My hand is sticky with blood. It’s underneath my fingernails. I can’t wait until I can get clean.
“We should call the doc,” Rowan rasps as Griffin sets him down on one of the beds, over one of the bath towels. I guess having bloody towels may be easier to explain than bloody sheets.
Griffin gives a nod, taking out the crumpled piece of paper with Dr. Stetson’s phone number from the pocket of the basketball shorts.
He dials the number on the corded phone on the nightstand between the beds and hands Rowan the phone.
“You should probably be the one to talk to him. Don’t knowhow eager he’d be to talk to one of us,” Griffin says, nodding at the other alphas.
“Sure,” Rowan rasps, holding the phone up against his ear.
The rest of us fall silent as we strain our ears to hear what’s going on.
The phone rings and rings and rings before someone finally answers. I cling to Rage nervously when the only thing I hear on the other end is silence.
“Hello, Doc?” Rowan asks hesitantly.
“Holy shit, Rowan, is that you?” Dr. Stetson asks. Even though his voice is quiet and tinny through the phone, I can still hear how stressed he seems.
“Yeah, it’s me, Doc.”
“What number are you calling from? I don’t recognize it.”
“A motel. We’re on the East side.”
Dr. Stetson falls silent on the other end of the line.
“Hello? Doc, you still there?”
“Yeah, I’m still here. You—you made it out? Is it just you?”
“I made it out, yeah. And it’s not just me. Mirabelle’s with me. Plus all three of the fighters. We got out during all the chaos of the?—“
“Of the raid, yes, I’ve heard.”
Dr. Stetson never sounds this... afraid?
“I know this is a big ask, but Mirabelle and I are hurt. Is there any way you can come here and help?—“
“Are you both stable?” Dr. Stetson asks, interrupting Rowan again.
Ash and Griffin shoot each other a look that I can’t quite decipher, but it doesn’t look good, that’s for sure.
“I mean, sort of?—“
“Then no, I can’t come Rowan, I’m so sorry. Your father... He’s not happy since he can’t get a hold of you or Jett and with the raid and the Northside getting involved—I can’t risk it. I need to think of my family. If I get arrested, or if your father finds out I’ve helped you and makes me disappear, my wife and daughters won’t be able to afford to live.”
“But—“
“I’m sorry, Rowan. I—I can’t help you.”
The line falls dead.
Rowan turns to me with wide eyes. I take a second to really take him in. Now that I can actually see him, there’s no denying the paleness of his skin and the sweat dotting his forehead.
He looks terrified.
I’m sure I look the same.
