Page 59 of Thorns of Silence
“If you’d read the status reports from Kian, you’d know Darius is overseas on assignment. Kian asked if you wanted someone else to fill in. You didn’t fucking answer the email.”
He looked distraught. His breakup with Reina made no sense. He clearly still cared about her. “You fucked up, brother,” I stated. He should have never broken her heart. He wasn’t the impulsive one; I was.
“Tell. Me. What. Happened.” Amon was teetering on the edge, probably ready to lose his shit. “Or I swear to God—”
“Two cars ran straight into her,” I told him, keeping my eyes on Reina’s pale face and noting my bloodied fingers. “I can’t figure out where she’s bleeding the most. We need to apply pressure, but I don’t want to shift her.”
His hands roamed over her, searching for the wounds. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure if she was breathing, she was so deathly still. Then, as if he had the same thought, he took her wrist into his hand and pressed his fingers against the inside. He held his breath, each one causing tension in his shoulders to grow. Until he finally exhaled a lungful of air.
“What the fuck happened here?” Fucking hell. This was becoming an Omertà circus. We didn’t need Konstantin in on this as well. Yet there he was. His eyes flickered to Reina’s bloodied form and his expression darkened.
“Her pulse is fading.” Desperation laced Amon’s voice. “She’s fading.”
He was right. She was getting worse by the second. Where in the fuck was that ambulance?
“My car is right here,” Konstantin offered, motioning behind him. “I’ll take her to the hospital.” We got to our feet, rushing to his car. “Shouldn’t you go back to your party?” Konstantin questioned Amon. After all, he was the host.
Amon cradled her body to his chest as he slid into the back seat of the car. “Fuck the party. Just get me to the hospital.”
“I should take her,” I offered. Unless he was ready to fix whatever was broken between them. I was inclined to believe that Reina waking up to find Amon holding her hand would probably make matters worse.
“No.”
Fury burned through me. It wasn’t right to jerk the girl around like that. He’d only crush her again. “You did this,” I spat, disappointed. It was important we not reveal too much in front of Konstantin.
Amon ignored me, shooting Konstantin a glare. “Tell your driver I’ll pay all his traffic tickets. Just get us to the hospital.”
“I’m coming too,” I hissed, sliding beside him into the car.
I had to ensure Amon wouldn’t squander all my chances with the other Romero sister.
TWENTY-FOUR
PHOENIX
Things went from bad to worse. Heartbreak to near death.
The girls and I searched for Reina for days until we finally found her. In the hospital. Black and blue. Fragile and pale.
It was difficult not to let despair overwhelm me. I wanted to crawl into the bed beside her and hold her, keep her safe. Just like I did when we were children and she’d wake up from her nightmares, screaming for our mamma.
The nurse came in and checked on her a few times, as did the doctor. Her condition was critical but not deadly. She’d pull through, but she didn’t look good. Her bruised, marred skin and fractured bones, and the fact she had yet to wake up, were a testament to the fact that there was indeed something to worry about. Her abdomen wound was deep and she needed stitches, although fortunately no internal organs were harmed.
But the fact remained that she was still not opening her eyes. If she sensed my presence, she hadn’t indicated it.
“She’ll pull through,” Isla signed, her own eyes swollen.
“The doctor assured us she’ll be fine,” Athena added. “She just needs lots of rest.”
“I want to know what the fuck happened.” Raven’s hands trembled as she signed. “She went to see Amon and then ended up in the hospital.”
Isla glared. “Don’t start with your speculations,” she warned.
I couldn’t comprehend it either. My eyes filled with tears, feeling like a failure. I should have gone with her, been there for her. Granted, she kept refusing, but I hadn’t pushed hard enough. Selfishly, I wanted to avoid seeing Dante, which made no sense since the creep still stalked me. Sometimes he’d even send his right-hand man, Cesar, to do the honors, and that man didnotbother concealing his presence.
Until last week.
Neither one of them were anywhere to be seen. Maybe Dante was finally done with me. After all, he and his brother had almost cost me my sister.
