Page 7 of Red Queen (Red Thorns Crew 3)

I saw the gash in Max’s thigh now, how tattered his jeans were. How bruised his body was. His ribs were black, his knuckles split and red from fighting. His face was almost unrecognizable with all the bruises and scabs and the swelling that had taken over his eyes.

My breath caught in my throat. “Oh, my God.”

Rupert craned his neck back. “We’re still fifteen minutes out from the house. Sure you don’t want to change your mind?”

I shook my head. “No hospitals. We can’t--I can’t--”

The coughing started up again, only this time I couldn't control it. It felt like something was lodged in my lungs. Something my body wanted to get out but couldn't. I pressed my hand into my chest. When the heel of my hand touched my sternum, I thought I was going to blow through the roof. My coughing became yelling. My body started shaking. And when Max pulled me back against his body, he turned me.

Max stumbled over his words. “I don’t--I just--we--”

Rupert sighed. “Come on, Max. Listen to that cough.”

My eyes widened as my hand fell against his chest. He jumped at my touch as my fingertips found the tattoo over his heart. The one that matched the tattoo I had on my thigh, to be exact. The skin beneath it was bruised and puckered. There was something that looked like a blood blister forming beneath it, threatening to break and destroy the entire masterpiece. Tears flooded my face. I felt my body trembling uncontrollably.

All of this had happened to Max because I hadn’t listened to Rupert.

You should’ve stayed in your dorm room.

My lip quivered. “I’m so sorry.”

Max’s grip tightened on me. “Rupert, how far away are we from the hospital?”

“Less than fifteen minutes, I can tell you that.”

I sniffled. “I’m so fucking sorry. Please forgive me. I--I only wanted t--oh, fuck.”

The guilt was too much. It filled my stomach and pushed any of the contents I still had left in it over the top. Max turned me onto my side as I started to choke. I tried coughing, but I couldn't get it up. It felt lodged. It felt stuck. And no matter how hard I tried breathing, or coughing, or gagging, or gasping, nothing came loose.

Had I just listened, none of this would have happened. Had I listened to Rupert, Max would be fine. I’d be fine. But I had to go and play the hero. I had to go and get myself caught. I had to go and find Max, which got us nothing but beaten to hell and almost killed. I was an idiot. Max had fallen in love with an idiot.

He deserves better.

I heard the boys fighting, but their voices seemed far away. My vision tunneled and my lungs started to burn again. I couldn't take it. The pain was too much. Part of my body begged for death, and the other part of me scrambled for life. I didn’t deserve it, though. Not after getting Max into this situation. Not after putting Rupert in danger like I had.

I should’ve stayed dead. Maybe everyone would be better off.

“Turn around. Now.”

Max’s growling voice caught my ear and I shook my head. No. The last thing we needed was a hospital. I didn’t need my boys in a bigger mess because of me. If I needed to die to keep them safe, I would.

Anything to keep Max safe.

I wheezed. “No. We have to get out of town. The police--”

I felt something burst in my throat before puke flooded my lungs. I heard Max growling again before the tires of the truck squealed. My body flew off to the side. Max held m

e as tightly as he could while my lungs tried to bury me underneath once more. I felt him rubbing my back and telling me to relax. As if that would magically solve all my problems. But the more Max stroked my back, the more I felt my muscles relaxing anyway.

And soon, my lungs felt relief.

“Oh--fuck--I--ugh.”

Max sighed. “There it is. Get it up. Don’t worry about anything else.”

Rupert cleared his throat. “She throwing up finally?”

I nodded, but I couldn't speak. It felt like the pain was endless. And even though my stomach felt empty, my lungs still felt full. How was that possible? What in the world was my body doing? The coughing fit started again before I could catch my breath and I felt my brain squeezing in on itself. I felt my stomach protruding as if it were filled with too much water.

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