by Becca Steele
FIVE
I blinked my eyes open, wincing at the bright light.
Everything hurt.
I slipped back into the darkness.
“Water.” I croaked the word, my voice hoarse and cracked from disuse. I squinted, the room slowly coming into focus.
“Winter.” Kinslee leaned into me, her amber eyes full of concern.
“Hi,” I whispered.
She stared at me, relief clear in her gaze. “How are you feeling?” She handed me a paper cup brimming with cool liquid, and I eagerly gulped it down, letting it soothe my parched throat.
“Okay. I think.” I continued to whisper, still weak and in pain. Fuck, my head hurt, so much.
My eyes were drawn to a chair in the corner of the room, a familiar presence dominating the space, despite him being asleep.
“He’s been here almost the whole time. Ever since I called him. The others brought him a change of clothes and whatever, but he’s barely left your side, except when he’s been forced to.”
My stomach flipped. He’d stayed with me?
“All of the Four have been here, on and off.” Kinslee’s eyes sparkled. “Your room is incredibly popular with the nurses.”
“I can’t imagine why,” I managed to husk out.
I groaned, the pain overtaking me again, spots dancing in front of my eyes. The blackness pulled me under.
The next time I woke up, I felt almost normal, other than the pounding pain in my skull and a throbbing in my cheek. The first thing I saw was Caiden. His head rested on my bed, his thick, raven hair close to my fingertips. I stretched out my hand, running it through the soft strands. Was I dreaming?
His head shot up from the bed.
“Snowflake?”
“Yes.” I breathed out the word, attempting to pull him closer to me, with whatever amount of strength I had left.
“Fuck.” His voice cracked, and he gathered me in his arms, so carefully it made me catch my breath. What was going on?
I was surrounded by him. All powerful male, his presence strong and reassuring. He kissed my head softly, his arms tightening around me.
What?
This wasn’t Caiden. He didn’t act like this.
I must be dreaming.
I let oblivion overtake me.
“So, how long have you worked here?”
I awoke, completely conscious, my mind more or less clear. Kinslee was seated on a plastic chair next to me, her eyes on a good-looking male nurse who was checking the clear bag that was connected to my arm by a long tube.
“Morning,” I croaked, and both their heads snapped round to me. I smirked at the identical expressions of shock on their faces.
“You’re awake. I’ll get the doctor,” the nurse mumbled, rushing out of the room.
“Kins? What’s going on?”
“You had an…accident. Don’t tell the doctors anything,” she hissed urgently. “We’ll get to the bottom of this afterwards, okay?”
“Yep.” I agreed, my senses on high alert. As high as they could be, anyway, after dragging myself out of unconsciousness. “Is there any water? My throat hurts.”
Kinslee stood. “Yeah, there’s a dispenser just outside. I’ll get you some.” As she disappeared out of the room, I noticed Weston huddled in a chair in the corner, asleep. A memory flashed through my mind—Caiden asleep in that same chair. Then…Caiden next to my bed, pulling me into his arms. Did I dream that, or did it really happen?
As if that thought had unlocked something in my mind, memory after memory came flooding back to me. Being knocked out. The cold, dark basement. My captor.
My breath caught in my throat.
I gasped. My heart rate kicked up, sending the monitor I was attached to crazy, and a nurse came rushing in. I made an effort to slow my heart rate, breathing deeply in and out, silently counting from one to ten and blocking everything else from my mind. The nurse checked my blood pressure and monitored my heart rate on the machine for a few minutes before leaving, satisfied that I was okay. Kinslee, who had appeared back in the room during my panic episode, handed me a plastic cup of water, and I drank it gratefully.
I stayed mostly silent as various doctors and nurses came in and out of the room throughout the day, running checks, asking me questions I had no answer for. Throughout it all, one of the Four was always with me, a constant, silent presence that the medical staff were unable to persuade to leave.
