Freedom to Ride - Resolution (Raven's MC) (19 page)

“What?” Nate asked confused.

“He was working for Shaun,” Nate heard Deanna speak behind the mask, relief and happiness filling him when he could see strength returning to her.

“Try not to talk. You can explain everything later. Okay?” She tried to smile in response as the paramedics rolled her onto a stretcher and lifted her up.

They walked out of the room and Nate spotted a puddle of blood in the reception area which he knew must be Jamie’s, thankful that he’d already been moved and taken to hospital.

Nate followed the paramedics carrying Deanna, walking by her side and holding her hand as they climbed into a waiting ambulance. He quickly waved at Ethan and Fiona standing nearby, tears flowing down Fiona’s face, and as the doors closed they shouted they’d meet them at the hospital.

CHAPTER 23

“
Please
can you tell me what’s happening with Deanna Gunn?” Nate anxiously enquired as he approached the Hospital reception desk again.

He’d been waiting hours after arriving at the hospital. The whole club had turned up earlier but after a long wait Nate had sent them away, promising to keep them updated. Just a few of them remained and refused to leave until they knew what was happening.

Deanna had been immediately rushed away when the ambulance had first got there and Nate had waited, but his patience had now run out.

They’d already visited Jamie, his injury wasn’t as bad as they initially thought and he was stable and had already been moved onto a ward. Nate had thanked him repeatedly and Jamie had broken down when he’d heard what had happened to Deanna. A couple of the members were watching over him and Nate had assured him he’d let him know once he heard any news about Deanna.

Ethan, Fiona, Logan, Fraser and Megan were all sat together watching him, their faces full of concern and worry. Alice was at home looking after Holly, anxiously waiting for news.

“A Doctor will be with you, sir, as soon as they have an update. Please take a seat. There are refreshments just down the corridor,” the young female receptionist replied, unable to give him any more information.

Nate sighed and walked away, sitting next to Ethan who placed his hand on his back in support.

“I can’t believe this has happened,” Fiona said quietly, as she held Ethan’s hand.

A shiver went through Fiona at the thought that Shaun had hidden in the building when she had been there. If only she’d waited a while longer, Deanna might have had more of a fighting chance.

Nate stared at Ethan and was pleased that things seemed to be going well for his brother and Fiona, but he could hardly feel anything as he was still terrified about Deanna. He knew from first aid training that she was still in danger from secondary drowning, which could still possibly take her away from him.

“Deanna will be fine Nate. She’s a fighter. After everything, do you think she would leave you? Not a chance, she’s too stubborn,” Megan tried to reassure him and he knew what she said was basically true, but Deanna’s body had already taken so much damage over the past few years.

He looked up suddenly as a Doctor entered the waiting room and headed in their direction.

“Are you Deanna Gunn’s husband?” the doctor asked him.

“I am. How is she Doctor?” Nate asked as he jumped to his feet.

“Follow me. You can see her before we move her onto a ward.”

“Can I come too?” asked Megan, desperately needing to see her best friend.

“Yes, but I can only allow the two of you in her room,” the doctor replied.

“Okay, go Nate. Let us know how she is,” Ethan said and the others watched them hurry away.

Nate and Megan followed the doctor into a small private room in the busy A&E department. They quietly entered the room to see Deanna fast asleep on a bed.

He could now clearly see the injuries to her face. Her eyes and nose were swollen, her cheeks mottled with bruises and a small cut was across her throat. Jamie had explained what had happened and Nate now knew the cut was from Shaun as he’d held a knife against her throat. Nate clenched his fists in anger, the overwhelming need to obliterate Shaun still consumed him.

As he walked to her side he leaned over and gently stroked the tangled hair back from her face as he pulled a chair close to the side of the bed.

Part of her gown had slid down and he saw bruising on her shoulder, blind fury filling him as he noticed that they were in the shape of fingertips. Nate remembered how Shaun had been holding her down in the water and the marks proved just how much forced he’d used. She must have been terrified.

“Oh baby,” he said, his voice breaking as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Megan stared at Deanna, unbelieving that this was the second time she was in hospital after an attack. When Megan heard Nate’s voice she was shocked and tried to swallow down the huge lump in her throat. She walked around the bed and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, Nate leaning into her and she held him as he sobbed.

Deanna’s eyes fluttered open as she heard the heartbreaking sounds and she blinked to clear her blurred vision. She turned her head slowly and saw Nate and Megan crying softly together by her side.

“Hey, what you cry babies doing?” Deanna teased, her voice scratchy and throat sore.

As she breathed her chest ached dreadfully. Before she’d fallen asleep the doctor had explained that her fantastic husband had frantically revived her, refusing to let her go. But his efforts had left her very sore and hideous bruising covering her chest. She didn’t want him to see that as he would feel distraught about causing her so much damage, even though his actions had saved her life.

Nate’s head jerked up on hearing her raspy voice, his face agonised.

“Deanna, how you feeling babe?” he asked, wiping the tears from his face as he jumped up and bent over the bed, kissing her lips tenderly. He thanked God they were back to their normal warmth and red colour, shuddering as he remembered them blue, cold and unresponsive when he’d last touched them.

“I’m sick and tired of being in hospital feeling like crap. I’m sorry for scaring you. How’s Jamie?” she asked slowly, every word painful to speak, but she needed to know that he would be alright and hoping she hadn’t unintentionally caused his death.

“He’s stable. He’s actually on a ward here. When you’re better I’ll take you to see him.”

“Thank God, I really want to see him. I have so much to thank him for. He fought Shaun so hard and I thought he was dead,” her voice broke as she remembered Jamie’s pain filled cry and the knife in his stomach.

“I’ve already thanked him. I’m going to make him a Raven after what he did, he deserves it.”

