Page 10 of Under My Skin

The officer looked at me, wordlessly demanding an explanation.

“He made a comment about my friend asking to be sexually assaulted,” I tried to explain, but even I knew it sounded weak.

Malachi was right. He’d saved me from making this worse than it already was. And it was pretty fucking bad. I’d let this asshat get under my skin and let my temper get the best of me. And it wasn’t even like I’d been defending myself. I’d been the one to throw the first punch.

“All right, we’re going to have to bring both of you in,” the other officer said.

Malachi backed away from me, and the second officer took both of my arms and put them behind my back, restraining me in handcuffs.

“Braden Hicks, you’re under arrest for assault and disorderly intoxication,” he informed me as he started to lead me outside to a waiting police cruiser. “You have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand these rights as I’ve read them to you?”

“Perfectly,” I groaned as he opened the back door of the cruiser and shoved me inside.

CHAPTER FOUR

DANIELA

A baby’swailing pulled me back to consciousness, and I woke up to find Isaac lying in his bassinet crying, while Amara was still sound asleep. I got up and walked over to the bed, gently shaking my sister.

“Mar, wake up,” I said quietly. “Isaac needs you.”

Amara didn’t budge, which wasn’t like her at all. She’d always been a light sleeper. But then again, she’d been exhausted and in pain earlier.

“Mar,” I said a little louder, shaking her again.

Still nothing. Not even a mumble or a moan or anything.

“Amara,” I choked out, shaking her even harder. “Mar, wake up!”

No. No, no, no.

No. She was fine. She had to be fine. She was just asleep.

“Mar!” I shrieked as I violently shoved her. “Mar, come on! Wake up!”

When she still didn’t move a muscle or react to me, I fumbled around in the bed until I found her all-in-one remote control and pressed the call light. Thank God, I heard a beep almost immediately.

“Can I help you?” came a lethargic disembodied voice.

“She’s not waking up!” I cried as tears started to stream down my face. “The baby’s crying and she’s not waking up and I know something’s wrong.”

“I’ll send the nurse in,” the man said robotically.

A click told me they’d disconnected the call, and I returned my attention to Amara, still shaking her, but it was useless. She wasn’t responding. She wasn’t?—

I put a hand under her nose and mouth to see if I could feel her breathing…and there was nothing.

“No!” I sobbed. “Mar! Help! Please! She’s not breathing! Amara!”

I ran to the doorway, and I found the hallway empty. Of course it was. Because where was a nurse when you actually needed one?

“Help!” I screamed. “Help me!”

“I need you to calm down,” someone dressed in scrubs said as he walked over to me. “You’re disturbing the other patients.”

“My sister’s not breathing!” I screeched. “My sister’s not fucking breathing and no one’s helping her and the baby’s crying and I don’t know what the fuck to do!”

The man’s eyes widened, and he rushed into the room, leaning down to listen to Amara’s breathing and checking her pulse. He quickly pushed a red button on the wall and started doing chest compressions.

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