Page 134 of Hurry Up And Wait

He stiffened, then shoved his hands in his pockets. “She didn’t want me to call you.”

That made me pause. Everything in me tightened until it was unbearably painful. I took a step back, then another until I hit the wall. “She —”

“Give her a fucking minute, okay?” he sighed. “She was worried about her sister, and I already laid into her for leaving me out of the loop. She just needs a minute.”

My eyes met his and I shook my head slowly. “I don’t have a minute.” I glanced at the guard, then turned to IKE again. “Take care of him for me. I need to see her.”

He grabbed my arm as I tried to leave. “I told you to give her the fucking night.”

I gritted my teeth. It took everything in me not to shoot him on the spot for letting that asshole get his hands on her. But he was right, she was my responsibility, and I let her down. “I need to see her. If she kicks me out, then…I just need to see her.”

Maybe it was the excruciating pain on my face or maybe he could see the truth in my eyes, that I had failed her. Either way, he released me and gave me a tight nod. “I swear to God, if she asks me to shoot you, I will.”

At least she had him looking out for her. I turned and headed for the room he pointed to as he intercepted the guard. There was no sound as I entered the room. I held my breath as I walked in, the door whooshing closed behind me. The moment I saw her—that was it. I was done for. My knees nearly buckled at the sight of her lying in that bed, so alone and vulnerable.

But it was the look on her face as her head swiveled to meet my gaze. And that’s when I saw the ring of bruises around her neck and fucking lost it. I stormed forward and slid my fingers along her neck, needing to check the damage for myself. But that was the wrong thing to do. She jerked away from me, her eyes alarmed at the sight of me.

“Isla,” I croaked out. “I—tell me you’re okay.”

“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice rough and scratchy.

“I went to your house and…why didn’t you tell IKE?” I whispered, feeling on edge and ready to lose it.

“He said he would kill her. I couldn’t take that chance.”

“He was there for your protection,” I snapped. “He was supposed to take care of you, and he can’t do his fucking job if you don’t obey the rules!”

She was silent for a minute, just glaring at me as I stared at the bruises on her neck. I could never un-see them. What if it had been me? What if I had known she ran out on me and I couldn’t do anything to protect her?

“Obey the rules?” she asked quietly, her voice almost a threat. “What rules exactly are you talking about?”

“The ones that are there to keep you safe,” I snapped, barely holding my temper.

“Safe…” she repeated. “From all the dangers aside from you.”

I almost said yes, but then I really listened to her words.The dangers aside from you.Yes, I was a danger to her. Maybe not physically, but emotionally, I had fucked her over.

“You’re right,” I said quietly. “I was wrong.”

Sighing, she laid back in the bed. “Just go, Kavanaugh. I don’t want to do this tonight.”

“Isla—”

“Go,” she said more forcefully than I expected. “Just…I need some time. It’s been a long night.”

I gritted my teeth, not wanting to go anywhere. But she didn’t want me here. She was practically begging me to go, and if I didn’t listen to her, I’d only make things worse. So, I brushed my lips against her forehead, lingering for just a moment, inhaling her scent before I disappeared from the room.

IKE was waiting outside, his face a mask of calm despite the anger I saw simmering underneath. “Red and Eli just arrived. They’ll look out for her.”

“And her sister? Bowie?”

“Lock’s team.” He cocked his head at me, his eyes narrowing slightly. “We have work to do.”

For once, I agreed with him. “Yes, we do.”

“We can’t just kill him,”I argued.

“Why not?” IKE asked. “I can think of a few ways to make him disappear.”

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