“You may want to step out,” I suggested to Rico as I stared hard at the two people in the doorway.
He inched toward the door. “If I hear flying chairs I’m coming in. I’ll be right outside.”
I didn’t nod, I didn’t even acknowledge that he had spoken. He shoved passed the two bodies, causing them to stumble inside the room. He pulled the door closed behind him. I placed myself between them and Emma.
“That’s Emma?” the skinny brunette asked.
I didn’t answer.
“What happened to her?”
I didn’t answer.
Her lip quivered. “Please tell us something.”
“You’re lucky I’m letting you see her,” I finally replied, voice low. “You don’t even deserve to be in this room right now.”
A tear rolled down her cheek, and I took sadistic joy in it. She should cry. She had partaken in the hell that would haunt Emma for the rest of her life.
The guy standing beside her was tall and lanky. He had been quiet thus far, analyzing the situation with hooded eyes and crossed arms. I refused to hit a girl—no matter how much I wished to in that moment—but I was waiting for him to step one toe out of line so I could acquaint his face with my fist. God knows I wanted to.
“Have you taken a trip down to the station, yet?” I questioned. They winced and I was taking immense delight in their discomfort.
“We did our time—Rhys, is it? We did our time, Rhys.”
“Wasn’t long enough.”
“How would you know? You weren’t there; you don’t know anything about the situation.”
“I know enough,” I snapped. “And unless either one of you has ever been raped and absolutely humiliated before, I’d say you don’t understand it, either.”
“He didn’t rape her; they didn’t charge him for that,” Nate finally spoke up. My temper flared and I used that as my excuse to jump him. Madeline cried out as I grabbed the front of Nate’s shirt and slammed him into the wall, making the cheap paintings rattle and shake. I lowered my face threateningly close to his, voice pure venom when I spoke.
“That’s bullshit and you know it,” I snarled. “Your freaking douchebag of a friend raped her and you may be obsessed with believing that he didn’t, but he did. And I’m going to put that bastard away for life if it kills me.”
Nate was indifferent, but for the unease that was visible in his eyes. “They’ll never catch him without the original tapes,” he murmured, gauging my reaction carefully.
“You son of a bitch,” I muttered disgustedly. “Where are they?”
He snickered. “You think I’d tell you? I’m in them, too. I would go down with him.”
He was so fucking repulsing, when I slammed my fist in his face it didn’t seem like enough. That smug look was branded into my memory.
“Stop!” Madeline cried. “Nate, you told me you wouldn’t do anything stupid when we came!”
Nate didn’t have much of a chance to answer as I rammed my fist into his stomach and sent him to his knees. Rico chose that moment to burst through, assessing the situation in ten seconds flat. He pushed Madeline out the door first, not bothering to respond to her protests. I grabbed Nate’s shirt and held him up.
“You’re lucky I love her,” I hissed. “She wouldn’t want me killing you.”
The blood in my veins was so cold, my resolve so strong, that I could have killed him and probably never regretted it.
I shoved him toward Rico. “Don’t let them come back,” I sneered.
Rico threw him out of the room. “You reacted just like I thought you would,” he mused.
“Did I?”
“Yep. They weren’t even in here for ten minutes. Except you didn’t kill him. I was pretty certain if you saw the punk you would kill him.”
“I wanted to,” I told him, ice in my voice. I met his eyes. “I’m completely serious, Rico. I still do.”
“Rhys . . .”
I moved to Emma’s side, kneeling by the cot. “I need some space,” I mumbled.
“Sure, man. You know where to find me.”
I gave a listless nod, eyes trained on Emma’s face. Some of the wires had been removed. I trailed my fingers along the edge of her features, wishing more than anything to see those grey eyes open.
But no matter how much I willed it, it wasn’t happening.
I bent over her and kissed the corner of her mouth. “You’re killing me, here, Emma,” I whispered against her skin. “When are you gonna wake up?”
My only response was silence.
~*~
Nine o’clock that night saw me still in the hospital. I had fallen asleep unintentionally, sprawled on the bed beside Emma. I was careful of her wires, managing to lie on my side with my hand supporting my head as I stared down at her. I could do it for hours and not get bored. My fingers found her arm and I trailed them along it, to her exposed shoulder. I pressed a gentle kiss against the creamy skin.
“How is she?”
I pulled my hand away, head whipping toward the door. I hadn’t heard it open. Emma’s mom stood there, looking tired and fed-up with everything, but she still wore a smile. “Stable,” I replied. She nodded and crossed the room, pulling a chair up to the other side. I watched her gaze at her daughter, wondering what the woman was feeling. Sadness? Helplessness? Anger? Those were three things I felt every day, and I couldn’t do anything about them.
“She didn’t deserve any of this,” she murmured, caressing Emma’s face with the back of her hand. “She never asked for any of it.”
“Your daughter is a strong girl,” I said.
“Woman,” she corrected. “She’s been through way too much to be called such an innocent name.”
I nodded, swallowing hard. “Have the doctors told you anything different?”
She shook her head. “Just that this is her body attempting to recover from so much of that . . . Drug.”
I traced her palm, eyes never leaving her face; her closed lids, the long lashes sweeping against her cheek bones, the beautiful bow of her lips. I wished I had some paper and a pencil. She was fast becoming my favorite subject.
“Thank you for taking care of her,” she spoke up several seconds later. “I know it can’t be easy. She’s awfully high maintenance.”
Truer words had never been spoken. But then again, some would say the same about me. “I would do anything for your daughter, Mrs. Hall.”
“I can tell.” She smiled fondly, eyes going distant. “I think you’ll be good for her, if you promise not to give up. She’s had so many people come along claiming they can help her, but once they see how deep her scars run they call it quits and leave her hanging.”
“If she’s taught me one thing this year it’s to never back down from a chance to be stubborn,” I replied, causing Jemma to chuckle. “She’s hard to give up on.”
“I’d say so.” Her black-painted nails moved to the blankets as she readjusted them. “Are these cards from her school?”
“The homerooms. Can’t say the kids don’t care, I guess.”
“They don’t always,” she murmured, eyes receiving that far-off look again, like she was thinking back in time. But as if realizing what happened she shook herself and pasted the smile back on. “I just wanted to check on her on my way to the station. Her father has a late shift and I thought I would surprise him.” she rose to her feet, stretching her arms out. “Will you be staying the night?”
I hadn’t planned on it, but since I was there it didn’t feel right leaving. “I think so.”
“Alright. I’ll try to tell the nurses to take it easy on you.” She winked and strode out. Emma’s mom was an interesting character, but so was Emma, so I supposed she had to get it from somewhere.
I slid down and rested my head in the crook between her shoulder and neck, easing my arm around her waist and pulling her against me, so her side was pressed along my front.
“Goodnight, Emma,” I whispered in her ear.
I kept expecting her to reply.
But she didn’t.
And it seemed like she never would.