“Don’t move,” I say, glaring hard. The images just need to stop swimming. Why is it so hard to stand? Did I move too fast?
“Adalyn, relax, it’s just us,” someone answers, but the voice sounds dimmed under the rushing of my blood. I’m surprised I even have blood left to circulate my body.
“Come closer and I’ll take you out.” I hold my weapon in front of me, gripping it hard enough to hurt my palm.
Someone snickers.
I wobble.
The floor has never looked so comfortable before.
18
~Jackson’s POV~
My heart thuds hard against my chest as I stare at Adalyn. In person. Right in fucking front of me. She’s barely standing, swaying dangerously from side to side as she holds up… something. I’m not sure what it is. Her face is pallid, eyes dull, and sweat drips down her skin.
“Adalyn,” Colton says, using the voice he uses on me when I’m ready to tear someone apart. “It’s us. Colton, Eli, Jackson, and DJ. We’re here now. Let us help you.”
She shakes herself, and I wince. Bad move. She wobbles even more and stumbles back, looking like a drunk. My fingers curl into fists, itching to reach out and grab her. She won’t last much longer and I’m not up to waiting for her to crash and hit her head. She has enough damage done to her body, she doesn’t need to add a concussion to that too.
“Fuck it,” I say and move forward. Eli moves with me, and we surrounded her. Her head whips back and forth, the brown strands of her hair dark with dried blood. When she focuses on me, Eli uses his lightning-fast reflexes and grabs her forearm, taking her weapon from her. She’s so weak she doesn’t even put up a fight.
When her focus tries to move onto him, I make my move, grabbing her and pulling her into my chest.
“I got you,” I whisper. “I got you.”
As if I said the magic words, she falls into my chest and I hold her closer while carefully lowering her to the floor. “I’m going to check the wound. Eli, run fast and get the SUV. We need to get her out of here. Colton, DJ, I need supplies.”
I carefully put Adalyn’s head down on the ground as I stretch her body out so I can see what’s going on. I couldn’t help her in the dream realm, but this is the real world. I’m fucking saving her. I have never been so grateful for the knowledge I have of people’s bodies and how they respond to injuries more than I am right now. Never in my life did I think there’d be a day to feel relieved to know exactly what a gunshot wound can do to the body. I take off my shirt, still wearing an undershirt underneath. I roll it up and put it under her head. Then I do a quick scan.
She has some bruises and scrapes, but the biggest wound is the gunshot. She had taken the bandage off, probably to take a look at it.
Shit. I check her pulse, noting the increased tempo. Her skin is clammy, lips blue. Dark lines spread out from the wound.
“It’s infected,” I say as DJ comes back into the room with a box of bandages. Perfect. “Are any drugs still here? We need antibiotics, and I need to clean this wound. I need water. She also needs stitches so I need a needle and thread.”
“Adalyn,” I say softly, trying to get her attention. She moans, but her eyes flutter open.
“You’re Jackson,” she whispers.
I nod. “I am. Do you have any allergies?” I ask as the others move around the clinic.
“No.”
“I’m going to fix you up, okay?” I say.
“Yes.”
“Good. Now be a good patient and stay still.”
Colton comes back with everything I need. I don’t wait and get to work cleaning the wound. I decide against stitching it up for now since it’s infected. I don’t want to trap the bacteria in there. Instead, I use warm water to clean it out and then put another bandage over it as it starts to bleed again.
Bottles are placed next to me as DJ crouches down. “There was a locked cabinet that hadn’t been cleared out yet. They had a bunch of different pills. I’m not sure what is what.”
“Read names to me.”
He does as I work.
“Ciprofloxacin?”
“No, there has to be better. What else?”
“Doxycycline.”
“No, what else?”
“Cephalexin.”
“Perfect, get me a glass of water.”
DJ gets up and slips by Colton as he comes into the room with more supplies.
“How is she?”
