riding out with you, King.”
“I was thinking the same thing, brother,” Mix says as he moves to leave with me. “I’m riding with Brick.”
It’s damn near dawn and not one, but two fires on Lost Souls properties. This shit isn’t sitting well with me either. Looks like our friends are ready to rumble.
Eva
I blink my eyes and take in my surroundings. I pout when I realize Owen is gone. I miss his warmth and the comfort of his arms. It takes a second for me to realize that it’s my cell phone that has disturbed my sleep.
I reach for my phone to see a number I don’t know lighting up the screen. When my eyes flicker to the time, I frown. It’s seven in the morning. In the back of my mind, I wonder where Owen has gone off to and hope he hasn’t been called out on club business again.
I then wonder who the heck is calling me this time of the morning. I answer the call, but my voice is raw and dry from sleep and the screaming Owen had me doing before I passed out last night. I clear my throat and try again.
“Hello,” I push out.
“Hello, I’m looking for an Eva Kennedy,” comes the voice on the other line.
“This is she,” I say as my brows knit.
“Hello, my name is Nurse Henry. Your name is down as next of kin for Rose Kennedy. You were next on the list. I wasn’t able to get in touch with Mr. Kennedy or King Kennedy. However, the file has notes for us to notify the family as soon as Mrs. Kennedy wakes up or in case of any major changes.”
“Excuse me,” I hiss. “Is this some sick joke?”
I can feel the tears well, one slips over as I wonder who would be this cruel. I swallow past the lump in my throat, ready to curse this woman out. I was devastated when I lost my mom. This isn’t funny.
“N-no, ma’am,” the nurse stammers nervously. “This is Eva Kennedy, right? Mrs. Kennedy has come out of her coma. It’s a miracle after six years, but it has happened, ma’am.”
“Wait, what?” I say and sit up in bed. I toss my legs over the side as my chest heaves. I can’t believe my ears. My brain tries to process what I’m being told.
“Listen, I’m new. I don’t want to lose my job. I was told if there were ever any changes to call the doctor first. Then to call the next of kin, in the order in the book, until I reached someone. Your name was next.
“Wh-where are you calling from?” I almost whisper.
There is a moment of hesitation on the other end. For a moment, I think she has hung up on me. I lick my dry lips when I hear her sigh on the other end.
“I’m at the private residence of Mrs. Kennedy. I’m just one of the private nurses from Loving Arms Home Care,” she finally answers on a shaky breath.
“Okay, okay,” I say to my own thoughts. If it’s possible she’s telling the truth, I need to see proof with my own eyes. I need to get to the bottom of this. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Can you give me the address?”
There’s another pause. “Listen, lady. You called me to tell me my mother has woken up from a six-year coma. I was sixteen when she went into that coma. Give me the damn address, so I can see my mom,” I say heatedly.
My patience is shot. My face and ears are burning. If I could reach through the phone and shake her, I would. She is either one, fucking with me and telling me some complete bullshit in which case I do plan on beating her ass or two, telling me the mother I thought I lost is alive and has woken up from a coma. Which means, right now, this woman is standing between me and my mommy.
I swipe at a mix of scared, angry, and hopeful tears. When she starts to give me the address, I rush to grab a pen and flip to a page in the back of an old journal on my nightstand. I hang up without saying goodbye and tear the page right out.
I’m up off the bed tossing on a T-shirt and a pair of jeans. I shove my feet in a pair of sneakers and grab my purse. I know I have to figure