Page 73 of Our Blood, Our Pain

“Can we see him?” Jenny asks.

“Yes, but only two at a time. The nurses will take you down shortly.”

“Thank you so much, Doctor,” I say, and let out the breath that I feel like I’ve been holding onto this entire day.

The doctor smiles and walks away. Relief washes over my sister’s face as she comes to hug me. A nurse approaches and asks us to follow.

“Will you be okay, Tim?” Jenny asks.

“He’ll be fine. We’ll look after him,” Ivan says, grinning as he guides Tim back to the seating area. Even Lev smirks at the move. Ivan is certainly gonna bring some life into the house.

As we enter Kai’s room, I bristle at the sight of him. Machines beep all around him, an IV drips, along with the blood bag that’s giving him what he needs to survive.

His normally golden skin is pale, his upper body is bare, and my eyes don’t move from the large bandage where the stab wound is. My jaw clenches and I twist my fists. Those assholes won’t know what’s hit them. I allow myself to move closer to the bed and look at his beautiful face. There’s a faint bruise on his jaw that’s new. The marks I left on him are nowhere to be seen, apart from the tiny hickey on his neck. The urge to climb into the bed with him and demand he wakes up and tell me what happened overwhelms me. But I resist. Jenny rushes over to the chair at the side of the bed and clasps his hand with both of her tiny ones and talks to him about everything and nothing. I can do nothing but stand at the end of the bed looking at my man, who was nearly taken from me. The longer I watch him, the more my walls build up around me, protecting me, making me stronger for what I need to do next.

“Jenny, what were the names of the guys he hung around with?”

“I don’t know all of them, only Jez who was his best friend, and his brother Zac. Why?”

“No reason,” I say as Jenny goes back to talking quietly to Kai, stroking his hair. This whole situation is like an out of body experience. I briefly wonder if it’s a nightmare that I’m yet to wake from. This is the first time anyone I truly cared for has been hurt, and it’s so unsettling and foreign to me that it dents my armor that has served me well over the years.

The nurse comes in and checks Kai’s vitals.

“How long will he be under for?” I ask.

“The doctor will keep him sedated until tomorrow. If you need to rest, now is the time to do it, while he sleeps.”

Rest is the last thing on my mind. But while Kai sleeps, I think I’ll make a visit to his so called ‘friends’.

41

JULES

Jenny didn’t notice me leaving Kai’s room, and I’m glad. She doesn’t want the answers to the questions I’m not in the mood to hear. It’s a strange feeling, leaving Kai. My brain has neatly packaged up the emotional part of me that wants to stay with him and watch over him and tucked it into the back of my mind. All I can think about is vengeance for Kai. I won’t be able to rest, knowing they’re out there, unaware of the shitstorm they’ve created. The thirst for blood is rampant, I’m nearly trembling with excitement to get this shit going. Only then will I be able to come back and be what Kai needs, and he can rest assured that payment for his hurt has been paid in full. I intend to get that payment tonight with a little added interest.

Walking further down the corridor, Ivan, Lev and Tim all stand, awaiting news of different kinds.

“Tim, you can go in and keep Jenny company. Call me if there are any changes, but the nurse said they won’t be waking him up until tomorrow,” I say.

“Hang on, where are you going?” he asks. Look, I don’t actually think he’s a bad guy. But he’s a cop and cops ask too many fucking questions.

“Nowhere that concerns you,” I say before moving closer to Ivan and Lev. Tim huffs out a long breath and the sound of his boots squeaking against the floor disappears further into the distance behind me.

“Today. It has to be today we end them. I can’t sit on this, Lev.”

“Didn’t think you would. I already contacted D while you were with Kai. Carlos has men at the location. I have the address.”

“Dima still wants to help after what I said?”

“Shut up, Jules. Don’t play dumb. If anyone knows what it’s like to get bloodthirsty, it’s us.” Lev says, and I suppose that’s fair.

“What about this little gang? Do we know where they are?” I ask.

“Yep. Wasn't too hard to narrow down with it being a small town. They call themselves ‘The Skins’, hardly a name that blends in. Fucking stupid ass name. Two of them were arrested yesterday morning, Dean and Tex, for disorderly conduct,” Lev mutters.

“Can’t have been them who did it, so that leaves the brothers Jez and Zac,” I say.

“Do we have a gang name?” Ivan asks Lev, derailing our conversation.

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