The Scars That Define Us (The Devil's Dust #2)(56)

I look over at Bobby and Bull. “What the f*ck?”

I sit down next to Dani and grab her good hand—the one that’s not broken—and give it a light squeeze. I bring her limp hand to my mouth and give it a kiss. Whoever did this to her, they will pay.

She moans and shifts in her bed. I sit up, hoping she wakes.

“Dani?” I ask in a shaky voice.

“Shadow?” Her voice cracks.

“I’m here,” I tell her, standing up and looking over her. I’ve never been more wrecked in my entire life than I am right now, worried that God might punish me for the life I’ve lived by taking Dani from me.

“Where am I?” she asks, looking around her room.

“You’re in the hospital, doll,” Bull informs her, stepping up to the bedside.

She blinks her eyes a couple times. “Oh, yeah,” she says, in a whisper.

“Do you remember anything that happened?” Bobby asks.

She licks her dry lips and looks up at me. “Just that—” She pauses as a commotion outside the door grabs her attention.

“I’ll look.” I step away from her bed and look into the hall to see two police officers at the front desk.

“If she is awake, we would like to ask her some questions,” one of the officers says to a nurse.

“She’s just been through a traumatic experience; can’t this wait?” Doc says, stepping up to the desk.

“I’m afraid not,” one of the cops responds.

I step back into the room and go to Dani’s side.

“The police are here. You tell them nothing. Do you understand?” I ask, trying to mask my harsh tone with as much force as I can.

She looks up at me in confusion.

“We take care of this our way. I’ll kill the person who did this to you. That’s a promise,” I inform her, my tone not to be messed with. “Trust me,” I whisper, hoping she knows I will take care of this.

She nods in agreement.

A knock sounds at the door, interrupting us.

“I’m sorry dear, but some gentlemen are here to ask you some questions,” Doc says, walking into the room, the police following her.

“We need to speak to her alone,” one of them says, pulling out a notepad as the other eyes me accusingly. By the look on his face, he probably thinks I did this to her. In a way, I did. I wasn’t there to protect her.


Dani

“So, you don’t remember what happened?” a police officer asks me with a raised eyebrow; he doesn’t believe me. I have never been any good at lying. I try not to stare at the two of them, but they are an odd pair, one bald and fat with glasses, the other tall and skinny with freckles.

“No, I don’t remember anything,” I say, fiddling with the hospital bracelet around my wrist.

“Let’s go through this one more time,” the fat officer sighs, flipping his notepad over to a fresh sheet of paper.

“You left work and…?” he asks, twirling his hand and encouraging me to keep going where he left off.

“I woke up here,” I lie.

The skinny officer moans in irritation. “Right, well, we can’t help you or anyone else if you can’t help us, Miss Lexington.”

“You don’t have any idea who might want to hurt you?” the one with a potbelly asks on a groan.

I look at them, irritated. “I told you what I know. Now, please leave!” I yell.

“I think questioning time is over, gentlemen. I can’t have you getting her upset,” Doc declares, entering the room quickly. She must have been just outside the door.

“All right then,” the skinny one says, tucking his notepad in his shirt pocket.

They all head out as the boys enter.

“You did well, kid,” my dad states, giving me a light kiss on the forehead.

“Dani, I took some test while you were under and would like to discuss something with you in private, if I may?” Doc asks, looking at the boys in question.

I look at Shadow and notice he’s not pleased with Doc’s request.

“No, it’s okay. You can speak in front of everyone,” I say, trying to sit up but wincing from the pain.

“I advise you to reconsider,” she pushes, looking at the paper in her hands.

“Jessica,” Bobby warns, using Doc’s real name.

Doc glares at Bobby. “Fine. I took a pregnancy test in question of you taking your birth control or not,” she tells me, looking at the paper.

“Birth control?” Shadow asks in shock.

“And?” I ask, fear pooling in my heart of what she’s about to say.

“It came back positive.” She hands me the paper with information printed on it which I can’t understand.

“You’re pregnant.”

“Oh, f*ck,” Shadow gasps as he fumbles for a chair to sit in.

“Hot damn!” my dad shouts in excitement.

“Pregnant?” I question, still in shock.

“Yes, by a few weeks, from the levels of your hormones,” she says, pointing at the sheet.

“How far along is she exactly?” Shadow asks, with concern.

“I’m not sure. I’ll make a call and get her up to the OB floor, get an ultrasound and make sure the baby hasn’t sustained any injuries,” she promises before giving my arm a pat.