Circled by The Wolves [Brustoff]

Chapter 27

I woke up on something soft squished between something warm. I hesitantly opened my eyes, but thankfully the view was actually very pleasant. I was lying between James and Ben who had his arms around me cuddling me into his side. Sam was lying between mine and James' legs. His head on the bottom edge of the bed and his feet on James' chest. Cameron was lying on the very end next to Ben his head on the same side as Sam's and his feet on other half of Ben's pillow.

I was relieved to see them all. We were all safe. That though was comforting as the horror's of last night crept their way back into my mind. My eyes suddenly began to burn again and hot tears slid their way down my cheeks. 

Ben, just like he sensed my mood, tightened his grip on me then shuffled and opened his eyes.

"No... Denis, what's wrong?" He quickly shifted trying to sit up in the bed as he saw my tears, but he just ended up awkwardly falling over me as Cameron gripped the covers. 

"I'm cold." He mumbled his voice still raspy from the sleep.

"What did you expect?" I heard Sam. "One blanket isn't enough for five of us no matter how little space we take. I've been freezing my ass here the entire night." 

"I offered you to switch places with me. Stop complaining." James mumbled from under the blanket.

"Yeah, so you can throw me off the bed? No thanks." Sam replied, and even though there were tears in my eyes I laughed. 

"What are you two complaining I had to sleep next to Ben!" Cameron complained.

"I slept perfectly still!" Ben shot back. 

"Yeah that's why I have like three broken ribs now."

How can they make me laugh in such a shit situation, I thought as I burst out laughing. 

"Guys, are you even aware what went down last night?" I asked getting serious.

"A lot of shit." James said. 

"Any of you know Ashley Costello?" I asked feeling my eyes burn again.

"Female frontman for New Years Day? The girl with half black and half red hair? The one that led the APMAs red carpet like three times now? Aka the girl who took down the four shooters in that bar last night?" Sam said. 

I almost chocked.

"She did what?" I tried to shift into a sitting position, but I only ended up elbowing Ben in the ribs. 

"You should've seen her!" Ben ignored my fail though, as excitement erupted in his voice. "She was fucking awesome! She came out of the bathroom right when the guys ran out of ammunition and she pepper sprayed two of them, and other two she fought physically."

"What?" I repeated. 

Ashley died on my hands. Did I miss something?

"It was just like James Bond!" James commented. 

"Guys... She was wounded... and bleeding... She died in my arms..."

The room went silent for a moment. Everyone still and barely breathing until Sam shifted and handled me his phone showing me a text message. 

"She was stabbed, but she was also poisoned. Her wound wasn't deep enough to cost her her life. And she was poisoned with a type of poison that slows your heartbeat and your breathing down to the point where if you aren't a professional you can't tell the person is alive."

The room fell into silence again as I processed Sam's words and read the text Ashley sent him. "Apparently she messed with the wrong guys and they needed her temporary dead for some reason." Sam added.