Use Me Page 21

  “I’m going to go see if I can find us some coffee,” Abby said, and I smiled tightly at her. I loved her and was happy she and Kenny had started something.

  “I’ll come with,” Kenny offered, and the two of them left.

  The surreal feeling returned as I sat down next to Andy and Claire. I couldn’t imagine what they were going through. Kids are supposed to outlive their parents. What if that wasn’t true in this case? I didn’t know how long Rhys was in surgery for, but longer than a few minutes to remove a bullet was too long for my liking. I wanted to rush in and hug him, kiss him, run my hands over his entire body to make sure he was still alive.

  But what if he wasn’t?

  What if he was shot in the head? What if he was shot in some artery and they couldn’t stop the bleeding? So many scenarios rushed through my head again and again. The not knowing was killing me. Plus, what do you say to your boyfriend’s parents in this situation? I wanted to tell them that everything would be okay, but I didn’t know that, and I didn’t want to give them false hope.

  Abby and Kenny returned with five cups of coffee. I stared at Abby as she offered to make Andy and Claire’s coffee the way they liked it and Kenny pulled cream and sugar from his coat pocket.

  “Abby,” I called, a thought hitting me.

  She looked over at me. “Yeah?”

  “Don’t you need to get back to work?” I didn’t want her to go, but we’d left in a hurry, and I didn’t tell anyone.

  “I called Leonard and told him what’s going on. They told me to stay and take care of you.”

  I sighed, and my throat started to close again. “Thank you.” We were all silent again, sipping our coffees when another thought occurred to me. “What about Rhys’s work? Isn’t the game on?”

  “I took care of it,” Kenny stated.

  I nodded and took a sip of my coffee. It tasted like shit, but at least it gave me something to do while we waited.

  Finally, a doctor came out. “Family members for O’Neill.”

  You could physically hear and feel the five of us sag in our seats.

  “Why is it taking so long?” Claire asked.

  Andy patted her knee. “Let’s look at it as a good thing. They are still working on him, so he’s not dead.”

  My heart clenched at his words.

  “Don’t say that, Andy!” Claire exclaimed.

  “I’m just saying to think positive.”

  “I just want to know he’s okay,” she replied.

  I looked at Abby and Kenny. He had his arm wrapped around her shoulder, and her head was resting on his. Why couldn’t that be Rhys and me right now? I’d do anything to be in his arms and to know everything’s okay. Instead, the love of my life might be fighting for his, and I might never get to hold him again.

  As we continued waiting, two detectives arrived. “Mr. and Mrs. Cole?” the male cop greeted.

  “Yes?” Andy spoke.

  “We’re Detectives Coulson and Bailey,” Detective Coulson flashed his badge, and then Detective Bailey showed us hers. “We’re investigating the shooting of your son,” he said.

  “Do you know what happened?” Andy asked.

  “Witnesses say that he was shot by a white male driving a red Mustang. Do you know any men who fit that description?” They glanced over at me, and I stood.

  “I don’t think he knows anyone who drives that car, but we don’t really know,” Andy stated.

  “I do.”

  Everyone turned to me. “Your brother, Detective Valor, mentioned that it may be your ex. Is that true?” Coulson asked.

  “Yes, they have a history, and Corey does drive a Mustang.”

  “We’ve sent a team over to his apartment. We should know more in an hour or so.”

  “Do you really think that douche shot him?” Kenny asked.

  “He’s been texting me, and a few weeks ago Rhys told him to leave me alone. He mentioned something about stopping us from being together, but I didn’t think he’d try to kill him.”

  “Is there anyone else you can think of?” Detective Bailey asked.

  All of us shook our heads.

  “Okay,” Coulson noted. “We’ll follow up on Mr. Pritchett, and if you think of anything else, call us.” He handed us his business card.

  “Thank you, detectives.” Claire finally spoke up.

  “We’ll be back first thing in the morning to talk to Rhys and get his statement. We want to wait until the sedation wears off after surgery, but not too long.”

