“While she’s distracted with the shitstorm on her left hand, she’ll be blind to what’s happening on her right,” Tera murmurs.
My smile widens. “Exactly.” After a moment, it bleeds away. “While Penn is here, we take shifts watching over her. I’ll take the first one.” I slightly tighten my grip on her motionless hand, silently willing her to squeeze back, move a finger, any-fucking-thing.
But she remains so still. So quiet.
The door to the room opens, and we all turn, expecting the doctor or nurse. But that’s not who enters. Rage pumps through my veins like a virus, infecting my blood, every organ, every cell. In this moment, I’m created of fury.
“I came as soon as I heard,” Abena says, gliding farther into the room with Penn’s parents behind her. “I was so sorry to hear about our Penn’s injuries.”
Syrup practically drips from her words, her tone, but her eyes? Her eyes tell the true story. They gleam with an almost-gloating satisfaction. Maybe no one else sees it, but I catch the insincerity, the smugness underneath that saccharine voice.
I want to reach out and touch the bitch. With my knife.
It takes everything in me to remain next to Penn and not leap across this bed and bury my dagger into Abena’s throat.
“Thank you for coming by to check on our daughter,” Brian, Penn’s father, says. Grace, her mother, stands next to him. She lowers her dark gaze, but not before I glimpse the hatred there. She knows what’s up. She sees right through this snake shit Abena’s on. “My wife and I appreciate it.”
“Of course.” She clasps Grace’s hands in hers. “And rest assured I have my people on finding out who’s behind the explosion. They won’t get away with hurting one of mine.”
Hers?
This ho.
I don’t need to look around to see the other women’s reactions. I can practicallyfeelthe disgust and hate radiating off them. It’s damn near palpable and throbbing like a telltale heart.
“Thank you,” Brian murmurs, while Grace slides her hands free. If Abena notices Penn’s mother rubbing her palm against her pant leg, she doesn’t show it.
“Niece.” Abena turns to me, and the corner of her mouth quirks. “You must be worried. I know what Penn means to you.”
“I know you know. We’re just glad you weren’t there. Would’ve hated to see you… hurt,” I say, voice flat. Now it’s crystal clear to me why she decided not to come to Elysian. “Brian, Grace, I’m going to give you time with Penn. It’s a little too crowded in here. I’ll be right outside.”
I head toward the door and pause to kiss Grace’s cheek andhug Brian, then exit the room. Sienna, Doc, and Tera follow me, leaving Nef, Kenya, and Maura inside. Ain’t no way in hell we’re leaving Abena in that room with Penn unprotected.
We’re quiet, standing outside the door, the noise of a busy hospital creating its own soundtrack for our pain, our grief, our rage. Only several feet away from us stands Mirror and a couple of other soldiers. His bright blue eyes steadily meet mine, and I don’t look away. If his spooky-looking ass is feeling froggy, I’ll be more than willing to jump.
About ten minutes later, the door opens, and Abena emerges with Brian. As if she telepathically sent him a message, Mirror approaches us, a golden apple in his hand. Abena takes it and extends it to Brian.
“Please take this as a token of my esteem and love for your family. If you need me, please don’t hesitate to reach out and let me know.”
Brian accepts the solid-gold token and nods. “Thank you. We appreciate this and you stopping by.”
Smiling, she pats his hand, then turns and strides down the hall. But not before giving me a small devious smile.
I want her fucking blood in my mouth.
“Fake bitch,” Brian mutters.
Though there’s nothing funny about our current situation, I still chuckle to hear reserved, sophisticated Brian Dawson call Abena out of her name. Or, in other words, speak truth.
He squeezes my shoulder and returns to Penn’s room. I wait until the door closes before turning to Sienna.
“Follow her. See where she’s going, if she makes any stops, who she’s with. Hit me up with reports.”
“Got it.”
As Sienna walks in the direction Abena disappeared, Tera says, “I’ve never wanted to body someone as much as I do her. She comes up here to rub in our faces that she can touch us. That shedidtouch one of us. I’m trying to be patient, but I want to be the one to watch her life bleed from her eyes.”
“You’re not the only one,” I softly say, still staring at the bank of elevators as if I can see them closing in front of Abena. “She’s going to pay though. Believe that shit.”