“Not good. We need to get her out of here and get proper supplies to care for her. The wound is infected and we need to get her temperature down. If we get her to a safe house, I can set up an IV. I always make sure the supplies are there and up to date.”
“Eli will be here shortly.”
Once DJ gets here, we manage to get her to swallow the pills. Then I start to get her ready for transport.
While I wrap up the wound, DJ snorts, before chuckling.
“What’s so fucking funny?” I ask.
He tries to wipe the smile away and fails miserably. “Sorry. It’s just…” He holds up what Adalyn was threatening us with.
“What is that?” Colton asks.
“A bedpan. She was going to try to take us out with a bedpan.” He chuckles again.
I stare down at the woman. Thank fuck it’s us who found her.
Eli is back and we work together to move her carefully and then secure her in the back seat. I sit with her, her head in my lap and her feet on DJ’s. Colton drives while Eli makes sure those bastards aren’t on our tail.
“It’s going to be a long drive. Should we stop somewhere, get more supplies for her?” Colton asks.
“Yes, but get out of the city first. I want to be as far away as possible. What we have now will be fine, but I’ll need more bandages and water. I’m worried about her hydration levels and we need to get this fever down. It’s too high.”
“Okay.”
While Colton works on getting us away, I stare down at Adalyn, the city lights giving me a clear view of her face. She has a normal face, and with her unconscious, she doesn’t leave an impression. Yet I can’t look away. I know what her face looks like when she’s awake and animated. Even now I can see signs of it. Her personality, her determination, and stubbornness, it pulls me in.
I run my thumb along the side of her face, wishing I can see that beautiful clash of blue and grey in her eyes. Her eyelashes are long, and brows dramatic, arching perfectly over her eyes. Even her lips are adorable, bow-shaped, just pouty enough to kiss.
The need to lean over and kiss her surges through me, and I clamp down on it. I’ve never felt strong emotions like this before, not for any woman. They’ve always just been a passing experience, never anything more. But when I look down at Adalyn, it feels like she’s a piece of me. I won’t be able to let her go.
The drive is long and we have no choice but listen to Adalyn’s haggard breaths. I keep a close eye on her would. At one point we stop, and I switch with Colton so he can hold her while I run inside the pharmacy to get everything I need for the rest of the trip.
It takes us over ten hours to get to the Great Smoky Mountains and to our hidden cabin there. The entire drive is a nightmare as Adalyn gets worse. The antibiotics are either not working or barely with how severe the wound is
“What can be causing this?” Colton asks as we carry her into the cabin. “She’s worse.”
“The drive and stress can’t be helping,” I say. “She might not have gotten all the fragments out and it’s causing complications. Now that we’re here, I can sedate her and get in there, check to make sure there isn’t internal damage. It’s a miracle she’s come this far.”
“She’s strong,” Eli whispers, staring at her with that hyper-focused look he gets when his gift is overwhelming him.
“DJ,” Colton calls out.
“On it.” DJ wraps his arm around Eli and pushes him toward the basement. Most of our safe houses across the country have a safe room built for Eli. It cuts him off
from everything and he’s able to relax and rest.
“He’s straining hard,” I say.
“I know.” Colton stares at the door the two of them disappeared through. “Once we get her settled, I’ll go down and check on him. Make sure it isn’t severe.”
“There should be a kit in the room, it’s a small green bag. Some of the medicine is in there.”
Colton nods. I hold back a frown, thinking about what it will mean for Eli if he is straining too hard. The last time he did that was when we escaped the compound. He lost the ability to see and hear because he pushed himself too hard.
“Do you think she’s straining too?” I ask, looking down at Adalyn. “It could explain why she’s getting worse.”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what happens to her if she strains. It’s a mental ability. Her brain could just shut off, maybe.”
“A coma?” That sends panic through me.
“I don’t know,” Colton admits as he gets her shoes off. We work together to get the other clothes off and then use one of my shirts to cover her since it’s the biggest and will cover more.
