Travis clutched the door handle to Ethan's cruiser in a death grip as they pulled down the long winding dirt road that lead to Harley's house. The glow of the fire could be seen above the tops of the trees, filling the night sky with an eerie blush and him with dread. He glanced over at the speedometer, mentally pushing Ethan to drive faster. The closer they got, the more his heart hammered in his chest at the sight of the black smoke and anxiety was eating him alive. Finally rounding the last bend, he felt a small sense of relief when the unscathed farmhouse came into view and he sank back into his seat, releasing his grasp on the door.
"It's not the house," he said, blowing out a sigh.
"No, but it looks like the barn has gone up like a Roman candle," Ethan muttered, easing his cruiser around and slowly driving up to the chaos in front of them.
Firemen ran pointing and shouting orders, pulling hoses from their trucks while they rushed towards the blaze. The lights from the three tankers reflected off the flames leaping up into the sky. Loose horses ran past them at a full panicked gallop and Ethan had to slam on the brakes to stop from colliding with the animals.
"It looks like they at least got the horses out," Ethan said, turning towards Travis as he parked haphazardly across the gravel drive to block any other vehicles from entering. Within moments, Butch pulled in alongside, completing the vehicle blockade. Travis slung his door open to get out when he caught sight of Bo and Tanner running like the devil's hounds of hell were nipping at their ankles. He froze in his seat, fear snaking down his spine. There was only one reason a man would be running like that...
"Harley!" The sound of her name being ripped from Bo's mouth would be a memory that would haunt Travis's nightmares for years to come.
"Oh God, please no!" He leaped out of the car and took off at a dead run towards the burning barn.
"Travis!"
He could hear Ethan's boot slamming into the ground behind him, but he paid him no heed. There was only one thought on his mind and that was to get to Harley. Dodging around a fireman who tried to block him, he slipped on the loose gravel, but caught a hold and lunged forward once more. Before he could make it to the door, Butch came out of nowhere and tackled him from the side. They both went tumbling ass over tea kettle across the yard and ended he up with the sniper sitting on his chest, holding his arms down.
"Get the fuck of me!" Travis yelled, panic making him thrash wildly around, trying to unseat Butch off from on top of him.
"You stupid son of a bitch," Butch hissed. "What good are you going to be to her if you end up fucking dead?"
"I have to get to her," Travis spat through clenched teeth, still trying to dislodge him off.
"Two guys already went in after her if she's in there. Let them handle it. The last thing anyone needs right now is a half-cocked idiot blindly running in and making things more difficult." Butch gave his shoulders a jerk, thumping his head against the dirt. "Let the firemen do their jobs."
The beating of his head knocked a little sense into him and Travis was able to gather his wits back into some semblance of control. Giving Butch a nod, he pulled a calming breath in when the sniper finally rolled off his chest, allowing him to suck in enough air to fill his lungs. Accepting the hand Ethan held out, he yanked himself up to his feet.
"Fuck, Montgomery, it would have been easier to tackle one of your damn cows," Butch muttered, brushing himself off after Ethan helped him off the ground.
Travis didn't respond, his eyes were locked on the sight before him. Flames reached higher into the sky as more and more of the barn ignited. The heat seared his skin, but he refused to step back. He prayed Bo and Tanner would find her in time. There was no doubt in his mind, she was in there. He could feel it in his gut.
"She going to be okay, Trav," Ethan said softly, his heavy hand falling onto his shoulder. The three of them stood there, all eyes focused on the barn door Bo and Tanner had disappeared through. All of them silent as the world around them continued in a deafening roar.
After what seemed like several lifetimes, Odin came crashing out from the barn. The horse's screaming whinny of fear filled the night as he bolted out into the darkness, blasting past them in blur. Moments later, two figures emerged and thick, black smoke billowed out behind them. Travis's heart jumped into his throat and a cold chill ran up his spine when he saw Bo carrying what seemed to be a lifeless Harley in his arms.
"No!" he croaked out. Adrenaline dumped into his bloodstream by the bucket load and he ran in their direction. Sliding to stop a few feet away from Bo, their eyes collided in the dim light from the fire. His skin prickled, feeling hot and frozen at the same time at the look of fear on the man's face. "Harley...," his voice broke and his feet seemed to be made of lead as he moved closer to them.
"She's alive," Bo said gravely. "But she's hurt."
"How bad?" Travis raised a trembling hand and slowly brushed the side of her face. Her skin was awfully pale and covered with soot and...blood, but it was at least warm under his fingertips.
"I don't know. Pretty bad I think."
Travis heard the muffled sounds of hurried footsteps approaching and two harried paramedics pulling a gurney brushed past him. Bo helped them gently lay her on top and they carefully secured her to a backboard and neck brace, belting her in securely. Everything had become a blur while he watched them place an oxygen mask over her face, quickly cut her hoodie open and hookup shit to her chest and arms while they rushed her in the direction of the waiting ambulance. In a daze, he followed behind, unable to answer any of the questions they were firing at them. Bo answered each one, but Travis couldn't focus on any of it. All he could do was hold her hand and pray with everything he was worth as he trotted beside the gurney to keep up.
