Never Let You Go: Save Me Series Book 2

  NEVER LET YOU GO

  SAVE ME SERIES BOOK 2

  by Danica Chandler

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Contact Information

  More Books by Danica

  This book is a work of fiction and is for your personal enjoyment only. Any similarities to names, places, or events are coincidental. This book may not be resold or given away to another person. It may not be transmitted in any way without written permission from the author.

  Copyright © 2017 by Danica Chandler

  Cover art by Danica Chandler

  Book Description:

  Amelia Winters is stuck with two jobs and a relationship she wants out of. She’s been with the same man for years and things have gone from bad to worse. He isn’t the man she once loved – his abrupt change makes her want to cut ties with him forever.

  Rodney Keller’s marriage is at a turning point. Forgiving his wife multiple times for her mistakes has proven to only make things worse, not only hurting him, but their young son as well. Finally at his breaking point, Rodney is done with giving second chances to the woman he fell in love with so many years ago.

  Both Amelia and Rodney have given up on love, until fate comes knocking one more time. Crossing paths at a local bar, Amelia is attracted to Rodney’s rugged good looks, amazing body, and sexy charm. Rodney feels a spark the moment he runs into Amelia at the bar – it’s an attraction he has never experienced. Passion ignites between them and a steamy romance ensues, neither of them expecting to find love so fast after their previous relationships ended.

  Both from a dark past, will their love for each other overcome the problems they both face? They never want to let each other go, no matter what it takes to stay together. Rodney would do anything for Amelia. Amelia will fight for the once in a lifetime kind of love they have together.

  Chapter One

  “911, what’s your emergency?”

  “It’s my wife. She won’t wake up.”

  “Where is your wife right now, sir?”

  Rodney looked down at Susan on the couch, her naked body exposed, oblivious to the world around her. Justin peeked over the railing on the landing above, and Rodney grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch to cover the young child’s mother up.

  “Go back in your room, Justin. Everything is going to be okay.” Remembering he was on the phone with emergency staff, Rodney answered the question he was asked. “She’s on the couch. She’s breathing but it’s shallow.” He noticed the empty bottle of whiskey on the coffee table beside them, feeling his stomach lurch as if someone had just punched him.

  “And she won’t wake up, sir?”

  “No. No, she won’t wake up for me.”

  “We are sending an ambulance right now, sir.”

  It felt like an eternity, from the moment Rodney made the call to the time the paramedics had arrived at his house. They came through with a backboard and their equipment, going straight to Susan who was still passed out on the couch. For a second, Rodney second guessed himself. What if this was just a drunken binge she was going through? But he felt her pulse himself. It was weak, her breathing shallower than usual, and her skin was pale. This wasn’t normal. He was right to call the medics in.

  “Go ahead and start an IV - put her on saline. I will give her some Narcan since it appears she is high on something.” The medics talked to each other as Rodney watched on, checking every few seconds to make sure Justin wasn’t coming down the stairs. He had seen his mother drunk many times but never at this level.

  High on something? Rodney wanted to ask questions but it’d get in the way of their work. He could ask questions at the hospital when they weren’t in a cramped up house with limited space to do their job. It didn’t take long for them to load her onto the backboard and get her in the ambulance. Rodney couldn’t tell if it was his imagination or if she had woken up. Did her eyes flutter open? Did she look at him? It was probably wishful thinking.

  Justin met him at the foot of the stairs once Susan was out of the house, his eyes swollen and red. “Where are they taking mommy?”

  “To the hospital, son. She needs to go to the hospital.”

  “Is she going to die?”

  Rodney looked down at his only child, his heart aching at the pain on the young boy’s face. He had already had to deal with too much in his short life. And Rodney felt guilty for helping aid in that.

  “No, she’s not going to die. The paramedics are taking good care of her and the doctors and nurses will too.” Pulling Justin in for a tight hug, Rodney felt the tears soak through the fabric of his shirt. He allowed Justin to cry - too many times he was told as a child that boys don’t cry and he swore he’d never say that to his own children, especially when it involved their own mother.

  Rodney was thankful for his sister - she was willing to take Justin so he wouldn’t have to sit around at the hospital. Going into the ER, Rodney’s stomach sank from the smell. It always smelled the same - bleach, cleaning products, and some other agent he was never able to pinpoint. The clerk at the front counter greeted him with a smile, and though she seemed nice, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle some stranger’s kindness at the moment.

  “Can I help you, sir?”

  “I’m Rodney Keller. They just brought my wife in on the ambulance. Susan Keller.”

  She clicked on her keyboard for what seemed like an eternity and looked up, her smile quickly dissipating into a frown. “Yes, they just got her back. If you’ll have a seat, we will call you back there in just a little bit.”

  Rodney backed away and found the nearest seat. The ER was busy, which wasn’t a surprise since it was Saturday night. Every time Susan did this, the ER was busy. Every damn time she drank herself silly and put both Rodney and Justin through this, the ER had tons of people.

