Page 60 of Owen

Oh no.

Flying down the stairs, my head in a spin, I can’t get to them fast enough. “What’s happened? Are you hurt? Is it Poppy?”

Panting, tears running down her face, she wails, “It’s Mom. She needs a paramedic. Now.” She stares at me, looking terrified. “She’s fallen down the stairs.” She turns and flies out the door. “Come.” Her feet slap loudly against the hot concrete as she runs back to her villa.

Gregor jumps down the stairs at lightning speed too, his phone already in his hand. “I’m calling an ambulance now.” He runs behind me as I follow Jade.

“What the fuck is the number?” Gregor sounds distressed.

“Google it. Now,” I demand, gritting my teeth.

“It’s 199 in Cyprus.” Cobra appears as if by magic. “I heard the commotion.” He justifies why he is here, when in fact it’s all hands on deck as far as I’m concerned.

Sprinting, I run ahead to get to Mari.

I’m not prepared to find her lying in a puddle of blood as it oozes out of what looks like a deep gash on her forehead and onto the stark white marble floor, making it look like something out of a crime scene.

Mari moans when I crouch down and call her name.

“She tumbled all the way down.” Jade is seemingly unaware of how frantically she is bouncing Poppy, making me worry.

As Gregor races through the door, I instruct him to take Poppy away from the scene. The last thing I want is my little Pop-a-doodle traumatized as her grandmother bleeds out onto the floor.

Gregor scoops Poppy out of Jade’s arms and passes his phone to Cobra.

“C’mon, beautiful. Let’s go find some toys for you to play with.” Gregor disappears into the makeshift playroom Jade and Mari set up for Poppy. “There, there, you’re okay, Poppy,” he coos calmly, closing the door behind him, her sobbing dying down.

Jade falls to her knees by her mother’s side, worry deeply etched into her forehead.

“My leg.” In a daze, Mari groans, reaching down lazily, then moves her hand to her head.

I grab it before she makes contact with her deep cut, which looks like it needs stitches, and wrap her hand in mine reassuringly.

I look at Jade. “Hotshot, look at me.”

Her eyes bounce between her mom and me, then to her mom again.

With my free hand, I cup her face to get her attention. “Jade, listen to me.”

Her already pale face grows paler. “She’s hurting,” she whispers.

“I know. But listen to me. I need you to go into the kitchen and grab me lots of towels. Do you think you can do that?”

Jade nods her head a tiny amount, her face wet with tears.

“Great.” I move my eyes in the direction of the kitchen. “Go, Hotshot.”

In a flash, Jade is on her feet and scurrying about in the kitchen, scooping the supplies into her arms.

While my attention is fixed on Mari, in the background, Cobra’s deep voice is giving our address details over the phone.

Using soothing words to reassure Mari, I rub my thumb over the back of her hand, coaxing her to stay awake and asking her questions about the day and date.

Taking her time, she answers me, correctly every time, which I take as a good sign.

Cobra finally says the words we’ve been waiting for. “The paramedics are on their way.”

Jade returns with the towels, and I gently cover Mari’s split head with one, applying a little pressure to suppress the blood that is still pouring from the wound.

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