Save Them (The Broken Souls Series Book 2) Read online

  "A really big man with blonde hair and blue eyes came in the ambulance with you," one nurse says, an appreciative smirk on her face. "I put him in the private waiting room, down the hall from triage."

  "That's Riggs," I sigh with relief, pushing down the tears threatening to fall. I’m vulnerable enough laying in this bed, they don’t need to see my tears as well.

  The doctor nods in confirmation towards the nurse then turns to me, placing a hand on my arm. "I'll go grab your men for you. You rest up a bit, and someone will be in shortly to do blood work."

  Laying my head back down, the nurse that spoke of Riggs comes up to the side, adjusting my bed to a more inclined position.

  "These buttons here will raise and lower the top and bottom parts of the bed. This little remote hanging off this side with the red button is to call any of us at the nursing station," she speaks softly, demonstrating everything on the bed for me. "My name is Hannah, please ask for me if it would make you more comfortable. I'm going to run and grab some water for you to sip on."

  "Thank you. Would you be able to turn the lights down a bit? It's just hurting my head a lot."

  Hannah flicks a couple switches as she leaves, leaving only the lights at the end of my room on. Squeezing my eyes shut to try and dull the throbbing on the left side of my head, I wince at the feeling. It's like a second heartbeat developed in my head, and it's pounding away at near deafening levels. Passing out from fear is not new to me, it’s a survival instinct I developed, according to my therapist, to save me from remembering some of the torture. Every time it happens, I wake up with a terrible migraine and feel out of it for the next twenty four hours.

  The hospital is duty bound to make sure I’m okay, running tests and checking me over, but I know it will all come back normal. This is because of him and the other monsters parading as foster parents that took my childhood innocence and ripped it away from me. It was a defense mechanism that I never should have needed to have. Now, just hearing his name, knowing he’s somehow stalking me, is enough to trigger it all over again.

  “Thank god.” Riggs’ voice rumbles throughout the small room, bringing a watery smile to my face.

  Opening my eyes to see the three of them surrounding my hospital bed is enough to break the wall surrounding my emotions. It’s like a switch flips, and all my fear, worry, pain, and relief comes pouring out. The sobs that wrack my body make my head throb even harder, but none of that matters as the three men I trust more than anyone else comfort me.

  “We’ve got you, Lay. You’re safe with us,” Rhys whispers, kissing the top of my head.

  Riggs grabs my hand, kissing the knuckles and silently comforting me. Adam stands at the bottom of my bed, holding my feet under the blankets and looking upset and uncomfortable. Without thinking, I reach out my hand, beckoning him forward to squeeze in up here with the other two. I haven’t had the time to explore my relationship with him as much as I have the other two, but I want him here with me just as much.

  “Thank you. For being here. When I woke up, I was worried you wouldn’t come. I know me being in your life is a huge burden, with shit going wrong every second. I’ve brought more than enough grief and drama onto your doorstep already.” Sucking in a breath and holding it, I pull my shoulders back and get ready to lay my heart out there. “But having the three of you still here with me means more than you will ever know. The three of you have come to mean so much to me in such a short time, something that isn’t an easy feat when I push everyone away.”

  “You don’t have to thank us,” Adam scoffs, shaking his head at me. “There is no way in hell that we would leave you now. We are in this with you, every single step of the way whether you want us there or not. You didn’t bring us anything we can’t handle.”

  “He’s right,” Riggs mumbles, brushing a stray tear from my cheek. “You’re stuck with us. There’s no way to get rid of us now. We will protect you and love you the way you should have been loved and protected your entire life. You are not alone anymore.”

  Rhys hums his agreement, his cheek pressed to the top of my head. Soft tears fall at their declarations, the broken child inside of me overjoyed and terrified all at the same time. Others have said sweet words and made hollow promises to me, each one letting me down and hurting me. These three are different though. All three of them have already proven to me time and time again that they are good people. Adam came off badly at the beginning, but it was from a place of trauma which is something I fully understand. People would say I’m a bitch too, which I am, but it comes from trying to avoid people who could hurt me.

