You can’t ignore me.
Remember, Kai. 100K.
I frown, my eyes going over the messages again. Across me, Daniel clears his throat again. “It looks like he’s demanding money from Kai. My guess is that’s what Kai has been hiding from you. I’m not sure what he’s told you about his past, but looking at this, it wouldn’t be a crazy leap to assume that Kenny might have been abusive when he was growing up.”
I can’t stop rereading the messages. A weird rage builds inside me. It’s an odd emotion. I think I can count the number of times I have felt rage. The first was Nick locking me in that shed. The second was when Levi told me about what Adam did and the third is now—dark, red-coloured rage.
“A hundred thousand pounds is a lot of money,” Daniel says. “But it’s money Kai has access to now. Has he mentioned anything?”
I gave Kai a black card and with it, he can pretty much access as much money as he’d like to, but he’s never used it. He wasn’t very happy with me when I handed it to him.
“No,” I say. “I guess he didn’t want us to think he’s in it for the money.”
Kai is everything good and pure and my heart breaks thinking how terrified he must be of his stepfather.
“How long until we land?” I ask, gritting my teeth.
“Three more hours,” Daniel says.
My ears ring and I want to punch something, but I swallow the rage down as quickly as it comes. No one thinks straight when they are angry. Impulsivity is not my thing. I always thought if I was going to make someone suffer, I’d do it slowly. Death by a thousand cuts rather than a quick slash.
I sit back in my seat and shut my eyes, willing the plane to go faster. My mind fantasises about all the terrible things I will do to Kenny Walsh once I get my hands on him.
When we land back in London, the thoughts of Kenny Walsh still cloud my thoughts. I desperately want to get home to Levi and Kai, but I know they are still at the hotel opening. I’m almost tempted to show up there, just to hug them and make sure they are okay, but I have security with them, and I could use a shower after the flight first.
Just as I slip into the back of the car, my phone vibrates, and Kez’s face appears on my screen. I frown, why would she be calling me now?
“Hello?” I answer cautiously.
“Cole? Where are you?” she sounds breathless on the other end. “Please tell me you’re back.”
“Just landed. Why? Is everything okay?”
“It’s Levi,” she says. “Kai found him passed out on the floor and then he—they are saying he’s had a seizure. We called an ambulance but he—he…”
“He what Kez?” I see my entire world falling apart right before me.
She’s sobbing on the other end, and I hear Anant trying to soothe her then muffled sounds before Anant speaks, “Hey, Cole,” he says. “They just left for the hospital with Kai and we’re not far behind. You have to get here.”
“Which hospital?”
“St. Thomas,” he says, and I don’t need to say anything before Daniel is already driving.
I’ve never liked hospitals. I hate the smell, the too bright lights, the noises but above all, I hate the doctors. They remind me of Doctor Phillipe with his mousy expression and constant look of disdain. I’m not thinking about that as I rush through the hallways, Daniel behind me.
A nurse tells us he is in the emergency ward and when we get there, Kez is wrapped in Anant’s arms and Levi’s parents are here too, tears staining Raina’s cheeks. One of the security guys, Harry, I think, is standing next to them, but something else is wrong.
Kai isn’t here.
Before I can get a word out, Raina throws her arms around me, tears fall on my shoulder as I hold her closely, trying my best to be calm for her.
“They said he had an allergic reaction to some drugs which caused a seizure. I—I…” she trails, unable to continue as she breaks away. She dabs a tissue to her red eyes. “I don’t know what to do. He’s all alone in there.”
“Where is he?” I ask.
“The doctor is with him now. The nurse said they would pump his stomach and test his blood to see what drugs are in his system,” Oliver says, coming over to take Raina to sit.
“Levi doesn’t do drugs,” I say. Not anymore at least.