Page 4 of Silent Betrayal

I nod.

She runs to the wall and vomits, both surprising me that a cop has such a weak stomach, and terrifying me that this is bad enough to make her throw up.

I look around to see what my brothers are doing. Jasper and Max are clutching each other, tears in their eyes, as Jasper holds the bag to his chest. Gideon is pacing back and forth, trying not to watch. Tucker is looking around the basement, examining the cot and other belongings. I can’t help but notice things I missed last time. The door was locked… Does that mean she was being kept down here all this time? Or is she sent here for some sort of punishment? I have a nagging feeling we’re still missing something important.

The other paramedic returns with a stretcher and two additional medics. They have us all move out of the way and they work quickly, getting her onto the stretcher and temporarily bandaging her wounds enough for transport. They move her up the stairs, and we all follow in a daze, unsure of what to do or how to help.

As they load her into the ambulance, one of the medics tells us only one person can go with her. Of course, we argue, but Jasper insists on going since he has her finger and refuses to hand it over to anyone else. As the ambulance doors close, we stand there, watching the woman who holds our hearts drive away.

“Hey, guys, where’s Ben?” Dom asks, looking to where his car was parked.

“He went ahead to the hospital so he could park and be there when they bring her in,” Gideon says, giving me a small amount of relief that one of us would be there to make sure she is taken care of properly.

I stare at my hands, covered in blood as a ringing starts in my ears. I can’t lose her, I just can’t. We were supposed to protect her, take care of her. She was supposed to become part of our family.

“I can’t believe this happened,” Max mutters, making me blink my eyes and try to rid myself of the vision of her broken, bloodied body. I try to remind myself I couldn’t lose it yet, I need to be here for my brothers, and for her.

“That guy just tortured her and then sat down to have a beer,” Tucker says, sounding stunned.

“What about her mother? What was her involvement in all this? Did she just let it happen? Did she watch or even participate? Did she go out for medical supplies, or did she not know at all?” Gideon adds, his voice tight with frustration as he paces the lawn.

“I don’t know, but right now, we need to get to the hospital,” Dom says firmly, and I couldn’t agree more.

Chapter two

Ianxiously pace in front of the emergency room entrance, waiting for her ambulance to show up. When Gideon told me what happened, how they found her body, covered in blood and barely breathing… I thought I was going to have a heart attack for how much my chest ached in that moment.

My vision darkens as I replay that moment again for the tenth time in twenty minutes.

“Ben! No, you can’t go in there!” Gideon says, his hands on my shoulders to try to keep me from crossing the street and entering her house to see her.

“Gideon, get out of my way, I need to see her!” I yell, as I try to push him out of the way.

“Ben, brother, trust me, okay?” he says calmly as he tries to get me to make eye contact with him. “You need to take a breath and listen to me.”

It takes everything I have to stop pushing him, as I make myself take a deep breath before looking him in his eyes.

“Ben, everyone in that house is freaking out and covered in blood. We need you to go to the hospital ahead of her and take care of the situation.”

“But I—”

He cuts me off. “No, listen to me. We don’t know the full extent of this situation. What if it wasn’t Jeff who did that, and whoever it was meantto kill her? They might find her in the hospital and finish the job before we even get there.”

His words do the job of penetrating my one track mind of getting to her. Keeping her safe is my highest priority. I take a moment to think over his words. She was also a minor, so unless her mother shows up, she needs someone to advocate for her. But we are just her friends, so this wouldn’t be an easy situation to navigate.

“You see it now, don’t you?” he asks with his hands still on my shoulders as he stares at me.

I slowly nod. “Yeah. She’s going to need us to make sure she’s taken care of properly, and kept safe.”

The sound of the ambulance reaches my ears and moments later, it turns onto the street. As soon as it comes to a stop, a fire truck heads our way.

“I’ve gotta go, you get to the hospital before her, okay?”

“Yes, I’m on it, Gideon, and thanks.” He nods his head and jogs across the street to greet the paramedics before he runs inside ahead of them.

I watch as three police cars and another ambulance pull up. I quickly cross the street to ask the paramedic which hospital they will be taking her to, then turn around and jump in my car. I might not be able to be inside with her right now, but I would make damn sure that I do everything I can at the hospital for her.

The sound of an ambulance pulls me back to the present and I stop pacing to watch it pull into the ER entrance. I pray it’s the one she’s in and know it is as soon as they open the doors, and I see Jasper in the back. He’s gripping her hand with one hand and clutching a Ziploc bag of ice to his chest with his other. I frown, wondering what he’s injured that needsicing so badly.

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