My heart stops beating, and panic sluices into my veins. I gulp. “Tell me,” I croak.
“The doctor has confirmed there is no brain activity. They’re waiting for you to say goodbye to Sariah before switching off the life support machine.”
Tears prick my eyes, and I drag my lower lip between my teeth. I can hardly breathe over the messy ball of emotion clogging my throat. No! This can’t be happening. Not to my bestie. She’s a fighter. The best of them.
Her eyes fill up, and she squeezes my hand. “I’m so sorry, Harlow.”
“Does Sean know?”
“My understanding is he’s already at the hospital. What can I do?”
I stare straight through her. I can’t force myself to say anything, and I can’t make myself move either. I’m adrift at sea without a life vest.
“Can I call someone for you?” she asks. “Saint Lennox?”
“No need,” Saint says, as the door swings open, slamming against the wall. He stalks toward me. “We’ve got it from here, Mrs. P.”
“Princess.” Saint crouches down in front of me while Theo speaks in hushed tones with the vice principal. Saint’s warm hand palms my face. “You’re scaring me, babe.” His concerned blue eyes meet my green ones.
“Saint,” I rasp, placing my hand over his as tears spill down my face. “Say it’s not real. It can’t be real. Make it not be real.” Theo whispers in his ear, and Saint’s Adam’s apple jumps in his throat.
“C’mere, babe.” With more tenderness than he’s ever exhibited, Saint helps me from my chair. He pulls me into his chest while Theo takes my hand, Galen presses a kiss to the top of my head, and Caz rubs my back.
I rest my head on Saint’s chest while silent tears cascade down my cheeks, and the pain in my heart is so intense it feels like it might explode behind my rib cage. My eyes meet the vice principal’s and she’s looking at all of us with a curious smile. I’m imagining what it must look like to her—these four inked, pierced, towering bad boys, showering affection on the same girl, and I bet she never thought behind those rough, tough exteriors lie the biggest hearts with the greatest capacity for love.
“I’m okay,” I say, straightening up and wiping my tears with the arm of my sweater. “I need to get to the hospital before it’s too late.”
I rest my head on Theo’s shoulder, and he presses a kiss to my cheek, keeping a firm hold of my hand as we make our way out of the office. I assume someone has taken my bag. Galen comes up on my other side, threading his fingers through mine while Saint and Caz take up the rear. The hallways are empty as we make our way past classrooms and head outside.
“Theo.” Saint calls out.
Theo tosses the car keys into Galen’s hand before kissing me softly on the lips. “Go with Galen, babe.”
Galen squeezes my hand as we walk off, leaving the other three quietly talking on top of the steps. “I’m so sorry, Lo,” Galen says as we walk toward the Lexus. Theo parked it in the first row, directly in front of the school building, a few spots down on the right.
“Everyone I love dies,” I say, feeling a strange combination of numb and emotionally crippled.
“Not us, angel.” He kisses the top of my head, unlocking the car with the key fob. It makes a distinct pinging sound as we approach. “We’re going nowhere.”
My hand curls around the door handle as movement off to the left captures my attention.
“Lo! No!” Galen roars, yanking my arm back just as the door opens.
A flash of blonde hair meets the corner of my eye as Galen swings me around.
“Run!” he yells, pushing me forward, his body pressed up against my back.
My legs swing into action, but everything else slows down, and my brain registers several things at once as if I’m drifting high above the sky, watching it all go down.
Saint, Caz, and Theo are racing toward us, their mouths open, lips moving, but I can’t hear the words.
A high-pitched laugh tickles my eardrums just as a loud explosion pierces the air, cracking through the haze I’m in, ripping through the silence, and unmuting the shouts of the guys as they run toward us.
Heat blasts me from behind, and I’m thrown forward with force as another booming pop detonates around us.
“Lo!” Galen screams from somewhere close by, as I soar through the air, legs and arms flailing uncontrollably.
My body slams into the asphalt, face-first, and splintering pain whips through me as a crushing weight lands on my back.
Then, the world turns black.
