Page 101 of Burn of Obsidian

She may be suppressing their mating, but they were inevitable. Luckily, he had the patience to wait, because she was always supposed to be his, and he was never letting her go.

Sythe jerked away from the wall, head turning to the doorway seconds before Harper appeared. Her face was ashen, her cheeks wet.

Jax immediately stood, his chair crashing to the floor behind him. “Where is she?”

Chapter 38

Thea

Thea shook the effects off from the drift, grateful her wild magic had calmed enough that she could call it. As soon as she appeared before the hospital, she was already moving. Running on autopilot as she climbed the stairs, too impatient for the lift. The corridors were all similar, posters of fake smiles repeated on white walls, haunting her until she found her father’s ward.

Dread rose, and it didn’t matter how many times she tried to call, her sister wouldn’t pick up.

Molly:

Get to the hospital.

That was the only text she’d received. Dated only five minutes ago, and yet her sister wouldn’t pick up the bloody phone. With her heart in her throat, she reached the correct room, the bed empty and the sheets neatly pressed.

She’d been too late.

“Excuse me.” Thea caught the arm of a passing nurse, fighting back tears. “Can you tell me where Ayden Hart is?”

The nurse looked down at her clipboard. “Are you family?”

Thea swallowed. “Daughter.”

“Mr Hart’s been moved back home to receive hospice care.”

“Home?” Thea parroted, her arm shaking before she released her death grip on the nurse’s poor arm. “He’s been sent home?”

“Yes, earlier this morning.” Her eyes dipped to Thea’s torn shirt. “Oh honey, have you been hurt?”

Thea dropped her gaze, thinking her stitches had opened. But other than dried blood, she was fine. “No, I’m okay. I just…”

Her phone buzzed.

Molly:

Turn around.

She followed the instructions, freezing when she spotted Roach standing only a few feet away. She wore an eyepatch, her dark hair tied back from her face. Red sores spotted her cheeks and forehead, the skin surrounding painfully cracked.

“Thank you for your help,” Thea murmured, dismissing the nurse.

Roach stepped back into the corridor, and Thea couldn’t help but follow.

“Where is it?” Roach spat, keeping her tone low.

“You stole Molly’s phone?” The earlier panic had swelled into rage. “How did you even know my dad was here? What the fuck’s wrong with you?”

“It was fake,” Roach explained, her face pale when she grabbed onto Thea’s arm. “Now tell me where the document is, Swiper. I need it; you have no idea what you’ve done.”

“What I’ve done?” Thea had to drop her voice to barely above a whisper. “I asked you to help because I trusted you, and then you bloody stabbed me!”

“There’s no such thing as trust, not when it comes to my life against yours.” Roach peered over Thea’s shoulder. “He needs that document, and he’s not going to stop until he gets it.”

Thea went to turn, but Roach’s nails dug in.

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