Eventually they agreed to let me go after a night of observation—I was okay, medically, and as a legal adult, they couldn’t keep me there any longer. Since I’d had a mild concussion, apparently, I was lectured on self-care and given a list of all the fun things I shouldn’t do in the near future—including skiing, skydiving and riding a motorbike (sorry, Zayde). Not that any of the things they mentioned to me were likely to happen, especially not now, when I had way more important priorities to worry about.
The next day, as Kinslee led me to the car where Cassius was waiting, she told me I’d been out of it for five days.
Five days.
My mind whirling, I walked next to Kinslee, almost on autopilot, her hand a gentle but firm grip on my arm. The crisp, fresh air on my face was welcome after all the time I’d spent cooped up inside.
We reached the car park, and my eyes were drawn straight to the hulking, matte-black SUV where a tall, gorgeous man with dirty-blond hair waited, casually leaning against the car door, twirling his keys around on his finger. As we approached him, a smile appeared on his face, but worry was clear in his gaze as he watched me.
Cassius.
As happy as I was to see him, and I was happy, I wished more than anything that waiting alongside him had been a certain raven-haired, brooding man with stormy eyes.
We reached the car, and Cassius moved from where he leaned against the door to draw me into a hug. “How you doing?” he murmured into my ear.
“I’m alright. Thanks, Cass.”
His voice dropped even further. “You gave us all a scare. Cade, more than anyone.”
“Sorry,” I whispered, twisting my head to look at him and giving him a wry smile. “I couldn’t really help it.”
“Don’t be sorry. Just…don’t do anything that reckless again, okay?”
“I’ll try not to.”
He tutted, shaking his head at me, and opened the passenger door. “Let’s get you home.”
I felt like an invalid as Cassius and Kinslee fussed around me, settling me into the passenger seat. Kinslee reached across me and snapped my seat belt into place, before hopping into the back of the car.
As Cassius started the engine, I pulled down the sun visor to see just how bad I looked.
Yeah. I shouldn’t have bothered looking. I groaned as I took in the greenish-yellow bruising mottling my cheek, dark against my pale skin. Stretching my neck gingerly, I examined my throat, noting that the cut was almost completely healed, just the faintest line remaining.
I twisted in my seat, meeting Kinslee’s eyes. “What happened to me?”
Silence reigned.
“Kinslee Stewart, you’d better start talking, right now.”
I wasn’t expecting her laugh, low and bitter.
“Oh, like you told me what was going on with you? Like you just decided to keep your bestie in the dark? You couldn’t fucking trust me, huh?”
Shit.
“Kins,” Cass warned in a low tone, meeting her eyes in the rear-view mirror and giving a small shake of his head.
I stared at her, trying to gauge her mood. Pissed off, and hurt, if I had to guess. Did I take a risk and trust her?
I took a leap of faith.
“When we get back to the house, I’ll tell you everything.”
We pulled up to the Four’s house, and I gingerly stepped from the car, rubbing at my head as the ache intensified.
Silently, I followed Cassius up to the front door, Kinslee gripping my arm once again. As we entered the wide hallway, a blast of heat hit me, welcome after
the chill outside. Kinslee placed my bag just inside the door, and I stood with her for a moment, tension I hadn’t realised I was holding seeping out of me. I felt safe here. I was safe.
“We’ll be in the kitchen,” Kinslee muttered, her eyes flicking to the stairs. Then she tugged on Cassius’ arm, giving him a pointed look, and they disappeared off down the hallway.
I turned to look, the pounding in my head forgotten as I saw him.
Standing partway up the staircase, a black T-shirt stretched across his torso, faded, ripped jeans low on his hips, he stared at me silently, his gaze impenetrable. I tracked his movements as he descended the stairs, coming closer and closer until he was standing right in front of me.
I stared into his stormy eyes, noticing the dark circles, the way his hair was all tousled like he’d been pulling at it, the stubble darkening his jaw.
“Cade,” I whispered hoarsely, and my whole body started trembling, tears filling my eyes and spilling down my cheeks as I broke apart in front of him.
