Owned (14 page)

“I’m going as fast as I can without jarring her,” Nick growled. “It wasn’t about breaking the fucking law. I don’t want to break Kate any worse.”

“Back off, Jared,” Dean shouted and then went back to begging Kate to wake back up. Letting Nick drive had been one of the hardest things I’d ever had to do, needing to be in control of getting Kate help. But he’d been right to insist to drive. He knew the area better and the way to the hospital.

Racing to save Kate’s life was not the time to learn how to get there and follow directions.

It was the longest ten minutes of my life until we pulled up to the emergency bay and the medical staff stood there waiting for us. I watched as they loaded up the woman I loved and hurried away from here, shouting to each other in code that didn’t sound very reassuring.

I glanced down and saw her blood on me before seeing Dean was in the same state. I dropped to my knees and let out a strangled sob.

“This is all my fault!”

“No it’s not,” Dean growled, grabbing my shoulder and hauling me onto my feet. “I’m pissed as hell at you right now and you’re a fucking tool bastard for what you did but her getting
shot
is not your fault. We should have done a better job protecting her and we will figure out what’s going on. But you didn’t shoot her. Get your shit together because we have to be strong for her. She’ll need us more than ever now, Jared.”

“She’ll hate me forever if she even makes it, Dean,” I whispered, the tears still trickling down my cheeks.

He stared at me and shook his head. “I don’t know. I just don’t fucking know. I’m sorry. I can’t handle your pity party right now. We’ve gotta let Nate and Jamie know what’s going on. Use your energy to pray or something, not feel sorry for yourself. She needs your strength. Not your nervous breakdown!” I blinked at him in shock and then Dean punched me in the face again.

“What was that one for?” I asked as I held my jaw. Yeah, it worked to snap me out of my grief and misery. But now I was confused and swirling a bit.

“I can’t hit the fucker who shot the woman I’m in love with,” he snarled, shaking with rage. “But obviously you’ll do if you keep pissing me off.”

“Alright then,” I said with a nod. “You call Nate and Jamie and I’ll fill in Sheriff Swick.”

“Glad to have you back,” Dean sighed and I could see the relief in his expression now. I tilted my head and studied him questioningly. “You’re the adult of the two of us, Jared. If we ever needed you to be the grown-up and pull us through the shit, it’s now. I can’t have you falling apart on me.”

“Love you too, brother.”

He shook his head and walked off to somewhere more quiet to make his call. I turned as Nick pulled away to park and realized the Sheriff had been watching us.

“Interesting relationship you and your brother have,” he drawled, eyeing me over.

I shrugged. “I’m pretty sure that’s true with all family, Sheriff.”

* * * *

When I woke up, it was dark. Glancing down at myself, I saw Nate and Jamie were both asleep with their heads on the side of the bed, each holding a different hand. Dean was asleep in a chair across the room, but Jared was sitting on the foot of the bed staring at me.

“Hi,” I croaked, having trouble swallowing. As if Jared read my mind, he brought me a glass of water with a bendy straw.

“Go slow, honey. You’ve been out for almost two days,” he whispered softly. While I was drinking, I remembered everything that happened. I squeezed Nate’s hand as hard as I could. It was the arm without the IV, so that made it easier.

“Leave me alone,” I said to Jared when I stopped drinking.

“Please, baby, I’m so sorry, Kate,” he begged, tears forming in his eyes. “I’ve never been so scared in my life when I realized you were shot and I might not be able to explain.”

“Leave,” I replied, my voice sounding stronger. “Take Dean with you and leave.”

“What did I do wrong?” Dean asked with wide eyes.

“Kate, Kate, you’re awake,” Nate said before Jared could talk or I could answer Dean.

“Hi,” I whispered, turning towards him. “Pain, can we do something about the pain?”

“Sure, sweetie,” he said, pressing the call button for the nurses. “Anything you want, okay?”

“I want them to go,” I answered, nodding at Jared and Dean. “I don’t want to see them ever again.”