  “I’m so tired of being a victim,” I confide, twisting my fingers together in my lap. “I told myself it would stop happening. I’m an adult, I should be able to protect myself. Why?” I break, my voice shaking as the tears overwhelm me. “Why me?”

  “No one can really answer why bad things happen to some people more than others,” Adam answers, his eyes holding my own with sympathy. “Some people believe you only get dealt what you can handle, I personally think that’s bullshit. Look at Declan, he couldn’t handle everything that came at him. That said, you have a strength in you that I’ve never seen in anyone else. You’re a fucking hellcat, baby, and even the depths of hell can’t hold you.”

  “Plus, you have us. This isn’t all sitting on your shoulders,” Rhys chimes in, lifting my chin to look at him. “We’ve got you, Lay. We will also protect you, with everything we have in us. We’re all broken souls, but we fit together pretty damn perfectly. Each of us has dealt with our fair share of bad shit, that doesn’t mean it will always be this way. Our happy ending is coming, I can feel it.”

  “Always the optimist,” I half-heartedly tease as my heart soars in my chest. It feels like there isn’t much room left in my chest with how much my heart is flying all over the place. This is too much, these guys are too good to me. Something will fuck it all up, it always does.

  “Oh, busy room.” Hannah steps into the room, a cheeky smile and a wink sent in my direction. “Here’s your water, sweetheart. Let me know if you need anything else. Bloodwork will be here in about five minutes.”

  “Thanks, Hannah,” I murmur, taking a sip from the water and sighing in relief.

  Riggs is staring at the nurse as she leaves, making me a bit uncomfortable until he turns to me, his face drained of all colour. Adam reaches across me, his arms out and ready to grab Riggs if he starts to faint or fall.

  “Dude, wh—” Rhys starts then stops, looking to the door then back to Riggs with understanding shining in his eyes. “Hannah. The nurse’s name was Hannah—”

  “Like your sister,” I gasp, the story Riggs told me the night of my bar fire coming back to me. “Riggs, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have—” I stop, unsure what to even say here. “I’m so, so sorry.”

  “I’m okay,” he whispers, his voice so quiet and fragile it breaks my heart with every word spoken. “It was just a shock; the last time I was in a hospital was after Hannah’s accident. You did nothing wrong, Lay. Don’t apologize.”

  “It’s kinda freaky,” Adam blurts out, his filter so badly broken it’s almost funny. “Dude, I’ve got goose pimples.”

  “Say that again?” I question, a confused laugh popping out. Now is not the time to laugh, it’s actually really inappropriate given the somber mood of the room.

  “It’s freaky?” Adam smirks, teasing me to lighten the mood. He knows I mean him saying goose pimples, but this guy can’t handle being serious for long periods of time.

  “You’re an ass,” Rhys tosses out, smacking him upside his head with an eye roll.

  Looking over at Riggs, I see him watching all of us, a small smile on his lips. The colour is returning to his face, the shock and fear of before dissipating the longer he watches the other guys go back and forth. His eyes move to me, so much raw feeling and affection in his eyes I almost drop my gaze, but force myself to hold it. He needs to see those feelings reciprocated, because they very much ar
e.

  “Knock, knock!” An older man’s voice comes from the doorway, a cart with monitors, vials, and needles on it for taking blood. “I’m here for Ms. Morgan. Would we be able to clear out just for a quick couple of minutes? It won’t take long at all.”

  The guys silently talk between themselves, their eyes darting between the three of them before Rhys nods at the other two. Riggs kisses my forehead as Adam kisses my hand, both of them leaving the room after. Rhys stays behind, a hard look in his eyes begging the man to argue with him about staying. The older man just smiles tensely, turning towards me and introducing himself.

  The whole time my blood is being taken the atmosphere in the room is suffocating. Rhys is ever vigilant by my side, his eyes never straying from the poor man just trying to do his job. I know they’re going to be more protective of me since we found a full on dead body in my bed, but this seems overkill. The moment the older man leaves, the bubble of tension pops, and I let out a deep breath of relief.

