“Emmy?” Nick’s gentle voice was at my side.

I forced my eyes open and tried to remember where I was. The hospital. I turned toward Nick’s voice. He was leaning on the edge of my bed with my hand pressed between his.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

I took a moment to breathe and assess. “Sore. Tired. Thirsty.”

He helped me sit and eased a plastic cup to my lips. It hurt to swallow but soon the water eased some of the tenderness in my throat.

“Better?” he asked.

I nodded and looked around my room. The TV was turned to a basketball game and the bathroom light was on. Though the curtains were drawn, I could tell it was dark outside.

“What time is it?”

“About ten,” he said.

I had spent the entire day sleeping. I remembered Jess bringing me here this morning and a brief conversation with the doctor, but after waking up and seeing Nick, I couldn’t remember anything else.

“Has Dr. Peterson been back in?” I asked.

He nodded.

“What’s wrong with me?”

“You’ve got pneumonia.” He frowned.

I wasn’t surprised. My cold was the worst I’d ever had and my stress levels during the last day had been off the charts. It had been the perfect recipe for pneumonia. “How long do I have to stay here?”

“Three or four days. You’re on an antibiotic and Dr. Peterson said it can take some time to work. You were pretty dehydrated too so they’re pumping you with fluids. And he gave you some pain medicine. You’ve got two cracked ribs, which will hurt for a while. He wrapped them up but they’re slow to heal.”

“And my face?” It was pure vanity, but I really hoped that there wouldn’t be permanent damage to my cheek.

“Just swollen. It should fade to a nice purple, green and yellow color in a few days.”

I smiled and sagged with relief into the bed.

“It’s kind of cute. We have matching black eyes,” he said.

My smile fell as my eyes snapped to his face. In the dimly lit room, with my swollen eyes, I had missed his injury. But now that I was looking closely, the red welt edging his right eye was obvious.

“Who hit you?”

“Dash,” he grumbled.

“Why?”

“I didn’t handle the news of your ordeal so well. Punching me in the face was his way of telling me to get my shit together.”

“Oh.” On top of the guilt I felt about our fight, now I felt horrible for putting him through this misery. “We need to talk,” I said, looking at my lap.

There was so much to be said. So much we needed to work out. What was I going to do if we couldn’t?

“Not until you’re well, Emmy.”

I looked into his eyes and begged. “Please. I can’t leave things the way we did.”

Kissing my hand, he said, “I don’t want to hash it all out while you’re sick. We need to focus on getting you better. Then we can talk. For now, let’s just be us. Okay?”

“Okay,” I said reluctantly.

We both stared at the TV for a while and my eyes started to droop not long after the nurse came in to check on me. I’d been awake for less than an hour but was exhausted.

“You should go home and get some sleep,” I said.

“I’m not leaving.”

“Why not? That chair can’t be comfortable.”

“It’s not, but I don’t care. I’m not leaving you.”

A happy feeling spread through my heart. I was elated to have Nick back. Yes, we had a lot to talk about, but for now, I was going to savor his comforting presence. I needed him close. So I took a deep breath and braced for pain.

With one strong push, I slid my body to the far edge of the bed. Pain shot through my side and I sucked in a sharp breath.

“What are you doing?” Nick said, jumping from his seat.

“Moving over.”

“Why?”

“So you can sleep with me.”

“No. Get back in the middle,” he said, reaching to pick me up.

I swatted at his hands and gave him a frown.

“Emmy,” he growled.

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t argue with me. I’m sick. I want you to get up here. I’m still cold and you can keep me warm.”

He huffed out a breath and muttered, “Fuck,” but then he started kicking off his boots.

Gently, he folded his big body next to mine, then eased an arm beneath my neck so I could rest my head in the crook of his shoulder. It wasn’t as nice as spooning, but I’d take it.

Two women were outside my hospital room whispering to each other. Or at least they thought they were whispering. They were actually speaking at a normal volume because they were whisper-yelling at one another.

“I’m going in.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am.”

“Don’t touch that door! You’ll wake them up!”

“Shut up!”

“Don’t tell me to shut up!”

“Shut. Up!”

“Both of you shut the fuck up,” Nick said. “You make any more noise out there and I’m locking you out.”

“Effing try it!” one of the voices hissed.

Gigi.

I started chuckling against his chest.

“You two woke up Emmy,” Nick snapped.

“Oh, good! You’re awake,” Gigi said, waltzing into the room, followed by Sara Phillips.

Unlike Gigi, who didn’t feel any shame for waking us up, the pretty strawberry blond I had met at Gigi’s garage party was blushing and averting her eyes. She carried a huge bouquet of yellow and peach roses along with a bundle of balloons. Both women were wearing scrubs, likely to start working after their visit.

Gigi had flowers too, gerbera daisies in every color. In her other hand was a huge white box.

Nick gently slid his arm from behind me and sat up on the bed, swinging his legs over the side. “What are you two doing here?”