_______________
TO BE CONTINUED
CHAPTER 1
Harlow
THE FOG CLOUDING my brain refuses to clear as the sounds of whispered arguing rouse me from slumber. I attempt to move, but my heavy body won’t cooperate. It’s as if I’m superglued to the warm, soft surface I’m lying on.
“She needs to wake up in her own time.”
The deep voice is familiar. Caz. My lovable, giant teddy bear of a man.
“She’d want to be there,” Saint retorts in his usual belligerent manner, but I hear the strain in his voice.
“Saint is right. She’ll never forgive us if we take this choice away from her,” Theo agrees, always the voice of calm logic.
“What choice?” I croak, blinking my eyes open and wincing as bright light stabs my retinas. My eyes shutter again, affronted by the blinding light.
“Princess.” Shoes squelch on the floor as Saint approaches. His warm hand lands on top of mine, and I force my eyelids to open again. “There’s my girl.” Troubled blue eyes lock on mine, and there’s so much emotion written on his handsome face as he pins me with an intense stare.
The cuts and grazes on his cheeks and forehead are new, as is the thicker layer of stubble on his jawline, confirming I must’ve been out of it for some time. I quickly take in my surroundings, not surprised to discover I’m in a hospital room. “How long have I been unconscious?” I ask, recalling the car bomb that put me here.
“It’s Sunday,” Theo supplies, coming up on the other side of my bed.
What the hell? “I’ve been out of it for three days?” I cringe at the hoarse tone of my voice.
“You’ve woken up briefly a few times,” Saint confirms, rubbing soothing circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. “But you were in pain, so the staff has been feeding you a steady line of morphine.”
“Do you want some ice chips?” Theo inquires, and I twist my head around to face him. His sexy dirty-blond hair is pulled up into a tight bun on the top of his head, showcasing his stunning face. With his high cheekbones, expressive hazel eyes, and full lips, he could easily grace the catwalk for a living, but that would be a waste of his sharp brain and shrewd intellect.
My man is the full package, and I’m a lucky bitch.
Little scrapes and cuts line his face too, and he also looks like he hasn’t shaved in days.
I move to turn on my side, and a strangled groan slips from my mouth as pain batters my body from all angles. “Yes,” I rasp, ignoring how much I’m hurting when I notice how parched my throat is. My dry, chapped lips crave something cold and soothing, and I attempt to sit up, hissing as a throbbing ache spreads across my upper body.
“Careful, babe.” Caz appears from behind Saint, pressing the button on the bed to elevate it so I’m in more of an upright position. Caz gently eases me forward as Theo stuffs a couple more pillows behind me, propping me up more comfortably.
“How bad does it hurt?” Saint inquires, threading his fingers in mine.
“Like a bitch,” I truthfully admit, opening my lips as Theo pops some ice chips in my mouth.
Caz perches on the side of my bed, brushing hair back off my brow as Theo administers ice chips in short, measured stints and Saint holds my hand.
“Where’s Galen?” I ask, shaking my head when Theo brings the plastic cup to my mouth again.
Panic churns in my gut as the events that landed me in here swarm to the forefr
ont of my mind in vivid Technicolor. Galen was with me when the bomb went off, and I know he tried to shield me from the worst of it, which does nothing to reassure me now. My gaze darts wildly around the private hospital room, my worried eyes flitting between the guys as I seek him out.
“Relax, Lo. Galen is fine,” Saint says. “He’s sleeping in the room next door.”
“Thank fuck.” My head drops back on the pillows as air whooshes out of my mouth in grateful relief. “I want to see him,” I bark, scowling at Saint. “And why are you all in here? Galen shouldn’t be left alone.”
A familiar smirk pulls up the corners of Saint’s mouth.
“There’s our ballbuster.” Caz grins, his tone laced with amusement. He presses a kiss to the tip of my nose in an unbelievably sweet gesture. “Missed you, babe.”
“Stop deflecting. Take me to Galen.”
“Alisha is with him,” Saint says. “And we’ve been taking it in turns, ensuring neither of you are alone.”
“Saintly got thrown out the first day when they refused to put you both in the same room,” Theo explains, gently cupping one side of my face.
