Page 108 of Bad Decisions & Back Roads
I grabbed her hand immediately and held it tight between both of mine.
“I got you,” I whispered, fighting to keep my voice steady while people rushed around us.“I got you, baby.I’m right here.”
“Misty’s gone,” she whispered.
“This is about you now,” I said roughly.“I need you not to die on me.”
A faint laugh escaped her, weak and breathy.“Oh, Rye.”Her fingers twitched against mine.“He tried to kill me once before.This?”She swallowed painfully.“This is nothing.”
A nurse hung a bag of blood and hooked it up to her IV.
“This doesn’t look like nothing.”My throat burned.“He can’t ever try again.”
Relief softened her face in a way that nearly undid me.“Thank God.”Her voice dropped to almost nothing.“You’ll be safe now.”
Even now—even after everything she’d lost—she was worried about me.I pressed her hand harder to my mouth, trying to hide the fact I was falling apart right in front of her.
She blinked slowly, fighting whatever drugs were pulling at her.“Was it you,” she whispered, “or Jackie?”Her eyes drifted to the doorway where Jackson lurked.
“Jackie,” I whispered.
A sleepy smile touched her lips.“He needed that.”She winked at Jackson and squeezed my hand.Her eyelids drifted closed.“I’ll be okay now.You’re here.”
“I’ll always be here.”
Her brows pinched slightly, like she’d just remembered something important.“I promised your mama I’d go to church with her and make potato salad for dinner this week.I don’t know if I can.”
A broken laugh escaped me before I could stop it.“I think she’ll give you a pass.”
“I don’t want a pass,” she murmured.“It’s rude to miss that kind of invite.I also don’t think I’m going to be able to do the state fair next week.I’m sorry.So sorry.Maybe the week after we’ll drive somewhere just us and Sofia.Got to force you to take a day off.”
I looked up then and realized the doctor and two nurses had gone still during our conversation.None of them looked alarmed anymore.Just quietly amused.Relieved.
For the first time since the shooting, I let myself breathe.
Then Gia looked at me again.Really looked at me.“Mama’s dead, isn’t she?”
The question hollowed me out.I nodded once.
Her face crumpled so softly it hurt worse than screaming would’ve.“I’m so sad she was alone.That she had to bear all that by herself.”Even smaller she said, “I don’t have any family left.”
I lifted her hand and pressed a kiss into the palm.“Yes, you do,” I whispered.“You got me.”
Jackson moved forward and stood nearby.“You got all of us.”
“I’m not letting you go this time,” I whispered.
ChapterThirty-Seven
GIA
Four Sundays later…
I leaned back against the kitchen counter and let the chaos wash over me.Vinny and Sofia tore through the house with NERF blasters, shrieking with laughter while Lisa followed behind them, threatening bodily harm if another dart hit her centerpiece.
“Outside!”she yelled.
“It ricocheted!”Vinny defended.
