Page 71 of What We Had

Deacon’s strong hand gripped my shoulder. “I will take Holt away from here. This is my burden now, not yours. Bennett can recover at home. The drugs appear to be out of his system. This is up to you, what should happen next with him.”

“And the future of this whole thing? Won’t they just send someone else?”

“As I said, this is my burden now. The studio will answer for their lies. For what they did to you and to Bennett.” His grip tightened. “Let me do my job so you can do yours with Bennett.” He patted the same shoulder, then released it. “We will be in touch. I will be using a different number when I do.”

“Connor,” Bennett said, his voice stronger with clarity and certainty. I went to him, kneeled beside him on the couch.

Deacon grabbed Holt and hoisted him easily into a fireman’s carry. In only a few easy strides, he was at the door and checking the street. He gave me one last glance, something unreadable, before he vanished outside.

“Connor.”

I turned my attention back to Bennett. “Where’s your first aid kit?”

“Bathroom. Under the sink.”

I retrieved a tackle box-sized container and returned to the living room. I collected the discarded needle, the tourniquet, and the drugs on the ottoman and placed them all on a plate I grabbed from the kitchen. Set it aside. I’d figure out how to dispose of it all later.

“Do you have butterflies in this thing?” I asked Bennett as I rummaged through a perfectly organized assortment of medical supplies.

Bennett’s hands found mine. His grip was strong. I looked up. A rivulet of blood ran down the side of his face from where Holt had bashed him. “Connor, please. What happened?”

Me. I happened. All this shit because of me.

“Someone broke in. Do you remember that?”

“No. Wait. Yes? I…” He pawed at me, trying to re-grip my hand after I let go to find butterfly bandages. “I did judo,” he said innocently. “He grabbed me and I threw him. Like you showed me.”

My chest lightened. I returned both my hands to his face. Wanted to kiss him, but held back. “My Benny. You did?”

“He hit me with a candle.”

“Yes. Knocked you out. Bennett, he injected you with heroin. He tried to make it look like an overdose.”

Bennett’s pupils were gaining size. He looked at the discarded nasal device on the plate. “Narcan. You remembered.” A dazed smile formed on his face.

I found the butterflies and a number of other things I needed. “Let me patch you up and then we can get to the ER. Okay?”

“No.” That response came immediately. “I heard. Everything.”

I shook my head, adamant. “No. We’re going. I can’t do this worth shit and you just had the nastiest drug pumped into your system. We’re going to a hospital.”

“But they’ll—”

“I don’t give a shit about any of that. Your safety is the only thing that matters. I love you, Bennett. I’m never leaving your side again. Ever.”

?

Iraided Bennett’s closet before we left. Slipped a zip-up hoodie over his bare chest. Rolled on a pair of socks over his alarmingly cold feet, then some sneakers. Grabbed his wallet, his phone, and we were out the door. After helping him into the front seat and buckling him in—he protested the entire time, saying he could do it himself, but I didn’t care—I had us backing down the driveway at record speed. The tinted window car with Jersey plates sat at the end of the driveway, a forgotten relic from all of ten minutes ago. My hand locked on to Bennett’s leg as I powered down the road approaching fifty.

“Whoa, whoa,” Bennett said. “Connor, slow down. Slow way down.”

“Not when you’re—”

“I’m fine now but I won’t be when we get into a head-on collision. Connor, I’m fine.Slow down.” With a sigh, I eased off the gas. He doubled my frustration when he added, “Hop on 495. We’re going to UMass Memorial in Marlborough. Don’t take me to Emerson.”

Argument renewed, I broke into all the perfectly good reasons why we shouldn’t drive twenty-five minutes to get to that hospital, and instead make the ten-minute trip to Emerson Hospital in Concord, which was right next door.

He cut me off in his simple and even tone. “Connor, you need to trust me.Itrustyou. This works both ways.”

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