CHAPTER 40 - HOME
There was a time when everything was perfect between Ryan and me. But it's gone now. Like most things, perfect doesn't last. Those times were times that I wished I could go back to and make amends. Maybe I should have shot the kid instead, followed Skylars plan and been on my way. But then, I wouldn't have met Adam again. Or did I meet him before? After all, he is my father's bodyguard. Either way, he's here now- he's back from the hell I sent him to. It's all my fault that happened. I'll make it up to him somehow.
"Let's go before they attack." I said before running my hand through my brown hair, "we've been through a lot."
We stood at the shelter that Ryan showed us. If we spend too long here, Ryan will send his men here to finish the job. I glanced at Eagle talking to one of the gang members before giving him a high five. How can he remain so happy or at least optimistic? My thoughts were interrupted when Tracy hugged me tightly as she shivered slightly. It's getting colder now. I exhaled the cold air out of my lungs as I felt blood trickle down my leg.
"Good idea." Tracy muttered, looking at Adam with pity as she raised her eyebrows and sighed.
Eagle walked towards us as Tracy let me go and rubbed her tracksuit clean. As soon as she did that, her hands were stained with my blood. Her face shot up to look at me dead in the eyes with a piercing stare. A mixture of fury, anger and shock.
"Here, we sent one of our mates to get us this." Eagle muttered as he pointed at the balck and red SUV with a small grin, "you guys go and we'll meet you there."
We looked at each other as I Tracy pulled me away as I tried to grab the keys from Eagles hand. She took it out of his hand and headed for the drivers seat.
"You. Backseat now. Eagle, lead our men to safety." Tracy said as she opened the door for me in the front seat.
Eagle helped us get Adam into the car, making him lie down in the backseat with a medic who joined them shortly. He joined us with his backpack as he sat in the back seat to help Adam out. I looked at the backseat and sighed, Adam was already sound asleep. Already out of it.
"We'll meet you there- at home." I said before smiling as Tracy pulled up the windows and drove off, watching everyone else fade off into the distance.
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Tracy remained focused on the road and never spoke to me in the car as Adam was asleep. I thought of Georgie's reaction to seeing us again and if she would be happy to see us like this. I kept my promise. We're back- in one piece.
"Can we just talk about how that didn't go to plan- like at all?." Eagle muttered as he looked at Adam with a small grin before falling dramatically onto the sofa, "Well, I'm beat. Glad you're back with us. Georgie is at the waterfall, reading on her own for the first time."
Adam didn't answer as he rubbed his knuckles before leaning against the wall to go to my bed. I helped him get into my bed as I sighed. No schooling was available in this town, like most towns down here. Some towns offered it, Grant explained how there wasn't enough fundings even with the transactions he made with my mother to sell his beer.
After all, there's hundreds of thousands of kids like Georgie. I was lucky. And Georgie isn't. When this is all over, she'll get an education- she'll get everything that she missed out on. Won't she? What if I was stupid enough to leave her here on her own? That could never happen... I loved her. It was scary. I was afraid to give her hope for something I was never prepared to do. I couldn't raise my own children. But maybe, maybe- Georgie could be an exception.
I snapped out of my thoughts when Adam coughed as he tapped against the bed frame, looking at me as I stood in my room awkwardly. Just standing there.
"Medics will be here soon. For now, I'll help where I can." I muttered under my breath as I pulled off his bandages and poured disinfectant onto the clothes that I never wore. He looked at me before raising his eyebrows as he cursed in pain when I carefully dabbed it on his skin.
Like Ryan said, they only roughed him up a 'bit' according to his standards. Was it really necessary to burn his face and give him a tattoo? There was no need and they're still out there. What if they attack us again? What if everything goes worse than it already is? Adam was on the verge of dying but what happens when someone does die? I will never be able to live with myself. I should've stayed at home. But now, coming out here with everyone has made me realise how nowhere is safe. Not even home.
We left my room door wide open if Adam needed anything. He fell asleep again as I put a cold patch on his head using the water from the water collector. These days, everything has become more chilly.
I sat down on the end of the bed, leaving Adam with enough space to lie down as I winced in pain. That woman or was it Ryan? Either way, they did some real damage here. I held onto my waist as I felt some blood seep through my white shirt.
Trying to distract myself from the pain, I looked outside. Winter was approaching as the leaves fell from the trees and the grass around us were dying, making this building more visible from the bar. If it snows, the building will blend right back in as if it were never there in the first place. Nobody wants anything to do with this town anymore. It's all dead. Everything but us.
Does Hoyt and Ryan know that? Probably.
This isn't the way I imagined any of this to go. Coming from prosperity, wealth and power...with medical care to this. The complete opposite. And who could I blame? The one and only. My mother. Who did all of this because of her fear- her fear of losing something or someone again. Now, she makes everyone lose things without realising. Only sheiling herself. Throwing me to the wolves with no remorse. Pretending to care where I went. What is she doing with Julie? And what did she do to everyone else? Julie's diary will have all of those answers, won't they? I hope so.
The medical team walked in the room and pulled a face of disgust when they saw Adams' burnt face as one of them pulled up their sleeves and the other put all their supplies on the floor after taking it out of their backpack.
"They're here." Eagle said as he leaned against the doorframe and smiled at me.
"Time to get you two patched up." Tracy muttered before folding her arms.