TOBY
Turns out, the gash on my thigh is pretty serious. Mostly because it had been there so long now that it had damn near fused to my trousers.
I hiss behind my clenched teeth as Aaron does something that hurts more than getting shot in the damn chest.
“Stop being such a guy and accept the local, you hard-headed douchecanoe,” Stella snaps at me, making Aaron snort a laugh.
“It’s fine. I just want it done.”
Stella’s hand squeezes mine. “I know what you’re doing,” she warns quietly.
“Do you?” I grunt as Aaron stabs me, starting to put me back together.
“You’re forcing yourself to feel every ounce of pain as punishment for all of this shit with Jodie.”
Despite the fact that she hits the nail right on its head, the next words that come out of my mouth don’t confirm her suspicions.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Her brow quirks as she glares at me, but if she thinks it’s going to make any difference, she needs to think again.
Jodie is… somewhere here, possibly fighting for her life. And Sara, the woman my girl wanted me to save is… well…
My teeth grind as the pain continues and I focus on my breathing, on getting back to Jodie as Aaron works his magic.
“You’re all just a bunch of sadists really, aren’t you?” Stella huffs in annoyance, continuing to watch me suffer.
“You’re only just learning this, Princess?”
Her lips purse as an angry growl rumbles deep in her throat.
* * *
We hear the guys’ arrival before we see them.
A loud ruckus comes from somewhere beyond the curtain and Stella jumps up from the chair.
“They’re here,” she breathes, her hand trembling in her lap.
The curtain is thrown back before Theo’s cold, hard mask of a face appears before us. Nico and Seb flank him as they storm inside my cubicle.
“Excuse me, but you can’t just storm in here and—”
“Seb,” Stella breathes, cutting Aaron off and practically launching herself across the room and jumping into his arms.
“Hey, Princess. Miss me?” he asks.
My heart clenches painfully as I watch the two of them.
Seb’s covered in dirt and blood—I’m hoping other people’s—but none of that seems to bother my sister as she slams her lips down on Seb’s.
“Where are Alex and Daemon?” I ask when they don’t appear with the three of them.
Nico rolls his eyes. “Alex got clipped by a bullet. Daemon’s taken him to clean him up and stop him crying like a little bitch. How are you doing?” he asks, his eyes dropping to the stitched-up wounds on my arm and thigh as I sit here in just my boxers.
“I’ll be fine when someone tells me where the fuck Jodie is.”
“Still not heard anything?” Theo asks, although from my previous comment you’d think the answer was obvious.