He closed his eyes briefly, scrubbing a hand across his face, before his gaze met mine again. “Snowflake.” His voice was just as hoarse as mine as he reached down and took my hand, gently tugging me towards the stairs.
I just wanted him to hold me. To tell me everything would be okay. I could barely see through the haze of tears as I stumbled up the stairs, one hand encased by his, and the other gripping the banister, letting it take my weight.
We ended up in his room, and he sat on the bed. “Come here,” he commanded, and I was finally, finally in his arms. He cradled my body, breathing into my hair, as I hugged him tightly and let his solid presence soothe me until I was finally calm.
Drawing back, I looked at him, and he finally let his mask drop. His eyes swirled with a mix of worry, hurt, and relief, but I could see the anger simmering just under the surface. With a rush, the whole situation with James came back to me, and I gasped, needing to explain, needing to know if we were okay.
“Caiden—”
He cut me off with a forceful kiss.
I opened my mouth for him, kissing him back just as aggressively, manoeuvring myself without breaking the kiss so I was straddling him, running my hands over the hard planes of his muscles and up to the back of his neck. He groaned into my mouth, his hands sliding up to tangle in my hair as he took my breath away.
I winced, and he immediately pulled back, both of us breathing heavily, our eyes locked.
“What’s wrong?”
“My head. It started hurting again.”
“Shit. I’m sorry, I didn’t think.” He brushed my hair back from my face, his gaze full of concern.
“It’s not your fault. I wanted to kiss you.”
Lifting his hand, he traced the pad of his fingers carefully across the bruise on my cheek, his eyes darkening. “I want to kill whoever did this to you.”
My stomach flipped. “I’m okay. It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay.”
I didn’t know who I was trying to reassure more—him, or myself.
He lowered his hand and carefully moved me so I was sitting sideways on top of him. “What do you want to do? Do you want to rest? To talk to the others?”
The pain in my head intensified. “Rest, please.” I clambered off him, crawling up the bed until I collapsed with my head on his pillow. “Will you stay with me?” My eyes were already closed.
I felt him move, and then his body was next to mine, his arm draped across me.
“I’m not going anywhere.” He kissed my forehead, pulling me closer. “We need to talk when you’re up to it.” His voice was soft, but I could hear the intent and meaning in his tone.
I sighed. “I know.”
Sleep pulled me under.
SIX
When I woke, the sun was high in the sky, streaming through the window. I turned my head to see Caiden sitting up against the headboard, engrossed in whatever he was doing on his phone.
“Hi.”
His head shot up and he met my gaze, his lips tipping up into a small smile. “Feeling better?”
“I think so.” The pain had dulled to a low ache, nothing that couldn’t be fixed by the painkillers the hospital pharmacy had provided me with when I’d been discharged.
Pulling myself into a seated position, I turned to face him. “Look, I know we have things to discuss. I also need someone to fill in the blanks for me—how I ended up in hospital, and…” My voice trailed off at the sound of pounding footsteps, and suddenly the door was thrown open and Weston was barrelling towards me, pulling me up and off the bed and into his arms.
“Winter,” he ground out thickly, holding me so tightly I was in danger of asphyxiation. He rained kisses down on my head, and I smiled against his chest even as I struggled to get air into my lungs.
“West,” I mumbled, tapping on his back, and he drew back from me, his teal-blue eyes full of emotion, meeting mine. “Thanks. I couldn’t breathe.” I smiled to let him know I was joking, and he returned my smile.
“Are you okay? How’s your head? Your bruise looks loads better today.”
Better? How bad did it look before? “I’m fine,” I reassured him. “Nothing that a couple of painkillers won’t sort out.”
“Good.” Giving me a final squeeze, he released me, and Caiden stood, sliding his arm around my waist.
“You wanna talk to everyone at the same time so we only have to go through this once?”
I nodded. “Sounds good to me. I’m dying for a shower first, though. My hair is gross.”
