Page 3 of Chaos Luck Wrath

Emerging from the bathroom she came back to Joey’s room. She dropped the bag onto a small sofa that doubled as a sleeping space. As much as she hadn’t wanted to leave and try to put herself together, Gage had been right to urge her to do it. It left her feeling slightly more human and briefly chased away some of the darkness consuming her thoughts.

Gage got up from the chair, his eyes red from the few minutes he had to allow the day’s events to sink in. He walked over to her and wrapped his large arms around her giving a near-crushing hug. “You look gorgeous.”

Her partial laugh fell flat. “Liar.” Her arms wrapped around his waist and let him hold her for the amount of time they both needed. “How is he?” It seemed a silly question since she hadn’t been gone all that long.

He pulled back and turned to look at his brother. “Still here, just like I told you. You should go get yourself something to eat. There’s a cafeteria down on the first floor.”

Immediately, that was a hard pass for her and she shook her head. “I’m not hungry.” It felt like she was being chased away from Joey’s side, and her defense mechanisms began to rise up in protest.

Cupping her face, he stared at her. “I need you to eat. It’s not going to do anyone any good if you pass out ‘cause you’re too damn stubborn to take care of yourself.”

Frowning, she pulled her face back from his hold. “I’ll be fine.”

He groaned in annoyance that this was going to be a battle. “Sitting here refusing to do anything but stare at him isn’t healthy. Joey would be kicking your ass right now for forcing the question to be asked twice.” The moment the words flew out of his mouth he instantly regretted it.

Layne’s hurt came bubbling back up to the surface and she pulled back from Gage.

“I’m sorry, you know I didn’t mean to…” His eyes were apologetic as he reached out for her but she kept herself just out of the reach of his hand.

Her eyes shifted to where Joey was lying. His condition hadn’t changed since they arrived in the room. It was neither better nor was it worse. “I’m going to go get some air. Call me if anything changes.”

She reluctantly left the room in search of some space to clear her head. When Layne got past the sliding glass doors that led outside, she was greeted with a small breeze filled with cool air. Finding a bench to sit on, she stared up at the sky letting the one question fill her head. Why? Why was this happening to all of them? Why did Liam have to do this? Why hadn’t it been her?

There should have been unparalleled rage directed at her brother, and she was sure at some point it would rear its vicious head. Right now, the only thing she felt was small, lost, and shattered all thanks to the crippling grasp of fear her brother left her with.

Chapter Two

SPARKLESS

Should she have walked out on Gage the way she had? No, but her mind was all over the place right now. Emotions were erratically jumping from one point to the next without any logic to guide them.

She mindlessly flipped through hundreds of messages left on her phone while sitting outside the hospital. The senior associates of her crew were looking to her for their orders, Rebecca was checking in, and some of her allies were sending their fucking useless thoughts and prayers. Layne didn’t have any answers for herself, let alone anyone else. The messages went unanswered. Before she tucked her phone away a new text popped in.

GAGE

Are you okay?

LAYNE

What do you think?

GAGE

Please, come back up here.

We’re in this together and I can’t help if you won’t let me.

Layne wanted to ask him why she should bother returning to that cold and depressing hospital room, but she realized that she wasn’t the only person in pain. Gage found himself watching his big brother struggling to live just as much as she was.

She spent several more minutes convincing herself to go back inside. Yesterday, she would have kicked her own ass, but today? She had lost that spark that made her want to put up a fight.

“You are the spark that keeps my heart pumping blood through my veins.”

Her eyes squeezed shut, expressing a few more silent tears as the pain tore into her heart a little more and the memory of Joey’s words drove into her shattered soul.

“I will love you so hard for the rest of your life that you won’t ever have to worry about losing that spark.”

Inhaling a shaky breath, she mentally scolded herself for perhaps loving him too fiercely. If he hadn’t been so wrapped up in loving her back, maybe he wouldn’t have stepped in front of her. Alternatively, she wondered if this was happening to her as punishment for having not loved him enough. Maybe getting fucked at the altar in church could have been God’s tipping point, too.

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