by C. R. Ellis
“Why are you here? What do you want?” I managed to ask, stiffening when he brushed hair out of my face and lifted the mask until it was resting atop my head.
“I told you I’d be seeing you soon, Jade,” he whispered into my ear, tracing a finger along my exposed spine and then along the outline of the dress’s cutout.
His voice cut through the fog in my head like a machete. The tone was painfully familiar, yet sounded wrong, like his touch. I knew something wasn't right, but I just couldn’t figure out what. No matter how many deep breaths I inhaled, how much I tried to focus on the feeling of the rough brick beneath my fingers, I couldn’t stop the world from spinning. My brain was treading water, exerting every drop of effort in my body to stay alert and focused, but at the same time the darkness was calling my name, begging me to surrender.
He huffed out an impatient breath behind me before leaning in and gripping my sides. “I’m running out of time here, and you’re not cooperating like I had hoped. It doesn’t matter, though,” he continued, straightening up and removing his hands from my body. “This is going to be fun, Jade. You’ll see.”
I wanted to ask him what he meant because everything jumbled together in one confusing mess in my head, but the words refused to come. With more effort than I’d ever needed before, I lifted my head to see him walk away. When he got to the street in front of the club, he stopped underneath a streetlamp, pulled off his mask, and looked back at me with a casually cruel smile on his lips.
I slammed my eyes shut again.
Emmett.
What the fuck?
Why would he leave me here? What were those words he’d just said? I couldn’t even remember what happened leading up to me coming outside. I needed to go back inside, but my legs weren’t working and I was so tired.
I’ll just give myself a minute to get my bearings, and then I’ll go back in.
I opened my eyes to try and orient myself somewhat, but it was no use. I tried to call for help, but sounds wouldn’t leave my mouth. My body crashed to the ground, and all I could wonder on the way down was how Emmett could walk away after seeing me like this.
Minutes, hours, days later, I was stirred awake by a pair of thick arms lifting me. “I’ve got you, Curious Jade. You’re going to be all right,” bellowed the voice of my rescuing angel.
Chapter 12
Emmett
“You need to get a cab, Emmett. Now,” Harrison commanded through the phone. I was burning the midnight oil at our affiliate company’s offices in NYC, finishing a project for next week’s meeting.
“Where are you?” I asked. “What’s going on?”
“Are you sitting down?”
“Yes. Just tell me what’s going on.”
“Two more things before I tell you. One, put down anything you’ve got in your hands. Put me on speaker and set your phone down. Two, know and repeat after me: she is going to be okay.”
I hesitated, but complied with his order and put my phone on speaker before repeating his confusing words. “She is going to be okay. Who is ‘she,’ and what the fuck is going on?”
“Jade. She’s here. I followed him to a club, and she was there with some friends. I kept my distance, praying it was a fucking coincidence. I lost him for two minutes, and when I realized he’d slipped out the back exit I followed him and found Jade…unconscious in the alley behind the club. I think she’s been drugged.”
Ice ran through my veins, cold and numbing. It took half a second for Harrison’s words to sink in. In that half-second, I scooped up my phone and ran to the door, heading for the elevators.
Jade.
In an instant, all the memories of her I’d survived on over the last two weeks flooded my mind. I thought I’d been doing the right thing by staying away, no matter how much it killed me; as far as I knew, Will hadn’t pursued finding her after our blow up.
“You’re positive?” My mind reeled as questions, panic, anger, and fear crashed down on me like angry waves of a hurricane. The longer the elevator took to reach the twenty-ninth floor, the more time my imagination had to run wild.
“Won’t know for sure until I get her to the ER.”
Jade was on her way to the emergency room, all because of me. My jaw clenched along with my fists as anger rolled through my body. If the elevator didn’t arrive in the next five seconds, there was going to be a hole the size of my fist in the wall. Right on cue, three seconds later the telltale ping sounded as the doors slid open. I had the elevator to myself, which was a relief considering how little patience I had at the moment. I watched the numbers track the elevator’s descent and felt my pulse quicken with each passing floor.