“We’ll wait here, in case you need anything. Keep the door unlocked,” Caiden told me, walking me over to the bathroom door as if I couldn’t walk there myself. “Or I can come in and help?”
I laughed. “I’m fine. I’ll be quick.”
Feeling much fresher after my shower, my hair finally clean again, I rejoined Caiden and Weston in the bedroom, and together, the three of us made our way downstairs into the kitchen, where Kinslee, Zayde, and Cassius waited.
Weston crossed to the table, and Caiden sauntered over to the fridge, pulling out a can of Coke. He turned to me, raising a questioning brow, and I nodded, and he reached in to grab another can for me.
Kinslee flashed me a quick smile from her seat at the table, and Cassius moved from where he leaned against the large black marble island, to draw me into a hug. “Good to see you up and about.”
“Thanks. For the lift from the hospital, too.”
“That’s what friends are for, babe.” He kissed the top of my head, then let me go, crossing over to the kitchen table, where he sank into a chair next to Weston.
Zayde remained where he was, next to the island, his sharp gaze assessing me. I bit my lip, uncomfortable with his stare, but forced myself to hold his gaze. After the longest thirty seconds of my life, our silent stare-off ended as I blinked, and a smirk played across his full lips. “Good to see you in one piece.” He stepped towards me and leaned down to kiss my non-bruised cheek, his stubble grazing my skin.
I gaped at him, and then my attention was diverted by a glint of silver. “You got another piercing?” I was positive I hadn’t seen the small stud in the… “What’s that bit of your ear called?”
“Helix.” He stared at me for a moment, then leaned closer, his voice low, the words sounding like they’d been dragged out of him. “I had to do something.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, mystified, but he’d already drawn away, striding quickly around the table as if he had to put as much distance between us as possible. Shaking my head, I chalked it up to another one of the many things I didn’t understand about him and made my way to join the others. I sank down into a chair next to Caiden, and he handed me my can of Coke. Opening it, I took a large swig, savouring the cool, sweet fizz as it slid down my throat, then placing the can back on the table, I looked around at the Four and Kinslee.
I needed to know what had happened to me. The last thing I remembered before waking up in hospital was being pull
ed back as I tried to escape. I chewed my lip, my heart racing as everything came flooding back to me once more—the darkness, the fear, and the sudden rush of pain before I became completely numb.
Gripping the sides of my chair, the smooth, solid wood under my fingers bringing me back to the present, I slowed my breathing, doing my trick of counting to ten silently. Once I’d gathered myself and was sure my voice would remain steady, I spoke. “Who wants to be the first to fill me in?”
Kinslee took a deep breath. “I guess I’ll start, since I got to you first. Not that I know much”—she glared at Caiden before returning her gaze to mine—“since no one would tell me anything. I had a phone call telling me that you’d had an accident, and to come straight to the hospital. I panicked—you’d told me you were going to see the Four, and I thought…” Her voice trailed off as she swallowed hard, visibly trying to compose herself.
“Hey, it’s okay.” I reached out and grabbed her hand. “Who called you?”
“The hospital.”
“So, how did I get there?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. All the hospital would tell me was that you’d been ‘dropped off’—they didn’t know who had brought you there.”
I stared at her, my brow furrowed. “How come they called you, anyway?”
“Your student ID card. I guess they got hold of the university, and I’m listed as your emergency contact.” Leaning closer to me, she lowered her voice a little. “You scared me, with the way you looked. I didn’t know what to do, so I phoned Weston. Then the next thing I know, three of them are at the hospital with me, taking over. They wouldn’t leave you, especially with no one knowing what had happened, if there was still a threat. We couldn’t risk your safety. I stayed with you, too, as much as I could.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, squeezing her hand. Why hadn’t I confided in her sooner? “I owe you an explanation, and maybe I’d better do it before the boys give me their part of the story.” I glanced over at Caiden, and he nodded, once.