Callum says, “I’ve packed the rig up and explained the situation, we’re now off the clock.”

My hands begin to shake, the vision of slicing my wrist with a blade pulling me so hard.

“Lake?” Psycho says, but his voice sounds distant.

My breathing quickens, and I look at my hands and see blood, Jaylen’s blood, and a scream builds in my throat, absolute gut-wrenching pain and fear filling me.

“Fuck,” Blade curses before my legs give out, and the scream erupts.

“Lake!” I hear shouted and before I hit the floor hands catch me by my armpits as my whole body shakes with my sobs.

Ivy is suddenly in front of me, tears staining her cheeks, knowing exactly what I’m going through as she grips my cheeks and chokes, “I’m here, I’ve got you…

” but my screams get louder and she wraps her arms around me, holding me close and I cry my heart out.

So much regret fills me while my wrists continue to itch…