Page 98 of Ignite
I watch Rev dig out his phone with bloody hands. Only when he relays details to my brother, do I let a heavy darkness claim me.
I’m laid out in a hospital bed when I pry my eyes open, my thigh wrapped up tight and itching something fierce, and my head bogged down from too many fucking drugs. The room spins in my vision, and my limbs won’t respond as fast as I need them to.
I squeeze my eyes shut in frustration. All I see is my beautiful Ezra, bound and blood-stained, his chest heaving with panic.
He’s suffering, and I’m not there for him. I can’t hold him through this meltdown because I didn’t slow down to think about the situation for a single goddamn minute.
I’m so fucking gone for this man, and I’ll stop at nothing to get him back. I hope he knows that. Hope it gives him something to cling to.
The more I think about it, the more fury tumbles through me unrestrained. I think about that fucking drive. The picture of him as a child, posed on that couch. The emptiness in his eyes. I see him in my kitchen,a knife pressed to his forearm and that wild, broken desperation in his eyes.
It fucking kills me. Opens up gaping wounds inside of me until I’m sure I’ll die from this invisible pain.
I can’t live without him. I can’t live with the idea of him broken, either.
Growling at my pathetic state, I jerk up from the bed. I rip the IV from my arm, tape and all. Then I leap from the bed, hissing when my injured leg crumples, unable to support my weight.
“Fuck!” I yell, clutching the railing of the bed to keep from hitting the ground. I shove the bed across the room and stumble back against the windows.
Regaining my balance, I lurch forward and wrap my hands around the monitor that was assessing my vitals. I hurl that across the room. The commotion gains the attention of the nurses. They rush in, quickly followed by Rev dressed in his tactical gear.
He gives me a look of warning. “Hey there, big guy.”
I turn the full heat of my gaze on him, knowing the nurses are no match for me in this state. They can try to sedate me. I’ve fought through every imaginable hellish scenario. I will win this fight. I will get to Ezra.
“Where is he, Rev?” I push out. My insides are an inferno, melting away the remaining slivers of my humanity.
Rev sighs and shakes his head. “We’re still searching.”
I snarl at him, fists clenched. “You need to fucking do better! He deserves better!”
“I know, Cain. We’ll find him.”
“Yeah? In fucking pieces?” I roar. My leg crumples beneath me, and I barely catch myself on the windowsill. I’m shaking all over. “I can’t lose him, Rev.”
Rev doesn’t reply. I think he might be at a loss for words.
One of the nurses leans close to him to say softly, “We need him off that leg.”
“Yeah, okay. I got him.” Rev takes a few steps toward me. “You going to cooperate, Cain?”
I curl my hands into fists, and Rev’s eyes flick down to catalog the movement. Stumbling forward, I swing a clumsy arm at him. Rev dodges. His fist strikes me in the jaw, and I go down hard.
I’m not sure how long I’m out. Only when I wake up this time, I’m clear-headed and my thigh hurts something fierce. At least it’s not fucking numb anymore.
Without hesitation, I slide from the hospital bed, rip out another IV, and tear the stupid hospital gown from my body.
A shout comes from behind me. “Woah. Jesus.”
I turn to find Rev sitting in a chair by the open door, still dressed in his gear, and an arm thrown up over his eyes. “Put that weapon away. Clothes are on the table, hotshot.”
I reach for the pile of belongings Rev must have retrieved for me. Wincing, I drag on a pair of boxers and basketball shorts. Then I tug on an oversized black hoodie.
Rev catches my arm when I hurry toward the door, limping heavily. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Finding Ezra.” I growl, yanking free of his hold.
Rev’s eyes dip to my leg. “Yeah, but you’re fucked like that.”