“I got this. Go check on Eli and make sure he takes some medicine. Bring some up here and we’ll give it to her just in case. It won’t hurt her if she’s not straining.”
“Okay.”
Colton disappears out the door, leaving me with Adalyn. I get an IV in and a sedative to keep her under. She doesn’t need to wake while I fix her up.
Fuck. I really never thought I’d appreciate my past as much as I do right now. Because of those haunting memories, I’m able to help her.
19
The moment I wake up and realize I’m not where I’m supposed to be, despair washes over me. Holsen has me. That’s the only reason I can think of being in a nice room. Heavy footsteps creak as someone moves around in another room. Water is running and there are low muted voices.
After taking a quick stock, noting that I’m not tied down, I sit up slowly. A water sits next to me on the nightstand, and I take a drink, not even realizing how thirsty I am. An IV is in my arm, and I’m tempted to just yank it out and climb out the window, but I need to play this smart and figure out what is really going on.
My face scrunches up as I look down at the oversized black shirt hanging over my frame. I don’t have much else on. When I push the blankets away and check, I find I’m wearing someone’s boxers. At least it’s something. Pushing away the thought that they had changed me, I place my hand over my side, trying to remember what happened. I was shot, which explains the bandage I can feel through the soft fabric and the dull pain. I broke into a clinic, hoping to find supplies to help. I think the wound got infected.
Someone came in while I was in the clinic. I remember that and the fear that came with it. I grabbed something, hoping to be able to defend myself. Now that I think about it, that plan is laughable. I couldn’t even stand up. I don’t remember much else after that.
Bile rises in my throat, and I close my eyes. Holsen has me. Running for two years and it’s all for nothing. I’m so screwed.
The door opens, and I stiffen, expecting to see Holsen or Noah walk in. Instead, I gasp when Eli walks in with Jackson and DJ behind him. He’s carrying a tray and my nose picks up the scent of food as my mouth waters.
Eli and DJ’s expressions brighten when they notice I’m up.
“She lives,” DJ cheers, coming over and sitting at the end of the bed near my feet.
Eli places the tray down on the night table and sends me a smile. “I’m glad you’re up. You gave us a scare.”
My eyes meet Jackson’s, and I’m not able to read a single thought. He comes over, his eyes never leaving mine.
“How are you feeling?” he asks, and I shiver as the energy in the air shifts around. He’s so intense without even trying.
“What happened? Where am I?” I ask.
“We were able to track you to the clinic. You were barely standing when we found you,” Eli fills in.
DJ hops on the bed to get my attention. He’s grinning big. “You know you threatened us with a bedpan, right?”
“Really? I thought it was a pipe that would let me get in a good swing in.”
Jackson snorts. “You couldn’t even hold the damn thing. What would have happened if it was Noah who found you?”
“Then I guess I wouldn’t be here to be scolded by you.” I try to add playfulness into my tone, instead it comes out dry, because what he said was a very real possibility.
Jackson’s expression darkens more while Eli snickers and DJ breaks out into laughter.
“I’m so glad it was us,” DJ says once he calms down. Eli nods his agreement.
“Too close,” Jackson whispers. “Too fucking close. We almost didn’t make it in time. Do you know how close they got to you?”
I frown and look down at the bulky shirt I’m wearing. My hand goes to my side, where I can feel the bandage. “Close enough to shoot me,” I finally say and shiver.
“May I look at your wound?” Jackson asks in a softer voice. The gentleness in that one request softens his expression, and I blink as I take in the transformation. Realization dawns on me slowly. He’s grumpy because he cares, and I scared him.
“Are you the one who fixed me up?”
He nods but doesn’t expand. I did not expect him to be the one to do it. Maybe Colton or Eli, but not Jackson.
“Are you a healer?” I ask.
He snorts. “Far from it.” His hands squeezes at his sides. “Very far from it.”
