"Do you really think she'll be okay?" I asked Matthew, still with my eyes fixed on the group in front of us.
"She has to be."
I looked up at him. He had been just as concerned as the people who loved Taylor. He hadn't just been a bodyguard to her, he had been a friend to both of us. I reached out and squeezed his arm gently, trying to comfort him. "Whatever happened, we're all here for her."
I wanted to hope she hadn't been raped but it would entail trusting that there were people who weren't capable of it, and I couldn't—I knew different.
The sound of the door opening pulled us to the moment. The doctor looked subdued as he closed it behind him.
"I'm Connor Price, Taylor's brother," Connor said, taking a step closer to the doctor. "How's she?"
The time was here. I wasn't sure I was prepared for what the answer might be. I reminded myself we all had to be strong for her. She would need it. Sin shoved his hands in his pockets as he waited beside Connor for the information.
"She's been beaten quite badly. It will heal, and I don't believe there will be any scars."
The last word vibrated through me, and Sin hung his head as he listened. Connor swallowed hard while he took it in, his cool exterior we were all used to shaken.
A familiar arm wrapped around me and I leaned closer to Matthew, needing comfort at the extent of her injuries. She had been alone, fighting for her life. I put my hand to my mouth to keep my composure. My throat burned as I tried to suppress my tears.
"She has quite a bad cut on her leg but it doesn't require stitches." The doctor quieted.
"Was there any sign of..." Connor tried to ask, but he couldn't say it. Sin's shoulders tensed as he lifted his gaze to the doctor.
The doctor shook his head. "There are signs her attacker did try but she must have managed to fight him off."
Connor looked relieved. Sin ran a hand through his hair, and Slater stood silently beside them.
"When can we see her?" Sin asked, the strain of not being able to see her evident in his face.
"At this stage I'm only allowing family in. She's sleeping at the moment. I've decided to sedate her for now. Let her get some rest and tomorrow you can see her."
Sin looked at him like he had physically struck him, and my heart went out to him. Even though it included me and Matthew, there was a desperation in Sin to be able to see her that I understood. Despite their ups and downs he truly cared for her, probably more than he had for any girl.
"I'd like to see her now," Connor insisted.
"Sure," the doctor said. "The nurses are just cleaning her up. As soon as they are done you can go and see her."
"Tomorrow I will allow non-family members to see her," the doctor told us. "She needs time to come to terms with what has happened to her."
Sin turned away from the doctor and Slater put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. There was no visible emotion but his jaw tensed slightly as he dealt with the news he would have to wait another day to see Taylor.
"She's okay," Slater said to his friend. "You'll get to see her soon."
They stared at each other for a few moments before Sin relented and nodded his head. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he looked defeated. He wasn't someone I was close to but even in that moment I couldn't stop myself from feeling for him. If there had been any doubt before about his feelings for Taylor, there wasn't any now.
The doctor left and Connor went inside the room. The four of us waited.
Sin walked over to lean against the wall beside me. I had an urge to comfort him so I rested my hand on his arm lightly.
"She's okay," I murmured to him.
He looked at me and nodded slightly. From the time he had found out Taylor had been taken, he'd refused to even consider the idea she wouldn't survive. In his mind it had just been a matter of time before she was found.
Connor had been a frantic mess as he had tried every avenue to find his missing sister. Matthew had struggled with the weight of his guilt that he had been unable to protect her.
Rubbing my forehead, I tried to ease the slight headache I felt. It had been a couple of long stressful days. My feelings for Slater had been shoved to the back of my mind. But here, with him just feet away, they were hard to ignore.
As I dropped my hand, my eyes caught familiar blue ones. The reaction was instant. It didn't matter that we were standing in a hospital. It sizzled through me, searing the blood in my veins. Needing to protect myself, I broke my gaze away from him and focused my attention elsewhere as I caught my breath.
It wasn't long before Connor came out of the room. I stood up. His expression was solemn—not a good sign at all.
"How's she?" Sin asked anxiously. His hands tightened slightly as he waited for the answer.
"I'm not going to lie," Connor told him, looking visibly upset. "It looks...bad."
One thing I had learned about Connor in the short time I had known him was he was good at schooling his features, keeping his emotions hidden, but he was visibly upset which didn't ease the worry I felt. I knew how much he loved Taylor and how hard he had tried to keep her safe. But she still lay in a hospital bed, badly injured.
Sin's hands tightened into fists, and I saw the wrestle of anger and guilt play out across his features.
"Go home and get some sleep," Connor suggested to us.
The doors opened and I looked to see a tall guy with tattoos and a shaved head walk toward us. My eyes flickered back to Sin and Slater. Slater saw him and nodded to the stranger.
Curious, I watched as he came to a stop beside Sin. They shook hands.
"They get him?" Sin asked the stranger. He nodded. I had no idea what they were talking about.
Connor looked between them.
"This is Jeff," Sin said, introducing him to Connor. "He's the one who found Taylor."
"Thank you," Connor managed to murmur as he shook his hand.
"You're welcome," Jeff responded. "She's strong. She escaped on her own, I only found her."
"She is," Connor confirmed in a murmur.
She would need to be to get through this. For someone who'd been through so much in life you would think she would have had her fill. From her parents' murders when she was a young girl, to this. How much could one person take?
Compared to Taylor, my issues were a walk in the park. It was how I reminded myself that no matter how bad I thought my problems were, there was someone out there fighting life-and-death situations. It was a way to put my hang-ups into perspective.
I yawned, feeling a tiredness I had managed to keep at bay for the last few days start creeping into my bones, making it harder to stay awake.
"Let me take you back to the apartment," Matthew suggested beside me.
"I don't want to leave her," I said, looking up at him. By being here, even without her knowing, I felt like I was supporting her. It didn't make sense.
"You won't be able to see her until tomorrow." He had a point. "You'll need sleep so you can be strong for her when she wakes up."
His reasoning made sense and was enough to change my mind. "Okay."
Matthew walked me to Connor. I kept my eyes fixed, away from Slater, as Matthew told Connor he was taking me home.
"That's fine, I'll come back later to shower and change," Connor said.
Fighting the urge to look at Slater was like trying to stop myself from breathing. Impossible. I tried to concentrate on Matthew and Connor's conversation to distract me but I could feel my eyes drift to Slater.
Sin and Jeff were talking but Slater was silently watching me. His eyes were darker than usual and it was difficult to read his expression. Could he read my inner feelings past the calm exterior I portrayed?
"Let's go," Matthew said, putting a hand to the small of my back. I gave Connor and Sin a smile. I stepped forward to give Jeff an unexpected hug. "Thank you," I whispered to him hoarsely.
"You're welcome," he said when I pulled back.
I felt the heat of Slater's gaze as Matthew guided me out of the ward.