Page 121 of My Brother's Best Friend

“Get off me,” I growled when she reached for me again.

After her hand slid off my shoulder, I stumbled forward and hit the ground, the world spinning around me. I pressed my hands into the ground, but the dead grass, mixed with bloody snow, seemed to move around my vision so it was above me and the gray sky was below.

Needing to make it to Vera before they separated us, I squeezed my eyes closed and pushed myself off the ground. Only for my arm to give out, and I face-planted into the dirt. I cried out in pain as I stared through a teary and streaky gaze at the ambulance lights disappearing down the street.

“You’ve lost too much blood,” the policewoman said, on her knees beside me and her hands wrapping around my left arm to hold the wound closed. “There’s another ambulance coming for you and your friends.”

“M-my friends,” I murmured, my energy draining by the second. “Where are my friends?”

She lifted one arm and pointed to the front of the house, but my gaze didn’t make it all the way there before everything went dark.

CHAPTER74

ALEC

Isat next to Maddie’s bedside with my hand wrapped around hers, impatiently waiting for her to wake up. When she shifted in the bed, I leaned forward and grabbed her hand even more tightly.

“Maddie, are you awake?”

Her eyes fluttered open. “Alec?”

After drawing my fingers across her cheek, I let a tear fall down my cheek. “You’re awake.”

She smiled softly, and then she slowly scanned the room. Confusion washed across her face for a moment, replaced with horror. She leaped out of bed, half-dressed with her hospital gown hanging open in the back, and hurried toward the door. “I need to find Vera.”

“Vera’s not here,” I said, grabbing her wrist. “You should lie back down.”

“No,” she said, tearing herself away from me. “I need Vera.”

After she pushed through the door, she hurried down the hallway and gazed into each of the rooms, tears building in her eyes. I grabbed her hospital gown and tied it closed so she wouldn’t run naked down the halls, and I tried hard to convince her to lie back down.

“Where is Vera? Imani?” she exclaimed.

“They’re both in surgery right now,” I said.

“Where are our friends?” Maddie asked.

“If you mean Blaise and Allie, thenyourfriends are in the waiting room.”

Maddie stared at me blankly, then frowned. “You’re mad at me.”

“Maddie, you skipped school,” I whispered, knowing that I shouldn’t be pissed at her for getting shot.

But why the hell had she skipped school in the first place? What had they been up to? Allie hadn’t said anything about it yet, but continued to call Nicole on her phone.

After I didn’t say anything else, Maddie shook her head and hurried down the hall in nothing but her hospital gown. “Alec, I will explain everything later. We need to findourfriends, especially Allie.”

With frizzy red hair, she walked toward the elevators. I ran my hand across my face and released a long sigh, shaking my head and eventually following after her before the doors could close.

“Maddie, wait up,” I said, grabbing her hand as the doors closed. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she whispered. “Do you know how Vera and Imani are doing?”

“I’m not sure,” I said, tightening my grip on her. “I’ve been too worried about you.”

When the elevator doors opened at the bottom floor, near the waiting room, Maddie hurried out and spotted Allie pacing back and forth near the seating area while Jace sat in one of the seats, grimacing.

“Allie!” Maddie cried, running over and hugging her. “You’re okay.”

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