  Resting his head against the wall behind him, Rodney closed his eyes. Every time Susan did this, he swore it was the last time. He always imagined packing up his stuff and heading out the front door. And he never did it. This time might be different - what if Susan didn’t make it? What if the doctor was unable to pump her stomach and release her body from the self-induced shit storm she was putting herself through?

  Too many what-ifs. Too many daydreams of what Rodney should do. And now he had to wait for the walk of shame back to her exam room. He cared for her - she was the mother of his child, the woman he had fallen in love with but unfortunately, things had changed. Over the years, she had taken to the bottle more than she had taken to her family. The drink was her first priority over anything else. And now, here Rodney was, sitting in the emergency room again… waiting on the callback from the medical staff to get news of his wife’s condition.

  ***

  Amelia Winters glanced up at the clock above the bar. They had just yelled out last call to all of the bar patrons and the fifteen minutes left until closing time felt like an eternity. Wiping up spilled beer on the glossy wooden su
rface was getting old - but when she eyed her tip jar, it reminded her of why she worked a second job on Friday and Saturday evenings. It meant another bill would get paid and she wouldn’t have to jack up her credit card bill.

  “Amelia, why doesn’t this bar stay open until four like the one down the street?” A regular she was familiar with leaned in, the whiskey heavy on his breath as his words slurred.

  “Why not mosey on down the street when we close our doors and get two more hours of drinking in? I’m sure your liver will thank you.”

  “But you won’t be there, honey. No one wears a mini skirt quite like you do, babe.”

  Amelia took the empty tumbler from him, arching her eyebrow as she went by. “You’re gonna have a hell of a hangover in the morning, Jimmy. You’d think you’d learn your lesson.”

  Jimmy laughed and slapped his hand on the bar. “Come home with me and help ease my discomfort.” He put his hand on her shoulder and hugged her.

  Easily slipping from the embrace, Amelia responded with, “Lay your hands on me again, Jimmy, and I’ll make sure your discomfort is the last worry on your mind.”

  “Don’t tease me, honey!” Jimmy whooped and hollered and a few of his buddies responded to his antics.

  Amelia went on with her business, gathering up empty beer bottles, cups, and starting the cleanup process. The quicker they got it done, the quicker she could get home, wash the bar stench off, and climb into her comfortable bed. Thankfully, the crowd was thinning and only a few stragglers were left behind, hoping the bartenders would change their mind and allow just one more drink. None ever gave in, and though most of those who stayed until the last minute were always there, they always chanced their luck.

  At three AM, an hour after the bar officially closed, she was able to head home. Thankful she could sleep late the next day, she often wondered why she worked the bar on the weekends. Again, she felt of the wad of cash in her pocket, a good reminder of why she put up with all of the crap. Phillip wouldn’t be happy about how late it was but he sure didn’t mind the extra cash either.

  She tried to be quiet as the hinges to the screen door squeaked. She had been with Phillip for three years and in the past year they had decided moving in together was a good idea - one rent payment would save them a lot of money. One thing she hadn’t got used to was how light of a sleeper he was, and even though he knew she worked late hours on the weekend, he still got frustrated when she’d come in and wake him up.

  “Amelia, is that you?” Phillip yelled from down the hallway, a small light clicking on, definitely the lamp on the nightstand.

  “Yeah, hon, it’s just me.”

  “A little late, isn’t it?”

  Amelia rolled her eyes and put her purse on the coffee table, ambling down the hallway to the bedroom. Phillip sat up in bed, his eyes squinting as he looked at his watch.

  “You know on Fridays and Saturdays I get home around this time, Phillip.”

  “Yeah, yeah…” He trailed off and opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but fell back into the pillows.

  “I made over two hundred bucks in tips tonight.” She smiled at the thought of how much that cash would help.

  “I’m not hip to the idea of my girl making tips because horny old guys are staring at her in those short shorts and that skimpy tank top. You’re mine, not there’s.”

  Padding toward the bathroom, she was going to leave it at that but her pride wouldn’t let her. “You sure don’t have a problem with it when you have a little extra money for things. Where’s your concern over my attire when you want to buy one of those stupid video games you play?” She knew she’d regret it the moment she said it but it came out and she couldn’t suck the words back in her mouth.

  Phillip sat up again, his eyes narrowing on her. “Watch your mouth, Amelia. You don’t talk to me like that! I should…”

  “You should what, Phillip?” He had always had a temper with her and sometimes, Amelia feared what he might be capable of doing to her when he was mad. He didn’t answer her but continued to glare at her. It was her clue to end it there before she poured fuel on the fire. “I’m gonna take a shower.”

  Turning on her heel, she escaped to the bathroom, stripping out of her clothes that smelled of stale beer and cigarettes. The warm water was invigorating and she closed her eyes as it cascaded around her. Her aching muscles appreciated it too and even if it was only fifteen minutes, it was fifteen minutes away from the real world.