His grip from her was broken when they lifted the stretcher into the ambulance. Pain filled his chest, seeing her lying there in the back of it along with a suffocating feeling of powerlessness and fear.
"There's only room for one of you," the female said sternly, as Travis realized both he and Bo were about to leg up into the back of the vehicle.
"You go with her," Bo said, giving him a little shove towards the back as the paramedics continued working at a fevered pace. "We'll meet you there."
Travis didn't know what to say. He could see the same fear on Bo's face that must be on his, so he simply nodded and thumped him on the shoulder. Stepping up into the back, he sat where the woman told him to and took Harley's limp hand once more. Pain lanced through his chest looking down at her small frame and her beautiful eyes closed. He hadn't protected her and he was unable to help her now. Worry and anger warred within him. Anger at the situation...anger at failing her, but for now, he had to put aside all that. She needed him and by God, he wouldn't let her down.
His eyes darted to the female fiddling with the leads and starting the IV as her partner jumped behind the wheel. The ambulance lurched into motion and the deafening tone of the siren filled him with even more dread. Pushing those immobilizing feelings to the side, he focused on what he could do and what he would do if...no...when she got better. He would make damn sure nothing like this would ever happen to her again, not if he could prevent it.
"Her vitals are good and strong."
Travis's eyes jerked to the EMT who was giving him an encouraging smile while she wrapped more bandages around Harley's head, but he could still see a large amount of blood oozing through the pristine white. "She's bleeding," he moaned out. He had seen plenty of blood in his days and he wasn't remotely squeamish...but when it came from someone you loved beyond belief...that was a different story and his stomach rolled.
"She has a large contusion to the back of her head with an about three inch gash." Finishing with the bandaging, she turned back to her paperwork and wrote something down before bringing her attention back to him. "It's if there is swelling that will be the most worrying to the doctor. The blood looks terrible, but really," she gave him another small smile, "it looks far worse than it is. Head wounds have a tendency to bleed a lot."
A small groan caught both their attention as Harley moved on the gurney. Her hand flew up to her head, but he caught it and kept it tightly encased in his.
"Ma'am, please don't move. You've been injured. My name is Karen. I'm a paramedic and you are being transported to the hospital."
Travis cringed at Karen's practiced rhetoric. "Her name is Harley," he corrected without taking his eyes off his woman. "Harley, sunshine? It's me, Travis. I'm right here with you. Can you open your eyes for me?"
She whimpered her response, her lashes fluttering against her cheek and her mouth moving slightly. She tried to reach up with her other hand, but it was belted down to the stretcher and she cried out as she started to struggle.
"Ma'ma...ma'am...try to relax," Karen said firmly, pushing down on Harley's shoulders as she tried to sit up, but it only made her struggle more.
Travis squatted down next to her head, ignoring Karen's looks of disproval. "Easy Harley, try to be still, baby," he murmured into her ear, brushing the side of her face with his knuckles. "You're going to be alright, I promise." Immediately, she seemed to relax and turned her head towards him. She never did open her eyes, but he took it as a good sign anyway. At this point, he would take anything positive he could get.
He continued to reassure her the whole way to the hospital, though he doubted she heard him because she had slipped back into unconsciousness somewhere along the way and was once again quiet. But, he kept whispering to her in-between his silent prayers to the man upstairs.
The ambulance pulled into the docking bay at the hospital and Karen popped open the doors. Both paramedics jumped quickly into action and reached for the stretcher, giving the doctor who ran up to meet them a rundown on her condition. The gurney slid out of the back, breaking Travis's hold of her hand once more and he was left scrambling behind them as they ran Harley through the double doors.
"Sir?" A nurse snagged his arm and stopped him from following the gurney through another set of doors. "You can't go in there now."
Travis ceased his struggles as her words sunk in underneath his panic. He stretched his neck and looked through the window, but couldn't see much other than Harley being wheeled down a hallway, doctors and nurses bent over her as they went. Her long hair billowing out behind her was the last thing he saw as they disappeared behind yet another set of doors. Looking down at the nurse still tugging at his arm, he allowed her to direct him to a chair in a waiting room.
Sitting down heavily, he put his head in his hands and prayed that wasn't the last time he would ever see his sunshine again. The nurse asked him if he needed anything, but he shook his head and mumbled a barely audible, no thank you. Eventually, he heard her soft soled shoes scurry off and he was alone. Lifting his head, he took in the dull colored waiting room as a strange numbness overtook him. The walls were painted a muted grey and were lined with multiple uncomfortable chairs, split occasionally by small, functional tables holding tattered and worn magazines way past their publication dates. A TV was up in the far corner, muted on some kind of news channel. It was cold, empty and smelled highly of antiseptic.
This was the worst part of any kind of emergency. The waiting without knowing, hoping for a scrap of news. He groaned and leaned his head back against the wall, looking up at the rows and rows of fluorescent boxed lights. Thousands of what ifs attacked him from every angle. What if he had took her home with him? What if they had stayed at the pool a few more hours? What if he had stayed with her? What if...what if...what fucking if, he thumped his head against the wall. Between his maddening thoughts and the image of Harley on that stretched flashed through his mind on an endless loop making him feel like he was about to become unglued at any moment. To keep himself from going completely nuts, he stood up and started pacing around the room, alternately cursing and praying with each lap he made.
