Page 124 of Kaine

Chapter Forty-Seven

HIM

My eyes are still squeezedshut when I hear Xavier’s footsteps come back and stop by the side of my bed.

“Want to tell me why we just had to put her through that?”

“Better sad than dead, Xave.”

“She came out of the fire fine, Kaine.”

“Because she was lucky. And it’s all because of me. All this... is because of me. And I’d rather die than be the reason she gets hurt.”

“Too late, buddy. It’s much too late for that,” he says, shaking his head at me. And for the first time ever, Xavier Kent looks disappointed to be my friend.

I turn away from him and the darkness takes hold of me again. I press the mask hard against my face and take deep breaths, fading away into sleep.

***

12 hours of sleep laterand I can almost feel my extremities again.

I’m moved to an upstairs ward and Xavier visits, bringing food and the police report.

“Any of our guys hurt?”

“Not seriously. Hamish and Ben got some bad smoke inhalation and Gerri twisted her ankle running out. Most of them got out pretty quickly.”

“Okay, well, make sure they’re okay and taken care of.”

“Already done, boss.”

I snort. Not a laugh snort, a snort derisive of my position as “boss.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Just, I shouldn’t be anyone’s boss.”

“Shut up. I don’t have time for your self-pity. I have an arsonist to find.” He looks at me, long and hard. And in that look, I know I have the right man by my side in this moment.

“Fine. Pity party over.”

“What about Jade?” he asks.

I ignore his question and try to reach for the cup of water left by my bedside. My hands are wrapped and I can’t grab it.

He reaches for it and positions the straw near my mouth.

“Thanks, Florence,” I tease him.

He raises an eyebrow.

“Nightingale,” I clarify, rolling my eyes.

“Well, you can’t be feeling too bad if you’re making jokes.”

I shrug. I don’t tell him that I joke so it doesn’t feel too bad. Because, right now, I could die and it would be okay.

“Anyway, get Jemima to give you a list of all the guests, and bring it here so I can call everyone. Make sure they’re okay.”

‘You haven’t heard?”

“Um. I’ve been in a coma.”

“Sorry. No one knows where she is.”

“What do you mean?”

“No one’s been able to get in touch with her.”

“Well, she didn’t come with me in the car, I ran out of there as soon as I realized the library might be in danger.” Jade. When Jade might be in danger, my head doesn’t let me forget. “Maybe she came afterwards. Do you think she got caught in the fire?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t think of that. Surely, they’d know by now... I mean, they’ve... um, started combing through the wreckage.”

The thought of my assistant lying in the burnt ashes of the library makes me dry retch, my stomach muscles squeezing, pushing the bile up my throat. Xavier grabs a waste bin and holds it up for me.

“Dude,” he cringes, his reaction to seeing me weak.

“Find out. Now.”