Love Me: Oakville Series:Book 5 by Kathy-Jo Reinhart

begin to hammer everything in sight. Every blow I administer makes me feel a little better. Sweat pours off my face and I huff, out of breath, but I keep going until the toilet and shower are in pieces. I raise the hammer and bring it down on the sink next.
    “What the fuck, man?” Angel questions from the garage. I turn to face him, my chest heaving from the exertion. My arms ache from the heavy sledgehammer. A stinging pain radiates through my hands from the cuts. “You’re a mess,” he says, looking me over carefully. I look down where blood is splattered from the top of chest all the way down to the waistband of my sweat pants. I drop the hammer to the floor. Bringing my hands up, I look over the several cuts oozing blood. I glance up at Angel and see the concern and sympathy etched on his face.
    “I...I don’t know what else to do. It hurts, A. She’s going to die and there’s nothing I can do to stop it,” I confess, my body suddenly exhausted. My eyes fill with tears, but I don’t have the strength to fight them. Dropping to my knees, I hang my head and sob. I can hear Angel coming closer. He kneels and wraps his arms around me.
    “I’m here. I’ll do everything in my power to help you through this. You’re not alone. We are all here for you and Chase,” Angel states as he allows me to cry like a fucking baby in his arms.
    “I love her so fucking much,” I cry. “How am I going to live without her? How do I take care of Chase by myself?”
    “I don’t have an answer for you. But we will help you. We’ll all figure it out together,” he says, his voice strained with emotion. At times, I forget how hard this is on our friends too.
    “Thank you,” I choke out.
    “C’mon. Let’s get you cleaned up before Chase and Taryn wake up.” I nod my head and he helps me to my feet. Walking me over to the sink on the other end of the garage, Angel claps me on the back and shakes his head.
    “If you ever tell anyone I held you while you cried, I’ll kick your ass,” he jokes, and I laugh. No matter what’s happening, he always knows the right thing to say to lighten the mood.
     

     
    I wake to the sound of Chase’s laughter. The lighthearted, melodic sound warms my heart and makes me smile. He doesn’t laugh much lately and I’ve really missed hearing it. The pain this cancer inflicts on my body is nothing compared to the pain in my heart from seeing my boys so miserable. I feel my body giving out more and more each day. Time is not on my side. How do I make sure my boys will be okay in such a short amount of time? There has to be something I can do to ensure they will move on after I’m gone. I don’t expect it to happen quickly. If I were the one left behind, I wouldn’t be able to, but at some point, they will have to let go. Knowing my husband like I do, that won’t be something he’ll be able to do on his own. He’s going to need a push in the right direction. Angel’s smiling face peeks around the doorway and I know exactly what—or, rather, who I need to help me make sure Marcus will be okay.
    “Hello there, beautiful lady,” Angel says, taking a seat on the bed next to me. He has always been the rock of our group. Sitting back and quietly observing everyone seems to give him insight on every situation. Seeing through the bullshit in a situation seems to be his super power. He has a knack for knowing when to be understanding and sweet or when to be a take-no-shit hard ass, and he plays both roles very well. I have a feeling Marcus is going to need the hard ass Angel to kick him out of the grief funk he’ll end up in.
    “Watch it, Casanova,” I say in mock offense. “Don’t make me tell my husband on you.” He puts his hands up in surrender, a wide smile spreading across his face. His smile is contagious. I can’t stop my lips from spreading into the first real smile I’ve had in weeks. A concerned look takes over his face.
    “So, how are you doing?” he asks, and I take a