“I’ll call Dr. White over at Regional, she’s a friend of Em’s and the head of their ER. I’ll meet you there.”
“Understood, boss. We’re ten minutes out.”
I disconnected with Harrison and immediately scrolled through my contacts until I found Martina White. I hadn’t seen her in years, but I knew she’d be willing to help. I wasn’t convinced there was anything lucky about tonight, but fortunately, Martina was there and said she’d meet Harrison as soon as they arrived.
Thanks to the city’s slowest cab driver, a fifteen-minute drive turned into twenty-five minutes, causing me to jump out and run the last two blocks. Ignoring the dirty looks shot my way, I weaved through unsuspecting couples and unapologetically shoved past a group of girls taking up half the sidewalk before finally reaching the hospital doors.
Four years.
I hadn’t set foot in a hospital in four years. I paused outside the ER doors as paralyzing fear gripped my chest and stole the air from my lungs. Thousands of people go to the hospital each day, and thousands leave each day. Four years ago, I was one of those people. I received treatment for mostly superficial injuries, and left the hospital on my own two feet.
Only, I went into the hospital as a husband and left as a widower.
“Emmett,” Harrison called as he leapt up from a chair in the waiting area after spotting me through the glass door.
Bright lights and a pungently sterile hospital smell assaulted my senses. I inhaled anyway, forcing down the lump of panic rising in my throat.
“How is she? Where is she?” I asked, eyes automatically searching for her.
“She’s in a room. Dr. White is with her now; she’ll be able to tell us more soon.” His massive hand clamped down on my shoulder to get my attention before guiding me to a chair. I couldn’t sit, though, not while I still needed so many answers. I started pacing instead. “Look at me, Emmett. This is not on you, okay? You didn’t know she’d be in New York.”
His eyes narrowed and seared into mine, and I wished the sincerity in his voice was enough to make those words the truth. “Bullshit,” I barked. “How is this not my fault? I never should’ve reacted to Will’s stunt; I practically asked him to look for her. I never should’ve gotten her involved in my life. My actions are why she’s un-fucking-conscious right now.”
Harrison’s grip tightened. “You can’t keep doing this to yourself. Bad shit is not always on your shoulders, Emmett. You are not responsible for the actions of others.”
“Did…did he touch her?” I could barely get the words out of my mouth without feeling physically ill.
His head shook before I could even finish my question. “No. He was only out there for maybe two minutes, and the asshole knew I was close behind.”
My shoulders slumped with relief, and my hands unclenched from the fists they’d made, but my brain was still bouncing around at warp speed.
Harrison pulled out a phone with a glittery orange case from his back pocket and held it out to me. Jade’s phone.
Of course she had a passcode.
I failed three times before correctly trying 2-5-0-3, the inverse of her birthday.
She had a few texts, but I didn’t waste time reading them. I pulled up recent calls and hit Jasmine’s name.
Five long, torturous rings later, she answered. �
��JP, what’s up? I thought you’d be cock-deep in Operation: Get Over Boston by now. PS—what do you think about shortening the name to Operation: GOB? It rolls off the tongue pretty nicely.”
Normally I would’ve laughed at her comment, but I didn’t have the time. “Jasmine, it’s Emmett.”
“Oh, fuck me. Forget I said anything. Jade has been great lately, and Operation: GOB was just this thing we do using city names. Totally coincidental.” Once she ceased the attempt to backtrack her comments, confusion dawned. “Wait, what are you doing with Jade’s phone? Why are you even with her? What’s going on?”
“She’s at the hospital. I think she was drugged, but we don’t know for sure. The doctor is with her now, so I’ll have answers after she’s done and relay them to you. I didn’t know who else to call.”
