“Where do you want her?” Gunner calls out, rushing into the house with an unconscious Elli draped across his arms. A crying Sarah enters behind them.
“In the bedroom,” Gavin commands, pointing to the hallway. I hurry in front of him to lead the way for Gunner where Gavin is already set up for her.
Gunner places her on the bed and her head rolls to the side. I don’t miss the fact that she’s still dressed in her jeans and a T-shirt. Which makes me think that whatever Holland planned on doing with her wasn’t sexual. He didn’t want to fuck my little demon, he wanted to kill her.
“Elli?” I demand, grabbing her face. It’s clammy and cold, her skin is pale, lips blue. “Elli?” I shout her name, shaking her, but nothing. No response at all. It makes my chest tighten.
“What did she take?” Gavin asks, running his knuckles up and down her chest bone, but still nothing. She moves like a rag doll with his harsh movements—lifeless.
Gunner holds on to a sobbing Sarah who stares down at Elli. “I don’t know. I found her that way.”
Gavin looks at me and then to Chance who has followed as well. “What does she normally take?”
Running a hand through my hair, I say, “Uh, ecstasy, cocaine…” I try and think of everything I burned and have seen her have in the past. “She had some benzos.” Chance doesn’t know. He’s not around her enough so he stays silent.
“Fentanyl?” Gavin questions. “Opioids?” He lifts her eyelids and I get a look at her beautiful ice-blue eyes; the pupils are constricted.
“No.” I shake my head. “She wouldn’t—”
“Tyson, hand me the Narcan that’s in my bag,” he interrupts me, not believing my answer.
Tyson rips open the package and hands the nose spray to Gavin. I hold her clammy hand while he tilts her head back. Placing it into her left nostril, he pushes the plunger into her nose.
“Help me turn her over,” he orders, stepping back from the bed.
I grab her shoulder, rolling her toward me.
“Place her hands under her head.” I do as I’m told. “Tyson, bend her left knee, making it to where she can’t roll onto her stomach.”
We get her into position, and I kneel down next to the bed, staring into her eyes. They’re somewhat open, seeing nothing. The makeup she went out wearing tonight is smeared across her gorgeous face. Had she been crying? Did she try and call me? She needed me and I wasn’t there for her.
“Now what?” I ask Gavin, licking my lips nervously.
“We give it a couple of minutes. If it doesn’t seem to work, I’ve got another one.”
“You need to leave,” Tyson grabs my arm, pulling me to stand.
“What? No.” My eyes are on Elli and I see she blinks, starting to come to, and I let out a sigh of relief. “Elli—”
“Yes, Sin,” Tyson growls at me. “Chance is here. That’s who she needs.”
“No!” I snap, watching her eyes look around aimlessly. Gavin starts to talk to her, and I watch her begin to cry.Is he fucking serious?
Tyson shoves me through the bedroom door. Gunner exits with a sobbing Sarah, and he closes it behind them, shutting her in there with Gavin and Chance. “You’ve come this far. Don’t ruin it. Chance is who she needs to be with right now. Not you.” Then he turns and enters the bedroom, closing me out once more.
ELLINGTON
I WAKE ONCEagain, flinching at the bright light above me. I’ve had a hard time staying awake. My eyes so heavy, my mind too foggy. Rolling onto my side, I start to shake, my body cold.
“Here.” I hear a man’s voice before a blanket is draped over me.
Lifting my heavy eyes, I see Tyson stepping back, which gives me a view of the guy standing over by a wall. I groan when I see his green eyes already on mine.
“Where am I?” I ask, ignoring him and scanning the room.
“Home.” Tyson is the one who answers.
How did I get here? Pushing myself up to a sitting position, the room spins and I bow my head, my hand applying pressure to my temple. “What…” My tongue is heavy, my throat raw. “Happened?” I feel high, but off. Everything aches.