Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (Book 3)
Savage Dawn (this book - Book 4)
VIOLENCE WARNING: The two stories in the Savage Gang saga, and especially the second story, involve a gang practicing extreme violence toward everyone — women, the elderly, the protagonist, etc. The stories contain mature sexual content and violence as well. I am placing this warning on all chapters, including those without such violence, so you can choose whether to continue.
CHAPTER 41
The ground felt like it was moving under Beth's feet as Conner led her to his car the next day. The bright light outside sent a stab of pain through her head, and she raised an arm to shield her eyes. He had urged her to remain at the hospital for a second night, but she had refused. After a lengthy check-out process, she had changed into jeans and a sweater he had brought to the hospital, and left. By late afternoon, they were in his car on the interstate, and she was calling each of her parents to assure them she was fine.
She hadn’t told Conner the main reason she needed to leave the hospital — Sapphire Angel needed to pay a visit to Olivia Lockheed later that night, so the two women might pool their resources, and stop the gang before reinforcements arrived. The heroine would make sure the visit was a surprise, so the FBI woman couldn’t dictate the terms. Lockheed needed to learn she wasn’t always in control.
If Conner had known Beth’s intentions, he would have been outraged. He also wouldn’t have allowed her to convince him to drive her to the home of Stanley and Betsy Devor, after Beth had suggested that Mrs. Devor, a retired nurse, would be the best one to care for her. In reality, Beth hoped Conner would return to his conference in Philadelphia, which would improve her chances of sneaking from the Devor residence.
Ethan, Stanley, and Mrs. Devor were waiting for them when they entered the front door and moved down the hall to the living room, with its hardwood floors, light blue walls and flowered sofa. As Beth sat on the sofa, Mrs. Devor examined her for several minutes, pulling different implements from a nursing bag, before turning to the three men.
“I know you boys want to fawn over her, but we’re out of the danger zone where somebody needs to keep waking her up. We want to ease her back into activities, but she’s already had enough for today. What she needs tonight is quiet, darkness, and rest. Conner, you help her to the guest room, and I’ll bring her dinner when it is ready. Stanley and Ethan, you can talk to her tomorrow.”
Stanley opened his mouth to object, but closed it a moment later, as if he knew better than to cross his wife.
“We’ll talk tomorrow, Beth,” he said, and stepped out of the living room. Ethan glanced at Beth before sighing and following the older man.
“Let’s go,” Conner murmured, taking Beth by the arm and helping her from the sofa.
With slow, purposeful steps, he guided her to the stairs, helped her take each step, and then eased her down the hall to the guest room. Twice she needed to stop as her headache became too much, disturbing her equilibrium and sending her surroundings spinning. Conner said nothing, giving her as much time as she needed.
Once in the bedroom, he helped her change into her cotton pajamas and tucked her into bed.
“Thanks,” she said, laying back and closing her eyes. “I’ll be good now. You should get back to Philly.”
“Not gonna happen,” he said. “I’m not leaving you.”
“I won’t be alone. Mrs. Devor is here. And you heard what she said. Same as the doctor. Even though I need to ease back into things, I’ve had enough for today. Getting out of that hospital was exhausting.”
“Then I can stay in the next room in case you need something.”
“Conner, I’ll stress out and worry if I know you’re nearby, after everything we’ve argued about. And I’ll get upset, knowing you’re missing an important conference. I know this one can open some doors for you. The best thing you can do is let me rest here, while you return to Philly.”
“No way,” he said with a firm shake of his head.
“Conner, this conference is important. Tonight is the meet and greet, when you get to show the movers and shakers how wonderful you are. I’m fine. I’m going to stay awake filled with guilt if you don’t go. That would be the worst thing for me. I need to rest. You can’t do anything here. Mrs. Devor has it under control. I really appreciate you coming, but the best you can do is leave. I mean that in the best way.”
He narrowed his eyes and stared at her for a few moments before sighing.
“I might think you’re up to something,” he said. “But I know you’re in no shape to do anything but stay in bed. So I’ll go, against my better judgment, but only if you promise to call me if you don’t feel good, or need anything, okay? If you do, I’ll be back in under two hours. Otherwise I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“I will. I promise.”
Conner stared at her for a few more moments, looking like he was torn by indecision, before giving her a light kiss on the forehead and walking from the bedroom. Beth listened, hearing the front door open and close a few minutes later, as Conner and Ethan left together. A few minutes after that, Mrs. Devor came into the room, pushing a rolling tray table filled with a chicken dish, mashed potatoes, and green beans. She angled the tray over Beth, who eased herself into a sitting position.
“Stanley is dying to talk to you, but I’ve forbidden it until tomorrow,” Mrs. Devor said.
“Thank you,” Beth murmured with a slight smile. “I think I’m going to just rest.”
