Page 100 of Savage Scream

JARED

The last twenty-four hours have been a nightmare. Each time Dee wakes, it’s like she’s possessed by an animal, screaming and writhing about on the hospital bed. After the first time, when she clawed at the nurse’s arms and face, they restrained her to the bed and sedated her. Now when she wakes, she can’t harm anyone or herself, but the screaming and writhing are still there.

The part of the hospital we’re in isn’t a normal ward. It’s secluded and heavily guarded by Marx crew, a new development Griffin explained when Dee first arrived in the facility.

I don’t know how he does it. How he’s able to arrange such things and have authorities turn a blind eye, but now, this section of the hospital is Marx property, and only select staff will work here, taking care of Marx people.

Griffin ordered Travis and Cassie to be brought here too, something I’m sure Dee will be happy about if she’d just wake up and not scream the place down. Each time she rouses and screams, Travis hobbles out of his bed across the hall and comes to Dee’s bedside, and each time the nurses sedate Dee, he has some choice words for them before Griffin’s men drag him back across the hall to his and Cassie’s room.

“Has she woken again?” Bec asks, coming to Dee’s bedside to take her hand, her blue eyes oozing concern as she stares down at her niece.

I shake my head. “Not yet. It shouldn’t be long until the sedation wears off again, though.”

Bec nods. “She went like this after she killed Travis’ mum, which is why it was so easy for us to get her into the psychiatric facility. The only time she was ok was when she got to see Travis about a week after it all happened. But he wasn’t happy to see her and said something to her that upset her. It was after that when she stopped talking. The only sound she made then was screaming. She was also a little like this when we took her from the man that trained her to be a killer. It’s like she goes to such a dark place that she struggles to find her way back.”

I turn to the Angel, her normally well-groomed blonde hair looking a mess as wisps stick out from her ponytail.

“She’ll come back to us, though, right?” I ask, and she nods.

“I believe so.”

“We will be here waiting for as long as it takes.” Amanda’s voice comes from behind me, and I see her leaning against the door frame, watching us.

I hope they hang around for Dee’s sake. I think now that she knows the Angel sisters are actually her aunties, she’d like to get to know them.

Hell, since the Kerrs are dead, she doesn’t have to leave now. The few Kerr gang members left are slowly getting picked off by the Marx crew, which means Dee can stay and make a life here. Make a life with me.

A thrill rushes over me at the thought of keeping her. Claiming her as mine once and for all and knowing that we have all the time in the world.

Fuck, I want that.

I can’t help it. As soon as Bec releases Dee’s hand, I take it, shifting closer to the bed to get in a good position since her hands are secured in cuffs on each side of her hips.

I stay by her side like that for a long time, the Angels retreating back out into the hall eventually, their voices hushed as they talk with Cynthia and Will.

My eyes feel heavy with sleep when Dee’s fingers squeeze mine.

My gaze darts to hers, and my heart starts to race as her eyes move rapidly under her closed lids before she starts breathing heavily.

Shit.

No.

Not again.

Suddenly her lids fly open, her dark brown pupils almost black staring straight at the ceiling as the first scream rips from her lungs.

“Dee.” I try to say calmly, hoping she can hear me. “Deranged. It’s ok. Shhhhh.”

Commotion sounds behind me as the room fills with the people who care for her. Cynthia rushes to the other side of the bed, taking Dee’s free hand as she starts thrashing. Scream after scream echoes in the small space while a nurse rushes in with a syringe before injecting its contents into the cannula attached to Dee’s hand.

It doesn’t take long to work. Dee’s screams and thrashing slowly falling away as the drugs take her back under.

I hate it. I really fucking hate it.

“Can’t you just leave her for a bit?” Travis snarls at the nurse, having rushed over to check on his sister again. “Just let her go and see if she eventually calms down. She can’t hurt anyone. You already have her chained to the bed like she’s a madwoman.”

“We’re giving her less and less of the sedative,” the nurse explains. “Our main priority is to keep her calm so she can heal. She’s likely to pop her stitches at this rate.”

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