“Oh my god, is she okay? Jesus, stupid question. I should’ve never told her to go out. She’s not usually into the club scene. Shit. She’s been using work as a distraction lately, and I wanted her to stay busy so she didn’t turn into a hermit like last time.”
I wasn’t sure what to focus on first—Jade needing a distraction lately, or what last time meant. I knew I had serious baggage, but I’d never considered the possibility Jade did too.
I didn’t think Jasmine realized how much she was revealing to me, of all people, but I didn’t dare interrupt her. I hated knowing I was the source of Jade’s misery, but it also gave me a tiny shred of hope that maybe I could make things right with her. If she cared enough to come up with a plan to get over me, I just had to convince her I wasn’t going anywhere this time.
I froze. As much as the thought shocked me, it also soothed me. I’d tried pushing her away, but distance wasn’t working for either of us, and the damage was already done as far as dragging her into my family shit. Leaving things the way I did with her was a mistake I’d never forgive myself for making. I could only hope she’d let me atone for my stupidity. I didn’t have all the answers, but I knew without a doubt that I wanted her in my life.
“I don’t know the details of what happened, but I promise you, I’m going to find out. She is getting the best treatment available, and I’ll call you as soon as I know more.”
Silence hung on the line between us for half a minute.
“Look, Jade didn’t tell me everything about what went down with y’all, but she told me enough. If you’re just doing this out of some sort of guilt for fucking with her heart, then just wait long enough so I can get Dean to meet you there, and you can go.”
Guilt, though not the kind she accused me of feeling, sliced through me. My intention was never to hurt her, but hearing I had sent me reeling. I only ever meant to do what was best for her.
“Jasmine, I know you have no reason to believe me, but I swear to you I’m not going anywhere. I’m not here out of guilt, I’m here because I care about Jade. I know I fucked up before,” I admitted, stopping short of telling her it was my fault Jade was even here. “I can’t go back and change the way I handled things, but I can try to make up for it. If she’ll let me.”
Jasmine mumbled something along the lines of “you’re damn right you fucked up,” but I couldn’t hear her exact words. “Did you tell the group she was with what was going on? She was out with one of our clients.”
“No.” Harrison hadn’t mentioned anything about speaking with the people Jade was with, and I didn’t want to delve into the details at the moment.
“Okay. I’ll call Dean and let him know what’s going on, then I’ll call Nicole. Dean will want to meet you at the hospital.” She muttered something else under her breath, and this time I couldn’t make out her words, but she didn’t sound too pleased about having to rely on other people to be with Jade right now. “You better call me the second you talk to the doctor. Or I will fly to New York myself, Emmett.”
I was about to respond and confirm I’d call her as soon as I could when a middle-aged woman in navy blue scrubs stepped out from behind a sliding glass door and headed my way. She looked a little worse for wear; her near-black hair was plagued by gray at the roots, and she had deep wrinkles around her light blue eyes, but I recognized her immediately.
“Jasmine, the doctor’s coming. I’ll call you back.” I almost leapt over the cluster of chairs between us before Harrison steered me around them.
“Emmett, she’s going to be fine,” Dr. White assured me, forgoing any type of greeting after seeing my face. Relief immediately washed over me. “She came to not long after Harrison brought her in, and she was able to give consent for blood work, but she’s been in and out ever since. With potential date rape drugs, breathing problems are a concern, especially when mixed with any amount of alcohol. Her breathing is normal, which is a great sign. She does exhibit several signs of a number of date rape drugs, mainly the unconsciousness, disorientation, and impaired motor skills, but I can’t say for sure what happened.”
“Thank you, Martina.”
“Also, because Harrison got to her presumably within an hour or so of ingestion, her blood work should show if it was Rohypnol or GHB. If that’s the case, she’s lucky your friend was there to help her so quickly,” she explained through a tight smile to Harrison.
I nodded, though I still refused to believe there was anything remotely lucky about tonight. “Can I see her?”
