Page 174 of The Forbidden Note

“Sol, let him go,” Dutch says.

Finn grabs Sol’s hand.

Sol looks like he’ll start swinging, but one look into Finn’s face makes him freeze.

“Stop,” Finn says quietly. He’s not loud or abrasive at all, but there’s enough force in that order to scare a tornado back into hiding.

Sol wrenches his arm away, kicks a chair in the waiting room and stalks off.

“I’ll go talk to him,” Cadence says, her eyes stained with tears.

“I’ll come with you,” Dutch says.

Finn juts his chin at me. “I can take you home.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

The doctor pinches his lips. “We’ll move Mr. Cross to the recovery room and then you can see him.”

Silence descends.

It’s not broken until a nurse appears to bring me and Finn to Zane’s room.

Zane is on the bed, looking pale and helpless. His wrist is in a cast. The doctor’s grim prediction that he may never be able to play drums professionally again rips through my head.

My fault.

I turn away, unable to look.

At that moment, Dutch, Sol and Cadence enter the room.

Dutch looks over at Zane, his lips tightening.

Cadence glances down.

Finn stands as still as a statue.

“Dammit!” Sol rams a fist against the wall.

Cadence doesn’t stop him this time.

“What are we going to do about Hall?”

The question comes from Finn. His tone sends a black chill down my spine.

“I say we break both his legs,” Sol growls.

I lift my attention to the boy with tan skin, wavy brown hair and sharp, chiseled cheekbones.

Sol’s eyes are glittering as he adds, “I say we break every bone in his body and bury him alive.”

Dutch slides his fingers over his chin, considering it.

“Breaking a few bones isn’t enough. We have to make an example out of him,” Finn says, almost inhumanely calm.

“And cracking his legs the way he cracked Zane’s wrist isn’t going to do that?” Sol folds his arms over his chest and scowls.

Dutch rubs his chin, considering it.

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