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“I’m scared, Zie.”
“I know, babygirl, but I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Not me, Zie! I’m scared for Kaiden.”
“Me too, Peony. Me too.”
“Oh shit!” I gasp before I can help myself.
“It’s bad, isn’t it?” Peony sobs as the paramedics stretcher Kaiden into the back of the ambulance. She’s barely standing and I don’t blame her.
It’s…horrific.
I’ve seen my fair share of bloody crime scenes, but this is…indescribable.
My stomach twists and churns as I’m wracked with guilt. I didn’t get here as quickly as I wanted, as I should have, because The General held me up. Motherfucker, it was like he knew there was an emergency and he wanted me kept out of it.
“No, no. I’m sure it’s fine,” I hastily try to reassure her. “It probably looks worse than it is.”
I’m lying. I’ve never seen anyone live after such a chaotic mess.
I pull her into my arms, not giving a shit who sees us, as The General and Axel’s father arrive with Kaiden’s dad. The coward must have gone running to them for backup the second he was done stabbing his son to within an inch of his life. I glare at him.
Where the fuck is Axel and why isn’t he answering his phone?
“There was so much blood, Zie,” Peony whispers.
“Shh, it’s okay. I know. I can see.” I stroke one hand through her hair but it’s tangled and sticky with drying blood. Actually, given how tightly she’s grasping on to me, my clothes are likely to be covered in almost as much blood as hers.
“W-what?” She pulls away from the crook of my neck and frowns at me.
“You look like a crime scene, darling.”
“I…I…” Her face crumples and she starts sobbing once more.
“Get her out of here, Zie,” Axel’s dad snaps. “The police will be here soon and they don’t need to be dealing with a hysterical teenager. They make unreliable witnesses.”
The threat in his voice is clear but Peony either doesn’t pick up on it, or doesn’t care. She starts shouting between hiccups and sobs and I have to admit Axel's dad is right; she is hysterical.
“Good! I want to talk to the police! I want to tell them what h-he d-did!”
All three fathers shoot me murderous looks and I quickly start dragging Peony away from the scene.
“It’s fine. Let’s get you cleaned up. You can’t go to the hospital anyway, not looking like that.” She won’t be going to the hospital, not when the police will be stationed outside Kaiden’s room waiting to interview him the moment he wakes up. She’s too emotional, too unreliable right now. But I’ll do and say anything to keep her safe, so I drag her home, promising we’ll tell the police what really happened later.
It wouldn’t matter even if we did. Our fathers own everyone in this town and the neighbouring cities. There’s no chance Kaiden’s dad will ever have to pay for what he’s done…not even if Kaiden d—
No. I can’t think like that.
I turn my focus back to Peony. Her mum is due back from work at any moment and she doesn’t need to know what’s going on, so I pull her round the back of the house and use the rear entrance.
As soon as we step through the door, Peony starts trembling like crazy and she releases a massive breath.
“You need to take your clothes off, right here,” I tell her, leaving her standing on the back door mat as I hunt through the cupboard under the kitchen sink for bin bags.
“What?”
“You can’t risk traipsing blood all through the house. I’m going to bag and then burn everything you’re wearing, and you’re going to go shower. At least twice. Pay special attention to under your nails, around your hairline, under your chin and in your ears.”