  Did that mean he was going to be okay? Did they know?

  As we waited again for any update on Rhys, I knew deep in my gut that it was Corey who had shot him. I just didn’t understand why. He broke up with me, but now that I was happily dating someone new, he wanted to screw it all up.

  The minutes ticked by, and finally, another doctor came out. When he turned, I realized it was Carter. I stood and rushed to him. “Carter!”

  “Hey, Ash.” He smiled. He actually smiled even though I was in the fucking hospital wanting to know if my boyfriend was going to live. “Rhys is out of surgery.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Are you the surgeon?” Andy asked.

  “I am.”

  “He’s also my brother,” I clarified.

  “I am, and Rhys is going to be fine.”

  Claire gasped. “Oh thank God.”

  I bit my lip, fighting the tears back that decided to reappear. This time from relief.

  “The bullet didn’t hit a major artery, and we were able to remove it and repair the damage to his deltoid muscle, tendons, and the surrounding tissue. After some physical therapy, he should make a full recovery, but we’re going to keep him here for a few days to monitor him.”

  “Can we see him?” Kenny asked.

  “He’s still sedated and hasn’t been moved into a room yet. Visiting hours will probably be over by the time he wakes up, but once he does and we move him into a room, we’ll let one of you go in.”

  “Thank you, Carter.” I hugged him.

  He shook Andy’s hand and then left.

  Rhys was going to be okay, but the thought that Corey was still out there running the streets, made me extremely nervous. I hoped that when the cops showed up at his apartment, he would be there and all of this would be behind us.

  This must have been how Ashtyn felt when she woke up after being knocked out by ether. Though, as I opened my eyes, I didn’t see anyone I knew. The room was filled with people in scrubs, machines, and bright lights. Why were the lights so damn bright?

  “How are you feeling, Rhys?” I looked to my right to see a nurse typing on a computer.

  “Like I got shot,” I deadpanned hoarsely. I could barely speak because my throat felt raw and dry.

  She smiled tightly and nodded. “Because you were.”

  I actually didn’t feel anything except extremely tired. Then it all came flooding back, and I remembered what had happened ...

  I pulled out of the parking garage of my building and turned toward work. For once, it wasn’t snowing, but it was cold as shit. Even though I’d lived in Chicago my entire life, the winters never got easier, but having Ashtyn warming my bed every night was an added bonus. Sure, for the past two years there had always been a woman in my bed—Bridgette—but Ashtyn was different. When I woke each morning, Ashtyn was touching me in some way. Even if it was her arm pressed against mine, I still woke up warm and had all those weird fuzzy feelings in my heart.

  Love.

  When the song switched on the radio, I smiled. One Call Away was streaming through my speakers and Christmas morning flooded my memory.

  Yep, this was love.

  Charlie was serenading me when I got the sense someone was staring at me. Turning my head to the left, my gaze fell on him. Corey Fucking Pritchett. He revved his Mustang, and I rolled my eyes. Fucking prick. What were the odds I’d run into him? Then I remembered that Ashtyn had seen him near her work, and that made me wonder if he
was stalking us.

  She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on, and any man would probably kill to be in my position. I knew that even though Philip was gone, there would probably be more, including Corey. Hopefully, any future stalkers wouldn’t be so extreme. I was okay being the guy with the girl everyone wanted to know. The one who would hold her hand and wonder how I ever got so lucky. That would be me for as long as I was breathing and not Corey Fucking Pritchett or any other man because I was never going to let her go.

  Corey rolled down his window and yelled, “Hey, faggot!”

  I didn’t respond.

  Instead, I turned my head forward and waited for the light to turn green. When it did, I stepped on the gas. Corey did the same, but instead of slowly moving forward, he sped past me and then got in front of me in my lane. He slammed on his breaks, and I stopped hard, coming within inches of hitting him.

  “What the fuck?” I shouted out of anger as we came to a dead stop.

