Mav barked out a laugh, flinging the door open. “She’s sassy when she’s nearly arrested. Better watch it, Liam. She might be too much for you to handle.”
“Any chance he’s about to be fired?” she asked, taking the seat beside my bed.
“You’re awfully grouchy,” I grinned, though it was sluggish at best. Now that she was here, my body relaxed, which only made it easier for the drugs to take over.
“Well, that tends to happen after the day I’ve had. I heard they want to keep you overnight to be safe, so I’ll head home in a little bit. I need some sleep.”
“Home? But?—”
“Cheyenne’s all freaked out, so I know she won’t get a wink of sleep if I’m not there.”
I didn’t like the idea of her going home, but without telling her why, she’d never agree to stay at my house. I’d just send Archer over there. Jeff had already messaged me that he’d arrived.
“How are you feeling?”
“Not much,” I admitted, though I wasn’t completely sure that was her question.
“Well, I’m exhausted. I’ll come see you in the morning.”
“Hmm,” I sort of nodded.
“Get some sleep,” she whispered, leaning over to press a kiss to my lips. “And I’m really sorry about stabbing you.”
I grunted, but that’s all the sound that came out.
“But if you ever scare me like that again, I’ll make it worse.”
A faint smile touched my lips before I drifted off into the dark.
“She’s not safe with you.”
Austin.
I knew that voice anywhere. I’d grown up with him, had even considered him a friend at one point. But something twisted in him, even before Clay’s accident. I saw the change, how a once-normal kid turned into something no one recognized.
And now he was here.
His low chuckle sent shivers down my spine. I could feel his evil crowding me, but I couldn’t pry my eyes open.
“Did you really think I’d let you get away with it?”
I shook my head, struggling to open my fucking eyes and look at the evil fucker. “She’s…innocent.”
“She’s with you, and that’s all that fucking matters. Your whole family can burn in hell for what they did to my brother.”
Exhaustion threatened to pull me under again, but I fought it, needing to stay awake long enough to plead this fucker to stay away from her.
“She’s not…”
“She’s not what?” he hissed.
“Leave her alone.”
“No,” he chuckled. “You’ve ruined my brother’s life. My father’s. I won’t stop until every fucking one of you suffers the way we have. It’s over for you.”
I lurched upright in the bed with everything I had. My monitor went crazy as I struggled to get out of bed, but in the end, my body wouldn’t allow it. I collapsed back in bed just as he slipped into the shadows, still mocking me.
“Mr. Parker,” the nurse soothed as she came into the room. “Calm down. Everything’s alright.”
