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“And I need you to step back.”
His uncaring face glared at me and I couldn’t take any more. Lifting my fist, I pulled back my arm, ready to punch the fucker in the face, but someone held me back.
“Archer, stop. What’s going on?” Fox questioned, releasing my arm.
Twisting my head to look at him, I opened my mouth to speak but flashing lights appeared outside, cops quickly dispersing the crowds. I searched the emptying street for any sign of Nee or Pete, but there was nothing.
“Fuck, I can’t breathe,” I cried, pressing one hand to my chest and one to the window as if it would make her magically reappear.
Charlie grabbed my face in both hands, pushing his forehead to mine. “He’ll find her, give him a chance.”
“There were hundreds of people out there, Charlie. Hundreds. I should have protected her. I should have done better.”
Just then, the door to the hotel opened and Pete ran in, sweaty and breathless. “Call an ambulance, now!” he yelled at the receptionist laying out an unconscious and bleeding Nee on the leather sofa next to the check in desk. “It looks like she got trampled on.”
Running over, I dropped to my knees, pushing her hair back from her face. “Nee, I’m so sorry. You’re safe now. Wake up, beautiful. Let me see you.”
Looking down at her, I let out a pained cry as I took in her injuries. A black bruise covered her jaw and temple, her bottom lip was split, blood covering her chin and neck and her shirt had ridden up, showing off a footprint shaped red mark over her stomach and bruises on her ribs. Ghosting my fingers across her cheek, I forced down the bile that bubbled up, threatening to make me throw up. “Please, Nee, open your eyes.”
A tiny whimper fell from her lips.
“Arch, the ambulance is here,” Pete announced. I stood as I watched him fill them in on what had happened as they checked her vitals before strapping her to a backboard and lifting her onto a gurney.
“Who’s coming in the ambulance? We can only take one of you.”
“I am.”
“Archer, you can’t. We can’t protect you on there.”
“I’m not fucking leaving her, Pete.”
“And if you get in that ambulance and something else happens to her or you… then what? Look, let me go with Ionee and you follow behind. But just you. I can’t protect you all somewhere like that. Charlie and Fox, you stay here. Do not leave your rooms till I get back.”
“Sir, we need to leave.”
“You know he’s right, Arch,” Fox reassured me. “Call us from the hospital as soon as you know anything.”
“Go,” I nodded to Pete.
“You two, in the car with him. Do not let him out of your sight.” Pete pointed to two of the security team, thankfully leaving the one I’d nearly punched here. I followed them to the waiting car, watching as the blue lights raced down the street ahead of us.
Chapter 21
Ionee
Iwashotandeverything hurt. Wiping my eyes, I looked down at the small bed I was in to find Archer curled up by my side, his hand wrapped in mine, which would explain why I was so hot.
“Arch,” I whispered, shaking him gently. His eyes shot open, bloodshot and red rimmed, he stared at me like he was dreaming.
“How are you feeling?” he asked quietly.
“I’ve felt better,” I tried to smile, but my lip burned and my face ached. “What happened?”
“I let you down.” He pushed himself from the bed. “We were in Central Park. A crowd came out of nowhere. I tried to keep you with me, but you vanished.” He paused, looking down at me with those gray eyes that always made me melt, seemingly heartbroken. “If anything ever happened to you… I’m so sorry.”
“Hey, it’s okay. It—”
“It’s not okay. You’re hurt because of me, because of the band,” he cried, his voice loud in the quiet room.