  Chapter Two

  “Mr. Keller, you can come back now.”

  The ER clerk stood over him and he wiped his eyes. Had he fallen asleep? Following her back to the exam rooms, he, unfortunately, was all too familiar with that area of the hospital. Susan was in exam room five, separated by the other rooms by a thin curtain. She was asleep with an oxygen mask on here face. The first thing he noticed was the IV machine and the monitors nearby. Her o2 stats were good but she was hooked up to the oxygen. Her heart rate was a little fast and her blood pressure was still low.

  Sitting in a chair beside the bed, Rodney heaved a deep sigh. It was a little after three AM and he was thankful he didn’t have to work in the morning. There was no chance in hell he’d make it in and his boss wouldn’t be too compassionate with him if he had to call in again due to his wife’s issues. He hated himself for thinking that way with her lying in the bed, hooked up to various monitors. He hadn’t even talked to the doctor yet to know what her outlook was.

  “The doctor will be in shortly.”

  “Thank you.” His own voice sounded foreign to him and he coughed to clear his throat. Shortly translated to thirty minutes at the least and he relaxed in the chair, staring up at the monitors that fluctuated by the second.

  A nurse moved the curtain aside and came in, inserting some kind of medication in Susan’s IV port. “I’m Janice. I’ll be her nurse until a bed becomes available to move her.”

  “Is she…” Rodney motioned his hands as he tried to search for the correct question. “Is she okay?”

  “She’s stable. The doctor will have more information for you when he comes in.”

  Stable. Another vague blanket statement that medical staff used all the time. Rodney wanted to roll his eyes at the woman but she was there to help. One thing he had learned during all of this time was to not piss off the nurses or doctors. Susan wasn’t her only patient.

  The doctor followed behind the nurse, a clipboard in his hand, his wire-rimmed glasses on the edge of his nose. His brow was creased as he flipped through the pages of Susan’s chart. Standing at the foot of her bed, he eyed the monitors that Rodney had been watching for the past half hour and finally, he broke the silence.

  “Mr. Keller, my name is Dr. Adams. I am the ER doctor tonight and was here when they brought your wife in. I looked at her past medical history and I have some concerns.”

  “Yes, sir.” Rodney nodded. Here was the usual talk about Susan’s habits.

  “This isn’t the first time this has happened, is it?”

  “No. No, it’s not.” Get on with it! Rodney’s patience was gone.

  “This seems to be a pattern with her. And they seem to be getting closer together.”

  Rodney shifted weight in the chair, sitting up as if it’d help calm him down. “Is she okay? With all due respect, Doctor Adams, I know all about the history on my wife. How is she doing right now?” He pointed down at the floor. “I need to know if…”

  “She will pull through. We had to pump her stomach. She had taken a large amount of Hydrocodone pills and she was two times over the legal limit for blood alcohol. We’re going to have to check her liver for damage and I can see that her primary care physician is already seeing her regularly for that. None of that is shocking to me, Mr. Keller, but the fact that she’s not in a substance abuse or alcohol program is really concerning.”

  “I know, Doctor. She has tried rehab before and was even consistently going to AA meetings.”

  “What made her s
top?”

  “I wish I could tell you.”

  The doctor adjusted his glasses and pursed his lips. “Do you have a drug or alcohol problem, Mr. Keller?”

  “No. No, I don’t have a problem.” Rodney tried not to get offended by the questions - the man was just doing his job to gather information. This wasn’t the first time he was put under the microscope because of Susan’s actions.

  “Do you drink, Mr. Keller?”

  “Occasionally.”

  “Define occasionally for me.”

  “Here and there. One or two every now and then.” Rodney looked over at Susan and back to the doctor. “This is about Susan. What’s the next steps?”

  “Stabilize her. Move her to a room for observation. I need to run tests on her liver to see what more damage she’s done to it. I’m also going to set her up for a drug treatment program. It’s in the family’s best interest for everyone to attend for support. Do you have any children?”

  “We have a son.”

  Doctor Adams nodded and jotted something down. “Okay. I’ll let you know as soon as a bed becomes available to move her out of the ER.”

  Rodney couldn’t believe the attitude of the doctor. He had dealt with many in these situations and though most weren’t amused with Susan’s actions, they were at least supportive of him, providing him with a social worker and options on how to help Susan get better. This one looked down his nose at Rodney like he was trash and he ducked his head, trying to ignore the judgment.

  The doctor left him alone with Susan and he stood up at the side of her bed, running his hand over the back of her hand. The feelings he felt confused him - he loved this woman but he also hated her. He hated what she had put him through, what she had put their son through, and here they were again, going through the same shit after she had promised to never do this again.

  Warmth stung the corners of his eyes and he blinked them back, unwilling to cry in such a public place. He never knew who would walk through the door and catch him crying and right now, his anger was stronger than his sadness, putting his tears to a screeching halt.