Page 2 of Petals & Promises

That’s when Gareth lost it. He’d been holding on by a thread, but hearing her say something so callous caused it to snap.

“You bitch,” Gareth snapped, shoving to his feet. “How dare you. No child brought into this world should be considered a problem. I don’t know if we plan on having kids or if Bailey-Rose even can, but I sure as fuck wouldn’t want you ever to be involved in my child’s life. Those who are meant to be together will find each other… we are proof of that. So put up all the rules and regulations you like, but stay the hell away from my family.”

In the next second, all our phones went off at the same time, an alarm blaring so loud since five devices were amplifying it. The sound had my gut clenching since this alarm was tied to Bailey-Rose’s monitor. Notifications were flying across the screen as an ambulance was dispatched to her location, and the hospital was alerted to an incoming patient. Dr. Arbour would also be getting these, so he was onsite at the hospital when she arrived. Each of us surged to our feet and headed for the door.

“Gentlemen, silence your phones this instant and sit back down. We aren’t done here,” Mira ordered.

Vili was the only one who paused to address the woman. “Yes, we done,” he stated and slapped a card on the coffee table. “You have more questions, speak to our lawyer.”

Since Bailey-Rose showed up and joined our family, it’s brought out Vili’s Alpha side. The man might choose to be the happy-go-lucky goof we know and love, but underneath was a lion waiting to take on anyone who dared to threaten our girl.

We rushed right past the receptionist, who was hurriedly speaking to someone before dropping the phone and trying to stop us. “Wait, you can’t leave. Stop right there, or I’ll call security.”

Pressing the button on the elevator to close the door, we ignored the woman's protests. I doubted they would call security. There was no reason for them to detain us, and if they tried, I would bury them in every lawsuit I could think of. I might resent the type of lawyer my father was, but I’d spent my whole life watching him decimate those who slighted him, so it was hard not to pick up a few things.

“Doc, do you know what’s going on?” Ulysses asked, having called the hospital. “No, we aren’t with her. The Scent Matchers called us in for a pointless meeting.” He paused, listening to whatever Dr. Arbour was saying as he paced the small space, rubbing his forehead. “She was fine, Doc. I promise we never would have left her if there was any indication of a problem. Thank fuck we gave her the new monitor before we left. Do you know if the paramedics got to her yet?”

Ulysses looked at this watch and nodded, mumbling to himself. The elevator doors opened to reveal three security guards waiting for us.

“They’re going to beat us to the hospital since it seems we’ve run into a small problem,” Ulysses said. “Doc, I don’t fucking care what you have to do or what it costs, but don’t you fucking dare let her die.”

“You’re gonna have to come with us,” one of the security guards announced.

Gareth rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles before stepping forward and decking the man right in the mouth. “The fuck we are.”

I panicked when Gareth pulled the gun out of the guard’s holster, causing me to lunge forward to grab his wrist. “Let me try. If they still don’t budge, then you can shoot them. Right now, they have no reason to hold us, but that will give them one,” I hissed out.

Gareth clenched his jaw but nodded, but I still didn’t let go of his arm as I turned my attention to the guards. “You have no right to detain us. We have an emergency to attend to. Our Omega has a heart condition and is being rushed to the hospital. Let us go, or I promise the five of us will make your lives a living hell. If that still doesn’t change your mind, then I have zero issues allowing my pack brother to shoot you if you leave us no other choice.”

The guards looked at each other for a moment, then backed off, allowing us to pass.

“Gareth, give the man back his gun,” I instructed. “We don’t need it, and Bailey-Rose wouldn’t be happy with you for pulling this kind of stunt.”

Ejecting the magazine and clearing the chamber, Gareth tossed the gun back to the guard, dumping the bullets in the trash can as we ran out of the building. Ulysses dove into the driver’s seat, starting the car and waiting long enough for everyone to get in before peeling out of the parking lot. Traffic laws didn’t mean anything to us as Ulysses blew through lights and forgot a brake pedal even existed. Screeching into the hospital’s complex, he followed the signs to the emergency room and parked in front of the entrance.

Tumbling out of the SUV, I shoved past a couple exiting the building, mumbling my apology.

Warrick slid to a stop, crashing into the nurse’s desk, talking a million miles a minute. “Where is Bailey-Rose, Bailey-Rose Thatcher? Dr. Arbour’s patient with a heart defect, rainbow hair, utterly adorable in every way. An ambulance should have brought her here. Please tell me the doc has her.”

“Ah…” the nurse behind the desk said, trying to process everything the man just spouted at her.

“Boys, over here,” a voice called.

Our heads snapped in that direction, and we spotted Nurse Harlow, Dr. Arbour’s assistant, waving at us.

“Follow me, and I’ll fill you in,” she said, swiping her card to open the emergency room doors to let us in. “At this moment, she’s in the operating room. Dr. Arbour just got her stable enough to start the surgery. He wanted me to tell you that he’s doing the experimental procedure, there’s no other option, and to wait would only risk her life that much more.”

I stumbled over my feet hearing this and had to catch myself against the wall. Ulysses caught my arm, keeping me steady as I took a few shaky breaths. “Tell me this will work,” I begged. “Please, we-we can’t lose her.”

Nurse Harlow hid it well, but I knew she was as worried as we were. “What I can tell you is Bailey-Rose is one of the strongest people I’ve ever known, and Dr. Arbour loves that girl like his own. She will fight hard to get back to you, and Dr. Arbour will give it everything he’s got, and that is a combination I choose to believe will win out.”

Ulysses wrapped his arm over my shoulder and gave me a tight side hug. “She’s right. Rosie isn’t going to give up, so neither are we. I’ve seen her do it before. Rosie had a close call once with pneumonia, but our girl kicked ass then, and she’ll do it again. I know it.”

“Come on, let me show you to a private waiting room,” Nurse Harlow urged. “This is going to be a long surgery, but I will keep you updated on the progress no matter how long it takes.”

Heading up to the fourth floor, we passed the door to the surgical rooms, and I knew our girl was back there fighting to return to us. They were right. Bailey-Rose was stronger than any superhero, and when she came out of this, if the procedure were successful, she’d have a new lease on life. While this isn’t how any of us wanted it to happen, it just proves if we can make it through this, we can make it through anything.

The room Nurse Harlow showed us to was simple but private and comfortable. It even had a coffee and tea station for us to use, along with a phone to call down to the cafeteria if we needed food. There was also a television, but none of us felt the urge to turn it on.