  “What the fuck was that?” I ask the moment the other two step back inside the room. “A touch overkill, don’t you think?”

  “Nothing is overkill right now, babe. There’s a man out there killing women, women that look just like you because he wants to hurt you. We can’t take any chances,” Rhys explains, his gaze pleading with me to understand. “Let us protect you.”

  “I understand where you’re coming from,” I say slowly. It takes me a moment to find the words I need to say, especially while not fighting with them. “You can’t suffocate me while you do it, though. I’m a person, not a priceless artifact you’re trying to keep safe. Respect me and my wishes while you protect me.”

  “Understood,” the guys murmur, each one of them nodding their agreement. Adam flashes me a smile, winking at me to show his approval of me standing up for myself.

  The night drags by with a series of tests that all come back normal before I’m released from the hospital at five o’clock in the morning. The guys and I drag ourselves out of the hospital, towards Rhys’ car. My mind is numb, the acetaminophen the doctor gave me for my head still holding strong. As we pile in the car, my body goes on red alert before my mind catches up with my reaction.

  “I can’t—” I gasp, my heart racing and the blood rushing through my ears. The panic consumes me, the images of Rachel dead and decaying in my bed, making me sick to my stomach. Cold hands cup my face, moving my hair out of my face as I retch onto the pavement beneath me now. How I got out of the car, I don’t know, but for Rhys’ sake, I’m thankful.

  “Alayna,” Rhys rumbles, his voice right above me. “It’s okay, Lay. We’re not going back there. We have somewhere else to stay. We’ve got you, baby. Come back.”

  The panic recedes enough for the words to fully sink in. We aren’t going to the house, we’re going somewhere else. No beds with dead bodies, no stalkers watching me break down. Just the guys, myself, and somewhere safe. Safe, I need safe. Nodding that I understand, I stay on my hands and knees for a moment longer, waiting for logical thought to come back.

  “I’m back. Take me away from here,” I finally whisper, getting to my feet shakily and falling into the arms of one of my men. My men. My protectors. My beautiful fucking heroes.

  Chapter Three

  Alayna

  The cottage we’re staying at is beautiful. It’s a large four bedroom cottage with a beautiful log-cabin feel. Not that I’ve seen much of it past the bedroom I’m staying in. The heaviness that’s settled in my body has made moving from this spot so fucking difficult. It’s like the weight of everything going on is sitting on my back, holding me hostage as I fight with the memories of not just the recent horrors, but my past horrors as well.

  My sleep is haunted with visions of Rachel on my bed that slowly morph into me lying there, Kevin Jennings standing over me and laughing as he drags his favourite knife down my torso. Every night I wake up screaming, my body drenched in sweat, as I sob into my pillow, one of the guys brushing my hair from my face. During the day, it’s staring into oblivion, the exhaustion from the night making me want to sleep while the fear of the dreams keeps me awake.

  Deep down I know this isn’t sustainable, my mental health declines further every day. Lack of sleep, panic attacks, uncontrollable sobbing, and very little in the way of food and water are causing me to wither away. Soon there won’t be anyone to stalk or protect, I’ll be merely a shell of a human, nothing left of me to be of any use to anyone.

  "Please, Lay. We need you to eat something," Adam begs, the pleading in his eyes enough to make me reach for the toast he's holding.

  This is how it goes every time one of them brings me food. They offer, I ignore it, they beg and plead with me until I give in. The pain in their eyes is too much for me, it's the only thing that cracks through the numbness surrounding me. A few bites is all I can manage, unfortunately, until my stomach revolts again. They're all trying so hard to care for me while I lay here like a selfish bitch, refusing their help.

  "I'm sorry." My voice is hollow and raspy. The screaming every night is killing my throat. Still, the pain reminds me I'm alive so I grasp onto it tightly. "I'm sorry I'm so weak."

  "You're not weak, hellcat. You're so strong." Adam brushes the hair out of my face, his touch so gentle and comforting. "I see you fighting. To most people you look like you're giving up and letting the pain inside of you win, but I see you. There's fight in those eyes every time you take a bite of food for us. There's strength in you every time you cuddle into one of us and close your eyes to sleep, knowing what awaits you in your dreams. You're fighting, baby, and I need you to keep fighting."

  Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nod as a single tear slides down beside my eye, splashing onto the pillow underneath my head. As much as I just want this all to be over, he's right. I'm fighting for him, for them, for the chance to have my happy ending. So much of my life has been taken from me, I refuse to have the rest of it taken by my mental illness. It's a silent fight, one very few even notice. It looks like weakness to some people, the ones who have never had to battle the demons inside their own minds. Those people are wrong. This is strength, and when I finally beat my demons back into submission, my physical strength will come back as well.

  Adam sits with me for a while, coaxing bites of food into me and chasing it with water. He talks about his community centre and the new basketball courts they're putting in. Apparently, one of the previous kids accidentally broke one hoop a while back, and they're finally able to replace them. The kids are ecstatic, and Adam's eyes light up as he talks about them. My eyes want to drift shut just from listening to the sound of his voice, but the urge to watch the happiness and delight on his face is too much to pass over.

  His joy sparks a light in my chest, one that burns brighter with every excited word from his mouth. It makes me want to see everything he's talking about and meet these kids that bring him so much happiness. Laying in bed, wasting away in my pit of despair isn't going to get me there. Taking my first step to healing will though. It's going to be a lot of baby steps with quite a few falls, yet I think I'm almost ready to take the first one.

  "I've got to head out and meet the contractor, are you going to be okay here?" Adam asks, his beautiful hazel eyes darkening once again with concern.

  "Yeah," I answer truthfully for the first time in a week. "Yeah, I'll be okay."

  "Okay," he mumbles, leaning in to kiss my forehead softly. "Rhys is still here if you need anything. I'm sure he'll be in to check on you in a bit anyways."

  After Adam leaves, I roll on to my back, staring at the ceiling in contemplation. Deciding to take the first step to taking back my life is one thing, figuring out which step is the first one is another. A shower is probably a good place to start, fuck knows how the guys have been anywhere near me the past week without showering. Hell, I haven't even brushed my teeth this week, the depression, anxiety, and c-PTSD made damn sure I never left this bed except to use the bathroom which I waited until the last
possible minute to do.

  It's time. It's time to get out of this bed, brush my teeth, have a shower, and become human again. It's time for me to stop shutting off my emotions and actually deal with them. The numbness can't last forever, and I need to be a big girl again and deal with my shit. Seeing Adam happy for the first time in a week really drove home how much I'm hurting myself and the guys. They don't deserve to be so sad all the time because I can't get my shit together. That ends now.

  Inhaling deeply through my nose, I push myself to sit up and attempt to run my fingers through my hair. Bad choice, the week long unwashed and unbrushed hair needs about a bottle of shampoo and conditioner to make it manageable again. The problem, it now sounds like a lot of work, and I'm wondering if I even have the energy to do it. A piece of toast and some water is what I'm running on today which is hardly enough to live on let alone have energy from.

  The time ticks by as I fight with myself about whether or not I can even get out of bed. A knock sounds at the door just as I hear Rhys' voice yell out that he's coming in. Since I've been out of it and not answering when they knock, they've taken to doing it this way so I know who's coming in. Rhys pokes his head in, his eyes widening in surprise to see me sitting up.

  "Are you okay? Do you need something?" he asks, rushing inside to sit on the edge of the bed beside me.

  "A shower," I say with a small laugh, the sound foreign and weird to me. Fuck, that makes me cringe that the sound of my laugh is odd to me. "Or a bath. Whatever I can actually make myself manage."

  A huge smile spreads across Rhys' face, the sight making me smile slightly back at him before I remember I haven't brushed my teeth in a week. Fucking cringe again.

  "And brush my teeth," I mutter behind pressed together lips. "I'm so gross."

  "You're not gross," Rhys assures me, though I know he's lying. I'm straight up disgusting right now. "Let me help you get in the bathroom, and I'll run a bath for you. I know after a bad episode like you've had, that simple tasks can be a lot harder than normal."