Page 95 of Silent Damage

“I need to know if you're concussed. What city are you in?” the medic clarifies.

The other medic takes a flashlight and looks at Jason’s eyes.

“I’m in Belmont,” Jason hisses, then curses the light.

“What just happened to you?” the first medic asks.

Jason huffs a laugh. “I just pulled a David and Goliath, bitch. Am I in the HellCats?”

The other medic puts his light away. “Pupils are fine. I don’t think he’s concussed, but we should monitor him for half an hour.”

“Let’s move him to a room for some privacy,” the medic with the light suggests.

“Fucking untie me first!” Jason wriggles on the stretcher, but before they can pick him up and carry him off, Tobias and Torren charge toward us.

“Look at you proving Mac wrong,” Tobias says in sheer amazement. “You proved this whole damn place wrong. You have to stop turning me on, or I’ll lose control.”

I look at Tobias, who can barely hide his hunger for Jason, which would be bad enough, but then I see Jason…

He looks so happy. His eyes shimmer with pride, and he smiles from ear to ear.

“Welcome to the HellCats, little pup,” Tobias continues. Jason’s smile would be glorious if his teeth weren’t covered in blood.

“Thank you so much,” Jason says.

Tobias signals for the medics to free Jason’s arms, and he shakes his hand.

“Never underestimate the scrappy blond with daddy issues.” Tobias winks, bringing forth a boyishly bashful aw-shucks chuckle from Jason, and I swear to God I’m going to go fucking insane.

Jason has to be in immense pain after the fight he just had, but he somehow manages to pump his fist in the air and shout, “Never underestimate me!”

“Never,” Tobias continues.

“We have to move him, sir,” the medic explains to Tobias.

Tobias waves them off, and Jason’s eyes land on me as they lift him. I move on instinct, trying to go with them, but a medic shoos me away, saying they need space.

Torren approaches and rests a hand on my shoulder. “He’ll be alright, Baby Gabe. He’s in good hands.”

Jason’s face shifts. “Baby Gabe…” he mutters with a sneer right before they carry him into a cabin.

“That’s your stepbrother, isn’t it?” Torren asks.

I turn to him with wide eyes.

How’d he clock that so fast?

I mean…he’s right, so I give a simple nod.

Torren stares at me with a raised brow. “You spoke, Gabe. I saw you speaking to him down there.”

My heart pounds. Torren is used to my silence, and he’s learned to read my body language and facial expressions like a book.

Tobias, who has been standing there this whole time, says, “I didn’t know hotshot had a stepbrother. I didn’t know you had one, Gabe.”

All I can do is shrug.

Tobias continues, “Then you should be in there with him. I’ll take you.”