Craving Rose (The Aces' Sons 5)

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I woke at some point later to the most awful choking noise I’d ever heard in my life.

Chapter 18

Mack

My first thought was that something was choking me.

Second, was Rose.

Hands pinned me down as my eyes flew open.

“Jacob,” a woman said. “Jacob, you’re okay. You’re in a hospital.”

I didn’t give a fuck where I was. There was something in my goddamn throat. I gagged violently as my eyes searched the faces leaning over me, not recognizing any of them.

I didn’t want to hit the pretty woman leaning down in my face, but I would if I had to. I jerked my arms and fire spread through my chest, almost making my eyes roll back in my head.

Then I heard Rose’s voice and everything stopped. I searched the room, trying to see past the medical personnel doing their damnedest to keep me still.

“Hey, baby,” she said, pushing her way between the man holding my arms and the nurse.

She looked like shit.

Jesus Christ, she was beautiful.

“You had to have surgery,” she said, glaring at the nurse who wouldn’t move from her spot by my head. Then Rose’s eyes met mine, and my shoulders relaxed. “That’s why you have a breathing tube.” The minute she said something about it, I was hyper aware of the tube in my throat again, and I gagged so hard that it felt like I was going to vomit up my balls.

“Stay still and they’ll take it out,” Rose said.

I don’t know how I differentiated between all the hands gripping me, but I knew the instant Rose wrapped her fingers around my arm. Okay. Yeah, okay. I’d be still. I nodded and forced my body to relax again.

It only took a few minutes to take the tube out, but it was seriously fucking unpleasant. My mouth was dry and my throat burned as the nurse packed up her supplies. She was speaking to me, and I probably should have tried paying attention to what she said, but all I wanted was for her to get the hell out of my face.

I opened my mouth to speak when the nurse moved away, but no sound came out.

“Hey, you,” Rose said, smiling wide as tears ran down her cheeks.

I thought everyone had left the room, so when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, I startled, jerking my head to the side.

“It’s just me, Jacob,” my mom said soothingly.

I looked at Rose questioningly.

“They called your parents when they couldn’t find us,” she said. “They got here a couple hours after you were brought into surgery.”

Rose lifted a cup of water and swabbed my mouth with a little sponge.

“You okay?” I rasped as she turned to put the cup back down.

“I’m fine,” she said.

I didn’t believe her. I ignored my mom as she spoke and reached out to catch Rose’s wrist as she fidgeted with my blankets. I needed to look at her, really look at her.

I’d never forget the moment I heard shots outside, knowing that I’d sent her out there, defenseless. I’d done the right thing—the only thing I could’ve done. We hadn’t had any other choice—I knew that. But I’d still cursed and yelled and tore at my bindings, crazy with fear and rage. All of the movement and strain had made the bleeding worse and I’d only gotten to the bottom of the stairs by the time asshole number one had come barreling down them.

“I’m okay, Mack,” she said softly, bringing me back to the present. “Just tired.”

How long had I been in the hospital? What day was it? Had she gotten any rest at all? I knew just looking at her that she hadn’t had a chance to shower yet. Her hair was greasy and pulled back in a knot at the back of her head, and I wasn’t sure whose clothes she had on, but they weren’t hers.

“I’m going to go grab Kara,” my mom said. “She’ll want to come back to see you.”

“Give us a minute, first,” I said painfully, clearing my throat when I was done. Damn, my throat was sore.

“Sure, son.” She smiled at me and squeezed my arm before walking away.

Then, all my attention was on the woman next to me, staring at me like I was going to disappear at any moment.

“You’re okay?” I asked again. I couldn’t quite believe that she was there, that I could feel her smooth skin under my fingertips.

I’d thought she was dead. It was the only thing that had kept me on my feet when I’d ambushed the asshole in the basement. I thought he’d killed her.

“I’m okay,” she replied, putting her hand over mine on her wrist. “I was able to get to the clubhouse and tell the boys where you were.”

I smoothed my fingers over her wrist and paused when I felt the edge of a bandage.