“We’re the welcoming committee!” Gigi said. She emptied her hands and came to me in the bed, gently caressing my sore cheek. “Yikes! I’m sorry, Emmeline.”

“Thanks. What are you welcoming me to?”

“The Kidnapped Club.” She grinned.

“Oh, fuck me,” Nick muttered as I laughed.

“Ooh! Ouch. Don’t make me laugh. It hurts too much,” I said, clutching my ribs, which were now on fire.

“Sorry,” she said. “Oh, don’t look at me like that,” she told Nick.

He was currently scowling at her while hovering over me to see if I was all right.

“I’m okay,” I said.

He grumbled a bit but sank down into his chair. “What did you bring us from the café?” he asked, jutting his chin toward the white box.

“Breakfast. We love hospital food,” Sara deadpanned. “But we thought you might want something special.”

For the first time since my ordeal, I actually felt hungry. It was Monday morning and I had spent almost all of the weekend sleeping.

“We called Tina at the café and she whipped up a special batch of cinnamon caramel rolls,” Gigi said. “Usually she only makes them on Sundays but she feels so bad for what happened to you that she made an exception.”

“Tell me you brought more than two,” Nick said.

“Six.” Sara smiled.

He clapped his hands together, rubbing them back and forth. Gigi held out the box but before he could reach it, she snatched it back.

“We stay as long as Emmeline wants,” she said, narrowing her eyes.

“She starts to get tired, you’re out,” Nick said.

“Agreed.”

I’d never had one of Tina’s famous rolls before and I wasn’t able to eat much, but every bite was delicious. The rolls were warm and gooey with the perfect mixture of cinnamon spice, sweet caramel and flaky bread.

Nick demolished the other five rolls. When he stuffed the last piece in his mouth, I looked at him with wide eyes.

“What?” he said with a mouth full of food.

I chuckled and winced. “Don’t make me laugh.”

“Wa-rry,” he apologized.

I rolled my eyes and looked to Gigi.

“So what’s the Kidnapping Club?”

“Exactly that. You, me and Maisy are the only members. Maisy really wanted to see you but she won’t set foot inside this building so Sara is her club proxy. We’re here to do your initiation.” Gigi smiled.

“But I wasn’t really kidnapped.”

She waved a hand in the air. “Close enough.”

“Okay,” I drawled. “There’s an initiation?”

“You’re freaking her out, Gigi,” Sara said. “Don’t worry, Emmeline. I was there when she and Maisy invented this ‘initiation’ twenty minutes ago. It’s nothing serious.”

“Your initiation to the club requires only one thing. You have to sign our contract,” Gigi said.

Out of her purse, she produced a folded piece of paper and handed it to me while she fished for a pen.

 

 

At the bottom, Gigi and Maisy had signed their names.

For the few moments I had been trapped in the back of Jinx’s van, I had been certain that I wasn’t strong enough to survive an abduction. That it would break me. I realized now that I didn’t have to be strong enough to endure it on my own. I could rely on my friends for support.

My friends.

Not just Nick’s. These women had fully embraced me and pulled me into their lives. For that, I was grateful.

“May I have the pen, please?” I scribbled my name next to theirs.

Gigi leaned down to give me a hug. “The next month will be the worst. Lean on Nick. And me. And Maisy. We’ll be here. Don’t try and go it alone.”

My nose stung as tears pricked my eyes. I sniffled and nodded.

“All right, we have to get to work,” Sara said.

“Thank you for the visit. And the beautiful flowers.”

“And breakfast,” Nick said.

“You’re more than welcome. We’re just glad you’re back safe and sound,” Gigi said.

“These flowers are from us,” Sara said, pointing to the roses.

“And these are from your class,” Gigi said, nodding to the daisies. She dug around again in her purse and produced a bright orange card. “They wrote you a card this morning. And because I always take opportunities to brag about my baby girl, Rowen’s penmanship is by far the best.”

“She’s very talented.” I smiled. “Who is teaching while I’m in the hospital?”

“Garcia,” Nick said. “I called him at home yesterday and told him you were out for the week. Maybe next week too. He said he’d take your class and not to worry.”

I let out a sigh of relief that my students wouldn’t be negatively impacted by my absence. Rich was not only a good school administrator, he was also a remarkable teacher. My kids were in good hands.

“Do you need anything, Emmeline?” Sara asked.

“No, thank you.”

“Okay. Well, I’m working up here today, so if you do, just ring the call button and I’ll be right in.”

“And if she doesn’t answer fast enough, press the emergency call button behind you and I’ll come up from the ER.” Gigi winked.

More hugs, more banter and more good-byes followed until my friends finally shuffled out. A few minutes after they left, Dr. Peterson came in to assess my injuries.

“You’re improving,” he said.

“Can I still take her home tomorrow?” Nick asked.