“I’ve been getting myself caught up on current practices with concussions,” Mrs. Devor said. “We’re not going to let you just lie around all day tomorrow, if that was even a possibility. But for tonight, you need to take it easy. I’ll be back in thirty minutes for the tray, and then you need to rest. If you need anything, your phone is on the tray. Just call or text me.”
“I’ll do that.”
Mrs. Devor smiled and left. True to her word, she returned thirty minutes later for the tray, which Beth had already pushed to the side. By then, Beth was already reclined on the bed, feigning sleep, but she glanced up and gave Mrs. Devor a yawn and a smile to ease any concerns the woman might have. After Mrs. Devor left with the tray, closing the door behind her, Beth waited another twenty minutes before setting her plan into motion.
She sat up, swinging her legs off the bed and putting her palms beneath her to steady the swaying room. She started to stand, but the room spun and she dropped back onto on the bed. Beth balled her fists, frustrated by her condition. If she had planned to do more than talk to Olivia Lockheed, she would need to postpone her plans until she felt better. But she was only going to talk with the woman, and time was running out.
She rose again, moving with wobbling legs toward the chair in the corner. As she bent down to retrieve her jeans and sweater, she nearly fell forward, and had to put her hands on the arms of the chair to steady herself. After a moment, she moved back toward the bed, laying her clothes out in front of her.
She stared at the bed, wanting to climb under the covers, but knowing if she got into bed again, she wouldn’t have the willpower to get back up. Instead, she spent several minutes getting dressed, slipping into her jeans and her sweater.
Once dressed, she grabbed her iPhone from the nightstand and teetered back to the chair, lowering herself into it. If she was going to make it through the night, she needed to pace herself. After waiting for the room to steady itself, she opened the Uber app, plugged in the address for the Hilton, and requested a ride. The app estimated a fifteen minute wait. Beth shook her head and frowned. It must be a busy Friday night.
While she waited, she picked up the television remote and turned on the television in the room to see if there was any more news about the Savage Gang. She knew television should be off limits for her right now, with her concussion, but she was just going to steal a peek. She kept the volume low, so Mrs. Devor wouldn’t hear the television if she came down the hall.
Whoever last used the room had left it on a sports channel, as commentators at a fighting event filled the screen. A moment later, the view cut to backstage, where the combatants were lined up and getting weighed in. She was about to turn the channel when she saw the banner at the bottom, describing the scene as a live event in Hershey.
She chuckled, wondering if she knew anyone attending the event. Her thumb moved to the channel button on the remote, but froze a moment later, and her jaw dropped in shock.
Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (Book 3)
Savage Dawn (this book - Book 4)
Phew! Thank goodness Beth made a full recovery. I’m.....starting (?) to see Conner’s earlier points about Beth’s life as Sapphire Angel (though she wasn’t in the form of Sapphire Angel at the time of the explosion) potentially putting her in lethal danger, and although he didn’t know at the time---and still doesn’t---that the visit to the gun shop was tied to the Savage Gang investigation, it’s still nice that he’s willing to constantly be there for her and take care of her as she recovers.
The novel stated a few of my thoughts perfectly; the past few chapters would’ve definitely gone a whole lot differently if Conner was fully aware of the true circumstances behind the gun shop visit, but for the time being, I’d say it’s a good thing that he remains oblivious. I can only imagine how much his relationship with Beth would be jeopardized otherwise.
Having a parent who works regularly as a registered nurse, having Mrs. Devor be the one in charge of nursing Beth back to health reminded me of just.....health professionals in general, really. Like, how much they do and the things they put themselves through just to make sure that other people remain safe. .....Kind of like superheroes, but a lot less flashy and cool-looking. I believe I compared Mrs. Devor to a warm, loving grandparent (or something along those lines) before, but this chapter, as well as her gentle behavior towards Beth, just sealed it for me.
One thing she did wrong, though---and this is a fact, not an opinion---is that she coerced Ethan and Stanley into leaving for the night and only allowing them to visit her the next day. If someone’s hurt, but awake and alert and already in the process of healing, one of the things that will absolutely help is company. You know.....social interaction. And I get that Mrs. Devor only allowed Conner in because he’s her lover, but as someone who’s regularly starved of social interaction, with or without injuries, I cannot understate just how important it is for someone’s mental health. Imagine if the doctor and his team only showed up in your patient room once a day with an update, and then just left you alone in your room for the rest of the day with zero visits from anyone else, zero instruction, zero conversation, and zero small talk. I’d probably get irritable, both because of the pain AND the loneliness. ......But what do I know? I couldn’t even figure out what exactly was going on with that cliffhanger at the end.
Wait......Oh. My. God. It’s worse than I could’ve imagined. JOHN DEVOR SURVIVED AND JOINED A FIGHTING RING?! (faints)
Also, now I’m hungry for chicken and mashed potatoes because of what Mrs. Devor served Beth. And I JUST got done with dinner, too! 😩