***

I fling the last of my dirty clothes in the suitcase and zip it up. It’s strange to know that in a couple hours I’ll be leaving here without the girl I love and will never see her again. How stupid was I to believe what we had was real? I’ll never shake the image of another man touching her out of my head. I always knew I didn’t deserve happiness.

I scrub my hands over my face just as someone pounds on my hotel door. The only person that knows I’m here is Aubrey, but after the way I left her she’ll never come here. She probably hates me. The things I said were cruel and I wish I could take them back.

The entire situation in the restaurant got out of hand. When I saw Brady’s hand on hers, I flipped the fuck out. Images of rushing Brady and tackling him to the ground played over and over in my mind. It took everything in me not to do it. Poor bastard would’ve been leveled if he’d gotten me full force.

It probably wasn’t what I thought, but knowing that Aubrey’s father hated my guts coupled with the fact he was trying to take the only two things I still had left in this world—the band and Aubrey—flipped a switch inside me. Seeing Aubrey with Brady in that moment made me believe The Judge was right—she’s better off with someone else, and I still belong to Black Falcon.

The person on the other side knocks again and calls my name this time. “Riff? You in there?”

What the hell is Gabe doing here? On the way to the door I glance down at Aubrey’s suitcase and decide to take it with me. It’s better to just hand it over and avoid any little talk he wants to have about me hurting his sister. There’s no need for him to start a fight with me, defending her honor. I already know I’m a bastard.

I yank open the door and thrust the luggage out to him. “This is everything.”

Gabe pushes it back towards me with both hands. “I didn’t come here for here for that.”

I raise my pierced eyebrow. “I hope it’s not to talk, because Aubrey and I are done. There’s nothing else to discuss.”

Gabe shakes his head and licks the corner of his mouth like he’s trying to figure out what he can say without starting a war with me. “If you’re really this much of a dick, maybe I shouldn’t tell you what I came here to say.”

I brace my hand against the door jam. “You probably shouldn’t. I like you, and I don’t want this getting out of hand.”

He scratches the back of his head. “If I wasn’t so sure my sister fucking loves you, I’d be tempted to lay your ass out, but she does. I came here because I figured you can’t be a total fucking tool since she nearly died coming to try and keep you in her life.”

My chest tightens and suddenly it’s nearly impossible to breathe. “What did you say?”

Gabe nods. “She’s been in an accident. When I told her about your father, she picked herself up off the ground and took our dad’s car to come comfort you. She ran a red light and a truck side-swiped her.”

My throat closes up and I attempt to swallow to force some air into my lungs. I bend at the waist and brace my hands on my thighs and stare up at Gabe who watches me with wide eyes. My entire body shakes. “Is she alright?”

Gabe frowns and his eyebrows soften. “She’s in the hospital.”

I shoot straight up and grab Gabe’s shoulders. “Where is she? Take me to her!”

He smiles sadly. “It’s good to know you still love her, because she’s going to need you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Aubrey hasn’t woken up since they brought her into the hospital.”

I fall to my knees, the hotel door hitting my side. My girl—my Kitten—is hurt and it’s all my fucking fault. I close my eyes and the tears burn trails down my cheeks. If something happens to her, I swear to God I’ll never forgive myself.

I need to be with her. I need to be the one taking care of her. “Take me to her.”

Gabe grips my shoulder. “Come on. I’ll drive.”

We grab all the luggage from the hotel room, including the guitar that I never travel without, and head down to Gabe’s car. Once inside and on the road to the hospital, I catch myself fidgeting. My right leg bounces and I chew the skin on my right thumb. “Are they running tests?”

He bites his bottom lip as he makes a left hand turn. “They were doing a CAT Scan of her brain when I left.”

I sigh, hating being at the mercy of a bunch of doctors to make her better. “Do they have any clue why she won’t wake up?”

“No.” He grips the steering wheel a little tighter. “But a lot of times when people are unconscious for that long, it’s never a good sign.”

There are no words to even describe the amount of pain that floods every inch of my body. This can’t be real. This can’t be happening.

I take a deep breath and all the times I’ve spent with Aubrey flash through my mind. Her beautiful smile comes into focus—how it lights me up inside in a way I thought could never be again. Every day I thank God that Aubrey came with Lanie that night to the show for Center Stage. The moment I laid eyes on her everything changed forever. She completely rocked my world and pulled me out of the haze that was my life.

Thinking of my Kitten’s friend, Lanie it makes me wonder if she knows. “Did you call Lanie?”

Gabe shakes his head and I instantly fish my cell from my pocket. After a couple seconds, Noel’s number rings on the other end. “Hey, brother. Enjoying your time off?”