“Venus ward. Third floor. I’ll meet you.”
“Don’t leave her,” I plead.
“No fucking chance of that, bro. But the doc has kicked me out so they can assess her again.”
“Shit. Is she…”
“Unconscious.” That one word is like a knife to the heart.
My legs take the stairs faster, I diverted away from the elevators when I saw none of them were on my floor.
I blow through the door to the third floor, and despite the fact that neither of us has said anything, I keep my cell connected to my ear.
I follow the signs that hang from the ceiling, and the second I turn the corner, I find Styx standing at the main doors for Venus ward. His expression is wrecked, and if I didn’t know he was waiting for me, I wouldn’t think he'd even seen me.
“Bro,” I breathe, stepping right up to him and wrapping my arms around him. “She’s gonna be okay,” I promise, although I have no clue if that’s complete bullshit, and until he starts talking, I’ve got to believe it. Any other outcome isn’t an option.
“Fuck, Ry. I’ve never been so fucking terrified,” he confesses, pulling away from me.
“Talk to me, Styx,” I say as he leads me into the ward.
A doctor and two nurses emerge from a room a little ahead of us and Styx's movements pick up speed.
“Doc, is everything okay?”
The nurses both slip away as the doctor focuses on my best friend.
“Her vitals are still looking good. She just needs time. I have every confidence that she’ll make a full recovery.”
“Holy fuck,” Styx breathes, my body sagging in relief right alongside his.
“Can we…” I gesture toward the room, more than desperate to see our girl.
“I guess you’re her brother too,” the doctor quips.
“Yep, so close we’re almost twins,” I deadpan, turning my back on the doctor and slipping into the room.
“Fucking hell, darlin’,” I whisper when I find her lying in a hospital bed, dressed in a shitty gown and covered in scratchy horrible sheets.
My eyes race over every exposed inch of her, my heart twisting up inside my chest when I find a white bandage down the side of her face, dried blood on her skin.
Unable to stop myself, I lightly brush my fingers over her dressing, wishing my touch alone was powerful enough to put her back together again.
Leaning over, I drop a kiss on her brow. “I’m here, Kitten. I’m right here.”
Perching on the edge of her bed, I take her hand in both of mine and keep my eyes locked on her as if I’m afraid that she might disappear should I look away.
I sense the moment that Styx joins us and his eyes land on me with his girl. Or at least in his opinion.
“Someone broke into my house while she was waiting for me to get home from the club,” he explains. “I found her almost unconscious and bound to a chair.”
“Jesus fuck, Styx. W-who would do that to her?”
Silence greets me as his heavy footsteps get closer. He pulls a chair over and drops down, his eyes locked on Kat. His shoulders are pulled tight with tension and he’s got dark circles beneath his tired, stressed eyes.
Regret oozes from him before he falls back into his chair and buries his face in his hands.
“I fucked up,” he confesses quietly.