Page 85 of Always Watching

“Holy shit, North. He’s fine. Here.” Wylder steps back and yanks his shirt over his head.

I made a mess, trying to scrub the blood off mine…

I yank it off and pull his on, then hold my hand out for the keys. Wylder fishes them out and tosses them to me. “My contact went through the landlord’s computer. He had anemailfrom Ranen telling him to meet him at his apartment. He signed itPoohBear.When Mateo ran it back, it was sent from Olly’s computer.”

Of course it was—of course the fucker set up Ranen’s pathetic landlord so we’d let our guard down. But still…

“That doesn’t fucking matter right now. Did you call Dad?”

“He’s with him. North, listen…” Wylder catches my arm and pulls me closer to him. “I get it. I can see how much he matters to you. Just… try to make sure you don’t kill everyone who touches him, okay? I don’t know if Dad will survive having to clean up that many messes. Fuck…” His eyes drift to the basement and the motherfucker I’d like to leave down there to rot. “I don’t know if I’ll survive it at this rate.”

It’s as close to acceptance as I’m going to get, and I want to tell Wylder I appreciate it, but Ineedto get to the hospital where Ranen is. He hands me the keys with an indulgent smile and I’m running.

I don’t realize I still have blood under my nails until I’m almost inside the building, and by that point I don’t care anymore. I ball my hands into fists to hide it and keep moving.

I get his room number, and when I spot Dad standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall and chatting with Ranen’s handsome nurse from the first time he was here, I scowl.

“He better be asleep if you’re out here.” I know my voice isn’t exactly kind, but Dad’s eyes are full of empathy when they turn to me.

“He’s fine, North. It looked worse than it was, I’m sure.”

He gothurtbecause of me. He washurtbecause I let him go off with Olly.

Ranen’s going to be lucky if I don’t chain him to his bed and keep him wrapped up there for the rest of his life. The thought of letting him out of my sight ever again is a physical pain.

It might make killing a little hard, but I’ll figure it out.

Ranen is lying down when I come into the room, and Dad carefully closes the door behind me. The sound startles him awake, and there’s a second of panic in his eyes.

I didn’t kill Olly slow enough—he deserved to die a thousand times over for that expression, but…

“Why didn’t you call me?” Ranen’s voice asks the soft question, and guilt churns in my stomach again.

“Baby, I’m sorry.” I’m by his side and taking his hand before I speak any more, and at least he squeezes my fingers tightly in his. He’s not angry with me. I can see how glad he is that I’m here written all across his face.

I just hate that I can see the bruises too.

“Olly said you didn’t care because you didn’t call.”

“Ollyis a dead motherfucker, and he was wrong. I didn’t call you because I didn’t want him to turn your phone off. I had to use it to find you.”

Ranen processes the words for a second and nods. “I thought you were being ridiculous putting that tracker on my phone.” He says it in a teasing voice, but there are tears shining in his eyes that he’s trying his hardest not to let fall. I don’t even think about it—I just shift him over and crawl into the bed with him, drawing him up against my chest and wrapping him in my arms.

“It’s okay, Ranen.”

His body jerks with a small, hiccuping sob. “He was supposed to be my friend.”

“I know, baby.” I don’tknow, but I can tell that he’s in pain. I can tell the betrayal matters, that losing Olly somehowstillmatters. As much as I want to detail exactly how dead he is to Ranen, how Wylder is probably burning little bits of his body as we speak… I just hold him instead, stroking my fingers gently through his hair so I can probe for the damage that brought him here to begin with.

“I’m sorry I didn’t realize—”

I cut him off there, careful when I tilt his head up to mine to brush my lips across his in the faintest ghost of a kiss. It’s enough, though. He’s trembling when I pull back, and the tears he tried to hold back streak down his face. “It wasn’t your fault.And it doesn’t matter. He’s gone now, Ranen. He’s gone, and I’m never going to let anyone hurt you again. I promise.”

He stares up at me, and I can see the reflection of all his exhaustion, all his emotion, and all the love he feels for me swirling in his eyes. “Promise?”

I nod, wiping the tears gently from his cheeks. I lower my voice and whisper softly in his ear. “I’m pretty infamous for making people around here disappear. Consider my motive changed. Anyone who hurts you is on my list.”

It’s as close to a confession as I’m willing to get in public, telling him that he’s probably heard about me on the news. But it’s also true.

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