Page 71 of Hard Game

Elijah wakes the next day, and when he offers me a weak smile, I burst into tears.

“It’s okay,” Elijah says hoarsely, draining a cup of water like he’s parched. “Fuck.”

I help him get comfortable and wait for the nurses and doctors to finish assessing him, which seems to take hours. I’m desperate to know what happened to Elijah, to get our heads together and sort this shit once and for all.

“You look like someone has died,” Elijah quips feebly, and I glare at him.

“That’s not funny, you nearly did.”

Elijah sighs and winces, his hand clutching his chest. I leap to my feet, and he waves me off, coughing. “I’m okay, Diess.”

“What happened? Who did this to you?” I can’t help asking, twisting my hands.

Elijah studies me and shakes his head. “I wish I knew. Can’t remember a damn thing.”

My stomach drops. “You can’t remember? For real?”

Elijah nods. “For real. The last thing I remember is what I had for lunch that day.” He grimaces, and I feel the color drain from my face. “Nothing else.”

We’re screwed. If Elijah can’t testify who hurt him and link them to Carmen?—

“Use your outdoor voice, Diess,” Elijah jokes, knowing my mind is working overtime. He frowns at me. “You look like shit, dude. What happened to you?”

I look down at myself and shrug. I’d gone home to shower and change once, and my outfit left a lot to be desired. Mickey Mouse pajama bottoms and a pink sweater, to be exact.

“I just pulled on what I had,” I say irritably. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been stabbed.”

“Hilarious.”

“You know me, always funny.” Elijah looks at me again, and I frown.

“What?!”

“You look haunted, Diess. More than usual. What happened? Where’s Moreno?”

Maddox. I hadn’t thought about him, but then he hadn’t been my priority; Elijah had. Now I wonder what Maddox did to Alastor and where he was now. I drag my phone out to check it, and my heart sinks at the empty screen.

Why hasn’t Maddox texted or called?

I chew on my lip and find Elijah watching me with curiosity in his tired eyes. I force a smile and wave my hand in what I hope is nonchalance. “Nothing to report.”

Elijah should focus on getting better, not what we’ve uncovered. I push away the feeling of nausea that rises in my stomach at the thought of Elijah finding out about his demotion, but I’ll tell him when he’s better.

“Lauren…” Elijah starts, but I rise to my feet and flick the television on to stop his questioning. A red banner at the bottom of the screen captures my attention, and I read the scrolling text three times, unable to believe what I’m seeing.

The City Hall is on fire.

Smoke billows from the windows of the once-white building, and firefighters tackle the blaze on ladders, yelling to one another as they spray water from every direction. I try to listen to the news reporter, but all I can see is the breaking news announcing the high-profile deaths of the people trapped inside. The mayor, the chief of police, a handful of police staff, and prominent business owners. My stomach sinks.

“The fuck? Is it arson?” Elijah asks from behind me, and I can barely respond. “Who would want to burn down the City Hall?”

“I don’t know,” I whisper, but deep inside, I feel like I do know. I need to know who was in there from the police force, because if Carmen was there…I close my eyes and hold a hand to my chest, trying to steady the ache in my heart.

“There’s no way that’s not a deliberate fire,” Elijah says, and I swallow. “Those people…they’re too important.”

The mayor. The fucking mayor. My head swims—surely I’m wrong. The mayor couldn’t be involved in the trafficking ring. As for the chief of police? Never. He has a family with two teenage daughters. Why would he be part of something so horrific?

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