I fight to suppress the panic I heard in Violet’s voice. The anguish in Hazel’s when I rejected her. I always feared how our little world would come crashing down around us, but I never thought it would hurt this bad. I was a man of power. Nothing could hurt me until tonight. After the way Hazel looked at me, I’ve finally been defeated—and I have no idea how to fix it.
I inhale deeply. How much fucking longer? I need to get to her. Make sure she’s okay. Touch her one last time. Thank God Heath is a man on a mission, breaking every traffic law. We get onto campus in unimaginable timing. As we pull up to the address Violet texted, the red and blue lights flashing tell me we weren’t fast enough. We’re not even fully parked before I jump out of the car and run to the apartment building. Police lights bounce off the building and crowded sidewalk of curious bystanders. Police cars barricade the street, and a group of medical staff runs into the building. I push through a group of kids but am stopped at a barrier of cops.
“I need to get in there,” I demand, but the officer uses force, thrusting his hand against my chest, halting me from passing him.
“Sorry, this is a crime scene. You can’t go through.” The color drains from my face. His words echo in my head. Crime scene. Crime scene. Crime scene. Fear swipes me off my feet, and I grip his shirt.
My voice cracks. “What do you mean, it’s a—”
Heath is finally behind me. He throws his shoulder into the officer and fights to get past him. “My fucking daughter is in there. Let me through!”
The officer’s demeanor changes at Heath’s statement. His eyes shine with pity. “Sir, which one is your daughter?”
My stomach bottoms out. His question dangles in the cold air as the reality of what he is asking settles in. I turn to Heath, his face ashen. “What do you mean which one? Hazel Winters, who else?” The doors to the apartment building swing open and two paramedics hurry out, wheeling a stretcher. The first thing we see is long, dark hair hanging off the edge. Something inside Heath breaks, and a low howl leaves his chest. “No, no, no. I told her to wait for me. No, no, no. Violet!” Heath screams. “Violet!” The officer allows him through, and he barely makes it up the walkway before collapsing in front of the stretcher.
I’ve never felt so out of control in my life. My palms begin to sweat. This is all my fears coming to life. I can’t bear to watch my best friend fall apart. But what it concludes is Hazel is still up there.
I need to get to her.
Adrenaline floods my system as I rush past the officer. My heart pounds when I enter the apartment building. Instinct has me racing up the stairs, taking them two at a time. I have no idea where I’m going, but I follow the commotion until I’m barreling through an apartment door littered with police.
“Excuse me, you can’t be—”
“Hazel Winters! Where is she?”
He doesn’t need to answer me. My attention locks down the narrow hallway, which is condensed with medical staff and low hanging heads. Just across the bedroom door threshold, I see a white sheet, fragments of blood splatter painting the floor. God, please, no. My adrenaline surges, and I almost vomit. I choke on the saliva thickening in my mouth. I don’t realize I’m moving until I’m plowing through the bedroom door.
Any life in me drains from my face as my eyes become rooted to the spot where a covered body lies. I start to shake, unable to speak or ask anyone if it’s my beautiful little bird under that stained blanket. I stumble backward, clenching my knuckles to my mouth, incapacitated with fear. It can’t be her. It can’t be.
“Gabriel…”
My head whips to the center of the room at the sound of my name. Her voice. Hazel is sitting up in the bed, surrounded by medical staff.
“Hazel.” My voice cracks. My heart is in my throat as I run to her, dropping to the floor next to her. “Jesus, are you okay? Tell me you’re okay?” I’m frantic for a response. I aim my anxiety at the medic by her side. “Fucking someone answer me!”
Hazel erupts into a fit of agonizing sobs. I turn back to her and grab her hand. “Shhh, it’s going to be okay.” I’m going to kill that motherfucker.
“Sir, we’re gonna need some space. We need to take care of her.”
Hazel trembles under my grip. “What’s wrong with you? Are you hurt? Did that motherfucker…” I can’t bring myself to ask.
“No. He… he just drugged me. I woke up naked, but they don’t think… I don’t have any signs of—”
She breaks down again, slicing my heart to shreds.
The paramedic finishes for her. “She appears unharmed. But she may have a substantial amount of Rohypnol in her system. We have an IV going, but we need to take her to the hospital and get her checked out.”
Unharmed.
Unharmed.
Unharmed.
The word rings in my ears until I let it sink in that she’s okay. I lean over, pressing desperate kisses against her hand.
“Sir, we’re going to need you to step aside and let us do our—”
“I’m not fucking going anywhere. You do what you need to do, but I’m not leaving.” My voice is stern and terrifying. The medic backs down instantly. Smart man.
“She still needs medical attention. We need to bring her down—”
I don’t let him finish. I stand, scooping Hazel up in my arms, ignoring the stretcher waiting for her. “Sir, we can… just… please be careful, she has an IV in.”
I growl at him, and he backs down. Snatching the bag of fluids, I hold her as if she’s fragile glass. Her head rests on my shoulder, and she trembles in my arms. Her hands lock around my neck, and her sobs soak my shirt.
I walk her down the three flights of stairs until we bust out into the commotion of the night. I search the crowd for Heath, but he’s nowhere in sight. The medic instructs me to follow him, and just as I’m placing her in the ambulance, Heath appears.
“Hazel, baby.” Heath shoves me out of the way, and as much as I want to fight him, I know this is where I have to step back. “What’s wrong with her? What did he do to her?” he barks, scaring the paramedic.
“Daddy,” Hazel erupts into another fit of tears, and her father jumps into the ambulance to comfort her. She’s too much of a mess to answer.
“They say she’s fine aside from being drugged,” I say, replying faster. I look at my best friend…or former best friend. “How’s… Violet?” I ask. Instead of anguish, I see relief.
“She’s fine. Most of it wasn’t her blood. Motherfucker hit her with a gun.” He doesn’t say anymore and turns his back to be with his daughter.
Just before the doors close, he turns to me. “Please stay with Violet. You owe me that.” Before I can say anything else, the doors shut.
I don’t leave Violet’s side. She bites off the heads of anyone trying to convince her to take a ride in the ambulance and get her checked out at the hospital, claiming she spent enough time in that place. And I can’t help but laugh, understanding why Heath fell so hard for her.
I finally step in, going into business mode, and threaten to sue the entire city if they don’t back off and help escort her to the car. We drive in silence to the hospital. Even though she’s trying to act tough, there’s no hiding her trembling. When we make it to the emergency room, we’re met by a nurse, only to be told to sit in the waiting room.