  Cars behind me started to honk, and cars in the left lane kept moving. I looked in the rearview mirror, looking for a break in the line of cars passing us so that I could go around Corey. Instead, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him get out of his car.

  This was it.

  This was the moment I’d waited my entire life for.

  The moment I could finally stand up to the guy who thought I was a punching bag and not a human being.

  Except as I stared at him as he walked toward my driver’s side door, I saw him reach behind his back, and then, for the second time in my entire life, I was staring down the barrel of a gun.

  “You’ve got to be fucking shitting me!”

  “I told you I’d stop you,” he spat.

  My eyes stayed glued to the black hole. The one that at any moment could discharge the bullet that would end my life. How was this happening again? How the fuck was this my life? This time there would be no Ethan rushing in to save the day. I was alone and in my car.

  “Put the gun down, Corey,” I yelled, not rolling down my window as though that could stop a bullet. I held up my hands in surrender and faintly recalled the cars behind me had stopped honking, and no cars were driving past us anymore. Everyone was probably scared he’d turn the gun on them. I was the only lucky one though.

  “Shut up!” he bellowed. “I’m tired of your fucking mouth.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “When you have Ashtyn next to you, you think you’re some big badass. Well, who has the upper-hand now?”

  “Okay, man.” I was going to agree to anything while he was pointing a Glock at my face. “Just put the gun down, and we’ll talk.”

  “You don’t get it. You’ve taken everything from me.”

  “Ashtyn doesn’t want you back.”

  “I don’t want her back either. I want you to pay for ruining my life!”

  It happened in a blink of an eye. I didn’t see Corey fire the gun. What I did hear was my window breaking and then I felt a sharp, burning pain in my arm as I flinched. I grabbed my arm, trying to stop the sting, and the bleeding I assumed was coming from my shoulder and onto my shirt and coat. Then I watched, speechless as Corey ran back to his car and sped away.

  I didn’t know what to do. I was alive. I was conscious, and I was in so much pain when I moved my arm slightly that I wanted to pass out. Still clutching my arm, I startled when a man ran up to my door and flung it open.

  “Are you hit?”

  “Yeah,” I breathed.

  “Help is on the way.”

  “We’re moving you to a private room in just a minute.” I blinked and realized the nurse on the computer was still talking to me.

  I nodded and fell back asleep, no longer able to keep my eyes open.

  When I woke again, I heard more voices.

  “He’ll be in and out for a while until the anesthesia wears off.”

  “I won’t be long.”

  I opened my eyes to see Ashtyn talking to a nurse. “Cupcake,” I whispered gruffly.

  Ashtyn turned her head toward me and then she rushed from the doorway and grabbed my hand on the uninjured side. “Hey, tiger. How are you feeling?”

  “It was Corey,” I responded even though that wasn’t her question.

  She nodded. “I know. I already talked to the cops.”

  “Did they catch him?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Ashtyn.” The nurse poked her head into the room. “I hate to do this, but visiting hours are over, and Rhys needs his rest.”

  “Yeah,” Ashtyn replied. “I’ll come back first thing in the morning.”

  “Not gonna lie, Cupcake. I’m gonna miss sleeping with you tonight.”

  She leaned down and brushed her lips against mine. “All the morphine in your system will help you forget.”

  “I want you to help me forget.”

  Ashtyn snorted. “I see having a life-threatening experience hasn’t changed you.”

  “Not when you’re involved.”

  She kissed me again. “Get some rest. I’ll see you as soon as you can have visitors.”

  I held her wrist so she couldn’t step away. “Are you going to be okay tonight?”

  “I’m staying at Abby’s.”

  “Good.” I nodded.

  She leaned down and kissed me again. “I love you.”

  “Love you too, Cupcake.”

  My pain meds were awesome. I didn’t feel any pain, and I was sleeping like a baby. Nurses came in at different hours to check my vitals and shit. Each time they muttered how well I was doing and then they would leave and I would drift back to sleep.

