CHAPTER SIX
DEMI
ONE WEEK LATER . . .
“She’s gotta wake up soon.”
That voice. Where have I heard it before? My mind is groggy, and I try to open my eyes, but I’m struggling.
What happened?
“The doctors have said any day she’ll wake up. Her body will let her know when the time is right,” my father says reassuringly.
Wait a minute, my dad? What’s he doing here?
Suddenly everything comes swarming back to me, and I’m pulled back into a deep sleep once more from sheer exhaustion.
“Come on, Duchess, wake up for me. I need to hear your voice. See your beautiful eyes. Hell, I’ll take you tellin’ me to fuck off.” Bane’s soothing voice drags me from the darkness. I slowly open my eyes to find him sitting there next to me, holding my hand between his. His eyes are closed, but I can still tell he’s exhausted.
My heart leaps at the idea of him being here. Holding my hand. Calling my eyes beautiful. The last thing I remember is him standing with his brothers, a bunch of skanks hanging over them. Then he’d seen me heading toward him, and he’d pushed the woman out of his way. Even more, he’d begged me to hold on. I can still hear his voice as he told me not to give up.
Tears well and spill down my cheeks. My breath hitches, and Bane’s eyes snap open to meet my own.
“Fuck, Demi,” he murmurs, jumping out of his seat and moving to sit on the side of the bed next to me. Leaning forward, Bane gingerly places his forehead against mine. “Don’t ever leave me like that again.”
“I’ll try not to,” I croak, and he pulls away to grab me a small cup off the tray next to my bed.
“Here, Duchess, take a couple small sips.”
Nodding, I oblige, though, I want nothing more than to chug the cold water to soothe my parched throat.
Bane pulls the cup away from my lips and places it back on the table. “I gotta get the doctor. Let them know you’re awake. But first, I gotta tell you a few things.”
Um, okay?
Did something happen to Emery? Stone? The machines I’m hooked up to start beeping faster as my heart picks up its pace. “What is it?”
“First, baby, calm down. I’m not trying to overwhelm you. Not after I finally get you awake after three weeks,” he states.
Three weeks. Damn. I can’t believe it’s been three weeks since I’d been shot.
“Okay,” I whisper, attempting to regain control of my racing heart.
“Now the main thing you need to know is everyone is safe. Emery and Stone are good. Shit, Emery and Scorch are expecting their second baby.” He grins at the announcement.
I smile, truly happy for my sister.
“Second thing you need to know is we’re not in Carolina anymore. We’re back in Scotland,” Bane announces, shocking me. “Shit went down, and we’re dead men walking. Only a select few know we’re still alive, and that’s the way it’s going to be. I’m not going to tell you anything else for now.”
Holy hell.
“But what about the club? Your brothers?” I ask, baffled by all this new information.
“They’re all here, Duchess. We’re brothers for a reason. We stick together no matter if we’re the Royal Bastards or Rogue Drifters. Either way, the code still stands for us. We have each other’s backs through it all.”
I’m surprised by all of this but more than that by the very fact he’s here at all.
“Before you get the doctor, can you tell me why you’re being so sweet?” I ask, blurting the question out hoarsely.
“Yeah,” Bane says, giving me a gentle smile, and reaches up to palm the side of my face. “I’m sweet to you because I finally pulled my head out of my ass and got with the program. I fuckin’ love you, Demi, and now that I got you back, I’m not letting you go.”
I suck in a shuddering breath at his words. He loves me.
Bane just declared he loves me, and he’s not letting me go.
“Please tell me this isn’t a dream.”
The feel of Bane’s lips against mine answers my question but to confirm, he chuckles. “No, baby, this isn’t a dream. It’s real, and I’m not waiting a decade to be with you. Life happens and spirals into chaos constantly, but we’re gonna be doing it together.”
Wow.
He did not just say that.
“And what if I said I didn’t love you?” I ask softly. I know it’s a lie, but I want to see what he says.
“Demi, you can’t lie to me,” Bane smirks, pulling away from me to meet my gaze, but he uses his thumb to brush against my lips. “I know you, and I know your delectable body. You’re mine Duchess, heart, body, and soul. The same goes for me. I’m yours,” he informs me. “Besides you told me so as I watched you nearly die in my arms.
I suck in a breath at his words. I don’t remember telling him I loved him. Fighting back the tears wanting to prick my eyes, I lift a hand not filled with IVs and place it over my heart. At least he knew I loved him if I had in fact died instead of being saved.
Bane stands and drops his hand from my face and uses both his hands to lift his shirt. My eyes follow his movements and again I find my breath swishing from my lungs at what he’s done. Right above his heart is a tattoo of a Celtic symbol that holds my name directly above it. “See, my heart is yours.”
Smiling at him. I allow the tears burning to spill over to do just that. “I love you, Bane. But please promise me you won’t hurt me.”
I don’t think I can handle him hurting me.
“Baby, you don’t have anything to worry about. I’m never going to do that. Not anymore. I can promise you that,” he informs me, bending at the waist and pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Now I’ve got to get the doctor so we can make sure your okay.”
Nodding, I lean into the pillow and follow him with my eyes out the door and smile. Finally, I’ll get my happy ending, even if it’s in the midst of a shitstorm spiral into chaos. I’ll be sure to stand next to Bane and my family to face whatever it is because it’s what we do.
The end . . . for now!