When I give him a confused look, he just looks away, and I see it again. The guilt in him. He has so much of it whirling around inside. I want to ask why he has that look, but also know it’s not my place. Despite how comfortable I feel in their presence, I need to remember that I barely know them.
“Can I check your wound?” he asks.
I look down at the oversized shirt and feel my face heat. “I’m not wearing much.”
“Oh, right,” Eli says. “Your clothes were no good after we fixed up your wound and…” His cheeks turn red as he looks away from me. “You didn’t dress properly. You only had the shirt and pants on, so we gave you some clothes to borrow until we could get you something more fitting. I went down into town and got you some clothes. DJ gave me the sizes that should fit you.”
Not able to help myself, I smile, and my body shakes with unshed laughter. The tension in the air evaporates as Eli rambles on. He’s so cute when he’s embarrassed. Red creeps up along his neck and into his face as he refuses to meet my eyes.
I reach out slowly and rest my hand on his forearm. He stiffens and it takes a moment for his eyes to meet mine.
“Thank you,” I say honestly. “I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”
He clears his throat and nods. I withdraw my touch and his eyes follow the movement until my hand rests back in my lap.
“Would you like to change before Jackson takes a look?” DJ asks.
I nod.
“Do you need help? I don’t mind.” DJ’s expression says just as much as he tries to send me an innocent look. While that normally comes off as a sleazebag thing to do, coming from DJ, it’s cute and the fake innocent look definitely works for him. I have no doubt he’s had his fair share of women with that pretty face and the smooth, rich voice to go with it. “We wouldn’t want you to reopen your wound,” he adds, sensing I’m not falling for his trick.
I clear my throat before I laugh again. “That’s thoughtful, but I think I can handle it on my own. If I do need help, I’ll call out.”
Jackson sends DJ a glare before reaching to the floor and pulling up a small plastic bag with clothes inside. He rests it in my lap. “Just yell if you need help. I’ll come in.”
“I want to be the one to help her,” DJ says.
“No,” both Jackson and Eli say at the same time. Eli pushes DJ out of the room, glancing back at me with a small smile before going out the door. DJ is grumbling about something and Eli replies.
His touch is gentle as he carefully extracts the IV, pressing a piece of gauze to the insert site. There’s a little pain and tugging sensation as he pulls it out.
“Hold.”
I do as he says and press the gauze to my skin. Once he gets the IV equipment stored away, he comes back and puts a bandage on the site.
“There, easy.”
“Thank you.”
He nods and turns abruptly, walking out the door. I expect to hear his footsteps with him being so big, but he’s light on his feet. The door clicks softly once he’s outside.
After releasing a slow breath, I try not to think too hard. A smile curls on my mouth as relief pours through me.
Holsen doesn’t have me. The guys do. And they’re just as sympathetic as they have been since I met them. They were never trying to trap me or hurt me. They only want to help.
Too bad it kills them.
Changing proves harder than it should be as I move around. Every movement pulls at the wound. I’m definitely on pain killers by the slight fogginess in my mind and the fact that I should probably be writhing in pain right now. And Jackson mentioned an infection. They have drugs for that too. When he comes in, I’ll have to ask. I don’t like the idea of not knowing what is going through my system right now.
Finally finished, the exhaustion slips in.
“Jackson,” I call out, and a moment later the door opens. He comes in, and while I can hear the others, they give us privacy.
“Are you okay?” he asks, looking me over.
I look down at the outfit, glad they gave me something easy to wear. Eli had bought me a bra that clipped on the front to make it easier to clip on. It’s one size too small so my breasts threaten to spill over. He also gave me a button up shirt so I don’t have to move too much to wear it, and it’ll give Jackson access to the wound and I can still wear the shirt. He also bought me pajama bottoms that were easy to slip on with a stretchy waistband.
Fate Foretold (Gifted Anomalies Book 1) Page 13