“Still causing trouble,” I murmur, fighting a smile as I squeeze Saint’s hand.
The door opens unexpectedly, and a pretty woman in blue scrubs steps into the room. “It’s good to see you awake, Harlow,” she says, striding to my bedside. “How are you feeling?”
“Like someone has just gone to town on my body with a bat.”
She pins Saint and Caz with an ice-cold look, and they glare at her. “I need to get close to Ms. Westbrook to check her vitals, so scoot.”
A giggle bursts from my mouth as my two alpha-holes reluctantly step aside, still glaring at the nurse, and I wonder what happened that they’re so salty.
“Are they always this territorial?” She probes my head with gentle fingers.
“They’re usually much worse, so count your blessings,” I joke.
She shines a light in my eyes, takes my blood pressure, checks my chart, and tops up the saline drip hooked up to the back of my hand. “Everything looks good, Harlow.” Her warm smile is genuine. “We’re scaling back your pain meds, but if it hurts too much and you need more, just press the button.”
“I’m good,” I lie, because I need to get the fuck out of here. “The pain is manageable.”
“You’re lucky your injuries weren’t more extensive.”
“So, I can leave?”
“That’s up to the doctor. You’ve suffered a mild concussion and bruised a few ribs, so he may want to keep you under observation for another twenty-four hours.”
Hell to the no. I don’t give a fuck what the doctor says—I’m leaving today.
“Can’t you just give me pain meds and let me recuperate at home? I’d rather be in my own bed.” I hate hospitals with a burning passion. It reminds me of the time I spent in the hospital after my kidnapping.
“You can discuss it with the doctor. He’s with Mr. Lennox, so he’ll be right with you.”
“How is he?” I blurt, reaching out and grabbing her arm as she prepares to walk off.
She pats my hand before replacing it on the bed. “I can’t discuss another patient with you even if he is your boyfriend. While Galen’s injuries were a little more serious, he is on the road to recovery. You were both very lucky you got far enough away to avoid the full impact of the blast.” She pats my hand again. “I hope the police find the person responsible.”
Saint growls. Caz’s eyes narrow. Theo sighs, plopping down into the chair and pulling it up closer to the bed.
The nurse leaves, and my gaze bounces between the guys. “What have you found out? Was it Taylor?” I remember the flash of long blonde hair just before Galen shoved me away from the car, which makes Taylor Tamlin—Parker’s half-sister and a girl who has connections to The Bulls and The Arrows—the most likely suspect.
“That fucking bitch is dead,” Caz spits out, confirming the truth.
“As soon as we locate her,” Saint agrees.
“We pulled footage from the front of the school,” Theo explains, lacing his hand in mine. “Taylor put the bomb under the car parked alongside yours and waited for us to show so she could activate it remotely.”
She’s clearly pissed I killed her half-sister Parker. “She did her homework.” She is obviously aware of the safety features of my custom-built Lexus and knew it had an explosion-mitigating floor.
“Bitch is smart,” Theo says.
Saint harrumphs, glaring at Theo across the bed. “She’s dumb as shit, dude. She messed with us. And there’s only one way that story ends.”
“Damn fucking straight,” Caz agrees, reclaiming his spot on the edge of my bed. He drags a hand through his hair, stifling a yawn. He too is sporting superficial wounds and more stubble than usual on his face.
“Are you guys okay?” I ask. “And have any of you slept?” I reach out, running my fingers through the bristly hair on Caz’s right cheek.
“We’re fine.” Theo offers me a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about us. Just focus on getting better, sweetheart.”
“We were far enough away to avoid any serious damage,” Saint adds. “We got hit with some debris, but we can cope with a few minor cuts.”
“How bad is Galen? And don’t even attempt to sugarcoat it.” I drill him with a warning look.
“Don’t sweat it, Lo.” Caz tweaks my nose, flashing me a wide grin. “That pretty face you love is still intact.”
“You can see for yourself in a bit,” Saint says as the door opens, and a tall, thin man with salt-and-pepper hair enters the room.
The doc looks at my stats and asks me a few questions before agreeing to release me later today provided my prognosis hasn’t changed.
