Page 193 of Finding Hope

“Who gives a fuck about Brad?” Standing with renewed energy, myleft arm hangs limp like boiled spaghetti attached to my shoulder. “I don’t give a shit about him!”

“I wanna know if he’s alive,” Bobby snaps. “If he’s not, then we get good fucking lawyers, because youwon’tbe getting in trouble over this. If he is alive, then we findmorelawyers and we make sure he lives long enough for prison.”

“He’s alive,” Scotch answers wearily. “Alex said Oz is on him. He’s in surgery, too.”

“Why?” Stepping forward on wobbling legs, I stop in Scotch’s face. “Let him die!”

“He’s not going to die from his injuries,” he argues. “So unless we go in there and get the job done properly, he’s staying alive.”

“So let’s go get the job done properly!”

Kit steps in front of me and drags my wild eyes down to hers. She nods toward my still crying nieces. “Stop.” She speaks in an almost whisper. “You need to be strong for them. You’re scaring them.”

“I’m scared, too!” Fresh tears fall and splash onto my cheeks. “I’m so fucking scared.”

“I know.” She steps forward and rests her cheek above my heart. “I know you’re scared, Jack.” She rubs my back exactly the way Aiden rubs Evie’s. “I know you’re scared.”

“She’s gonna be okay,” Scotch says. “X promised.”

“Is he lying?” I swipe my nose with my good arm. “Is he saying that to make you feel better?”

“No,” he declares quickly. “He doesn’t lie. Not ever.”

It would be more than six hours before Alex and Kari reemerge to talk to us in person. With his sister’s blood smeared on his shirt, and his hair standing in a hundred directions, Alex watches me closest of all.

“She has a broken arm.” He points to his forearm. “Here and here. Radius and ulna. Clean breaks, snapped right through.” He swallows down the nausea that sentence puts in his belly. “They pinned it. She’ll have a shitty time in airports from now on.” He points to his face and takes a shaky breath. “She also has a fractured cheekbone, but it’s not so bad. Just gotta wait for it to heal. She’s pretty fucking bruised up, but overall, she’s not doing too bad. Brad’s a hundred times worse.”

“Good.”

The words come from my mouth, but everyone nods in agreement.

“Shattered cheekbone, shattered eye socket, missing teeth, shattered jaw. Basically, his entire skull is broken. He’ll be in here for a long while.”

“Is Jack in trouble?” Stepping forward, Tink wraps her small hand around Alex’s wrist. “It was self-defense, right?”

“He’s not in trouble,” Alex declares. “That school had security monitors installed in every classroom, ever since that thing a few years ago. I’ve already watched the footage, it’s already been sealed for evidence and secured for prosecution. Maxwell will be formally charged as soon as he’s up and able, and in the meantime, he’ll have twenty-four-seven surveillance by either me or Oz personally. I’ll not be arresting you, Jack, and no one else will, either. You have my word.”

Kit squeezes my arm in comfort. “What’s Britt’s prognosis?”

“She’s out of surgery.” He blows out a noisy breath. “She’s sore, she’s bruised, but she’ll be out of here in a few days. Then she’s just gotta rest up and heal. She’ll be okay.”

Nodding, dizzy with relief, I flop into the plastic seat and pray I don’t eat the floor again. Bobby takes my arm to make sure I don’t slide straight out of my chair, then pushes my head between my knees when the buzzing rushes through my ears.

The mouse kneels in front of me.

She doesn’t look like Steph at all. With her face barely two inches from mine, not even the pen light she flashes in my eyes can blind me; she’s not like Steph at all.

“It’s time to take care of yourself now, Jack.” She sounds nothing like Steph. Her eyes are a different shade. Her curls aren’t even the same. “Your Bambie’s okay,” she murmurs kindly. “Now you gotta take care of yourself.”

Nodding, mesmerized by the stars that float across my vision, I smile, then I fall forward and let Bobby catch me.

Maybe if Britt’s sleeping, we can visit in our dreams.

43

BRITT

INTERRUPTED

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