  True to Ashtyn’s word, she came walking into my room before I was served breakfast. “Are you here to give me a sponge bath?” I grinned.

  Ashtyn chuckled and shook her head slightly, a cup of coffee in her hand. “I see you’re feeling well this morning.” She leaned down and kissed my lips.

  “Can’t even tell I was shot.”

  “I think that’s the morphine still pumping through your veins.”

  I shrugged my good shoulder. “At least I don’t have the pain to remind me I was shot. I still can’t believe it.”

  She sighed and sat in the chair next to my bed. “Me either.”

  “Any word on Corey?”

  “I haven’t heard anything, but the cops should be here soon.”

  My eyes widened as I realized I missed work the night before. “Does my work know?”

  “Yeah, Kenny told them.”

  “Fuck …” I breathed and looked up at the off-white ceiling, still not believing this was all happening.

  “I was so scared,” Ashtyn confessed.

  I looked over to see tears in her eyes and grabbed her hand, lacing our fingers. “You can’t get rid of me that quickly, Cupcake.”

  “I don’t want to get rid of you.” She rolled her eyes.

  “I know. I was joking. You know that’s what I do. Everything’s okay.”

  At that moment a man and woman, both wearing suits, walked into my room. “Good morning, Mr. Cole. I’m Detective Coulson, and this is Detective Bailey. How are you feeling?”

  Okay, that question was going to get old fast. “Drugs are working,” I stated honestly.

  Ashtyn slapped my arm—the one that wasn’t stitched up. “Rhys!”

  The detectives chuckled. “Ms. Valor,” Coulson spoke, “It’s good to see you again. And I have to say it’s good to see you’re in good spirits, Mr. Cole.”

  “Please, call me Rhys, and honestly, I’ll be in better spirits if you tell me you’ve caught the fucker.”

  “I wish we could,” Bailey stated, “but we’re here to get your statement and to see if you know who shot you.”

  “Yes, I know. Corey Fucking Pritchett.”

  “That’s what Ms. Valor told us. We’re following up.” Bailey looked over at Ashtyn.

  “Saw him with my own eyes as I stared down the barrel of the gun.”

  “Do you k
now why he shot you?” Coulson asked.

  “We’ve known each other since high school,” I started and then proceeded to explain everything from how he used to beat me up, how he and Ashtyn dated, what happened New Year’s Eve, and then my phone call with him. I also told them what he said before shooting me.

  “Okay. Well, like I mentioned earlier, we wish we could tell you that he’s in custody,” Detective Bailey stated.

  “How have you not caught him?” Ashtyn asked.

  Bailey continued, “We haven’t been able to locate him.”

  “He’s on the lam?”

  The detectives laughed at my use of the word. “We just haven’t been able to locate him yet,” Coulson replied. “He didn’t come home.”

  “Did you go to his work?” Ashtyn asked.

  “We’re heading there next,” Coulson stated.

  “He used to work the late afternoon shift.”

  “We’ll find him,” Bailey stated.

  They fucking better.

  I was released from the hospital a day later. My parents and sister had come to visit me as well as Kenny, Jett, and Clark. No one could believe that this was my reality. I couldn’t either, but what scared me the most was that Corey was still missing.

  The cops came back the morning I was released from the hospital to give us an update and to see if we’d heard anything. We hadn’t and explained that Ashtyn had blocked Corey’s number. When they asked if she would be willing to unblock his number, I felt as though I might lose my shit. All we wanted was to be left alone, and it seemed that being together was a deadly combination.

  Ashtyn unblocked his number in hopes he’d call, but to me, the only solution I could come up with was that we needed to buy a house stat and get far away from where Corey knew Ashtyn lived. Even though she wasn’t living there, she was only across the street, and if we wanted to walk to Judy’s or lunch or whatever, there was a chance Corey could come out of the shadows and strike again.

  I couldn’t let that happen.

  I knew he could have access to get either one of us on the way to and from work, just like he’d tried with me, but we were going to do one thing at a time for now and get everything settled.