“No. Wait for me. This is my score tosettle.”
I hung up and sank into a chair across fromNate.
“Girls, go to the barn,” Iordered.
“We don’t mind staying here,” Rainemuttered.
“Yeah, okay. That might be better. Thanks.” I gently gripped theirhands.
I hung up and sank into a chair across from Nate.“What the fuck am I supposed to do now? Your sister, mywifeis lying on an operating table, fighting for her life because you wanted to get fucking high. Do you know how bad all of this shit is?” Iyelled.
“I’m so sorry, Ax. I am so fucking sorry,” he mumbled as hewept.
“You’re getting yourself into an inpatient rehab this time. I don’t care how much you don’t want to fucking go. You need to get cleaned up if you want to be a part of this family everagain.”
The doctor finally came out of the operating room, walking over with a smile on hisface.
“How is she?” I asked, holding my breath, not able to stand from myseat.
“Your wife lost a lot of blood, but she’s going to be fine. We’re going to be moving her to the ICU soon. You’ll be able to see herthere.”
Relief washed over me. I didn’t know what I would have done if Cass hadn’t pulled through. There would have been a lot more blood on my hands, to say theleast.
“Thank you, doctor.” Tears ran down my face as everything started to sink in. Everything I had done to try to keep Cassidy safe wasn’t enough; she was still in danger. In that moment, I had never felt more vulnerable or out ofcontrol.
“Go home,” I ordered Nate. “I don’t want you here rightnow.”
“Can I at least see her?” he asked, still sitting on the floor like a damncoward.
“You don’t get to see her or my son again until you’re clean. Mark my words, you will not be part of our family if you’re a junkie. We stood by you for years while you struggled, and now it’s time to be a man and handle your shit on yourown.”
I walked toward the ICU section of the hospital with Raine and Scarlett. There was nothing more to say to my brother-in-law. He needed to experience tough love for the first time in his life; it was the only way I knew how to save him at thatpoint.
Sinking down on the side of Cassidy’s hospital bed, I completely broke. She was still out from the meds, hooked up to themachines.
It felt like a lifetime before her eyes finally flutteredopen.
“Baby.” I grabbed her hand as I looked down ather.
“Ryan.” A small smile perked up her cheeks. “Whathappened?”
“Nothing that isn’t going to be handled,” Iresponded.
“No more blood, please. All of this needs to stop. What if Mikey, Abel or Annie had been there?” Tears started to roll down her face, seeing the fear in her eyes sent a knife right into myheart.
“I have to handle this,baby.”
“Do you know who theywere?”
I nodded. “Yes, and I am going to make sure nothing like this happens to our family everagain.”
“We’ll stay with her and keep you posted.” Scarlett scooted her chair closer to Cassidy’sbedside.
“We got this.” Raine gave me a sympathetic smile as I started to back out of theroom.
“I love you, Cass.” Imuttered.
She blew me a kiss. “Come home tome.”