Page 74 of Shattered Souls
“I’m going with her,” I hiss, my tone non-negotiable.
“Like fuck?—”
Royce claps a hand on Logan’s shoulder. “Let Gray go with her. He’ll keep her safe. You need to go smooth over things with Coach since you just raced out of there without an explanation, and I wanna get CCTV footage and talk to Blue—get him to track Bertram’s whereabouts. Then we’ll go check on Riley.” Logan’s teeth grind, and I can see the refusal on the tip of his tongue before Royce says softly, “Trust him with her.”
“Fine,” Logan hisses. He jams a finger in my chest. “You better not let her out of your sight until we get there.” Not waiting for a response, he stomps off back to the hockey arena.
Royce remains, leveling me with a hard stare. “Look after our girl.”
“Always,” I vow before turning away and climbing into the back of the ambulance.
My heart hasn’t slowed down since we arrived at the hospital. I sit in the uncomfortable plastic chair beside Riley’s bed, every muscle in my body tense, my eyes never leaving her face. The sterile smell of antiseptic and the low hum of hospital equipment surround us, but all I can focus on is her. The stark white sheets are a harsh contrast to the bruises forming on her pale skin.
She’s resting now, her breathing even, but I can’t shake the image of her lying on that pavement, unconscious. It replays in my mind on an endless loop, a constant reminder of how close I came to losing her. The moment I saw that car speeding toward her, instinct took over. Pushing her out of the way was the only thing I could think of. The sickening thud of her head hitting the ground still echoes in my ears.
I reach out, my hand trembling slightly, and gently brush a strand of hair away from her forehead. Her face is peaceful, almost serene, yet I can’t shake the terror in her eyes when they’d connected with mine in that parking lot.
The room is quiet, except for the heart monitor’s steady beeping. It’s a sound I’ve come to rely on, a constant reassurance that she’s still here with me. Royce and Logan are on their way, and they’ll bring their own brand of support and reassurance that I know Riley needs, but right now, it’s just me and her.
A rare occurrence.
Rarer still that we’re in the same room without sniping at one another.
Ironic how I’d give anything to have her ripping me a new one right now. How I’d love nothing more than to poke and prod at her until she erupts and unleashes all that hot-as-fuck fury onto me.
Nothing gets my blood pumping more than seeing her fire, than reminding her that life may be doing its damndest to snuff it out, but her flames burn eternal.
Clutching her hand in mine, I brush my finger along the back of her hand as I stare at her face. I know she needs rest, but I want nothing more than to see those hazel eyes latch onto mine. I need them to anchor me to this chair so I don’t give into the undeniable urge to storm out of this room and find whoever was behind the wheel of that car and make them pay.
As much as I want time alone with my Tempest, I need Royce to hurry his ass up and get here so he can fill me in on what he’s found.
The door creaks open slightly, and I straighten in my chair, thinking it’s them. A nurse peeks in, offering a reassuring smile before closing it softly. I exhale a breath, slumping back in my seat as my eyes once again return to Riley.
I startle when I find her heavily lidded gaze on mine.
“Hey.”
She licks her dry lips. “Hi.”
Grabbing the jug of water on her table, I fill a glass and help her sit up before bringing it to her lips. She takes several long gulps before relaxing back against her pillows.
“How are you feeling?”
Her brows furrow, a twinge of pain flashing across her features before she lifts her hand to touch her scalp. I capture it before she can prod the welt on the side of her head and hurt herself. “What happened?” she asks, seeming confused. The doctor had said that was expected, so I am trying not to worry.
“You ran out in front of a car.” It takes effort to keep the chastisement out of my tone.
“I… don’t remember that,” she murmurs, voice sounding far off.
“Whatdoyou remember?” I hedge, not wanting to push her too soon but needing to know what happened before I caught sight of her. Is my father responsible for this? Is he what drove her to race across campus like a maniac and eventually run out in front of that car?
“I…” Creases form between her brows before her eyes widen, fear bleeding into those off-green irises and dulling them as they meet mine. “Your dad.” She swallows, her hand squeezing mine to the point of pain. “Your dad has Aurora.” There’s an edge of panic in her voice that bleeds into her expression. Clearly not in her right mind yet, she throws back the cover and tries to sit upright.
“Whoa. You have a concussion. You need to take it easy,” I tell her, attempting to push her back onto the bed. Except she fights me. Was I just saying I wanted her to wake up and give me hell? I change my mind.
“Grayson,” she grinds, exasperated. “Did you not hear me? Bertram has Aurora! We need to go!”
“I heard you just fine, Tempest. However,youare not going anywhere, so how about you lie back there and tell me what exactly happened.”
