A Divorce He Regrets (Raina and Alexander) novel Chapter 284

ALEXANDER

The first thing I felt when I regained consciousness was pain.

Raw and unfiltered pain. It felt like my body was being dragged against barbed wires and it was slowly tearing at my skin.

I let out a sharp gasp as my hands immediately reached for the source of the pain that was biting at me.

“Raina…”

Her name came out from my mouth before I could stop it, my voice was cracked and filled with desperation.

I tried to get up but strong hands gently pushed me back against the hospital bed. I was about to ask who it was when Dom’s face came into view, his face looking not only tired but also sad.

“You need to take her easy, Alex,” he said in a low but tight voice. “Or else your wounds will tear open and start bleeding again.”

I blinked back, my eyes getting into focus and I took my time to look around the room. The smell of antiseptic and medication was in the air, unyielding and each beat of my heart sent a new wave of pain coursing through my body.

But I didn’t care about it.

I turned my head to the other side and saw Faith sitting on a chair across the room. A bandage was wrapped around her arms and her face was pale and bruised.

Relief that she was alive and well washed over me for a second before panic set in full force.

“Where’s Raina?” I asked, my voice was hoarse, broken and filled with panic.

I didn’t get any response. The silence that fell over the room was louder than any scream I had ever heard.

I turned to Dom but he avoided my eyes, dropping his eyes to the floor.

I didn’t need him to answer. The memory quickly flooded into my head and I remembered how I had seen her being dragged and pushed into the black jeep. I remembered how she had been screaming my name, I remembered how helpless and dejected she looked and it swallowed me whole, hurting more than any physical pain could.

Realization washed over me. It hasn’t been a bad dream, it had happened and I had lost the one person keeping me sane.

I had failed her and not only had I failed to protect her, I had signed her away to him.

I signed the divorce papers without even struggling or fighting against it. I was a coward because I did nothing as I watched Nathan steal her away from me.

I weakly balled my hands into fists, gripping the thin sheets of the hospital bed, hating the fact that I was so weak and could barely even sit by myself.

The doctor walked in with a clipboard in his hand. When he got to my bedside, he started speaking calmly, almost detached as if he was oblivious to the fact that the—my world was crumbling down outside the walls of the hospital.

“You’re one lucky man,” he finally said, his voice slicing through the thick air. “It’s not every day we meet a man that survives a shit so close to the heart. You’re one tough one but you need to rest.”

“All he needs to do is rest, right?” Dom asked, wanting to be sure I was fine but I didn’t care.

“Yes, he’ll be fine,” the doctor agreed, nodding his head gently. “But he needs to make sure the wound doesn’t get reopened or worse… infected because…”

I tuned out, not interested in whatever he had to say. I didn’t have the luxury of hearing him ramble on and on about what I should or shouldn’t do.

Soon the doctor was done and he walked out of the room.

Immediately the door closed, Dom stood up and folded his arms across his chest.

“Carter is waiting for the go ahead to arrest Cale,” he said, his voice filled with urgency. “I will give him the order tonight.”

“No,” I said hoarsely.

Dom turned to look at me sharply, obviously not agreeing with my decision.