Page 128 of Conquered (Highgate Preparatory Academ:y Compendium)
Jax watches as she walks off, waiting until she’s disappeared into the doors of the Academy before he speaks, his voice low and pained.
“Mom’s in the hospital,” he tells us, and my heart stills, knowing it’s not for something routine. “She was beaten half to death last night, supposedly by intruders, who left her for dead while they stole all the valuables.”
“No,” I whisper, my hand coming to cover my mouth as tears spring into my eyes, making Jax bob and weave in my watery vision.
“It was Dad, I fucking know it was!” he snarls, suddenly standing up and launching his phone at a nearby planter with a roar, shattering the device, and sending little pieces of plastic and glass flying.
He turns to us, his eyes wild, and my soul breaks for him.
“He’s been beating on her for fucking years, always holding back under Julian’s orders. ”
“What?” I ask, horror coming over me and filling me with its icy touch.
“It would look bad for the company if one of the board was found to be a wife beater,” Kai spits out, disgust clear in his tone. A fine tremor begins in my muscles, and I wrap my arms around myself, in a bit to warm up my cold limbs.
Just then, my own phone vibrates in the pocket of my dungarees with an incoming message.
I take it out and gaze at the screen, my breath stilling as I read the words on the screen.
Unknown: Do not test me again, daughter darling.
“Oh god,” I whisper, dropping my phone like it’s just burnt me. I look up into Jax’s anguished face, my body temperature rising as nausea swims in my stomach. “I’m so sorry, Jax.”
My head drops into my hands as sobs wrack my body. It’s all my fault. I was so fucking stupid thinking that I could basically send Julian a middle finger with no repercussions. Stupid, so fucking stupid .
“Hey, hey, Baby Girl, look at me,” Jax says softly, his big hands cupping my jaw and lifting my head up so that I’m looking into his beautiful blue eyes. “This is not your fault, baby,” he assures me, but I’m shaking my head before he’s even finished.
“Read the message, Jax! It’s all my fault for being a stupid fucking idiot! Your mum is in hospital because of me,” I tell him, blinded by my anger and heartache. His eyes harden.
“Don’t let him do this to you and fuck with your mind. You’re smarter than that.”
I want to believe him, so badly, but my stomach churns with guilt at what my reckless actions have caused.
“I’m so sorry, Jax,” I whisper, my voice a sad, broken thing, more tears spilling down my cheeks.
“It’s not you that owes me an apology, baby,” he replies, placing a gentle kiss on my trembling lips. “You didn’t order this. You didn’t strike the blows.”
I might as well have.
I don’t say it out loud, but if the sigh that escapes from his lips is anything to go by, and the fact that he knows me better than I know myself sometimes, he sees it in my eyes. My self blame.
“We should go and visit,” Ash says from behind us, already up and brushing off his suit. “I take it she’s in Mount Vernon?”
Jax nods, letting go of my face and standing up. He looks down, holding his hand out to help me to my feet. My mind races with bloody images, the scene of Mum’s murder flashing before my eyes, before I blink it away.
Jax refuses to let go of my hand as we walk to the student car park, throwing the keys to his truck at Ash, who deftly catches them, and opens the driver’s side.
Jax opens the back, ushering me into the middle, then getting in behind me, Loki on my other side.
They buckle me in, my hands too shaky to be able to do it for myself.
“Drink this, Baby Girl,” Jax orders, passing me some kind of sports drink. I bring it to my lips on autopilot, making a face at the tart fizzy taste. “Small sips, that’s it, good girl,” he praises as I continue to take small sips as he ordered.
Loki rubs my other hand, which is feeling a little warmer, and I no longer feel quite so dizzy.
“Thanks,” I say, looking up to see Ash’s furrowed brow and worried gaze as he looks at me in the rearview mirror.
“You went all pale and cold, Pretty Girl,” Loki tells me, bringing my hand to his lips and kissing it. I turn to look at him, noticing that his shoulders are tight as he takes a deep breath.
“I think you went into shock, baby,” Jax says, my head turning to look at him. He studies me with a professional eye, and I suddenly have the thought that he’d make an awesome doctor. “But your colour is returning, and you don't feel cold and clammy anymore.”
“I’m sorry, Jax. I should be taking care of you after…” My voice trails off, unable to finish my sentence.
“Don’t do that, don’t blame yourself,” he grits out through clenched teeth. “This is not your fault.”
Fresh tears sting my eyes at his words. I know he’s right, I only stood up for myself. I didn’t hurt his mum. But guilt still slivers uncomfortably in the pit of my stomach.