The waiting room door burst open, slapping up against the wall and Bo, Tanner and Cade came striding in. Each of them wore the same grave expressions as they approached. Travis met them halfway, thankful to have them there, but unsure what to expect. Needless to say, he was somewhat taken aback by Bo pulling him into a gruff hug.
"We would have been here sooner, but there was somethings we needed to take care of. Niko, Diego and Aden are staying behind to finish up." Bo said, giving him a thump on the back as he pulled away. "Any news?"
"No." Travis answered, shaking his head. "They wheeled her into the back and told me to wait here." He plopped back down into the chair and tried to breathe calmly as his heart continued to pound in his ears. His hands clenched the armrest to keep him from pounding his fists into the wall from his frustration. "How did this happen?"
Bo sagged into a chair beside him, scrubbing a palm over a face that looked like it had aged 10 years tonight. "I have no idea."
"It could have been an electrical short," Tanner suggested, taking a seat across from them.
Cade snorted as he leaned against a wall, pulling one booted foot up behind him.
"What?" Tanner looked up at him, shrugging a shoulder. "Those barns are fucking old."
"Ethan was calling an arson investigator he knows out of Billings. If anyone can figure out what caused it...he will." Travis looked over at Bo. "What I want to know, is why Harley was even out there?"
Bo's features transformed into something resembling stone. "Don't look at me like that, Princess," he spit out. "I'm going to whip her ass when she gets better for running out there without getting us first."
"She was already outside," Cade said, turning his face to Travis.
"What the fuck do you mean she was outside?" Bo jerked his head over to him, his lips pulling into a tight line.
"Aden found a cup on the porch and he figured she had been sitting outside when the fire started. My guess is she did what she always does...just acted without thinking."
"What the hell was she doing outside?" Travis jumped to his feet and started pacing again. "When I left her, she was going to bed."
"When you left her?"
Cade raised an inquisitive brow at him and Travis grimaced at his loose lips. The lights of the waiting room seemed to flare and focus directly on him like a spotlight as all eyes turned to him. His stomach sank, but he attempted to play it cool. Fuck, he did not need this shit adding to the nightmare this night had turned into.
"Excuse me? Do any of you belong to Ms. Stewart?"
Travis spun on his heel to a tall, reddish haired man standing in the room with a white coat and a no nonsense look on his face. There was a hard line to his jaw as he took each man in the waiting room in. "I wasn't aware I had asked a difficult question," he muttered, his cold green eyes landing on Travis. "Any of you hablas ingles?"
Bo stood up and took a step forward, his hand outstretched. "I'm Bo Richards," he said.
"Dr. Archer," he answered, without looking up from his clipboard in his hand, ignoring the proffered shake. "You are family I am assuming?"
"Yes," Bo jerked his head to indicate the group forming around them. "All of us."
Dr. Archer lifted his brows slightly as Travis stepped up to join Bo. "Interesting," he mumbled. "We've stabilized Ms. Stewart. She had minor smoke inhalation and a few scrapes and cuts, but it's the contusion to the back of her head I am most worried about. She hasn't fully regained consciousness which I find concerning and I would like to do a full CAT scan to check for any bruising, swelling or hematoma." He looked back at his clipboard and casually flipped through a few pages as he scanned them. "What I need to know from you gentlemen, is if there is any chance she may be pregnant."
Once again, the Gypsy Rose boys turned all eyes to Travis and he felt all the blood drain out of his face. A chill ran through his body, his heart thudding painfully in his chest as it dawned on him Harley could be carrying his baby. Lord knew he hadn't been taking any precautions to prevent it and now she lay back there suffering, in pain and his child could be in danger too. A wave of dizziness washed over him and he staggered back to his chair.
The doctor raised his head and frowned. "Do I need to start asking these questions in multiple choice?"
"She might be pregnant," Travis choked out as fear and panic fill him.
"Judging by the look on everyone's face, I'll save my congratulation for later." The doctor's lips twitched in what could have been a small grin, but Travis didn't find his odd sense of humor the least bit amusing. "Very well then, we will take the proper precautions," Dr. Archer said, turning on his heel and heading out the door without so much as backwards glance.
An awkward silence filled the room and Travis could feel each pair of eyes burning into him.
"Time to polish up the shotguns boys," Cade drawled. "Seems like we are about to have a weddin'."
Author's Note:
Hello my dearies! Yes...I am back! I have to say thank you for all the well wishes and I did have an absolute lovely time just relaxing and chilling with my boys. But, like all good things, it has come to an end and it's back to the grindstone for me. :)
I hope you enjoyed this latest installment of When Roses Collide and if you liked it, you will consider giving it a vote. I love hearing from you and comments are always appreciated. If you don't see any updates here, feel free to check out my other works Bending Steele, Steal You Away and FANGED.
The next scheduled update for this book is October 18th.
As always, thank you for reading!
Sincerely,
K