MY FATE FOR YOURS

Chapter 23- EAMON

Eamon

 Leslie doesn't tell me Rachel's been creeped out by some jerk until she gets a text that's nothing but a mess of letters and now Rachel won't pick up her phone. Leslie was calling the cops as I ran for my bike.

The railroad ties jar me with each one, and I'm driving so fast I don't dare check my speed. My heart races faster than my bike as the worst possibilities fly through my head. I get it. Everything Tobin said about how he'd do anything for Delia. I fucking get it because I'd do anything for Rachel right now, and I'm stuck on my fucking bike racing god only knows what on the other end.

I hit the Rainy crossing and the bike slides sideways as I make the turn way faster than I should. By some miracle I don't drop my bike, and I can almost see the yellow house from here.

Lights. Fucking police lights. The bike is pegged and this time when I slide to a stop, I do half crash. I slide out from underneath the bike about three feet from an ambulance, everything in me at breaking point because I don't know what I'll find. I should have known. Been here.

"Sir, excuse me." A cop steps forward, but I'm flying I'm running so fast and easily jump around him.

I throw my helmet to the porch as I push my way through the front door.

"Rachel." My gut sinks as I see her eyes closed on a stretcher with two EMT's around her bloodied up face.

She blinks a few times. "Eamon?" she whispers.

"What the hell happened?"

"We're dealing with this, sir."

"Do you have the guy?" I ask as I reach for her feet because if they don't, I'm going to find him and kill him.

"Sir." A cop lays a hand on my arm.

"He's fine," Rachel whispers and I shrug off his hand.

"The suspect is in custody," one of the cops says.

Everything in me crashes.

"A neighbor heard her scream, and called 911 at about the same time as Ms. Adair's friend. The good news is that we were able to apprehend the attacker," a female cop says. "Don't touch her unless she asks."

Panic rushes through me again. "What's wrong? Is she okay?"

The woman gives me this weird look and a sympathetic pat as the EMTs stand, pulling Rachel up with them.

"Rach." I reach for her hand and she takes it.

"This is all very dramatic. Aside from being dizzy, I'm okay," Rachel says.

"Bullshit." I give her fingers a squeeze as I walk with her toward the ambulance.

The cop frowns. "We're taking her to the hospital. You're welcome to meet us there."

And then she's in and the ambulance doors close. I sprint to my bike, not giving a shit that my helmet's back at the porch.

***

I can't stop pacing the hallway at the hospital. Everything in me is ramped up in anger. I wanna tear that guy apart. I want to crush Rachel to my chest and never let her leave my sight. How can people love someone? The panic that must be there every moment of every day that something might happen to them, the fear of losing them, of them walking away...

"Eamon," Tobin calls from down the hallway before gesturing with his head.

Kelly, Leslie, and Rachel's mom come around the corner, so I feel like I can leave if I need to. I'm so fucking torn. I want to stand guard at her door. I want to hold her every second she'll let me. And I want to figure out who this guy is so we can destroy him.

I give the girls a nod as I head for Tobin.

"Wait." Leslie grabs my arm. "Is she okay? Can we see her?"

I shake my head. They're doing an exam. To see what he did to her while she was unconscious. My stomach balls up. I can't speak the words.

Pushing past their shocked faces I move around the corner.

"You okay?" Tobin asks.

"No. No I'm not fucking okay. I gotta know who—"

Tobin gives me a knowing smirk.

I grasp his shoulders. "What do you know?"

"Talked to Nelson. He's Avery Walken, some handyman who's suspected in a dozen thefts, but they can't pin him with any of them. He's being arraigned tomorrow. His parents have cash, so he'll probably get out on bail, but they obviously don't help him pay the bills."

"Tomorrow?" I amp up at the possibility of getting my hands on him and then relax because I have hours. Most of the night left.

Tobin grabs my shoulder. "Are you okay, E? For real?"

I shake my head. "I'd be pissed no matter which of our girls some asshole touched, but..." it's her. I can't tell him how I feel because I can't make sense of it.

Tobin claps me on the back. "We'll get him. Don't worry."

"Eamon LeJeune?" A nurse steps around the corner. "Rachel's done and asking to see you."

Tobin nods, and I turn to follow the woman back to Rachel. Her mom, Leslie and Kelly all give me a strange look as I pass them, but right now it doesn't matter. And I might be a bit of an asshole because their confusion means that Rachel hasn't said anything about us, and I feel some relief.

The second I step in the room, I freeze. The side of her face is a little swollen, but she looks okay. Not broken. I don't think.

"Don't look at me like that." Rachel gives me a small smile. "I've seen you in way worse shape."

I practically run to the side of the bed, the one without the IV. Why does she need an IV? What happened? "Are you okay?"

"You must have ridden so fast..."

"Not fast enough. Fuck, Rachel. I could have done the damn gutters."

"Next time, I promise." Even now she's trying to tease.

"Did he..." But I stop. I don't know if I want to know how far it went before help got there. My stomach seizes up and threatens to relieve me of everything I've eaten today.

She shakes her head and then winces, balling my hands into fists that someone did this to her. "You taught me better than that."

"I can't... I can't..." I'm holding her hand with one of mine and stroking it with the other.

Rachel blinks a few times as tears start sliding down her cheeks. "I thought I was going to die, Eamon. And all I could think was that I'd missed out on you."

I hate that even now her words terrify me, but not enough for me to walk away.

"Rach..." My voice breaks as I try to carefully wipe her tears with my calloused hands. "I'm here, okay?"

"Yeah. I know." She gives me a weak smile. "You know why I think you don't mind getting hurt?"

"Why?" She's so fucking brave right now.

"Because the drugs are really good." Her blinks slow down.

"I'm here, Rach. Okay? You sleep."

I want to tell her everything. How scared I am. How I hate that I'm scared because it's her. How much I think maybe she's the thing I want to add into my life. The thing I want to tie myself to. Instead I walk out of the room to stand watch in the hallway. I just don't know how to sit still right now.