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“I’m going to find them,” Sasha murmured into the strands at the back of my head. “I promise.”
Lavena pulled back first to wipe my eyes, her own red and shiny but firm. “We’re going to find this fucker.”
Sasha nodded vehemently. “I already called my dad on the way here. He’s pulling up chatter.”
Sasha had explained chatter to me before and from what I understood was it was an online forum for people in her business looking for or posting about jobs. Regular people didn’t have access to it unless they were really looking for it or someone directed them to it. It wasn’t easy to find or cheap. The people who could afford the monthly fees were people who could afford to hire an assassin.
“If this was an actual hit, we’ll know who soon enough,” she finished.
I nodded, so relieved I wasn’t alone anymore. Having my friends there was a calming wave settling the turbulence wreaking havoc through me.
“Okay, first thing first,” Lavena moved past me to where Marcella was holding out my abandoned blanket. “Let’s bundle you up. Last thing we want is for someone with heart problems to see you in that dress.” She was teasing but one look at Marcella’s chalky complexion and I realized she hadn’t seen the extent of blood covering me.
I murmured an apology as Lavena twisted the heavy material around my shoulders and guided me back down to sit.
“Next, Kas, run to Kami’s place, grab some fresh clothes for her. I’m going to find us all some coffee. Sasha—”
“I’m going to the Office,” Sasha said before she could be given a task. “I’m going to help my dad find this guy.”
Lavena nodded, her hands going to her hips. “Good idea.” She paused, shifting slightly. “Thank you.”
Sasha moved in and pulled Lavena into a tight hug. She said something before pulling away to peer into the blonde’s face. The two gave a simultaneous nod before Sasha went to hug Marcella and Alexander.
“I’ll be back,” she promised the group.
After a kiss planted to the top of my head, Sasha stalked out of the alcove.
“Anything specific you want me to bring back?” Kas asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t care. Wait,” I said when she started to leave. “Can you bring my phone? It’s on my dresser.”
After a nod, Kas left too.
Then, it was just me and the Medlock family in the harsh silence of the hospital. Alexander took the seat on his wife’s other side and rescued the fingers she was twisting together. Marcella rested her head on his shoulder, and they sat that way in a hold pattern no parent should ever have to experience.Across from us, alone in the row of chairs, Edmund sat still and desolate in his thoughts. His focus was fixed on an issue of last winter’s must-haves onVogue,but I doubted he was actually looking at anything. I studied each of their faces, faces I knew better than my own, faces I loved with all my heart and felt the first stab of guilt.
This was my fault.
I asked Darius to leave.
I was the reason we were in that parking garage. If we had waited for everyone else, there would have been too many people for the stabber to get him.
Lavena sat next to me and placed her hand on my thigh. “Take a walk with me?”
I blinked at her. “What?”
She jerked her head towards the corridor. “Let’s find a vendor or something.”
“But what if—?”
“They just got him in there. It’ll be a while.”
The pointed way she said that had me glancing back at Alexander and Marcella. Both had their heads close together, murmuring quietly. I realized they needed privacy. They needed time to talk and plan. It was their son in that room. They were probably a wreck.
“Sure,” I said, getting to my feet.
“Hey, dumb ass, let’s go,” she tossed at Edmund on her way out.
The youngest Medlock didn’t argue. He didn’t ask why. He pushed to his feet and ambled after us.
