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I just hope it lasts.
I catch Cruz pulling Zeke and Cain into the hallway. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but by their body language, I can tell it’s a friendly conversation, no tension from either side, only concern written on their faces. A few minutes later, they shake hands and reenter the room.
Cruz takes a seat beside Brenda, comforting her in her time of need. Before now, I’ve never seen them speak a word to each other, but the way she curls up against his chest and allows his arms to wrap around her seems almost natural.
My mom and Cass show up shortly after Brenda. Mom does her usual thing, trying to make sure everyone has what they need, bringing water and coffee. She even recruits a few of the Sons to run out and grab food for everyone. Not that any of us have appetites, but she makes everyone in the room take a few bites of something.
Leave it to Mom to rope our rival gang into doing favors for her. I wanna pull her aside and ask her what she’s thinking but decide to leave well enough alone. For now, at least.
Cassie takes the seat next to me, where she sits silently crying for hours. I wish I could tell her it will all be okay, but even I can’t believe that to be true.
Jax is up pacing the halls like a madman. I’ve never known how to comfort him. That’s something only Angel can do.
Royal roams the halls demanding answers from every nurse in sight. I’m trying my best to keep it together, but the thought of losing my best friend—my soulmate—is tearing me apart.
I look over at Dante only to find he’s in worse condition than the rest of us. He looks exactly how you would picture a man on the verge of losing his father and his girl. Numb, an empty void, unsure of what to do or where to go. No expression on his face or emotion in his eyes, but every so often I catch a tear falling down his cheek before he wipes it away.
I don’t know how to help any of my friends or better yet, myself. I hate feeling helpless.
It’s my job to keep everyone smiling, that’s what I’m good at. That’s my role in our family—cracking jokes, breaking up the tension, and giving us hope. But right now, I don’t have an ounce of hope to give. I’m fading into the darkness. The light inside me is quickly burning out.
We are lost and broken without Angel. Our world has been flipped upside down and the girl who owns our hearts and souls is somewhere in this hospital fighting for her life.
Nothing makes sense and no matter how hard I try to remember how we ended up here, I can’t. Just a few short months ago we were enjoying life and wreaking havoc on this town together.
After a few hours, Cassie jumps out of her chair and storms into the hallway. My mom catches my arm, pulling me back down into my chair as I try to get up to go after her. “Just give her a minute, son.” I fall back into my seat, feeling defeated. “There’s some things you can’t make better,” she tells me. Her words hit too close to home.
I watch as Zeke follows Cassie into the hall, and letting my curiosity get the best of me, I decide to follow them. As I enter the hallway, I don’t see Cassie anywhere in sight, so I continue my search for her. What’s that saying? Oh yeah, curiosity killed the cat. My mom always said I was too curious for my own good and right now, I believe her.
As I turn the corner, I see Zeke with his back against the wall, his arms wrapped around my sister. She’s crying uncontrollably into his chest. He has one hand rubbing circles on her back and the other gently caressing the back of her head.
I’m standing there completely stunned, trying to wrap my head around what my eyes are seeing when two figures walk past me, blocking my view.
“Get your filthy paws off her!” one of them growls out. It takes a second for my brain to kick in. I’m completely convinced I’ve entered some alternate reality because my eyes must be deceiving me.
Shadow steps forward, pulling Cassie away from Zeke as Sinner slides between them, blocking Zeke from reaching Cassie.
“If I ever catch you anywhere near her, you’re dead. You hear me? Dead. I’ll make it so your mama can’t even identify your body,” Sinner snarls, shoving Zeke back against the wall. Shadow has his arm wrapped tightly around my sister, his big frame blocking Zeke from even seeing her.
“Fuck off, psycho-twins. She’s upset and needed—” Zeke’s words are cut off by Sinner’s fist slamming into his stomach. I finally move, no longer paralyzed by this insanity.
“Stop. Leave him alone!” Cassie screams, trying to squirm out of Shadow’s grip.
Sinner takes Zeke by the throat, their faces mere inches from one another as I reach them and start pulling Sinner away before he kills him. He shrugs me off, baring his teeth in Zeke's face.
“She doesn’t need shit from you, Diablo scum.” Sinner spits at Zeke’s feet with his last words.
“Chill the fuck out, all of you,” I say, trying my best to get between the two men. Sinner’s feet are planted firmly to the ground, like a massive stonewall that I have no chance of budging.
Cassie pushes at Shadow, trying to escape his hold. “Why do the two of you give a fuck who comforts me? It’s none of your damn business. Besides, the two of you wouldn’t know how to care for a woman if your life depended on it!” she shouts, defending Zeke. Shadow drops his arms, letting her go free. I watch as his face falls like he’s hurt by Cassie’s words.
My eyes widen at my sister's boldness. “Cass, you're seventeen years old. If you need comforting, that’s what me and Mom are supposed to do, not some stranger you’ve never met,” I demand, confused by the way my sister let this man hold her so easily.
“Mr.–Zeke is not a stranger. He’s my—” she pauses, her eyes darting back and forth as she searches for the right words to use then looks to Zeke for help.
“Friend?” Zeke chuckles, raising his eyebrows as Cassie cracks a smirk in his direction.
“Yeah, friend.”