“Kate, why?” Nate asked, looking at me and then Jared. “What did you do?” His expression turned deadly when he saw the look of guilt on Jared’s face.

“I was rough with her,” he admitted, looking down in shame. “I didn’t mean to hurt her. I didn’t realize I was hurting her.”

“You mean,” Nate said, swallowing and taking a breath. “You mean you raped her.”

“No, of course not,” Jared answered.

“No, you didn’t,” I agreed, meeting Nate’s gaze so I was sure he understood. He nodded and I focused on Jared again. “I wanted it and I wanted you, Jared. Apparently you just wanted to tease me, get what you wanted for revenge, and not let me finish. Just go, Jared. Take Dean and go,” I ordered, feeling the tears. I refused to let him see me cry again. “I won’t be the toy you fight over.”

“What’s going on?” Jamie asked. “Kate, you’re awake, thank god.”

“Hey, pretty girl,” I said, before the nurse came into the room.

“Well look who’s awake,” she said, smiling. “How you feeling?”

“Pain, lots of pain, thirsty and light-headed a bit,” I answered.

“Well, we can fix the pain, and you’re fine to drink. I’m sure any of these four nice people will help you with that,” she chuckled. “We couldn’t get them to leave. They said they were all your brothers and your sister, is that true?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I answered, trying my hardest not to smile.

“Uh-huh,” she said, shaking her head, “I’ll believe that when hell freezes over. At least they’ve been very nice to all the nurses. I think they call it bribing.” She rolled her eyes to let me know that it wasn’t the first time people had pulled that kind of stuff to see their friends when they weren’t supposed to get in. Also, that none of us were in trouble. It was nice of her but I really didn’t give a flying fuck if the hospital had an issue with my having visitors.

“They make pretty good livings, so make them pay up,” I chuckled, before getting serious. “How bad am I?”

“I already called the doctor. He’s on his way up. Do you want to wait for the pain medicine until after you talk?”

“Yes, please, I want to be lucid for this,” I replied and she started to leave. “Thank you.” She just turned and smiled, giving a nod. “So you’ve been bribing the nurses?”

“Not so much bribing, but these three have been hounding them continuously,” Jamie answered. “I figured some nice gift baskets, chocolates, and flowers would make up for it.”

“Pampering the nurses keeping you distracted?”

“Yeah, you really scared me, Kate, I can’t lose you,” she whispered, starting to cry, but calmed down when the doctor appeared.

“Well hello, Ms. Boyle, welcome back,” he said with a smile.

“Please, call me Kate. You’ve seen my insides, I think we’re past formalities.”

“All right then, Kate,” he agreed, when he recovered from the shock of my abruptness. “I’m Dr. Mayer. Can we have everyone else step outside so we can talk?”

“They can stay. I’d have to repeat it all for them anyways, so they might as well hear it firsthand.” I shrugged and then winced. Yeah, no doing that for a while.

“Okay then, but I have to ask some personal questions. You had some injuries that aren’t consistent with a gunshot wound to the chest. Are you sure you want to talk about it with the group?” he asked gently.

“I’m too tired and in too much pain to care. Don’t worry about my delicate sensibilities, just tell me straight up.”

“Kate, play nice with the doctor, he saved your life,” Jamie said, reprimanding me.

“I thought I was being nice?” I asked. When I saw the look on her face, it told me I wasn’t. “Sorry, Doc.”

“That’s quite alright, after what you’ve been through, you get to be cranky,” Dr. Mayer stated. “You had some cuts and abrasions on the insides of your upper thighs. I can’t figure out how they got there—”

“Zipper,” I interrupted him.

“Zipper?”

“The zipper from the fly of his jeans and then I went for a run like a dumbass so I’m sure I made something small into a problem. I’m good like that.”

“Ah, well that explains it. As I said you have several cuts and bruises. Now to the big injury, your shoulder. The bullet went through and through so at least there was no retrieval needed. By the time you got here, your heart had stopped from blood loss and we had to restart it.”

“You told me I was going sleepy for surgery.”

