Page 46 of Wicked Throne

She calmed for a moment to get it out. "John's in ICU at Metro Mercy. Can you come...pleaseeeeee."

Her sobs began to tear through from the other end of the phone. Shock ran through my body. Agreeing to come immediately, I disconnected the call.

"Is everything okay?"

Alarm had settled its way across his face. I didn't have time to argue with him anymore. Grabbing my coat, I looked at him one last time.

"My dad is in the hospital. I have to go."

"Let me drive you," he said immediately.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," I murmured. "Thank you though."

"Well, John's still my family too, Di. I'm going to come. I want to be there for you and Nautica."

He followed me out and I headed straight for my car. The entire ride there my palms had started to sweat. I felt so nauseous. At any moment I could have thrown up but somehow I got there in one peace. I prayed all the way there that my daddy would make it. I wanted a chance for us to make up more even though dinner had been nice. I wasn't ready to be an orphan just yet.

Checking in at the nurse's station, Nathan was hot on my heels. I didn't even say anything to him. Just got my guest badge and headed to the elevator. He got on with me and we were quiet the whole way up. The smell of cleaning products surrounded me. It smelled so sterile in this place. This was the same hospital my mother had died in.

Irony was a bitch I supposed.

When the elevator dinged, I stepped off onto the floor. Reading the wall in front of me I turned to go in the right direction. Rounding the corner, I found Nautica and Rex sitting with the baby, looking a nervous wreck and to my larger surprise, my husband was there with his head bowed, a cup of coffee in his hands. He must have heard my red bottoms clicking into the floor because he turned to look.

I wanted to die.

His face turned angry and I knew it was because Nathan was beside me.

God, I don't need this shit right now, I thought.

Chapter 22

Thierry

"Oh my god, Thierry! Stop! Get off of him!"

I had seen red, and the coffee cup had slipped from my hands. I had launched myself from the waiting room chair before I knew it and had punched the motherfucker's daylights out. I watched Nathan West land on his back with a slight thud.

What in the hell was he doing here?

What was he doing with my wife was the better question? She had promised to stay away from him. That was the arrangement we had in place.

"What are you doing here?" I bit out.

"John's my uncle asshole. Diamond told me what was going on."

I looked at her and she crossed her arms. Before I could get another word out hospital security was there. One officer looked like he was too big for his little uniform and in desperate need of another size. The other was a blonde female who looked like she ate steel for breakfast.

"Gentleman is there a problem here?" she asked.

I stepped back and Nathan got to his feet. "No problem at all officers. I actually work for Atlanta PD. Just a little misunderstanding here."

He pulled out his badge and showed his credentials and then they stepped to the side. Flexing my hands I looked over my shoulder at Rex and Nautica. They looked just as clueless as could be. I could feel Diamond's eyes drilling themselves into my eyes.

Fuck,I thought.

Before I knew what I was doing, I was storming past them. Why was I even here? I had been acquired in a deal to put my family back on top. This wasn't my family. Diamond looked disgusted by how I'd acted just now.

I only stopped when I got to the elevator and as I was stepping on, I heard Diamond call after me. Holding the door, I waited for her to catch up.