Wanting More (Mitchell Family #5)(35)
Author: Jennifer Foor

"Walk!"

With him not giving me his word, I worried about him hunting down Conner. It wasn’t that I thought he couldn’t handle himself. In all honesty, Conner could take Rick down easily, but I didn’t want him involved. The man had come to tell me that he loved me and instead of me saying it back, I wasn’t going to ever talk to him again.

On the ride home, Rick said more degrading things to me, but I was so numb that I heard none of it. Conner’s words to me were all I could think of. I shouldn’t have hesitated. I should have told him the very next second that he was everything I ever wanted and the thought of being without him was terrifying to me. He needed to know that I was so madly in love with him that I would let him go to protect him.

Rick never touched me again that night. He barely said two words to me when I gave him his plate of food. Obviously, I had no appetite and chose to retire to my bedroom for the night. I just wanted to talk to him one last time and know that everyone was okay. I sat in the bathtub and cried my eyes out for the longest time. Something had happened to make Conner leave me like he did and now I had no way of knowing what it was. I was worried about him and his family. I kept hoping that it wasn’t Miranda. She could have been in early labor.

I was never going to be free from this man. I knew if I called the police he would eventually get out and come after me. This was never going to end. I was stuck in this awful situation, with no family or friends to help me.

I didn’t know what to do. I had two grand hidden at the salon, but running wasn’t going to be the answer. He would find me and hurt me worse. I was petrified of how much worse it could get if I continued to fight him.

When I finally climbed into bed, I cried myself to sleep.

Chapter 21

Conner

Nothing could have stopped me from hearing Amy’s reaction, well, nothing except hearing that my sister had been in an accident. Ty’s father had made the call to me, so I could only assume that he had bolted down the road to get to where she and Bella were. I knew it was serious when he said we all needed to get there as soon as possible. I mean, nothing can prepare you for hearing that, especially when it’s someone that you love.

My sister was always the constant in my life; the one person that was always there for me no matter how bad I’d f**ked up. By the time I got back to the farm, they were waiting in their vehicle. I climbed in the back, shaking worse than I had my whole life. Losing my dad as a kid was awful, but not knowing how severe things were made me think that there was a possibility that I could lose my sister.

I heard my cell ringing a few times, but I couldn’t answer it to explain what was happening. I just needed to get to Miranda.

You know things are bad when you get to a hospital and the person you are looking for is still in surgery. Ty’s parents weren’t able to find Ty, because he was back in some area that they wouldn’t let us get through. We had to sit there not knowing what was happening. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the rest of the family showed up. My aunt went and got two hotel rooms to sleep in once we got some news. My mother went all apeshit on the staff and finally located Bella. We were so relieved to hear about her not being injured. Unfortunately, Bella had some news of her own.

She came out with a nurse and ran toward me first, and then my mother. She was my little buddy, especially after living with her for so long. As the family huddled around her she started to get upset. "Where did my daddy go?"

"He’s back with mommy, Bells."

She shook her head. "No, they won’t let us see her. He told me when we saw Jake and Jax. Daddy was crying real bad."

I pulled her into my arms and hugged her tight. "He’s just worried. Daddy will be fine."

"I just want to go home, Uncle Conner. Mommy had the babies so now we get to go home." She didn’t understand and it broke my damn heart into pieces.

"Mommy is getting fixed by the doctors." My mother tried to make her understand.

"Does she have boo boos?" Her little lip was trembling.

My mother started playing with Bella’s blonde hair. "Yeah, baby, she’s got boo boos."

Things were better with the whole family together, but as the time went by, we were losing hope that my sister was going to make it. Finally, we learned that she had been taken to the ICU. Since she was out of surgery and there was nothing else we could do, half of us went back to the hotel to get a good night’s sleep. Savanna and Colt stayed with my mother, while all the rest of us tried to get some rest. With my sister not out of the woods, I laid there wide awake. There were two beds in the room and Ty’s parents were already asleep in one of them. Bella and I laid together in the other one. She cuddled up in my arms and traced my tattoo. "Uncle Conner, how come you’re not married?"

"Cause when I was your age I got cooties." I tickled her when I said it and she squealed.

"You don’t have cooties. Mommy says only little boys get cooties."

I kissed the top of her head. "How’d you get so smart kiddo?"

She shrugged her little shoulders. "I have no idea. Is Noah coming here tomorrow?"

"No, he is home with Auntie Lucy."

"I don’t like it here. I’m scared."

She kept tracing the lines on my arm and I could tell she was sad. "Were you scared when you got into the accident?"

"We hit a deer. Mommy said it happens all the time. I wish my daddy was with us. I heard mommy yelling his name."

If I’d have tried harder none of us would even be here. I felt like I could have prevented it all if I’d only thrown myself into my Heather project. My sister was fighting for her life, while Ty was hanging onto the notion of losing them either way.

"Your mommy and daddy love each other very much. He got here as fast as he could." Drunk or not, he’d made it there in one piece.

"Did you know I got to see my brothers?"

It was a good time to change the subject. "I bet they’re cute."

She shrugged. "Yeah."

She got sad again and started to sniffle. "What’s wrong Bells?"

"What if daddy and mommy love them more than me? Will I have to live somewhere else?"

I sat up and grabbed her little face. "You listen here. Your mommy and daddy love you all the same. You know you’re their special girl. Don’t even think stuff like that, kiddo."

"I want my daddy."

She must have woke up Ty’s mom because she reached her arms out and called for her. Bella went running over and climbed into bed with her grandmother.

I checked my messages and was disappointed that I had nothing from Amy. I hated that I could only call her certain times. Right now, I needed to hear her pretty voice. I’m sure by now she was worried sick.