Corps Security, The Series (1)(291)

Just out of the corner of my eye, I see the flash of red before I hear the twisting, bending, moaning, and screaming sounds of metal and glass colliding. I can feel the tiny pieces of glass that fly from my window piercing my skin. My seatbelt pulls tight and digs into my skin. Every inch of my left side is on fire, burning in a way that makes my vision dim.

It takes only a second, but in that second, I think about the little boy in the backseat, praying that he’s okay and unharmed. I pray that the little girls still growing in the safety of my belly aren’t affected. And I think about the handsome man who isn’t going to be okay if anything happens to his family.

“Co-hen . . .” I gasp when the car stops moving. My brain fights to understand where I am and why I can’t open my eyes. Fighting every single fiber in my being that tells me to just let go and fade away.

I struggle to stay awake; I try to fight the pain and the fear. I beg my body to move, to stop just lying here and get to Cohen. He needs me, and I need to know he’s okay.

I know it isn’t going to be long now. I can feel my body slowly going numb, and the overwhelming pain starts to wash away when each part of my body becomes a stranger to me. My eyes keep rolling around in my head like they aren’t attached anymore. My vision fades from color to black and gray, the webs of nothingness closing in and pulling me away.

“No . . . Co . . . hen . . . love.”

Right before I feel the numbness crawl into my head, I hear the sweetest sound in the world.

I hear Cohen return my love. And even though he’s crying, I know he’s alive and that he knows that I love him.





CHAPTER 9

Greg

The ride to the hospital is a complete and total wash. I don’t see a single mile. I don’t feel anything except soul-crushing pain. My family, my reason for living, is beyond my reach, and I wasn’t there when they needed me.

My mind passed rational thinking about ten miles ago. Beck’s words still echo like a badly scratched CD through my mind.

Accident.

It doesn’t look good.

Airlifted.

I can feel the fear taking over. It doesn’t matter how many times I beg and plead, pray and beg some more, I feel like I lost a piece of myself when he spoke those words.

Not knowing and fearing the worst but grasping on to that sliver of hope that keeps bursting through the darkness is the only thing keeping me from crumbling.

That and knowing that Cohen’s going to need me . . . and I’m going to need him.

“We’re almost there, brother.”

Axel doesn’t need me to respond. Hell, I’m not even sure if I could at this point.

The second I see the turn off for the hospital, I sit a little straighter in the seat. When I see the brick of the building pop through the trees, I lift my hand to the door handle. The second I feel his truck slowing, I unsnap my belt. And right when I see the doors to the emergency room, my door’s released and I jump from the cab.

Luckily, Axel had already been slowing when I leaped from his moving truck, so there wasn’t any resistance when I landed and took off at a dead sprint for the glass doors.

I can hear Axel screaming and cursing behind me, but I don’t even pause. My body is driving me since my mind refuses to think. The only thought I’m capable of at this point is finding my boy and then my wife.

The little old lady sitting at the desk visibly shrinks back when I all but break down the wall to get into the hospital. Her eyes widen for a second before she catches herself and wipes her expression clear.

“Can I help—”

“Melissa and Cohen Cage. My family . . . please,” I gasp, not even giving her the time to finish. I can feel the cool air on my wet cheeks, my tears once again flowing freely.

She looks down, glancing back up at me quickly before returning her eyes to her computer.

“Sir, I don’t see—”

I sag with relief when Axel speaks from my side. “Melissa Cage, ma’am. Brought in by helicopter approximately fifteen minutes ago. Her son, also his son, Cohen Cage, should be arriving by ambulance either shortly after her or soon. Please, make the call and find out where he can find his family.”

Even with his hand grasping my shoulder again, I can’t feel it. That solid strength that he’s trying to pass through to me is completely lost to my panic. I look around, praying that I’ll see Melissa and Cohen in one of the many chairs around the room. Praying that this is some sick joke and my family is okay.

“Greg, let’s go.”

“Huh?” I look over at Axel’s concerned expression, realizing that I missed the rest of his conversation.

“Let’s go. Cohen’s already here being seen and this nice nurse here, Lucy, is taking us to where he is.” He points over to the nurse who’s standing next to the desk, looking at me with the same expression of concern that Axel has on his face.