“Normally I’d say no to non-family members, but she’s been asking for you every time she stirs awake since I told her who brought her here, and I think not letting you see her would only add to her stress. But, Emmett,” she called, pausing outside the door. “She’s in and out of consciousness, so don’t expect much. In a few hours, the effects should wear off, but she is going to have major hangover-like symptoms, only worse. Do you know if she has someone who can stay with her?”
“I’m not leaving her,” I declared decisively. No way in hell I wasn’t keeping her close, I didn’t care if her brother lived in the city. “I’ll take care of her.”
She nodded and eased open the sliding door to Jade’s room. “I’ll give you a few minutes.”
The room was small and quiet, with just the steady beeps of her heart rate monitor disrupting the silence. As soon as I stepped inside, I was only four feet from the foot of Jade’s bed. My eyes gravitated from the gleamingly white floor tiles to the drab taupe wallpaper, looking anywhere but at Jade.
When I reached the side of the bed I finally dragged my eyes to her motionless body. During our time on the yacht I’d memorized everything about her appearance—from her perfect button nose she always wrinkled adorably, to the handful of freckles on her shoulders, and the star-shaped birthmark on her left collar bone. Now, thinking about never seeing those flawless features of hers again nearly wrecked me.
Jade was the embodiment of the nickname I’d given her, looking even smaller than she had two weeks ago. Her eyes were closed and her dark hair splayed out across the pillow. Makeup smudged the space around her eyes. A thin blanket was drawn up to to her chest.
I dropped to my knees and gently reached for her hand. The pad of my thumb traced across her smooth, pink nails as I bent forward to press my lips against her hand.
“Emmett?” she croaked brokenly.
I pushed up to my feet and bent over to brush rogue strands of hair out of her face. “Shh, Tiny. I’m not going anywhere. Rest,” I ordered, gently planting a kiss on her forehead.
“But I don’t…” she slurred and blinked up at me. Her arms twitched in an effort to help her sit up, but they barely moved and she groaned before her eyes slipped closed again. “You’re not leaving this time?”
Fuck. My heart was splitting into two parts; one beating solely because of the relief from knowing she was going to be okay, and the part that just broke at hearing the hurt and doubt in her question.
“No, Jade, I’m not leaving. I’ll be here when you’re ready to open those pretty eyes of yours again.”
Her fingers relaxed against mine, and an almost-smile flashed as she gave up the battle for c
onsciousness.
Dr. White quietly slid the door open and crept toward the bed.
“How long will she be like this?” I asked, my eyes remaining glued to her face.
“Hard to tell. Most likely just a few hours,” she whispered.
“When can I take her home?”
“I’d like to monitor her breathing for a while longer, but she’s done well so far. Once she wakes up and can stay alert for longer than a couple minutes, we’ll discharge her.”
I nodded at the same time I felt Jade’s phone buzz in my pocket. Shit. Jasmine.
“Don’t suppose you could look the other way and let me make a call from right here?”
“Afraid not. But you can step out and make the call. I’ll stay with her for a few minutes.”
I hesitated, but knew Jasmine would probably start driving to the airport if I didn’t call her soon. I kept things brief, giving her all the information I had and telling her I’d keep her posted with updates. She’d gotten in touch with Nicole, but Dean wasn’t answering her calls. I had a feeling, based on the annoyed tone of her voice, she’d left more than one scathing voicemail for him. She wasn’t entirely convinced Jade was okay, and I could tell she was trying to swallow down her panic.
“Try not to fuck it up this time, Sinclair. I’d hate to have to come rearrange that pretty face of yours,” were Jasmine’s parting words to me.
Three hours and four cups of coffee later, I was sitting in the lumpy, hospital-grade arm chair I’d pulled up next to Jade’s bed when her eyes fluttered open. They were clear of the earlier haze, though the dark circles underneath gave away her fatigue. I jumped out of my chair and eased myself down on the side of her bed. Harrison, who was perched against the opposite wall, wordlessly ducked out to go find a nurse.
