Total pages in book: 214
Estimated words: 199879 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 999(@200wpm)___ 800(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199879 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 999(@200wpm)___ 800(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
It’s enough for now. “Hang on, sweetheart,” I say as the elevator dings, signaling we’re on the hospital floor. A piece of glass is stuck in her side with fresh blood running down it.
We get to the hospital, and when we go through the double doors, Devin pushes his hands on my chest. “Stay here.”
“No, I’m not—”
“Goddammit, Saint,” he barks at me. “I don’t have time to argue with you. Stay here.” He pulls away and rushes after Gavin who wheeled her into an operating room.
I sit next to her hospital bed. She’s been back at Carnage for five hours now. My wife was lucky. If you could call it that. She had a dislocated shoulder and was severely dehydrated, but other than that, she’ll be okay. The laceration from the glass in her side needed stitches but again, it could have been worse.
“How long until she wakes up?” I ask Devin as he enters.
“I’m going to start weening her off the sedation soon.” He comes over to the opposite side of her bed and checks the machine controlling the meds that are administered into her IV.
He said they don’t normally sedate for her injuries, but that they opted to because most likely popping her shoulder back into place would have caused her to wake up and be in pain.
“This is good news, Saint. She’s going to be okay. No broken bones or internal injuries. It looks bad, but it’s just cuts and bruises.” Devin had said to me earlier.
Then we got the results, and things weren’t okay anymore.
The rape kit came back positive. I knew it would. As much as I wished for it to be negative, I knew what was happening while she was gone. And I hate myself for allowing it. For not protecting her. I failed her again.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” I growl through gritted teeth and get to my feet. “They take her, shoot Haidyn, and then bring them both back here, film them separately, and then leave with her?” I shake my head. “Why?”
“I—”
“Then they let her go?” I pace, ignoring whatever he’s about to say. I’m talking more to myself than him. “There’s no way that she escaped.” I don’t care what anyone says, I won’t believe that. They let her go, knowing she’d come back here to me. Is that why? Let her return raped and battered? Do they think I’ll throw her away? Toss her to the side like she never meant anything to me? I spent four years searching for her, so nothing could happen to her that would make me not love her or give up on her.
And there were three men in the car? How many different men were on the videos they sent us? They were all dressed the same so those who were in the room with her, could have gone and been with Haidyn. I was sent two different videos. Who knows how far apart they were filmed because he waited two hours to even send me the one of Ashtyn.
The door swings open, and I spin around to see Tyson entering the room. He looks at Ashtyn and then me. The blank stare on his face has my pulse racing.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, stepping toward him.
He swallows nervously. “It’s Haidyn…”
“I’ll stay here with Ashtyn.” Devin says. “She’s fine. Promise.”
I run out of the room, wondering what the fuck is going on. My heart pounds when I see Tyson enter Haidyn’s room down the hall from Ashtyn’s. He holds the door open for me, and my stomach drops when I enter.
Sin stands up against the far wall, his face in his hands. Ryat sits in a chair, staring at the bloody floor. Kashton stands at the head of Haidyn’s hospital bed, his forearms on each side of Haidyn’s head, he’s bent at the waist, Kashton’s forehead resting on Haidyn’s. Gavin stands next to the bed, paddles in hand.
A loud beep fills the silent room. I’m trying to comprehend what I’m seeing, but my heart doesn’t want to believe it.
“I’m sorry,” Gavin whispers and places the paddles on the cart beside him.
I watch Kashton’s body shake as he fists his hands. Jasmine stands behind him, arms crossed over her chest as tears run down her face. I was told she arrived a couple of hours ago. After Ashtyn called her, she jumped on her father’s private jet and flew right here. She wasn’t going to leave until she saw her friend was okay. I’m not sure if the Kings know she’s here, but I’m not calling to rat her out. I’ll make the call if she gets in my way, but until then, Kashton can deal with it.
Licking my lips, my pulse races. Stepping forward, I look over Haidyn lying on the hospital bed. He’s got blood running down his nose and my knees threaten to buckle at the thought of losing my brother.