Page 72 of Sapphire's Gem
“Looks like someone did our job for us. Shame they left these two scumbags alive,” a uniform muttered.
“I hope they’re in a world of pain,” another replied.
“Think it was the Harlots?”
“Wylde’s been sniffing round one. It could be them.”
“You really think those women did this?”
“Fuck, yeah. They’re deadly; don’t mistake them for anything else.”
“Shit. They did this because of Wylde?”
“Looks like Wylde has his hands full. Wonder if he knows what his woman’s capable of?”
“Good luck to him. I wouldn’t mess with those bitches. They aren’t afraid of raising their fists.”
“Enough chat. Get them to the hospital and bang them up. I want two guards on their doors; they ain’t escaping again,” I snapped finally.
I headed for my car with a nod to the investigating detective. This shit was in his hands now. Wylde would be waking up about now, and I planned to be there.
Hayden
The fact that everything hurt meant I was alive. Somehow, I’d survived. Did that mean Cassidy had died? Was I waking up to discover I was a failure and my best friend and brother had died?
“Open your eyes, you fat bastard,” Cassidy complained, and I did, and sharply turned my head and groaned.
Warrick, Cassidy, Pops, Gramma, and Sapphire all stared at me. Sapphire had her hand on Gramma’s shoulder, offering comfort as Gramma melted down. Gramma laid her head on my hand and cried.
“Gramma, it’s okay, I told you he’d be fine,” Sapphire soothed. I stared at her bloody and cut knuckles, and Sapphire held my gaze. She was challenging me, but I had more important things to worry about.
“How badly was Cassidy hurt?” I rasped and coughed to clear my throat.
Sapphire shoved a glass under my nose with a straw and placed it between my lips. God, that cold water tasted like nectar.
“Cassidy is fine,” Sapphire said.
“I’m fine thanks to you, you blasted idiot,” Cassidy replied.
Yup, sounded like he was okay.
“The bullet hit his artery. If you hadn’t lain your fat ass on him, he’d have died,” Warrick said. His eyes were red, and I guessed he’d not been sleeping well.
“Fucker nearly smothered me to death,” Cassidy quipped. I might have just woken up, but I could hear the underlying worry in his voice.
“How long was I out?” I asked.
“Two days. Forty-nine hours and thirty-three minutes,” Gramma replied with a muffled sob.
“I’m okay, Gramma,” I tried to comfort her.
“Gramma’s earned this, Hayden, don’t take it from her. We were all fuckin’ scared,” Pops chided.
“Sorry, Pops.”
“I’m going to take Gramma for lunch. She’s barely eaten. Warrick, come,” Pops ordered. Gramma clutched my hand one last time and dropped a kiss on my head as two doctors entered the room. Sapphire retreated to a corner as they checked me over before offering nods and leaving.
“I’m putting my earbuds in,” Cassidy stated, and I snorted.
