If I ever get out of here, I’m heading straight to a fucking bakery and ordering a whole strawberry shortcake. I don’t know if I’ve ever done that before, ordered a whole fucking cake for myself.
There’s a first time for everything, I guess, and one can hope.
“I’m sorry you have to take those drugs,” she breathes.
“Don’t apologize for shit that’s not your fault,” Ash snaps.
“Don’t fucking talk to her like that, man,” I growl, tugging her into my chest.
She lets out a sharp inhale as her hands brace against my chest.
Ash’s jaw works as his gaze darts from my snarling face to Mirabelle’s tiny form, tucked into my chest.
“Fine,” he sighs. “Sorry, Shortcake, shouldn’t have snapped at you.”
It doesn’t escape my notice that he actually apologized. Considering the way he insists on pointing out whenever someone utters the word “sorry” when he thinks they don’t mean it, it’s safe to assume he really feels bad.
“Okay, guys, enough with the bickering. We’ve got to plan for the actual fight,” Rowan says, scrubbing a hand down his face.
“Stay with me for a bit, sweetheart?” I murmur into Mirabelle’s hair, my arms still loosely wrapped around her.
“Of course!” She says, smiling brightly up at me.
I swallow hard. Her smile is dangerous. Makes me want to do crazy shit to keep her eyes on me.
Like willingly throwing myself into a team fight with a couple of crazy motherfuckers.
“The fight is going to work like this...” Rowan says, his voice fading into the background as I focus on the way Mirabelle’s auburn hair changes color in the light.
I can do this. I’ve got no other choice. Not if I want to play my part in keeping Mirabelle as safe as possible in this hellhole.
CHAPTER 26
Mirabelle
“Hey Rowan, are you doing okay?” I ask, knocking on the bathroom door. “I’ve really gotta go. You said there probably won’t be any bathrooms for me to use at the fight later tonight.”
The silence that meets me sends a shiver of apprehension down my spine.
“Rowan?” I knock louder this time. No answer.“Rowan!”
“Sorry,” he calls through the door. “I—I just—I just?—“
His voice trembles as if he’s fighting to get the words out.
“I’m coming in!” I say, reaching for the doorknob. Luckily, it’s unlocked. But as I try to push the door open, it hits something. I barely squeeze past the small opening, my hip pressing painfully against the edge of the sink.
“Rowan!” I gasp, seeing him sitting on the floor of the bathroom, his head buried in his hands.
His bathroom is so small that his legs were in the way of me opening the door all the way.
My feet kick against a strange cylinder, positioned almost like he tossed it away from himself. He flinches at the sound and averts his gaze as I pick it up, staring down at it curiously.
I don’t really pay it any more attention before setting it down on the counter. Something is obviously wrong with Rowan.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, falling to my knees beside him in the cramped bathroom. “Are you hurt?”
I reach up and tug his hands away from his face, my movements frantic as I try to see if there’s something wrong.
