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Riley looked like she was holding back a grin, shrugging a shoulder. “He’ll be fine. She’s just a little enthusiastic and can overdo it. Whenever I got sick, she mothered me to the point that she got sick, too. Knowing her, she’ll try so hard to make sure he’s comfortable that she’ll accidentally make it worse. Take your time and clean up. I’ll watch out for him.”
I did a speed run of a shower, mostly to get the blood off my skin. Clink had left me some clothes to wear, which was kind. It didn’t make up for what happened, but then again, I really didn’t know what happened. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. It didn’t feel like it mattered. It wasn’t safe for me and my friend to be around him, and that wasn’t going to change any time soon.
By the time I finished getting dressed, my anxiety was at an all-time high. I nearly tripped over myself, shoving my shoes back on my feet, and Quinn had to hold my hand to keep me from toppling over. Once I was at least presentable, I hurried into the hall, pausing only long enough for Quinn to show me the way since I didn’t actually see where they brought Tyson. She led me down another hall and towards the back to a small room on the right-hand side. Riley and Allie were talking quietly inside, and when I poked my head in, I almost started crying again when I saw Tyson’s eyes open.
He smiled, holding out his hand. “Hey. You okay?”
Letting out a laugh that was a little more hysterical than I would’ve liked, I stumbled forward, taking his hand and clinging to it as I sat beside him on the edge of the bed.
“Me? You were the one who was stabbed!”
He shrugged. “Wasn’t the first time I’ve run into someone’s unhappy dealer. It won’t be the last.”
Riley’s eyebrows flew up. “Hold on. What dealer?”
Tyson frowned, looking between the women. “I apologize. I thought since he brought me here that you were a part of his support system. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Blame the blood loss.” Clink stood just inside the door, his posture tense even as he leaned casually against the wall. “They’d have found out in a little while anyway. I just told the crew.”
Tyson still looked apologetic. “Still, it wasn’t my place to say anything. I’m sorry about that. How are you? I know those conversations are never easy.”
Clink shook his head, shutting down again instead of answering. Tyson didn’t seem bothered by it, he’d dealt with this kind of thing dozens of times, but I felt like I deserved answers after everything that happened. I clutched Tyson’s hand tightly, glaring at Clink.
“How did this happen? You what? Brought Tyson with you to meet your dealer and he got pissed?”
He made a face. “Hammer isn’t my dealer. He’s an asshole who’s looking to cause trouble for our crew.”
“You talked to Hammer?” Riley’s voice had gone quiet and when I glanced over my shoulder at her, her face had gone pale. Her friends moved to stand beside her, rubbing her arms to calm her.
“Yeah. I’m sure Croy will tell you–”
I cut him off, my free hand slicing through the air to silence him. “No. You dragged my friend into the middle of your issues. I want answers. Who was that and why did he hurt Tyson?”
“Sammy, you can’t–” Tyson was trying to talk me off a ledge, but I just watched him bleeding out on the back seat of my truck because of a guy I’d slept with the night before. I wanted answers.
“No, Tyson. He owes us answers.”
Clink sighed, nodding his head slowly. “Alright. I’ll talk. But you gotta stop bitching at me and let me get through it. Deal?”
I wanted to punch him, but Tyson’s grip on my hand tightened, keeping me in my spot. I could only afford a quick nod for Clink, not trusting myself to actually speak. I’d probably say something hurtful, and he’d lash out and not actually tell me anything.
Clink got comfortable on the floor against the wall, his knees drawn up in what I recognized as a defensive gesture. He was protecting himself. I wanted to feel guilty that I made him feel that way, but Tyson’s tight grip on my hand stopped me. Tyson was the most important person in my life, and he almost got killed because of something I asked him to do.
“One thing you gotta know, I’ve been using since I was a teen. Young and stupid, easily swayed by so-called friends. I’ve gotten clean and broken that streak more times than I can count. Every time I think I’m pulling out and get my head on straight, the universe likes to slap me down and watch me suffer.”
The look on his face almost spoke more volume than the actual words. I could see the pain there, the disappointment in himself, the exhaustion.
“It was easier after I joined the crew, since Croy didn’t allow us to partake. He says it’s bad for business. I wasn’t perfect, but I had a brother watching my back, and I was clean for the longest I’d ever gone. I figured I got it handled. But then that asshole had to up and die on me, and I spiraled. I hadn’t gone back to full-blown using yet. I felt like a dick if I dumped all the hard work he put in on me, but I was drinking and fuckin’ around nightly to numb myself out. And when I got exposed on a job, I broke. Went back to using. It did its job, made me feel good, blocked the pain of losing the one brother who knew what was up with me and had my back.”
It was all so familiar. Those stories often are. I didn't think it was possible to get clean cold turkey and stay that way. Everyone fails at least once.
“What’s that got to do with Tyson?” As much as I sympathized with Clink, it still didn’t explain what happened.
He shot me a look, lifting his eyebrows. “I’m gettin’ there, honey. But there are three people behind you who need the whole story.”
I’d completely forgotten that Riley, Quinn, and Allie were still in the room. They were all staring at Clink with tears in their eyes. They had a personal stake in all of this. They were his friends, and hearing his story was harder on them than it was on me.
He rested his arms on his knees, his hands dangling between them. He looked so relaxed, like he wasn’t baring his soul to the people who were important to him. It made me worry he wasn’t actually taking this seriously, but Tyson squeezed my hands and when I looked over at him, he gave me a significant look. A look I’d seen him give family members so many times before. Don’t rush the process or put your expectations on other people. They would deal with things their own way, not my way, just like they couldn’t expect me to heal from my own issues in any other way but what worked for me.
