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My heart is ready to burst out of my chest, and my hands tremble. When I place them on Andrew’s chest to steady them further, I notice angry red marks on my palms and around my thumb from the cord. My stomach pitches at the sight.
As I stand there, staring at my hands and watching Andrew’s chest move with every breath, SJ flips the overhead light on. Apparently, there was a larger, brighter one that wasn’t on when I initially came in here. Only the dimmer lights along the walls had been lit before.
I blink my eyes, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. I still feel off kilter, but I finally straighten and turn and see Jack has Malcom sitting upright with his legs stretched out in front of him and his ankles crossed. He must have woken up while I was fussing over Andrew.
When I look back down at Andrew, I realize I bled on his hospital gown, and there is a spot on his forehead where I kissed him. I frown and wipe it away before turning a murderous look on Malcom. I imagine with more than a little excitement, could set him ablaze.
Malcom’s eyes dart over at me, and he holds my stare with those same cold, deadish eyes. My nostrils flare in disgust, and I shiver with undiluted rage and sadness. He tries to stand, but Jack slams him back down to the ground.
“Try to get up even one more time, and I can promise you won’t walk out of here. In fact, you’ll never walk again,” Jack growls.
Malcom would have to be a real dumb son of a bitch to try anything with Jack here.
When I look back at Andrew, I gasp as my eyes meet his open ones. His face is painted with confusion. My eyes instantly well with tears. He’s awake. Oh, my God, he’s awake! I sob as I cover my bloody mouth with my hand, unable to believe my own eyes.
“Charlotte, baby, what happened to your beautiful face?” His voice is raspy, but it’s still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.
Tears spill over and run down my cheeks. He’s in a hospital bed, stitched and bandaged, probably confused as to where he is, but he’s worried about my face.
“Andrew,” I croak out after wiping my mouth off. I lean down and kiss his lips. He doesn’t hesitate. Even with blood covering me, he kisses me back.
“What the hell happened?” Adalyn’s voice pierces through my sobs.
“Malcom,” Jack grits out.
He steps to the side so she can see Malcom more clearly. Addy isn’t alone. Nathan and Andrea are right behind her.
“I can explain—” Malcom chokes out, barely able to speak due to the damage I inflicted with the cord.
I look down at my hands, then back at Malcom. I could have killed him with my bare hands. I might have if Jack and SJ didn’t burst in when they did. I blow out a shaky breath. I just wanted to stop him. I would do anything to protect Andrew. To protect all of them.
“No, you can’t,” Nathan snaps with more coldness in his voice than I thought him capable of. Without missing a beat, he walks over and punches Malcom square in the face. “That’s for Adalyn, you prick.”
Malcom falls onto his back and rolls to his side, groaning in pain as he clenches his nose.
“Oh, there’s plenty more of that coming his way,” Jack says, calmly rocking back and forth from his heels to the balls of his feet.
Malcom cuts his eyes up to Jack, and a flash of fear crosses his face. He’s smart enough to stay silent right now. He knows he doesn’t have a single friend in this room who will come to his defense.
“Malcom?” Andrew’s voice is hoarse. He tries to lift his head to see what’s going on, but I gently push him back down.
“Shhh, baby, don’t move, okay? The doctors need to check you out first.” I try to soothe him, but he keeps trying to push himself up.
Andrea and Adalyn rush over to his side and grab his hand and arm. They’re just as relieved as me to see him awake and talking.
“Stay still. It’s okay. Jack’s got him,” Andrea says, trying to calm Andrew as well. She straightens the cords on his bed to busy her hands.
“Andrew,” Adalyn says, barely getting his name out before tears stream down her face. “We thought we lost you!”
She leans over his bedrail and rests her head on his shoulder while silent sobs rack her petite body.
“Shhh, it’s okay. I’m okay, Addy,” he says soothingly.
It’s only quiet for a moment before doctors, nurses, security, and an on-site armed police officer rush into the room. As they survey the scene, questions are thrown at us one after another. I can barely make out one before another is asked. It’s disorienting, and the adrenaline crash I still feel is real. I sink down onto Andrew’s bed just as my legs give out. Andrew wraps his arms around me and tries to pull me closer, but he trembles. He’s weak, and it breaks my heart. I scoot in closer.
Jack holds up both his hands and barks a loud “Hey!” then puts his thumb and index fingers in his mouth to whistle. It’s one of those loud ones that pierces everyone’s ears at once, bringing them all to an abrupt halt. “I’m Detective Jack Lawson. This slimy piece shit beside me is Malcom Shaw. Officer, you’re going to want to cuff him and call your friends in immediately.”
“For what? What happened?” the officer asks, clearly trying to assess the scene in the room.
