Chapter 95
LINDEN I wouldn’t give them a chance to flee. The moment they chased my wife, they knew they couldn’t get away with it. And I would use all available resources to find them. I didn’t give a fuck. I wanted them found and locked up.
“Copy that,” Lynx affirmed.
“Brother.” Sax gestured. The ambulance just arrived.
“We let you get checked.”
“I’m fine.” She still managed to refuse, but not today.
“No, baby. You just got into an accident. I will be with you.” Even if she protested, I was already taking her to the coming stretcher.
“Put her down, sir,” the redhead woman said.
I put her on the stretcher. The EMT secured her up and put an oxygen mask on her. “Can you do it in the ambulance? I’m coming with her. I don’t want anyone taking pictures of her.”
“Of course.” She nodded, pushing the trolley back to the ambulance. “What’s her name?”
“Estelle Bladwyn – Linden.”
“Your relationship, sir?”
“Husband. She’s pregnant. 16 weeks.”
They checked her for bruises and wounds. “Your name, ma’am.”
“Estelle Linden.” My heart swelled with pride that she took my name. She took the mask off. “I don’t need this.”
“Just a sec.” I went towards the officer I yelled at earlier. “Sir, I apologize for how I acted. I was scared for my wife.”
“All good.” He offered his hand. “I will do anything to help find the driver of the white sedan.”
“Thank you so much.” I firmly shook his hand. “I have to go. Again, I’m sorry.”
I went back to my wife.
The female technician looked at her. “That’s why you look familiar. Do you feel pain, headache, nausea, vomiting? She asked as she checked Estelle’s eyes.
“I don’t feel any pain. I was just terrified. When the car chasing me hit the rear bumper, I managed to hold onto the steering wheel, and I was wearing my seatbelt all the time.”
“Do you feel discomfort in your abdomen?” She attached the cuff to check her blood pressure.
“No.”
“I suggest we take you to your doctor.”
“That would be great, ma’am.”
Estelle’s eyes protested.
“I’m sorry, baby. No more driving alone. No more adventure until our baby is born.”
She rolled her eyes. “I have enough trauma that lasts a lifetime. You didn’t fire Qamar, did you?”
“After your stunt, I was planning to.” I joined them inside the ambulance. “He blamed himself.”
“I just wanna be alone.”
“I know, baby. I felt you went to someone you could trust without judging your decision. So you went to Pops.” I took off my comm.
“Yeah.”
I held her hand and pressed it to my lips. “Please, don’t do that again. Don’t risk your life. Use me as your punching bag if you’re mad at me.”
“I thought I was gonna die.” Her eyes went teary. “My last thought before I crossed the yellow was you and our baby.”
“But you didn’t manage to cross. And you’re a fighter, Estelle.” My heart skipped a beat as she thought of me while she was in danger. If she stopped in that yellow, her car could have gotten more damaged. Those motherfuckers expected her to stop.
“You look calm. No preaching?”
“Wait until we get home.” I hid my smile. “You just crashed my heart again, wife.”
“I’m sorry.” I could barely hear her words.
I tipped my ear to her. “What did you say? I didn’t quite catch that.”
The lady EMT chuckled.
“I’m not repeating myself, Gabriel.” Now she was safe, her anger against me returned. She rolled her eyes.
“I’m okay with that. I might have to let her check my chest. I think I just had a mini heart attack.”
“A mild heart attack,” the lady corrected me. “An NSTEMI, a partial blockage of your artery. Your heart suffered minimal damage.”
“Is that dangerous?” Estelle asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“He could have it, considering his age. His heart is probably filled with fats.”
The lady smiled. “Even someone as fit as your husband has no exemption from a heart attack. No one is. No gender or social status, and myocardial infarction is a pain in the butt.”
“You heard the lady.” Estelle looked at me. Her voice filled with humor.
“He’s younger than forty-five.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” I turned to Estelle. “You look fine. We can have a talk then.” I paused and quickly changed my tone and facial expression. “What the hell, Estelle?”
“At least you’re not cursing me.”
“With all due respect to the nice lady. What the fuck, Estelle?”
“Okay, sir. Maybe you should let her rest.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. But if you’re bored with your job. I could use someone like you at Osmium.”
“Osmium Resource Group?”
“You’ve heard of it?”
“I thought you looked familiar. Yue works there.”
“Wait. You know Yue? How?” Surprised, I asked.
“He dated my sister.”
“Oh. Well, I’m Gabe Linden. Nice to meet you.”
“Kearney.”
We did a handshake. “Well, I’m serious with my offer. If you’re looking for a job. Just come to my office.”
“First, let us take your wife to the hospital.”
“I like your hair, Kearney,” Estelle said. “You should really consider working at Osmium. They have a nonperishable donut.”
***
I took her to our house after Dr. Chesca cleared her to go home. I would do everything and give everything to her just to avoid that kind of incident again.
I put her in our bed. She didn’t resist or insist on going to her house. She just held the duvet tight.
“Do you need anything?”
She shook her head. Her gaze locked on mine. There was still horror in there- she was still terrified.
I nodded. I suddenly didn’t know what to say or do next. I was still overwhelmed as I propped my hands on my waist, constantly sighed, and never broke eye contact with her.
I thought I would lose my mind the moment she said to track her phone. I knew something was wrong, and her voice was shaking. At that moment, I stopped breathing. My life was on hold.
I’d dodged bullets and cheated death many times, but when someone I loved was in that position, I now felt what she had been through when I went to rescue Jasper. I knew she loved me, and I loved her, and that was what she felt the day I went missing and broke her heart.
“Pops gave me something.”
I smiled. “It’s in the fridge. Do you want me to take it for you?”
“No. I’m not yet hungry.”
All I did was nod like an idiot. “I should leave you to rest.” I was about to leave, but she called my name and reached for my hand. I felt my muscles relax at that moment, and my heartbeat went normal.
“Can you stay for a while? I’m still processing that I almost died.”
“I will be here for as long as you want.” I held her hand back, not letting it go as I traced circles on the back of her thumb.
“Where’s the long talk?”
“I think I can delay it for a while until you’re done processing.”
A small smile curved her lips. “Thanks.”
I only managed to hum.Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.
“Did they find those guys?”
“I’m waiting for Lynx’s update.”
“I was so scared. I think they recognized me before I got in my car.”
“Yeah, I think so. The address in the registration they found is just a few blocks from Pops’s house.”
“What are you gonna do if you find them?”
“Break their faces,” I replied a-matter-of-factly.
Her eyes went wide, and she did not say a word.
“I can’t be lenient this time. They almost got you killed. Do you expect me to let it go after what they put you through?”
“I will sue them. I can identify one from the passenger seat and one from the backseat. I’m with you on this, but breaking faces.”
“Good. You should rest.”
“You will leave once I fall asleep.” Her voice softened.
“Do you want me to leave?”
“And break those faces? No.”
“Then I’ll stay.”