I fling the covers off the instant he leaves the room, pulling my body around in the bed so my legs dangle over the side, biting the inside of my cheek to stop myself from crying out as pain pummels me from every angle. “Fuck.”
“This is madness,” Caz says, beseeching me with his eyes. “Stay in bed, babe.”
“I’ve been in bed for three fucking days. I’m done sleeping.” I push to my feet, ignoring the wave of pain that washes over me, clasping Caz’s shoulder to steady myself. “I want to see Galen and…” I falter as my best friend’s face forms in my mind’s eye. Blood rushes to my head, and my heart pounds in my chest. “Sariah,” I whisper, tears pricking the back of my eyes as that part of the day returns to haunt me. We were only leaving school because Vice Principal Pierson had received a call confirming Sariah was being taken off life support. “Is she…”
The three guys share an anguished look, and I drop back on the bed as a different kind of pain settles on my chest. My breathing stutters, and my chest heaves as pressure bears down on me. A pulsing pain throbs in my skull, and my heart aches as if someone has a hand around it, squeezing it tight. “Please tell me it was a lie,” I whimper. “A ruse to get us out of school. Please tell me that’s all it was.” My heart thumps frantically behind my rib cage as I cling to straws.
“Princess.” Saint sits down on the other side of me, gently sliding his arm around my back. “She’s gone, babe. I’m so sorry.”
“What?” Tears spill out of my eyes and down my cheeks before I can stop them. “No!” I cry as intense pain whips through me, sucking all the air from my lungs, making breathing difficult. “No! Not Sariah!” I sob.
Saint gently pulls my head onto his shoulder as Caz takes my hand, holding it firmly in his warm grasp.
“She can’t be dead, Saint. Sar never hurt anyone. This is all wrong,” I say in between sobs. Parker and her cronies attacked Sariah at school, because they couldn’t get to me, beating her so badly she ended up in a coma.
Liquid pain churns in my gut and swirls up my throat, blocking my airway as I give in to the tsunami crashing and tumbling inside me. I break down completely, and the noises ripping from my throat don’t even sound human. My tortured cries bounce off the wall
s as I self-destruct. Theo moves around the bed, kneeling in front of me, taking my free hand and showering it with soft kisses.
“Her funeral is in a couple hours,” Theo explains when my cries have died down. “We were planning on waking you up. We knew you’d want to be there.”
So that’s what the whispered arguing was about.
“How did Taylor know?” I sniffle, needing to focus my brain on anything but the fact I’ll never see my best friend’s bubbly smile and beautiful face again.
“We spoke to the vice principal,” Saint says, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “We thought Pierson might’ve been involved, but she’s clean.”
“A neighbor of Taylor’s is an orderly here,” Theo supplies, rubbing my hand in a soothing gesture. “He was keeping her updated, and she got a heads-up on the news. She called Pierson, pretending to be a nurse, and set the whole thing in motion.”
“That’s how we knew it was a setup,” Saint adds. “Sean called Theo when he couldn’t reach you. He hadn’t asked anyone to call the school to pass you a message.”
“That’s why you hung back as we were leaving school that day.”
“We should’ve made you hold up too.” Pain blares in Theo’s eyes.
“Then we’d probably all be dead.” I pull my hand from Caz, swiping at the moisture under my eyes. “That was obviously her intent.” If it’d just been about taking me down, she had any number of opportunities to attack me as I was entering or leaving the hospital to visit Sar. The fact she waited tells me she wanted to take the guys out too.
“She’s going to regret coming after us,” Saint growls.
“I have software recognition set up,” Theo says. “And we put the word out on the street.”
“She can’t hide forever,” Saint adds. “And when she surfaces, we’ll grab her.”
“She’s mine,” I seethe, fire burning in my belly. “Mine and Galen’s.”
“No one argues with that,” Saint agrees, piercing me with that intense lens of his.
I nod, drawing a deep breath and urging my body to relax. Holding on to Saint, I push awkwardly to my feet. “I need to see Galen. Take me to him now.”
The Sainthood : A Dark High School Romance (The Complete Series) Page 56
