Page 40 of Till The Sun Dies (Checkmate 2)

9

Laine

Wash It Away

“Wake up, Lainie. Wake up. It’s time to go.”

My stomach hurts. Just the thought of waking and going with him hurts, so I turn over and pretend I’m still asleep. He can’t take me if I’m asleep.

“Laine. Wake up.” He fists my hair. “Time to go.”

“No.” I let my word come out on a sleepy mumble. Fake it! Fake it! Fake it! “Not time to get up. Sleepy.”

“Laine!”

“I don’t want anymore, Graham. I just want to sleep.” I turn to the edge of the bed. “Just let me sleep. Please.”

“Laine!”

I shoot up in bed and slam my forehead against something solid. A rough hand comes down in the dark and smacks into my shoulder. When I scream, it turns into an unrelenting grip as he roars and holds me down.

“Fuck!”

“Stop! Get off.” I struggle to yank my arm free. “Let me go!”

“Fuck, I’m sorry!” Ang refuses to release me, and when I scramble back, his hold only tightens until I want to shed my skin. “Just stop for a sec. I’m sorry. It’s just me.”

“Let me go!” Tears – tears I escape only while asleep – rush over my cheeks and into my mouth as shadows move around the dark room.

“Woah. Baby, slow down.” I jump to the side when a second set of hands clutch at my arm. “Laine.” Jess’ voice brings bile to my throat, echoing in the stark hospital room. “Slow down, Baby. It’s just me.”

I spin away to escape the hands, but my cords – the IV, the pulse thingy they clip to my finger – all twists and tugs at my flesh. I cry out at the fiery sting, then shoot forward when Ang’s hands touch my hips.

“Stop!” I collapse onto the bed in a fit of tears. “Stop. Don’t touch me. Please don’t touch me.”

He jumps away from me so fast, drawers and pans clatter together. He raises his hands in the air, and though his body says surrender, his eyes scream rage.

Pure, hate filled rage.

“I’m sorry.” His hair, wet and tied into a knot at the back, exposes every etch and line of his stony face, even in the dark. “I’m sorry, Laine. I won’t touch.”

“It’s just us.” Jess doesn’t heed my request. Instead, she grabs my shoulders and waits for my eyes to meet hers. My lungs heave, searching for oxygen. My limbs shake, and my stomach threatens to revolt. “It’s just us. You’re safe, Laine. It’s family in here. You’re safe now. I’ll protect you with my life, I promise.”

I turn my head just a little to the right and come eye to eye with a staring Kane. He doesn’t stand. He does nothing but watch me like a hunter watches a scared deer.

My lips quiver. Tears rush over my cheeks, and when he swallows and the ink on his neck ripples, the dam opens and howling sobs break me apart from the inside out.

“Shhh.” Jess pulls me close enough that her pounding heart slams against my ear. “It’s okay, Baby. You’re safe now. You’re with us, and the club is gone. Graham’s gone. Everything’s gone except us.” She presses shaking lips to my brow. “You won’t ever hurt again, I promise. I’m not leaving you.”

“I want to go.” I push her away and work with shaking hands to untangle my cords. Angelo noisily backs up and knocks into things in the dark. His hands remain in the air, but his eyes hurt. They hurt like I’ve shoved an ice pick through his chest. “I need to go to the bathroom.” I rip the sensor off my finger and set the heart rate monitor to a single, long incessant beep. The stitches hidden behind the white bandage scream in pain when I slam them on the bed rail. I cry out when I tear the IV from my arm, but Jess’ cry comes because of the blood that sprays onto the clean sheets.

In an instant, Kane scoops her up and pulls her away like I’m a wild animal with my teeth bared.

I push my blankets away and fall to the floor when my ankles tangle in the fabric. Sobs tear up my throat when Angelo lunges forward to help me. “No!” I push him back with slapping hands and those bared teeth.

I shakily climb to my feet, spinning when the door slams open and light from the hall illuminates my shadowed room. A familiar faced nurse, backed by a giant man in a white security shirt, stop on the threshold to find Kane manhandling Jess, and me hitting Angelo.

The security guy pushes past the nurse and comes straight for me.

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