Chapter Sixty Four
Raleigh
“Ro,” I say, his name coming out as a gasped cry.
“Ray, where are you? Are you okay?”
“I love you," rasp into the phone, sobbing as I know my time is running out. “I love you and I’m so damn sorry. Please tell Ryker and Ryler that I’m sorry and that I love them too, so damn much. And tell Lincoln—“
“Fuck no, Ray! What the hell is going on? Just tell me where you are and we will come and get you right the hell now!” I can hear the anger, confusion and building worry in his voice, worry that he won’t dare say aloud.
Shaking my head back and forth, I stand up from the water to peer out the tiny window, taking in the expanse of the dark yard and all the land and wooded area surrounding me that I know is there, but can see due to the early hour. With a resigned whisper, I say, “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean *You don’t know*? What’s around you? Or have you not been able to see outside?” I imagine him pacing back and forth across our living room, running his hand through his too long locks as he tries to figure out a way to save me.
“I tried to escape once. There’s nothing but land, woods and mountains for miles upon miles. But, even if that would do me any good, I’m running out of time!” I explain, the last part coming out as a yell as I begin to panic now that I'm able to hear the sound of the fire as it races towards me.
“No you aren’t, Little Sister! I just had Ryker call Morris and he is tracing your call. He is trying to pinpoint your exact location as we speak.” He sounds hopeful, but his hope is pointless.
“Ro…” I cough, choking out his name as the smoke begins to grow thick in the bathroom. “I. Can’t. Escape.” I barely manage, coughing between each word as the thick plumes roll in, taking away not only all sight but also all the air within the room.. “The house. Is on. Fire.”
“Fuck!” I hear a bunch of commototion on the other end of the line but even with lowering down into the tub as much as I can and putting my phone on speaker, the smoke is still too dense.
Just before the phone slips from my hand and my eyes drift shut, I manage to mutter, “ Tell Lincoln love him…”
——————-
The sound of rhythmic beeping and murmured voices pull me from the strangest dream.
My chest aches to the point that breathing hurts. I try to pull in a breath but only end up coughing, which makes my chest hurt worse, add to that a mysterious burning all over my left arm and a pinching in my right hand.
I try to peel my eyes open but it’s hard, you know that feeling when you’re so tired that you’re eyes feel gritty and dry, or you’ve been sitting around a bonfire and been exposed to smoke for too long, that’s how my eyes feel and I want nothing more than to keep them closed.
The bright lights hurt as I squint, trying to take in my surroundings. White. Everything around me, all I see is white. The walls, the ceiling, the bedding. Everything is completely devoid of color.
But, I know where I am. I’m in the hospital and the beeping and the murmurs that woke me were the monitor that I’m hooked up to, and if I had to hazard a guess, the doctor who is talking to my brothers just inside the door to my room.
“Wha-“ I try to ask what happened but end up in a coughing fit, my mouth and throat too dry to manage words but it gets their attention.
“Raleigh,” all three of them exclaim at the same time, leaving the doctor to rush to my bedside, fighting over who can get to me first. Ro, being the biggest, pushes his way next to me with a glare at the other two, and nods to the open side of the bed.
Kneeling next to me, he grasps ahold of my hand gently. My gaze goes from his face to our joined hands and confusion swirls within me as I take in the bandage wrapped around my arm, which would be why my arm hurts so badly. But what happened?
“What happened?” I ask, looking from our joined hands up to Ro, and then to Ryke and Ryle.
“You don’t remember?” Ro asks, confusion and concern lacing his tone.
I pinch my eyes closed and shake my head back and forth but images of flit through my mind.
*Me being in this large house, held against my will.*
*Trying to escape and being punished for it.*
*My whole body black and blue from his rage.*
*Being assaulted.*
“No…”, I murmur, bringing my hand up to cover my mouth as I begin to cry as the last images hit me.
The images come faster.
*The flash of a face*. A face that is all too familiar, one that I would know anywhere and have loved like another brother for so many years.
*Brady being kind to me.*
*Brady touching me, as if I was his to do with as he pleased.*
*Waking up to the smell of smoke.*
*Julia thrusting my cell phone at me.*
*Calling Ro—-*
“Oh God…” my eyes, filled with tears, seek out my brothers, desperate to see anything but the truth in their eyes. “Please tell me it isn’t true.”
“I’m sorry,” Ro says as he stands, climbs into the bed with me, his large body halfway hanging off the side, and pulls me into his side. Placing a tender kiss against the top of my head, he murmurs against my hair, “I am so sorry.”
“Ms. Stewart,” the doctor finally says, announcing that he’s in fact been in the room this entire time. “I’m Dr. Richard’s. I was just going over our findings with your brothers.” As he says this he glances at Ro, who gives a subtle nod. “Right. So, you suffered some smoke inhalation damage, which is why we have you on a nasal cannula.” I nod in acknowledgment and he continues. “Your left arm has third degree burns. The skin has been debrided and we will be watching closely to see if you will need to have a skin graph done.”
I nod, “Okay,” I murmur,* none of that’s too bad. I can handle that,* I think to myself but as I take in the looks that my brothers are shooting the doctor I realize that there’s more. “Is there something else, Doctor?”
“Yes,” he says, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. “Your brothers gave permission for a rape kit to be performed upon your admittance…” the doctor hedges and I nod, knowing where this is going.
“Yes…” a sobbed cry leaves me as I finally admit out loud to what happened to me to someone other than myself.
Clearing his throat he says, “We concluded that as well. We also found that..well, there’s no easy way to say this Ms. Stewart. You’re pregnant.”
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