At the word “home,” I closed my eyes and grimaced. How was I ever going to walk into my house again?

Nick saw the wince and grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly.

“Tomorrow should be fine,” Dr. Peterson said. “Call if the pain gets worse, Emmeline.”

“How are you doing?” Nick asked after the doctor left.

“It’s been a busy morning. I’m getting tired.”

“Jess needs to come over and get your statement. He said he would bring us some lunch. How about you sleep for an hour before he gets here? I’ll keep all the visitors out.”

“Okay,” I said, relaxing into my pillow and closing my eyes.

I felt his warm breath before his lips pressed against the tip of my nose. “Sleep well, Emmy.”

An hour later, Jess and Nick were sitting in chairs next to my bed. My nap had been short but I felt rested.

“Sorry to bother you,” Jess said, “but I’ve got to get your statement.”

“It’s no problem.”

“We’ll make it quick,” he promised.

For the next twenty minutes, I walked Jess and Nick through the events at my house. Nick got so angry when I told them about Wrecker’s and Jinx’s physical assaults that we had to take a break so he could walk the hall and cool down.

“You got anything to add?” Jess asked Nick. “Like who those men were? Your dad and brother seemed to have a pretty good idea when we were talking on Saturday.”

“On the record,” Nick said, “I have no clue.”

“Off the record,” Jess said.

“It’s a long story,” Nick sighed.

“I’ve got time. How about you fill me in while Emmeline eats her lunch?” Jess asked.

Jess had brought Nick and me food from the deli downtown. The restaurant owners had packed up a huge meal. Nick had a large sub sandwich and I’d gotten homemade chicken noodle soup.

Nick started explaining and didn’t hold back any details from Jess. He told him about his childhood in Draven’s motorcycle club, his mother’s murder and how he’d once committed felony arson. I think it helped him process it all by talking it out with a friend. Nick had been carrying these heavy burdens alone for a long time.

When he recounted how he had spent the last week, I was overjoyed when he said that he hadn’t helped the club like Draven and Dash had wanted. Instead, he’d just gone to Stone’s funeral and hung around the Clifton Forge garage.

“At least now we know who was breaking into your house,” Nick said when he finished his story. “Just wish I would have thought about the Warriors as a threat before it escalated so far.”

“It’s not your fault,” I said, reaching out a hand toward him.

He took it and kissed my palm.

Nick was blaming himself for my kidnapping. It had been because of his family’s affiliations but it wasn’t Nick’s fault. And I certainly didn’t hold him responsible.

I wished that he hadn’t left during our argument. That the Warriors hadn’t found me alone. But if they had been breaking into my home for months, it had just been a matter of time. Nick couldn’t be with me every second, and since the Warriors had clearly been determined to get me, eventually they would have. It was just too bad that it had happened after our fight.

“All right. I’m gonna take off,” Jess said. “Emmeline, let me know if you think of anything else.”

Both men stood, but instead of shaking hands, Nick pulled the sheriff in for a brief hug. Jess clapped him on the back and then came to my side. He bent low and gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead. “Get well, Emmeline.”

I fought back tears. Jess had saved me from an unthinkable ordeal. Who knew what the Arrowhead Warriors would have done had they made it out of my driveway? I would forever be indebted to Jess for coming to my rescue. “Thank you. For everything,” I said.

He nodded and ducked out of the room.

“Thank you too,” I told Nick. “For coming back.”

“Don’t thank me, Emmy.” Pain and guilt were etched on his handsome face.

“It’s not your fault,” I whispered.

“It is.”

“It’s not. Please don’t torture yourself for this. I am fine. I will be fine. And I won’t be able to get past this if you blame yourself.”

Nick’s head dropped to the edge of my bed and his shoulders started to shake. My strong, brave and honest man was breaking down.

“I almost lost you,” he whispered. When he looked up, his eyes were wet. “I can’t live in a world without you.”

Tears dripped down my cheeks too. “You don’t have to.” I reached out my hand and placed it on Nick’s cheek, my thumb gently stroking his soft beard.

“Knock, Knock!”

Our visitor had bad timing. Swiping the tears off my face, I pulled in a few calming breaths. Nick did the same.

“Hi, Silas,” I said as he walked into the room.

“Is this a bad time?”

I shook my head while Nick stood to shake his hand. “No. Come on in.”

“Brought you both some stuff to wear home tomorrow,” Silas said, swinging a large duffel bag from his shoulder.

“Thanks,” Nick said, rifling around in the bag. The first thing he pulled out was one of his flannel shirts. “Can you lean forward?” Nick asked me.

I nodded and crunched forward as best I could with the tight wrap around my cracked ribs. Nick eased the shirt over my shoulders and onto each arm. Then he tucked the back behind me and helped me snap up the front.

When I pulled in a deep breath, I smelled Nick and instantly felt better. The pain in my side eased and the aches in my muscles lessened.

Magic.