Page 66 of Damascus & The Wildfire
Still, the guilt poisoned her expression. “But he was upset when he left. Because of me. If I hadn’t?—”
I interrupted her again. “No matter what happens, this isn’t your fault. Let’s get to the hospital so we can see how the dumbass is doing.”
The night air whipped through the windows of my truck as I sped down the backroads to the hospital. I reached for Kenna’s hand across the console and squeezed it tight. Her eyes glistened with tears under the moonlight.
As we burst through the doors of the ER, I searched the busy space for my sister before shooting her a text. She responded within seconds, promising to bring us an update in a few minutes.
I turned to face Kenna and frowned at the fear and tension etched into her face. I pulled her into my body and wrapped my arms around her.
“He has to be OK,” she whispered, voice muffled against my jacket. “I can’t lose someone else. Not like this.”
“Me neither,” I admitted.
She looked up, desperate. “What if he?—”
I shook my head and pulled her closer. “We don’t break that easy. Hatchet’s made of steel and luck. Merci should be out soon to give us an update.”
I glanced up to see Reaper, Eva, Thane, and Fuse streaming through the automatic doors.
“Any updates?” Thane asked.
“Not yet.”
Seconds crawled by. The buzz of the waiting room faded under the weight of what wasn’t being said. Finally, a set of double doors swung open. Merci strode out in her blue scrubs, spattered withblood. A mask hung around her neck. Her tired eyes flicked from me to Kenna in my arms, and I could see the questions forming.
“How is he?” I asked.
“He’s in surgery to stop some internal bleeding. But, all things considered, he’s in decent shape. Could’ve been a lot worse.”
“What happened?” Fuse asked.
“He hit a deer on his bike. Laid it down. Fortunately, he wasn’t going fast, and he was wearing his jacket and helmet, for once. He was conscious when he came in and recognized me, which is a good sign. I need to get back there. We’re busy as hell tonight because some gangbanger kids robbed a drugstore. I’ll let you know if anything changes.”
“Thanks, kid,” Thane said, smiling at Merci and pulling her into a hug.
Merci glanced back at me with raised brows. “Are you going to introduce us?”
I rolled my eyes. “Kenna, this is my pain-in-the-ass baby sister, Merci. Also happens to be smart enough to be a doctor.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Kenna.” Merci shifted her eyes to me. “I didn’t realize you were seeing someone.”
“I’m as surprised as you are,” I said with a short laugh.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The group of us sat in the waiting room, each of us lost to our own thoughts while time crawled. The faint scuffing of nurses’ shoes sounded through the hallway, and monitors beeped in the distance.
My mind looped the same image over and over—Hatchet tearing out of the parking lot after what I’d said to him. My stomach churned. I kept thinking about what could have happened. The worst case. And how much of it might be my fault.
Choosing Merrick had almost cost my friend his life
Eva appeared in front of me and held out a paper cup. “Stop beating yourself up,” she said gently.
I kept my gaze trained on the floor and wrapped my hands around the thin cup, savoring the burn and the bitter steam curling into my face. “It’s my fault,” I murmured.
Merrick’s heavy, sure footsteps approached. His presence hovered above me before he lifted me from my seat and tugged me into his lap. “Breathe, Wildfire. This isn’t on you. Look at me.”
I tore my face from his chest and gazed into his eyes.
