This Is Love, Baby (War & Peace #2)(27)

I nod again and this time the tears do well in my eyes. He’s right. I need to pull my shit together so I can get well and help the police find my girl. She’s out there in his clutches as we speak. The motherf*cker is most likely doing unspeakable things as I sit here fading in and out of black.

“Is everything okay in here?” a nurse questions as she comes into my room.

I nod at her and she flashes me a sweet smile. “Good to see you alert and awake today, Mr. McPherson. Dr. Watson is hoping to be able to extubate you today. Get you off that ventilator. He’s also sending in Dr. Daniels for a psych evaluation later. But first, I’m going to grab some supplies and I’ll come drain the blood from your chest tube.”

She scurries off and I dart my widened eyes to my dad.

“Listen, War. You have got to be strong. Stay strong for her and get yourself well. Dr. Watson was able to repair your lung but you’re not in the clear. You’re going to have to fight harder against these episodes or they’ll keep pumping you with that mind-numbing shit. I need you to do whatever it takes to get yourself through this.”

I nod and furrow my eyebrows in concentration as the nurse comes back in the room. My eyes remain locked on Dad, tuning out her mindless chatter, as she sets to sucking out blood and fluids from my chest.

Don’t think about it.

Don’t think about it.

“Son, do you remember that time we saw that stingray over at Coronado’s beach? He had to have been four feet long. Just swam right up to you.”

His twinkling eyes meet mine and he grins. I nod and try to smile around the tube in my mouth.

“Your mother started screaming like a wild banshee. You’d have thought you were being attacked by a great white, not a stingray. How old do you think you were? Ten? Eleven?”

Nodding, I smile again. I remember at first being terrified by the sea animal but then I couldn’t take my eyes from it. I’d reached out my shaky hand and stroked the smooth side of the creature, careful to stay away from its tail, before it floated back out into the water. By the next big wave, it had disappeared. Dad told me animals know a kind spirit—that they’re drawn to them. He said that magnificent creature was fascinated by me as much as I was about him. A mutual respect and curiosity between species. To this day I still wonder about that stingray.

“Wasn’t so bad,” the nurse chuckles and starts cleaning up. “Last time we had to sedate you. You’ll be walking out of here before you know it.” She winks and leaves me here with my dad.

“Good job, son. I knew you could do this. Focus on the good—focus on Baylee. We’re going to get her back. Just as soon as we get you out of here, we’re going to find her and keep her safe so that bastard never messes with her again.”

My nod this time is curt and I stare at him with an intensity that I hope conveys my serious determination to get better so I can help her.

“Now rest,” he urges and squeezes my hand. “You’re going to need your strength because when we leave here, you’re going to slay that dragon and save your princess.”

I close my eyes and immediately bring forth those innocent, kind blue eyes. She’s been through so much and I can only imagine what she’s going through now. But she’s unflappable and resilient. Her strength is more than a thousand men. My girl will survive that *’s clutches. I just need her to keep staying strong until I get there.

Dad was wrong.

I won’t be saving a princess.

No, I’m going to save my queen.





ONCE I HEAR the shower running, I toss the piece of chicken back into the styrofoam box and sling the entire thing into the cellar.

“What did you say to her?” I snarl through clenched teeth.

Gabe’s eyes remain narrowed as he watches my every move and takes his time chewing what little of the food I gave him. Once he swallows, he smirks at me. “I told her she’ll never be satisfied with your limp dick.”

A deep growl rumbles in my chest and I seize his throat with my hand. “Fuck off and tell me what you really said. Do you think you have enough air to last through her shower? Little Baylee isn’t going to come rescue you, dumbass.”

He refuses to speak, so I squeeze hard enough to cause him to struggle in the chair. I enjoy the way his face turns purple. So f*cking purple. Death will never be a good enough punishment for the bastard who stole my girlfriend. But I’ll sure enjoy seeing him die, that’s for damn sure.

“W-What…d-d-did…”

I release his throat and he gulps in air.

“What did you do to Tony?” he rasps out.

My eyebrows fly to my hairline but I quickly mask away my look of shock. “I didn’t do anything to him.” Dragging my gaze from his penetrating glare, I stare at the doorway and listen for signs of Baylee. The shower is still running.

“You’re lying and she’ll find out, you little shit,” he seethes and struggles with his bindings as if he’d actually be able to tear through them to get to me.

“No, Gabe,” I tell him calmly and lean forward until my face is inches from his scowling one. “She won’t find out. I’m going to make sure of it. Because before we leave this shithole, I’m going to cut your throat.”

He scoffs. “Oh, yeah? And then what? You two gonna ride off into the sunset together? You’re f*cking delusional, kid. Have you seen the way she looks at you?”