Page 75 of Shattered

“Asher…” his voice seizes up.

My chest tightens. “No…”

Turner nods. “He bled out. There was nothing I could do. I’m so sorry.”

The world drops from my body again as sadness fills me, the same that makes Lila’s split lip quiver.

Chapter 28

Lila

The hospital sheets are soft beneath me, and the sound of soft beeping from monitors surrounds me.

I don’t remember much after Asher and Turner found me. What I do remember is never being alone, and that with every minute that passes, I feel a little bit lighter, and the pain diminishes a little further.

When I find the strength to open my eyes, Asher’s are already staring back, filled with softness.

“Ash?” My throat aches.

He squeezes my hand, letting out a soft breath. “Don’t talk too much. You’re in rough shape.”

I look down, finding clean, white sheets. When I pull my arms from under them, I find I’m in a hospital gown. My skin is clean, myfingers are wrapped in bandages, and my damaged fingers are capped. I feel the same ones on my toes when I try to wiggle them.

“What happened to all the blood?” I ask.

“I cleaned you up. You probably don’t remember, but the nurses tried to give you a sponge bath before they bandaged you, and you got scared, but you let me do it.”

I nod softly. I don’t remember, but I’m glad. “Thank you.”

“You’re pretty beat up. They’ve been giving you blood, antibiotics, and pain meds.”

I nod. “Where’s Turner and Bane?”

The light leaves Asher’s eyes, and that’s when I remember, like a horrible nightmare rushing back.

Bane is dead.

“Turner’s with the police now. He took care of things at the cabin, he burned it down and made sure their bodies were destroyed enough to keep all our hands clean. You don’t have to worry about the police’s suspicion. They saw the feed, and they know what happened. They’ll have to talk to you soon, too, but for now, rest.”

I nod, choked up. “I’m so sorry about Bane…”

His eyes shut, and he shakes his head. “I don’t wanna talk about him right now.”

I get it. He’s got to be overwhelmed. “How did you find me?”

“Raven.” The name makes my heart sink, and he must see it because he squeezes my hand. “Don’t give me that look, Sunshine. It’s not like that. We may have taken her hostage and threatened to kill her if she didn’t lead us to the cabin.”

“You didwhat?”

“Turner’s idea, not mine. Brutal but effective. She’ll be collecting a fat life insurance check and plans to leave the country. I don’t blame her.”

We’re interrupted when a man in blue scrubs opens the door and rushes in with a blood pressure machine, making my heart race. Asher tenses beside me. The man doesn’t look at me as he crosses the room to the side of the bed opposite Asher; he only looks at some papers in his hands.

“Hello, Miss Blake, I’m Brent. I’ll be your nurse tonight. Let’s get your vitals.”

When he grabs my arm, panic fires through me like a gunshot, and I let out a squeak as Asher reaches across the bed to shove the nurse’s arm off me.

“What the fuck is wrong with you!?” Asher growls.

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