Blade gets to his feet, but G is there pushing him back in his seat. “Sit down, Blade. Let’s get this settled once and for all.”
“No, you don’t have any idea what you’ve done,” he snaps, his eyes looking wild as he focuses on Kruger. His hands grip his hair, and I’ll admit, his reaction is freaking me out more than anything else.
“Make me understand what I did that was so wrong, Blade. I looked at you like an older brother. I loved you and?—”
He gets up and throws the chair across the room, a roar of anguish pouring from him, shocking everyone enough to step back. When he looks at me, I suck in a sharp breath at the tears pooling in his eyes. One lone one slips free before he drops to his knees, holding his chest.
“Ah fuck, Blade. Man, don’t do this to me,” G snaps, grabbing hold of Blade and lowering him to his back.
People crowd around and someone mentions calling for an ambulance. But it’s Havoc that cuts through the chaos with a bellow for everyone to shut the fuck up. He gets down on his knees next to Blade.
“Talk to me, man. What’s going on?”
“Not my heart. I’m okay.”
“Yeah, you look the epitome of fucking health,” G snaps at him.
“Panic attack,” Blade mutters, and I can hear the embarrassment in his voice.
“What the fuck are you looking embarrassed for? You think I don’t have them now and again when I ride past the cliffs?” G questions.
“Tight spaces do it for me. Guess it’s another thing I can thank prison for.” Havoc sighs as Crane leans down and hands Blade a bottle of water and a pill.
“What is it?”
“Aspirin.”
“I told you, I’m not having a heart attack.”
“Take one anyway. It will help with the black eye I’m gonna give you for scaring the shit out of us all,” Crane snaps.
Blade sighs and accepts help from G, who is still watching him like a hawk. He tosses the pill in his mouth and drinks it down with some water, his tired eyes moving to mine. Something in his expression makes the hairs on my arms stand up on end.
Legs interrupts the silence. “Um, guys, I hate to be a pain right now, but I think my water just broke.”
Havoc looks at the ceiling. “I have got to get a medic in to replace Hannibal.”
“Want me to call an ambulance?” Someone calls, but I’m not paying attention. I’m holding on to Legs’s hand and looking at her face, her expression a look of longing and nerves.
“No need. I can get her there faster,” Midas says, dropping down in front of us. “Come on, baby, let’s go meet our daughter.”
She stifles a sob as she lets go of my hand and wraps her arms around Midas’s neck. I watch him carry her toward the back of the building.
“Do you think he knows he’s going the wrong way?” Toot asks. Mac sighs and smacks Toot around the head.
“She needs a change of clothes. She’ll probably be in labor for a while,” I explain to him, inadvertently drawing attention to myself once more.
Havoc leans over and nudges Crane, who looks like he’s frozen in shock. “Go with them, just in case. And grab one of the prospects to pick up anything they might need.”
“I’m on it.” Crane squeezes my shoulder before he leaves. A sign of solidarity.
My eyes drift back down to Blade’s. Suddenly, I don’t know if I can do this. I’m not sure I’m ready for the wrecking ball to smash into my life now. I’ve just started getting it in order again.
“As much as I hate to do this, we still have shit to cover. This has gone on long enough,” Havoc tells Blade.
Blade hangs his head and nods before lifting his eyes to mine. I gasp at the pain in them and feel myself leaning away as if his pain is a physical blow I can feel. He looks around the room and swallows. “Not sure you want to do this in front of everyone.”
I get to my feet as Kruger reaches for me. I wave him off, walking over to Blade, who looks up at me warily. I unbuckle one of my cuffs and drop it in his lap before doing the same with the other. I hold my arms up with my wrists facing forward for him and the rest of the room to see. I hear curses and ignore them, my focus entirely on the man who forced my family to abandon me when I needed them the most. I have to know why, regardless of the consequences.
