Page 16 of Sweet Vengeance
“I heard noises. It sounded like someone being hurt, so I went over to the side of the building to see what it was.”
“Jesus,” I say, along with Dean’s, “Don’t fucking do that. Next time you call us.”
“Why? You’re not my babysitter. I don’t need you to take care of me.” He winces, clearly in pain. “I feel like crap. My head is pounding. I’ll get this out quick because I know you won’t leave me alone until I do. There were three guys, wearing masks. They were beating up an old man. I tried to stop them, tried to call 911, but they hit me before I could. They turned their attention from the old man to me. It…” He closes his eyes—well, good eye—and doesn’t speak for a moment. When he does again, his voice breaks. “That’s it.”
“Can you remember anything about them? Accents? Anything?” I ask.
He shakes his head and winces again.
It’s not a lot to go on, but we’ll figure this out.
“Look, I’m tired. My whole body hurts. I need to get out of here.” He tries to turn in the bed, but the second he does, he cries out, clutching his rib.
“You’re not going anywhere.” I try to slow my breathing, try to unclench my hands. I’ll fucking kill whoever did this to him.
“I’m not one of your mini-mob members. You don’t control me, and I can’t afford this. If I put it on my insurance, my dad will find out. It would…he wouldn’t be able to handle it—knowing I’m hurt.”
“We’re paying,” I say.
“Like hell you are.”
“Shh,” Dean warns. “Who needs to keep their voice down now? And yes, we are. It’s nonnegotiable.”
“That’s not how this works,” Ollie argues. “You’re my friend. You should respect my decision.”
Dean squeezes his eyes closed, and I know he’s struggling with what Ollie said. He wants to help him but also give him the respect he deserves.
“Well,” I say, “I’m not your friend, and you’re fucking staying. One night. We’ll sort out the money later, but it’s happening.”
“Am I supposed to listen to you? Will you hurt me if I don’t?”
His question stabs at the part of me that knows the shit we do is wrong…even though I’ll never stop.
“Ollie…” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “We’re worried about you. We’re just trying to help.”
He tries to turn again, but his face breaks in pain. He goes for his head and his chest, showing that both are hurting in equal amounts.
“Stay,” I say more quietly this time. “You said you don’t want your dad to find out? Then you need to get better for that to happen. If you don’t, there’s no keeping it from him. If you’re not willing to stay for yourself, stay for him.”
His expression changes, and he sinks back into the bed, the fight in him tamped down because of his love for his father. What would that be like, I wonder? To have that kind of loving relationship with your father? I would hope the mandeserves it, that he would sacrifice for Ollie the way Ollie is doing for him.
“One night,” Ollie says softly.
“I’ll stay with him.”
CHAPTER SIX
Ollie
Idon’t understandwhat’s going on, why Dean and Cillian are here. Dean makes more sense, considering we’re friends, but I don’t get why Cillian came with him, why he’s trying to stay the night with me, and why in the hell he told everyone he’s my boyfriend.
But I don’t have it in me to ask right now, to sift through the clouds in my brain to find the truth. My head is throbbing, my body aches. My vision is all screwy. I can only see out of one eye, and my glasses are broken. Luckily, I have another pair in my dorm.
I was attacked tonight.
Oh God. I was jumped and beaten by three masked men, and I’m in the hospital. I could have died. My dad could have lost me like he lost my mom, and I know he wouldn’t have survived. That and the fact that I can hardly move right now are the only things keeping me in this bed.
I was attacked, I was attacked, I was attacked.
