Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 100608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
“It’s okay,” I murmur. “We’ll be at the hospital soon. Dante and Shelly will be there to meet us.”
As though relieved by my words, his eye closes again. The paramedic tries to keep him roused, but from the looks of it, he’s unconscious again. A quick look outside and I’m relieved to see we’re almost to Blue Shark Boulevard where Beacon Island Hospital is located.
Dante and Shelly are going to be devastated.
Someone beat the fuck out of their brother. This wasn’t a simple rough and tumble high school ass whipping either. Someone wanted to kill him.
I’d been in the middle of texting with Dante when I got the call from the school. At first, I thought it was Brandon to give me more shit about Zak. I was right about the Brandon part, but he wasn’t calmly explaining what a troublemaker my brother was. No, he was frantic, on the verge of a panic attack as he begged for me and Brie to get to the school because someone had been attacked. She and I made it there in record speed, arriving just as the EMTs did. In the brief time I was there, I saw Cormac bawling his eyes out. He was the one to find Callan.
I keep hold of Callan’s hand but use my other to pull out my phone to text Brie.
Me: I want a list of everyone who was in attendance at that school today. Every student from kindergarten up, every teacher, every faculty member, every janitor, every coach, every parent. Start with Cormac and anyone who had PE that period. Get me a list of suspects and bag the bat for evidence.
As soon as she confirms that she’s on it, I shove the phone back into my pocket, bracing myself as we bounce into the small hospital parking lot. The ambulance takes us to the trauma bay where nurses are already waiting for us.
From there, they rush him out of the ambulance and into the building, quickly exchanging information with the EMTs. I follow behind them for as long as they’ll allow. When they take him back to trauma to assess the most important of his injuries—the cranial laceration—I’m forced to take a seat in the ER lobby.
Several minutes later, Dante and Shelly arrive. I rise to my feet as they rush over to me. Shelly’s face is tearstained while Dante’s is morphed into a pained expression that makes my heart physically hurt.
I pull Dante into my arms, hugging him tight. “Thank fuck you’re here.”
“What happened?” Shelly demands tearfully. “Is he going to be okay?”
Pulling away from Dante, I settle for taking his hand in mine and not letting him go. They’re not going to handle this news well. Hell, I wouldn’t if it were my brother.
“Callan was beaten severely with a baseball bat,” I state, squeezing Dante’s hand when he sucks in a sharp breath. “Brie’s at the school now, gathering what information she can. I’ll need to head back up there shortly to continue the investigation.”
“Oh God,” Shelly whimpers, clinging to her brother’s free arm. “Is he going to be okay?”
“He was unconscious when Cormac found him. The EMTs were able to rouse him and then again in the ambulance he came to for a moment.”
“Why would someone do this?” Dante chokes out, his voice quaking with emotion, though no tears fall.
“I’m not sure, but I’m going to find out who did it,” I assure him. “And they’re going away for a long time for it, too.”
“Can we see him?” Shelly asks. “Or…”
“The worst of his wounds is the cranial laceration. It was bleeding profusely, so they’ll need to get him in right away for a CT scan to check for skull fractures.” I lean my forehead against Dante’s. “When he woke, I told him you guys were almost here. He’s going to be okay.”
Of course, I don’t know that, but my boyfriend and his sister need to hear it. They need hope that he will. Callan is young, so I’m hopeful he’ll pull through. The alternative isn’t even an option. The Kincaids already lost their parents. They can’t lose their brother too.
“Sit,” I say to them. “They’ll be back there for a while.”
Dante allows me to lead him to a chair. As soon as we sit, I pull him to me, wrapping my arm around him to comfort him. When Hans shows up, I’m thankful Shelly has him to hold her too.
“Why would someone do this?” Dante asks again, his voice small and distant. “Why would they hurt my baby brother? He’s harmless.”
“Some people are just plain fucking evil.”
“Will he go into a coma? Will he have amnesia?” Dante’s voice rises with each question, making Shelly sob harder.
“I’m not sure.”
We wait for what feels like forever. Eventually, a dark-skinned nurse I’ve seen around town—Boaz—comes out to speak with us. Once he confirms we’re Callan’s family, he delivers the news.