“You remember,” he said, surprised, but continued when I nodded. “It punctured your lung as well and you’ll have a scar above your right breast. But the surgery went well, and you’re recovering quickly so you should be able to go home tomorrow. We’re going to keep your right arm in a sling and immobile for a few weeks.

“And no sexual activity for at least a week as well, you should be healed by then. I might suggest something a little less wild next time.” It took me everything I had not to point the finger at Jared or throw something at him. I couldn’t even look at him. “The stitches in your chest will have to be taken out in a few weeks. Any questions?”

“Nope, thanks, Doc,” I said. “Now can I have the pain medicine please?”

“Of course,” he chuckled. “I’ll send the nurse right in.” He left and a minute later the nurse came in to add a shot in my IV, and it felt wonderful. No one said anything until after she left.

“I want you both gone,” I said to Jared and Dean, still not looking directly at them.

“Did you hear the injuries? Did you hear what you did to Kate? You fucking piece of shit!” Nate yelled at Jared.

“Nate, not here—” Jamie started to say.

“I trusted you to keep her safe, not bruise her, and fucking cut her up,” he continued. “What kind of animal are you?” Jared just stood there, completely pale and looking destroyed I noticed when I glanced at him. He took Nate’s anger, tears starting to fall down his cheeks. I was hurt and upset with him, but still I wanted to comfort him.

“Just go,” I said to them. “Nate, I can’t deal with yelling right now, my head is all over the place. If you want to scream at them, do it outside the hospital, but I want them gone. I’m not mad about the cuts. That’s my fault. I’m pissed at his little revenge scheme that I was with Dean. They’re worse than the Horn Dog Twins I heard about.”

“Okay, Kate, I won’t yell. But I can’t send them away, you almost died. Someone wants you dead. They shot you, and you need their protection,” Nate reminded me, calming down. “I’ll make sure they don’t touch you again.” I turned to Jamie and motioned for her to lean in.

“Please make them leave,” I whispered. “I slept with Dean and the next morning I got passed off to Jared like their toy. I don’t want them to see me cry, please, Jamie, make them leave. I thought they cared, but my heart is shattered from the way they treated me.” She sat up slowly, looked me in the face, and when I nodded, she turned to them.

“Get out. Get the fuck out of here this instant,” Jamie growled at them.

“Jamie—” Nate started to say.

“You too, Nate. They’re your friends. All of you out, or I’ll call security and have you thrown out. Get the fuck out now, or so help me god I will beat you all up myself,” she yelled impressively. I’d never seen Jamie act like this before. But then again, I’d never needed her to come to my rescue really. “I’m staying with Kate tonight.

“Nate, you can come back in the morning and help me get her home.” She focused on Jared and Dean then. “You two leave this fucking instant and we’ll decide what happens next when we get Kate home.” All three just stood there gaping at her. Happy, sweet, kind Jamie just chewed their asses out. The shock was almost funny. “
Now!
” she screamed when no one moved.

Snapping out of their shock, they moved towards the door, heads hanging down. Once they were gone, the tears started flowing and Jamie crawled into the bed on my left side and put her arm around me. She cradled me to her while I sobbed, the pain medicine kicked in fully, and I didn’t feel a thing as I cried myself to sleep.

* * * *

The next morning, while they were getting my discharge papers in order, I told Jamie everything. From the time they ganged up on me at the pool, even including all the sex details, until I got shot. When I was done I was exhausted and it took me the two hours we waited for me to get discharged to tell it.

“Wow,” Jamie said as she helped me put on the clothes Nate had brought from the ranch.

“That about covers it,” I drawled.

“Wow, I mean
wow.
I don’t know what else to say.”

“Now you know where I’m at.”

“What are you going to do?”

“No clue, any suggestions?” I asked.

“Not a one,” she answered, pausing to think. “I heard everything you said, but I really don’t think they want you for their whore. I mean it, Kate. You should have seen them when they brought you home from the cemetery. They looked like someone ran over their puppy. They kept coming up with suggestions of ways to make it better.