“Yes, Chloe Nelson, Elsie’s older sister. She said she’d been held at a house with Ink. She told Phoenix who the guys wereand where the house was located. It’s the same three from the night of the party.”
“What the fuck is going on?” I asked quietly.
Carbon shrugged and shook his head. “Until we figure it out, don’t go anywhere without one of us with you. I’ll make sure someone is available to take you down to see Ink when he gets here.”
“Do you really think that’s necessary?” I asked.
“Until we know more, yes. And I know it’s what Ink would want.”
I sighed. “I don’t understand why these people are targeting my daughter. She hasn’t done anything to them. She doesn’t even know them.”
“I can’t promise we’ll be able to get an answer for you, but I can promise they won’t be a problem anymore.”
I smiled. “Ink said something similar to me one time. I told him it was something he couldn’t promise, and he proved me wrong.”
“This is definitely a promise I can make. They were let off easy the first time they made bad choices. Too easy in my opinion, but it wasn’t my decision to make. They did not heed their warning, and they won’t get another one.”
“I should feel bad about that, but I don’t,” I admitted. I knew he was referring to killing those boys. They’d hurt my daughter twice and may have done irreparable damage to her. I couldn’t find it in me to care. I was having a hard enough time not jumping up and down in celebration.
“You shouldn’t feel bad. It’s for the greater good.”
It wasn’t funny, but the way he said it made me laugh.
An hour later,we were still waiting for the ambulance to arrive with Ink. “What is taking them so long? Is there something you didn’t tell me?” I finally asked the question that had been on my mind for the last half hour.
“No, I told you everything Phoenix told me. I didn’t tell you about Chloe showing up at the clubhouse and claiming to know where Ink was until they found him, but that’s it. Phoenix did say he was in a remote area. I’m guessing it was a similar situation to Ariel, and it’s taking time to get to him and get him out.”
“Yeah, I guess that tracks.”
“What do you mean?”
“Things tend to happen in threes. My mom, Ariel, and now Ink. All three were found in a wooded area with injuries.”
Carbon grimaced, likely thinking what I was—Ink would also have a head injury.
We were both lost in our thoughts when Dice lightly knocked on the door. He was filthy and looked like hell, but I still jumped up to hug him.
“He’s downstairs,” he said quietly.
“How is he?” I asked.
Dice shook his head. “I don’t know. He was unconscious when we found him, and he hasn’t woken up. But the girl who was with him said he had been awake and talking for a while before he had to stop. She said they were running through the woods when he stopped to throw up. Then he told her to go on without him.”
“Go see him,” Carbon said. “I’ll stay right here, and I’ll call you if anything changes.”
“Thank you.” Inhaling deeply, I nodded at Dice. “Let’s go.”
“Has anybody called Nora?” I asked once we were in the elevator.
“She knows, and should be here soon.”
I tried to prepare myself for what I might see based on what I knew. But nothing could have prepared me to see a man so full of life and love lying lifeless on a stretcher while my coworkers tried to help him. “Ink!” I screamed and pushed my way through the fray. “Please wake up,” I cried, clasping my hands together because I couldn’t get close enough to touch him. “Please be okay.Please.”
“Presley,” Brenda said sympathetically but firmly. “You can’t be in here.”
“I won’t get in the way. I’ll stay right here in the corner,” I promised and pressed myself against the wall for good measure.
“You can wait in the hallway, but you can’t stay in here,” she said.
