Forgiven: Ryder and Sawyer 3 (Fallen Idols Motorcycle Club Book 9) Read Free

share. Because, if I was being honest with myself, the only thing running ever got me was heartbreak.
    ***
    The hospital came into view both too quickly and yet not fast enough. I felt like I had bricks in my stomach, my emotions flip flopping, anger and grief twirling into an ugly knot. I wanted to see my brother, but I was so furious at the whole situation. Mostly, I was furious at myself.
    I knew, in my head, that leaving this time had no impact on what happened, but I couldn’t help but think this was all my fault. I ran to escape the club, and to save my son, but, in doing so, I left my baby brother behind to the very people I despised and blamed for all the wrong that happened in my life.
    The tires squealed as Trista flew into a space, not bothering to come to a full stop before slamming the car in park. I hopped out, not expecting her to do the same. “You don’t have to walk me in,” I said.
    She shrugged. “It’s my shift anyway.”
    “Shift?” I questioned, but she ignored me, and kept walking. I followed her, trying to keep pace as she blew past the front desk and right into the elevator. She clearly had been to see Cruz before now.
    The ride up in the elevator was extremely tense, and deafeningly quiet, which gave me way too much time to get lost in my own head. I was sick of thinking, but no matter how hard I tried to flip the switch off, I couldn’t.
    I drew a deep breath as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. This was it. Whatever happened now, whatever condition Cruz was in, would change how everything else in my life moved forward. I shook my hands, trying to calm the nerves, and to give myself the strength to just put one foot in front of the other.
    Trista exited, made a left, and then a quick right, with me right on her heels. She nodded her head toward a door. I inhaled sharply, pulling the door open. She held it open for me, and followed in behind me.  
    Nothing could have prepared me for what I walked into. I knew Cruz was in bad shape, and I knew that he had been out cold since the incident, but actually seeing my baby brother hooked up to a million wires gutted my insides.
    The conflicting emotions that had been battling in my mind converged into complete and total distress. Tears poured out of me in buckets. My throat and lungs tightened, and I couldn’t breathe. I choked on the sobs pushing their way up my throat, and just as my legs gave out, strong arms caught me.
    I had no idea where Axel had come from, but I was grateful he was there. I cried into his chest until I couldn’t possibly shed another tear. I pulled away, sniffling, and pointed to the mess I left on his shirt.
    “Sorry for that,” I joked, trying to lighten up the moment.
    “It’s just a shirt. You okay now?”
    I forced a smile. “Depends on your definition of okay. If it’s at least being able to stand on my own, then yeah, I’m okay.”
    Trista, who left the room as soon as I broke down, reentered. “Axel, I got it from here. Shift’s up.”
    There she went talking about shifts again. Axel glanced at his phone. “Shit, Paige is waiting for me,” he muttered as he grabbed his cut. He turned back to me. “This might not mean much, but I have faith he’ll be okay.”
    “It means more than you’ll ever know.” I gave him a genuine smile. “Don’t keep your girl waiting any longer.”
    He gave me a wink as took off.  Trista moved past me, and sat in the chair next to the bed, kicking her feet up on the side table.
    “Where’s my Mom?” I asked.
    “She had a doctor’s appointment. She should be back soon.”
    “You don’t have to stay.” I was surprised she was there.
    Trista put her feet back on the ground and shook her head. She ran her tense fingers through her hair, and looked at me like I was an idiot. “You don’t get it. Do you?”
    “Get what?”
    “It doesn’t matter whether I want to stay or not because I’m staying. Cruz is our family, and we protect our family.”
    It was a