“That’s a lovely idea honey. Hi Megan,” Deanna croaked as she looked away from Nate and tried to smile at her distraught friend.

“Sweetie, don’t you ever do that again to us,” Megan replied, her bottom lip wobbling and eyes glistening. Megan knew that this time they had nearly lost her and it was only thanks to Nate’s relentlessness that she had been brought back.

The moment was interrupted as the same doctor entered the room.

“It’s good to see you awake Deanna. How are you feeling?” The doctor asked as he checked her vitals.

“Okay, especially after everything that happened.”

“I’m sure. As I briefly explained before, you’ve got a broken nose and lots of bruises, plus a small cut on your neck which isn’t too deep, so no major damage. Your chest will be sore for some time due to the resuscitation. However considering how long you stopped breathing and inhaled a considerable amount of water, we need to keep you in for observation for at least forty eight hours. We have to watch you very closely for any signs of secondary drowning.”

“So, I’m not out of danger yet?” Deanna whispered frightened.

“It’s just a precaution. If you start to feel short of breath, agitated or your body becomes extremely lethargic, let someone know immediately. I’ve got to go but let me know if you need anything before you’re moved onto a ward.”

“Thanks Doctor,” she replied quietly, worried at what he’d just said. She looked over at Nate and saw that he’d already realised the situation.

“I’m so sorry Nate,” she said, the stress of it all was evidently taking its toll on him.

“Sshhh baby . . . just keep fighting, I’ll be right here with you,” he said. 

Megan squeezed Deanna’s hand and left the room to give them some privacy.

“Please help me take my mind off everything. What happened? Did you understand me when I called you?” Deanna asked.

“You scared the shit out of me when you said My Raven. I knew something wasn’t right when you were on the phone but when you said that I just freaked out. Ma was there so I left her with Holly and rode like a bat out of hell to get to you. I’m surprised I wasn’t stopped by the Polis.”

“Shaun mentioned that he’d arranged a distraction or something for Ethan so he wouldn’t return to McKnights early. Do you know what he meant?”

I’ve already spoken to Ethan. Whilst I was riding to McKnights I tried to get hold of him on my hands free kit, but there was no answer. Apparently he was in a restaurant a couple of miles away when he witnessed a man shouting at his wife, who already had a black eye. Ethan decided to intervene and approached them and the man turned on him. The Polis arrived and interviewed everyone present and the man was arrested. Ethan lost his phone during the scuffle and didn’t find it until later. By the time he called me back I was practically running into McKnights. He said they’d be on their way.”

“Ethan will be annoyed when he finds out that it was all a set up.

“He will. He thought he was helping out the woman. I’ll talk to him later. Anyway, when I couldn’t get hold of Ethan I tried Cameron, but there was no answer from him either. I called the Polis and they told me Cameron was away as part of an investigation. When I told them what was happening they assured me they’d send armed Polis and I was to wait for them - like hell I would. I ran in and knew where you’d be as you’d mentioned the pool on the phone. I got to you as quickly as I could Deanna, but it wasn’t fast enough . . ,” he said, his voice full of emotion.

“Come here,” she said as she moved over and patted the space next to her.

Nate instantly climbed on the bed beside her and wrapped his arms around her, needing the assurance that she was safe and alive in his arms. Deanna sighed and snuggled into his warm solid chest.

“I saw you just before I . . . you know. I had never seen anything so beautiful and I was thankful that I’d got to see you one last time. After the coldness and panic left me I felt….I don’t know… peaceful and warm somehow. But I could hear you calling my name far away and I just couldn’t leave you or Holly. I came back for you,” she whispered, remembering what it was like to die.

After the initial terror of being forced under the water by Shaun had worn off, she’d accepted she wasn’t going to make it. Suddenly in her mind she hadn’t felt scared anymore and the memory of it now wasn’t something she feared.

“You ain’t going any fuckin’ where, d’ya hear me? Now the bastard is locked up we can plan for the future,” he said softly, placing his large hand against her stomach and Deanna understood his meaning.

“But it isn’t over. I heard what Shaun said. He won’t give up, ever, even when he’s in prison.”

“You have nothing to worry about anymore. I’m going to sort everything out.”

“Nate, you can’t . . ,”

“I made a promise to you and I will keep it,” he said, his voice the hardest she’d ever heard.

Deanna stared wide-eyed at Nate’s determined face and she realised he was being completely serious. Deep down she wanted Shaun gone as well, he would always be a threat, and she knew that Nate wouldn’t rest until it was finished, he’d been pushed too far this time.

“So, is there anyone else who wants to kill you or any other family I need to know about?” Nate joked, lightening the atmosphere, and Deanna was surprised when he smiled.

“Shaun mentioned that it was just him and Lee who’d planned for years and that it would all end that night. He also arranged Lee’s attack on me. I got the feeling that everything was down to Shaun. Lee just doesn’t have the cunning or mental capacity to pull it off,” Deanna said and then went on to explain everything that Shaun had said to her that night.

“From what Ethan told us about Lee, I believe it. It appears that Shaun was the mastermind behind it all and Lee was just a pawn,” Nate said, knowing Shaun was the most dangerous threat and definitely needed to go.

“Lee’s madness had always scared me. But Shaun thinks clearly and thoroughly. He’d planned everything meticulously to the finest detail. I was so scared of Shaun’s abuse, more than anything that Lee had ever done.”

“Neither of them will hurt you again. I’ll make sure of it,” he said, tightening his arms around her.

“Thanks honey for coming for me.”

“You’re more than welcome baby. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

They lay together in comfortable silence, their thoughts filled with everything that had happened and also relief to know that it had all come to an end, both suspects having been caught.