Page 117 of Army
Chapter Twenty-Six
Mia sat onthe metal chair near Taylor’s bed watching the machines beep and sigh as she held his hand in hers. Taylor had suffered a bad concussion and his left femur had been shattered. He’d had emergency surgery when he’d been admitted, and the doctor had placed a rod with twenty pins into his thigh. Mia knew there was a very strong probability that Taylor’s injuries could end his fighting career.
“You’re here,” Taylor said in a groggy voice.
“Hey.” She smiled even though her heart was breaking. It was bad enough that Taylor lay in the hospital, but Army was in jail and Vic was dead. It all seemed too surreal for her brain to really comprehend it. In just a short twenty-four hours everything had changed.
“Why isn’t Army here?” Taylor asked.
Mia patted his hand. “He’s been arrested.”
He tried to sit up but yelled out in pain and then collapsed back down on the pillows. “Why?”
Mia inhaled deeply then slowly blew out the breath. “He killed Vic, or at least that’s what the cops are saying.” Saying the words out loud still didn’t make the situation real for her.
“Vic attacked me. He was going to do the same to Army. I need to clear it up.”
“You can when the cops come and talk to you, but right now you need to calm down.” Mia leaned back in the chair. “How does your head feel?”
“Fucked up.” He glanced over at her. “I guess I threw the chance at making it to the pros in the damn toilet.”
“Not necessarily. Look at all the pros who had horrible injuries but made comebacks—Matt Hughes, Daniel Straus, Darrell Hocher, and many others. I’m not going to say it’ll be easy, but you can do it if you want it badly enough. You’re only twenty-four years old, so that’s a huge plus in the MMA world.”
“I’m not worried about the broken femur. I know I can rehab real well by working my ass off, but it’s the fucking concussion that could be the deal breaker. Look at Chris Holdsworth—he never could fight again after his.”
“But you don’t know if your injury will be like his. Just take it one day at a time,” Mia said even though she knew the odds were stacked against him.
A man with graying temples in a brown houndstooth jacket entered the room. “Hi. I’m Detective Cordova and I have some questions I’d like to ask you,” he said to Taylor.
Mia stood up, but Taylor reached out for her. “Don’t go. Please stay.”
The detective looked at her. “Who are you?”
“Mia Decelles,” she said softly.
Cordova raised his eyebrows. “So you’re Victor Decelles’ sister.” She nodded. “I was going to come to your house after I left here. I can interview you after I talk with Taylor.”
“Army was trying to defend me … and himself,” Taylor said and the detective’s eyes darted to him. “Vic attacked me then I saw him ready to clobber Army over the head with the same thing he used on me.”
Detective Cordova nodded as he walked closer to the bed. “I need to break it down a little more.” He glanced at Mia. “Could you please wait outside?”
She smiled at Taylor then patted his hand. “I’ll be back later.” And then she walked out of the room.
* * *
Later that nightMia sat on the couch drinking a glass of chardonnay as a tingle of excitement wove through her. Army’s attorney had just called her to tell her he’d arranged for her to visit Army at the jail the following morning. The attorney had told the deputies Mia worked for the law firm, so she would be able to meet with Army in a private room.
Mia took a sip of wine, letting the warmth spread through her. She hadn’t seen or talked to Army since he’d left that fateful night to meet up with her brother. When she’d first learned about Vic’s death she was stunned and couldn’t believe that her boyfriend had killed her brother. But as Mia learned about what had happened that night, she knew in her heart that Army had not gone to the fight with the intention of killing Vic. Instead, he had tried to defend Taylor and himself from Vic’s vicious attack.
Mia sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. She missed Army so much that she ached all over. She wanted to grab him and kiss him and let him know how much she loved him. She was his and no matter what happened, she would always be there for him. Right or wrong, she loved Army more than life itself.How could I ever hate him? He brought light into my life, and is my strength when I feel weak.
The ringtones pushed through Mia’s thoughts, and she wiped her cheeks.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Mia,” Dean replied.
“Dean! It’s been too long. How’re things going for you?”
