Until the Tequila (The Killers #3.5)(23)

I put my hand to her face and brush her cheek. “Baby. Wake up. Mary, please.”

Her eyes flutter and she murmurs, “Dizzy. So dizzy.”

“You’re going to be okay. It’s all over.” I don’t know if it’s a lie, but right now I’ll will it to be true. I let out a breath and pull her off the cold, wet ground and into my arms.

One of the men crouches next to us and looks into her eyes with the flashlight on his phone, making her wince. “I’m one of Crew’s men. Name’s Asa. She’s got a pretty big knot on her head—could have a concussion. Careful with her neck. You need help getting her up or are you good?”

I pull her into my arms—because there’s no way I’m letting her go—and stand. “I’m good.”

When we climb to the road, a black Escalade appears, the headlights lighting up the night. Crew opens the back door and motions for me to get in. “Grady will drive you to the hospital. It was a hit-and-run—Mary slid off the road. You got me, Evan?”

I climb into the back of the SUV, only thinking of Mary, and try to put everything else out of my head.

“Evan, Grady will explain more on the way, but tell me you get it,” Crew directs one more time.

I give him a chin lift and look down at Mary tucked to my chest. “Yeah.”

With that, Crew slams my door.

And today is the day I realize, you might think you know someone, but in reality, you have no fucking clue.





14





I Know You





Mary





“Baby, here’s your coffee.”

That’s a new voice. Besides Evan, Addy, Bev, the nurses, and an occasional doctor, no one else has been here. That deep gravelly tone is one I’ve never heard before.

“Thank you. I don’t care what her vitals say, I’m not moving from this chair until I see for myself that she’s okay.”

Even though my aching body protests, I know that voice. I turn to the sweet sound that feels like home. Prying my eyes open, I have to squint because of the light. I hate that my voice is weak and laced with emotion from seeing my best friend for the first time in way too long. “You’re really here?”

July—without taking her eyes off me, pushes her Starbucks to-go cup toward a huge man in a leather vest with patches all over it, and stands from the chair, rushing to my side. “Thank God. It didn’t matter how many times they told me you’d be okay. There’s nothing like seeing your bright blue eyes.”

I try to return her squeeze since she’s taken my good hand, but I’m so tired. “You read my chart? You’re making me feel like a dog.”

My beautiful friend smiles and her eyes turn glassy.

I try to clear my dry throat. “How did you get here?”

July swipes a quiet tear running down her cheek and reaches for a water cup on the table, offering me the straw. “I freaked out after I heard you scream on the phone right before the line went dead. I blew up Evan’s phone until he called me last night and told me everything about the hit and run. You’re lucky it wasn’t worse—your car could’ve rolled in that storm. I lost it and Wes booked flights for first thing this morning. We came straight to the hospital and I’ve been waiting on you to wake up.”

A big biker I recognize from pictures walks up behind July and leans down to press his lips to the top of her head. I wasn’t able to travel back to be at their wedding. “I’m Wes Silver. Good to see you awake. Not quite sure I’ve ever seen anything put my wife in such a state and knew I had to get her here as soon as I could.”

I take in my best friend and her new husband as I try to muster my best post-concussion, cracked-ribs, broken-wrist smile. “Thank you.”

I look around the room and realize he’s not here.

I came-to in his arms last night in a strange car on the way to the emergency room. Evan explained it was over and Addy’s neighbor would take care of everything with the hit and run. Even with a throbbing head, an aching arm, and my body protesting every bump and turn the SUV was making, I saw it in his eyes.

And I knew.

So, when the police questioned me late last night, I took Evan’s lead and told them the truth—that a car hit me from behind and I passed out. With Evan sitting next to me, he gave my hand a squeeze and explained the rest. That it was my father and he had an altercation with him to keep him from getting to me.

The truth.

Ish.

Now, there’s a warrant out for Duane Giesen’s arrest for hit and run along with assault.

There are only five of us who know that warrant will stay outstanding. Forever.

Now, for the first time since we got to the emergency room last night, Evan isn’t by my side.

“He stepped out to talk with a man who came to check on you. I think his name is Crew? They didn’t want to wake you,” July explains, knowing I’m looking for Evan before I have a chance to ask. “He said he was Addy’s neighbor. I can’t wait to meet her. He said she’d be by soon to bring you lunch so you wouldn’t have to eat hospital food.”

I swallow and nod, my head swimming and not only from my concussion.

“I hope you know,” July adds, “I was all ready to pack you up and move you home with me. I wasn’t even going to let you argue. But we’ve been here for less than two hours and I can already see how many people you have who love you.”