Page 331 of Hateful Games

I run past another revolving set of doors, taking the stairs for the second floor two steps at a time. The room she’s in is at the end of the hall. I see Nathan and Iris sitting on a bench, his arm protectively around her shoulder as she rests her head on his, while Dash holds a quietly sobbing Bianca on his lap.

She sees me first.

Fury darkens her features unlike I’ve ever seen before and it’s aimed right at me. Dash notices too late before she’s lurching out of his arms and stalking in my direction. One hard jerk and I almost stumble from her ferocity.

“How dare you show your face now,” she yells in agony. Tears make a mess of her face as she accuses, “How could you let her go back to her father? Why was she there, Nova? What did you do!?”

Dash appears behind and shadows her back.

“I need to see her,” is all I can muster.

She reads the guilt written on my face as plain as day.

“Oh my god!” she gasps, crying out. “You did send her. No! You’ll stay away from her.”

She defiantly stands in my path, ready to shove me back when I take a step forward. Her palms slap on my chest, but before I can take ahold of her small wrist and push her aside, I’m slammed into the nearest wall with a powerful shove.

“Don’t think I won’t hit you if you lay a finger on her,” threatens Dash without raising his voice, an elbow crushing my throat. “Answer her first. Did you have a hand in this?”

“Yes. I fucked up.” I stand toe to toe against him, pushing against his grip. Hangover or not, I’ll kill him if he stays in my way. “Regardless, none of you are keeping me away from my wife.”

“Step back, Dash,” Nathan says lowly.

“Dash,” murmurs Bianca, touching his bicep.

He listens to her. After one warning glare my way, he lowers his arm.

Bianca replaces his place, looking up at me with the saddest expression ever. “Was your revenge really worth getting her almost killed?”

“You don’t know the whole story, Bianca. Don’t make judgments,” I tell her. “Now step away.”

“No,” says Iris vehemently.

“Iris,” softly murmurs Nathan.

She turns to him, angrily growling, “He’s the reason she’s lying on that hospital bed. How can you even take his side? He’s done nothing but torment Ro. I thought he had changed, but apparently not.” Whipping her stormy and wounded eyes to mine, she demands, “It was you, wasn’t it? The article about her mom and your father’s affair. You knew it would destroy her family yet you did it anyways. Jasmine couldn’t be here because the media is all over her house.”

“You never deserved her,” accuses Bianca, falling apart and burying her face in Dash’s chest. “I can’t lose her, Dash.”

“You won’t,” he murmurs in her hair, leading her to sit on a chair. “She’ll be okay, kitten. Shh… it’s okay.”

“Maybe you should come later, Nova,” suggests Nathan sadly.

“I’m not going anywhere.” My voice is unflinching. “You’ll have to drag me dead out of here. It’s the only way I’m leaving.”

I shove past them and before they can stop me, I rush inside her room.

Only to be brought to my knees.

“Rose.” Her name rips from deep inside my chest.

Her stunning face is covered in black-and-blue bruises, split and swollen lips, while her left arm is in a cast. She also has another cast on her right ankle. An oxygen mask helps her to breathe as she lies broken and unconscious. The beeping noise of the machine doesn’t even register over the tattered remains of my soul.

I stumble to her side, touching her unbroken hand, interlocking our fingers.

She doesn’t stir, not even a flutter of her eyelashes.

A wet drop lands on the top of the sheet covering her.

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