Crazy Beautiful Love (The Martelli Brothers #1)(68)
Author: J.S. Cooper

“Where’s Logan?” I cried out, and my mom looked over at me with a pained expression before walking over to me slowly.

“How are you feeling, Maddie?” Her eyes flashed in sympathy and my stomach dropped.

“Where is Logan?” I screamed out in fear.

“He’s in the ER.” She grabbed my hand. “I don’t know what—”

“I need to go and see him, he needs me,” I started crying. “How could Dad have shot him? You told me that everything would be okay.”

“I’m so sorry, Maddie.”

“It’s all my fault, if I would have just left him alone,” I mumbled. “This is all my fault. If he dies, oh my God, what am I going to do if he dies?”

“Maddie, none of this is your fault.” She sighed. “Your father is a bad man. I’m so sorry, Maddie. I never should have let things go this far. I knew when you told me that you were falling for Logan that something bad would happen. I had hoped that we could talk to your dad, that hopefully his love of you would change him. Make him a better person. He’s a very evil man, Maddie.”

“But you love him.” I looked at her in confusion.

“I was blinded by love, and it cost me everything. That is why Logan’s mom left him. She saw him for who he was, and she tried to warn me. But I was so jealous I didn’t want to hear it, so I pretended that she was the enemy.” She shook her head. “Look at what I did. I ruined so many lives. I’m not sure how I can ever make any of this right.”

“Oh, Mom.” I cried into her shoulder as she hugged me. “I don’t understand but I’m sorry. I still love you. Where is Dad?” I looked into her eyes, worried. I was scared that he was at this moment trying to think of a way to ensure he ruined the Martellis’ lives even more than he already had.

“He’s at the police station,” she paused. “In a cell.”

“What?” My eyes popped open. “How come?”

“We’ll discuss it later. For now we should go and see how Logan is. He should be coming out of surgery right about now.”

“Surgery?” I frowned. “How long have I been here?”

“Four hours.” She smiled at me gently. “You hit your head quite hard.”

“Where are Jared and Vincent? Are they okay or—” I couldn’t say the words out loud. Were they in jail as well?

“We’re here.” Jared smiled at me weakly from the door, and they both walked into the room, looking dazed and traumatized.

“Hey.” I sat up and stared at them both with love filling my heart. “How’s Logan?” I chewed my lower lip.

“They haven’t said yet.” Vincent kissed my cheek. “He’ll be okay.”

“He has to be okay.” Jared took the words right out of my mouth.

“I’m so sorry.” I started crying again and they both looked at me in dismay.

“It’s not your fault.” Jared stared at me with passionate eyes. “We know that. It’s not your fault. It’s your evil dad’s.” He looked over at my mom, and his face turned red. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.” My mom’s voice was loud and clear. “It was his fault, and I’m sorry for everything. None of this should ever have happened. It has to stop here.” She pulled out her phone and walked towards the door. “I need to make some calls, please excuse me.” She left the room, and I stared at Logan’s brothers in silence. What could I say to them to make it better? It seemed to me that I, or everything that I represented, had ruined their lives.

“Maddie,” Vincent began. “Jared and I want you to know that no matter what happens, you will always be our sister.”

“Oh.” I felt overwhelmed with emotions and looked down at my hands. How could they be so sweet and loving to me? After everything.

“You’re a part of the family now, Maddie.” Jared gave me a warm smile and took my hand. “It’s what Logan would want.”

“I want to go and see him.” I attempted to get out of bed but fell back slightly because I felt woozy. Both Vincent and Jared rushed to my side, and I smiled at them thankfully, my heart filled with warmth and love once again. I just didn’t understand how anyone in River Valley could have judged these boys so unfairly. To know each and every one of them was to love them. They were the most loving and courteous men I had ever met.

“Lean on me.” Vincent smiled at me as he offered his arm. “We can go and see if Logan is out of surgery.”

“Take my other arm.” Jared smiled down at me from the other side, and they both helped me as we walked to the ER.

“I’ll die if anything happens to him,” I whispered. “He has to be okay.”

“He’ll be okay.” Vincent’s voice was confident. “He’s Logan Martelli, he will always be okay.”

I looked over at him, and I saw the strain in his smile, even though his words were positive. He was as worried as I was, and he was trying to convince both of us that our worlds weren’t about to end. We stopped in the ER waiting room, and we all sat there in silence, waiting for someone to come and give us the word.

“Are you a relation of Logan Martelli?” A middle-aged man walked into the ER with a clipboard and we all jumped up.

“Yes, I’m his brother,” Vincent spoke up, and we waited for the doctor to speak. I felt myself going weak and I held onto Jared’s arm tightly. He looked at me with concern, and held onto me with a tighter grip.

“Logan just got out of surgery. I’m afraid that—”

“Oh my God, no!” I screamed, and I felt like my heart was being pulled out of my body. “No, please, God, no.”

“Ma’am, calm down.” The doctor gave me a harried look. “I was just about to say I’m afraid he is still under due to the drugs we gave him. However, his prognosis is good, the bullet only grazed him, so he is very lucky.”

“But he was unconscious, the— the blood,” I mumbled incoherently.

“It is likely he fainted from the shock,” the doctor continued. “He did lose a lot of blood, but we were able to contain it.”

“So he’s going to be okay?” I asked in disbelief.

“Yes, he should make a full recovery.” The doctor nodded and then turned away. “He should be up and able to talk in a few hours.”