The Champ:Bad Boys Book 5(30)

Now I was trying to give myself a piece of mind by making sure she could   take care of herself while I was gone and she was pitching one of her   fits. "It's either the classes or you don't leave the house while I'm   gone Red." I didn't have to look to know she was rolling her eyes at me.

"How do you plan on pulling that one off hotshot?"

"I can lock your ass in here and find a way to keep your partner in   crime from getting in or getting you out." Weak I know, but I'm sure I   could find a way. "You ready?"

She folded her arms and glared at me. She hates exercise or anything to   do with it, go figure, I'm damn near a fanatic. I had got her as far as   putting on the workout clothes, which had been a trial in itself, but   now she balked at going to the gym so I could show her some moves.

"You need me to carry you?" She grinned through her mad until I picked   her up and threw her over my shoulder and headed out. In an hour she was   singing a different tune and trying to kick my ass. "Good job baby,   see, I told you-you would like it."

I'd shown her the basics after warming her up, now her ass wanted to overdo it. "I wanna do some more."

"No that's enough baby, you're gonna hurt tomorrow as it is, I don't   want you overdoing it, besides you have somewhere to be don't you?"         

     



 

Of course she had to fight my ass on that one or she wouldn't be Traci.   Ma had signed them up for some motivational feminist shit that was  bound  to make my ass nuts, but they were both raving about this  successful  woman who went around the country giving speeches.

Dad was the designated driver for this little shindig because I had   somewhere to be. Now that the time for her to leave was drawing near I   didn't feel too good about it, but knew if I said anything her and ma   would tear into my ass so I kissed her goodbye with that bad feeling   following me to my meet with my trainer.



Traci





"I hear she's very good, my girlfriend in Phoenix went to her seminar   last year and just raved and raved about her so I figured two   sophisticated ladies such as ourselves might pick up some pointers   seeing as how we're in love with two of the last remaining cavemen in   existence."

"You're telling me, I swear Wyatt was about to tell me about going   tonight but he had the good sense to keep his lips zipped." We both had a   good laugh at that. "Good for you-you've got to put your foot down now   or he'll become a terror just like his father. That man still rides my   ass about everything."

I love that I could talk to her like this. I kept waiting for the other   shoe to drop, for her to turn into the monster I'd heard rumored all   mother in laws were, but she's been true this whole time and even seemed   to get better the more time we spent together.

When my parents came out a week ago I was a nervous wreck, especially   when Marie and Jack had insisted they stay at the house instead of the   hotel they'd booked, but I needn't have worried. My parents had been   accepted with the same warm welcome I had.

There was no fighting over details about the wedding and I was beyond   pleased when Marie so graciously took a step back and let my mom shine.   Then of course there was all the hoopla over my ring. If I didn't know   better, I'd swear the man had added a bigger stone but he was keeping   mum about that and who am I to complain?

It was a nice seminar, though I'm not sure I would agree with everything   that was said, and I was sure Wyatt would have a fit if he heard half   the things she had to say. "Oh dear I'm not sure about all that, maybe   we shouldn't tell the guys about what we heard here tonight." Marie   seemed to be in agreement.

We clasped arms and headed outside the building in the throng of other   excited women who were leaving at the same time. Jack was supposed to   pick us up right out front. It was a nice starry night, though a bit   brisk and everyone was bundled up.

I got a weird feeling as soon as we stepped out into the night. One I   hadn't had in a long time, not since Wyatt had all but shanghaied me and   moved me in with him. It took my mind to a place I'd convinced myself   was in the past, Carl.

Jace hadn't been able to locate him yet and I knew Wyatt was still a   little pissed, but I had pretty much pushed it aside. Who had time with   all that I had on my plate? But now standing there in the falling   darkness, I suddenly felt vulnerable, exposed.

"Are you okay?" Marie tugged on my arm as my mind had wandered off in   the middle of her conversation. "Yes-yes I am do you see Jack?" The fear   was sudden and unexplainable. I knew there was no need for it with all   these people around, but it was there all the same.

"He'll be here, probably a lot of traffic heading this way." I tried to   find some solace in the bright holiday lights that were strung along  the  street and in the windows of the various storefronts, anything to  get  my mind off the things that were now plaguing me.

Someone bumped into me on the crowded sidewalk and I felt a sting in my   side. I didn't think anything of it, after all there were about fifty   other people milling around out here. But then my arm went numb and my   vision blurred. Had I not been holding onto Marie or her to me I   would've fallen flat on my face.

"Traci, Traci can you hear me?" I heard her voice as if through a void   just before I felt arms around me lifting me. "Jack I don't know what   happened, one minute she was fine and then she was falling." There was   so much worry in her voice and I struggled to answer, but couldn't move   my lips.

"I've got her Marie let's get her out of here." He placed me in the car   as my head swam and I went in and out of consciousness. I tried to  speak  but my tongue felt heavy and my limbs were suddenly lax. "Wyatt … "  It  felt like I was screaming but the sound was barely above a whisper.

"We've called him sweetheart, he's going to meet us at the hospital."   Hospital, I don't want to go to the hospital. I just want to go home.   Before I could make that point everything went dark.





Chapter 10


Wyatt





"Get out of the fucking way." I leaned on my horn and sped around the   car ahead of me. The other drivers must've sensed the danger, that I   would mow them all down, and moved out of the way. Ma had sounded scared   as fuck, so I knew it was bad.

I pulled into the hospital parking lot and slammed out of the car on the   run. Where was she again? I couldn't think, couldn't remember. My   brother was waiting for me outside and saved me from having to hunt her   down.         

     



 

"How is she?"

"We don't know yet they're still running tests. Wyatt-" The catch in his   breath made my gut knot in fear. "Tell me." I grabbed his collar when   he took too long to answer.

"She's not waking up."

"What the fuck do you mean she's not waking up? Ma said she fainted."

"That's what she thought it was but she went out in the car and hasn't woken up since."

"Take me to her." I followed close on his heels as he led me down the   hallway. My parents were standing outside the door looking like they'd   been through hell and that shit only made my stress level go up another   notch.

I barely acknowledged them before pushing through the doors where a team   of white-coats were taking care of her. "You can't come in here."

"Get the fuck outta my way." I barely restrained myself from tossing the nurse who came at me to get to her side.

"I'm right here baby."

"Who are you?" One of the coats turned to me long enough to ask.

"Hers." I leaned over her taking her hand in mine while they worked on   her. Why were there so many of them? I didn't see any blood, she didn't   look hurt in anyway other than for the fact that she was out cold.

I wanted to hurl questions at them but knew that would only slow them   down. So instead I tried to stay out of their way but I wasn't leaving   her.

It was the longest night of my life. After they'd worked on her and left   I'd stayed behind. I'd told my family they could leave even though I   knew they wouldn't. The coats had yet to tell me anything and every time   someone came in to check on her vitals the only thing they'd tell me  is  that they were running tests.

I pulled the most uncomfortable chair in creation closer to the bed and   sat with her hand clasped tightly in mine. She looked so small and  alone  there against those white sheets, made my heart ache.

I sometimes forget how tiny she is. Her mouth, her personality, are so   bigger than life, and the way she's always squaring off with me to get   her way, makes it hard to remember that she barely reaches my chest and I   can lift her with one arm.