Abandoned

Chapter 49

Madeline POV

I couldn't believe that I had been asleep for three weeks.

I didn’t remember what happened. One second I was walking with my family toward the corthouse, and the next I was waking up in this bed.

I pressed myself closer to Max. I breathed in his familiar scent. It calmed me down immediately. I ran my fingers through Milo’s messy hair. It was a familiar feeling that brought peace to my soul.

Milo cried out. "I missed feeling your fingers in my hair."

I chuckled a little, making him look up at me. I noticed how tired he looked. I caressed his cheek and the dark spot under his eye.

"What happened to you, Milo?" I asked him. "You look like you haven’t slept in a while."

I looked him up and down. He looked like he had lost some weight. I looked at Max. It looked like he lost some weight too. He looked as tired as Milo.

"Did you lose weight?" I asked.

"They did." Sam answered as he took my hand in his. "They barely slept or ate."

I gasped. "Why?"

"Because we were worried, love." Milo said as he leaned his head on my shoulder. "We were so scared that you wouldn't wake up."

I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at Sam.

"Why?" I asked. "What happened to me?"

Sam tightened his jaw.

"You got shot, baby." he said softly. "We took you to surgery, and you’ve been in a coma ever since."

I gasped. "I got shot? Where?"

"In your stomach, love." Sam said, his voice breaking. "We had to remove your spleen."

I looked down at my stomach. It was covered with a blanket, so I couldn’t see the wound.

"You are okay now, love." Milo said softly. "Everything is okay now that you are awake."

I looked up at him and frowned. "Everything will be okay when you get something to eat."

Ryan snorted. Milo rolled his eyes at me. Max kissed the top of my head.

"I am going to get a doctor to examine you." Sam said, making my heart race.

"Can’t you do it?" I asked him. "I am afraid."

Sam gave me a small smile and kissed my hand.

"I will be here the whole time, baby." he said. "Your brothers will be here. Nothing bad will happen, okay?"

I gulped. I didn’t want anyone else.

"Everything will be okay, Mads." Max mumbled, and I relaxed a little. "I am here."

I nodded, making Sam smile at me. He kissed my hand again before he left the room.

"Are you in pain, Addie?" Ryan asked, making me look at him.

"No." I said, shaking my head a little.

I wasn’t in pain, but my body felt weird. Probably because I was lying down for three weeks.

It all felt surreal. I’ve been asleep for three weeks? I’ve been shot? Who shot me? What happened at the trial?

And then a thought came to me. My parents. What happened to my parents?

"What happened at the trial?" I asked.

Anger flashed in Ryan’s eyes. Milo and Max tightened their arms around me.

"Those people got convicted." Ryan said. "They will rot in jail for the rest of their useless lives."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "How? I didn’t testify."

Did I? Did I get shot before or after the trial? I didn’t remember testifying.

"They hired a man to kill you, baby." Ryan said, his voice trembling. "Police found evidence, and it was enough to convict them all. You will never have to see those fuckers again."

I took a deep breath and leaned more into Max. His arms around me tightened. He kissed the top of my head.

"They hired someone to shoot me?" I mumbled, keeping my eyes on Ryan.

He nodded and tightened his jaw.

"You won’t have to see them again, love." Milo mumbled. "We will never have to see them again."

I looked at Milo and caressed his cheek. He leaned into my touch, and I smiled. I missed him. It only seemed like a second to me, but I missed him. I missed his voice and his warm hugs. I missed all of my brothers.

The door opened, and Sam walked inside.

My heart raced, and I tensed up.

He was alone, though.

"Where is the doctor?" Max asked him.

"He will be here soon." Sam said, giving me a small smile. "He is a friend of mine, Maddie. He took care of you from the beginning. He is so happy that you woke up."

I tried to give him a small smile, but I couldn't. I was just too tense and scared.

"Do you want to hear some good news, Flower?" Sam asked, smiling at me.

"Flower?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows at him.

"That was my nickname for you when you were a baby." he said as he took my hand in his. "I’m bringing it back. I miss calling you Flower."

I smiled and nodded. "I like it, and I would love to hear some good news."

Sam grinned and looked at Ryan and my brothers.

"The three of you are now officially my children." Sam said, making my heart skip a beat. "I am your legal guardian now. We are a family, and no one can take you away from me."

My eyes widened. I felt tears in the corners of my eyes.

I was his child? He was my legal guardian? I wouldn't have to go to a group home again? I wouldn't have to live with anyone else again?

I sobbed a little, making all of my brothers wrap their hands around me.

"It’s over, Maddie." Max mumbled as he kissed my temple. You are ours now, and nothing bad will ever happen to you. I promise. We are a family now."

I buried my head in his neck and tightened my arms around the rest of my brothers. I was theirs. I was really theirs.

"And we as a family have a new last name." Ryan said, making me lift my head and look at him.

"What?" Milo mumbled.

"Sam and I talked about changing our last names and selling everything that belonged to those people." Ryan said. "We decided to change our last name to Davis."

Max and Milo gasped quietly. I looked at them and furrowed my eyebrows.

"That was the last name of your grandparents from your mother’s side." Sam explained, making me look at him. "We did some digging and found out that they were the ones who made your mom keep you. They named you. They loved you so much."

"So we decided to take their last name to honor them and to thank them." Ryan added. "They are the reason that you are in our lives, Maddie. We needed to thank them for that."

I felt tears on my cheeks. Milo wiped them away.

"I love you." I said. "I love you all so much."

"I’ve waited three weeks to hear you say that again." Milo cried out.

I leaned my head on his chest. Max kissed my cheek. Both Ryan and Sam took my hands in theirs. They smiled at me.

I was in heaven, and I never wanted to leave. I loved them so much, and I’ve never been happier in my entire life.

"We love you, Maddie." Max mumbled. "We love you the most in this world."

That was all I wanted to hear.