“We’re here,” Kai says from the front passenger seat, and I look out of the front window to see that we’re pulling into a circular drive.
The building that sits behind it doesn't look like any kind of hospital that I’ve seen before, more like an old style Golden Age mansion. It’s all white columns and tall windows, with what looks like beautiful grounds and manicured lawns surrounding it.
We halt to a stop at the front entrance, a smartly dressed valet coming to greet us. Ash tosses him the keys once we get out, coming round to stand in front of me, taking my face in his hands.
“You okay, Princess?” he asks, the muscles in his arms strained as he studies me.
“I’m fine, Ash, just a little shaken,” I tell him, feeling even warmer when he leans in and places a gentle kiss on my forehead.
“You went so pale,” he murmurs into my hairline, pulling me close until his body is flush with mine. “Shit, I was scared, Princess.”
And it’s then that I realise that this must be bringing up awful memories for him, too, memories of finding a loved one covered in blood but too damn late to help.
He holds me for a moment, surrounding me with his spicy ginger scent, before pulling back but keeping hold of my hand as we head up the few stone stairs that lead to some imposing glass front doors.
“The hospital has valet parking?” I ask incredulously, stepping through the automatic doors that open with a quiet swish.
“Only the best for the Black Knight families,” Loki drawls sarcastically on my other side as we walk on the marble floor towards the reception desk.
The inside feels a lot more like a normal hospital, with modern tech and the residue smell of antiseptic. It still has a glass chandelier, though, just to make sure we all know that this is not a place for the peasants. Conceited fuckers .
“Jannet Griffiths,” Jax announces in a gruff voice to the young receptionist, who looks up slightly startled before she schools her features and puts on an award winning smile.
“Of course, she is expecting you, Mr. Griffiths,” she says brightly, totally at odds with the situation. “Room two-oh-three, up the stairs, through the door, and third on the left.”
Jax grunts his thanks, then turns, heading in the direction of the stairs.
“Thank you,” I offer as I pass, giving her a smile which she returns tenfold. That’s just fucking creepy .
“You’re most welcome, Miss Darling,” she replies, and both myself and Ash stop in our tracks, looking at each other with matching looks of concern, creasing our brows.
“Come on, Princess,” Ash says, putting aside that fuckery for another time, as he leads me after the others.
We find the room easily, opening the door to see a huge space, filled with bouquets of flowers, which act as pops of colour in the dim lighting. The curtains are drawn, and as I look over to the bed, to the machines that beep, I can see why.
My breath leaves me in a gasp as tears fill my vision. She, Jax’s mum, looks so small and helpless on the bed, her face a myriad of purple and blue, one arm in a plaster cast.
“Mom,” Jax says, his voice shattered and broken, like a favourite ornament. He crosses strides to her bedside, picking up her hand that’s not in a cast as he lowers to a seat next to her bedside.
Her eyelids flutter, her chest rattling with a deep, painful breath as she slowly turns her head to look at him.
“Jax?” she asks, only able to open her swollen eyes a fraction.
“I’m here, Mom,” he says, the heartbreak clear on his face. “The guys and Lilly, too.”
“Lilly?” she questions, her voice rough, turning her head to try and find me in the gloom.
“Hi, Mrs. Griffiths,” I say softly, letting go of Ash and stepping forward, walking towards her bed. I pick up her cup of water, placing a straw in it before bringing it to her lips for her to drink. Jax gives me a grateful look, his eyes shining.
“Thank you, Lilly dear,” she croaks, her voice less raspy than it was before. A lump forms in my throat, hating that she’s thanking me when it is partly my fault that she’s in this position in the first place.
“Was it him?” Jax bursts out, voice hard and cutting. “Was it Dad?”
An anguished look comes over her face then, and she doesn’t take her eyes off me as she replies.
“I’m not as strong as your mother was, Lilly. She was always the bravest of us.”
My world spirals, my breath whooshing out of my chest as I look into her familiar piercing blue eyes, and see the truth of her words, even if I can’t understand them.
“What?” I whisper, but before she can answer, the door bursts open and a nurse strides in.
“Time for more...oh! I’m so sorry. I didn't realise that you had visitors,” she fumbles, flushing as we all stare at her.
“Not to worry, my dear,” Jannet Griffiths responds, a kind smile tugging her split lip, making her wince. “I could do with some more pain relief.”
Jax leaps up, moving to one side so that the nurse can administer the meds. Before I can step away, Jannet grabs my hand, forcing my gaze back on her.
“You have formidable blood in you, Lilly. Don’t let them make you forget it,” she says, her voice quiet but intense, giving my hand one final squeeze, before letting it go as she closes her eyes.
I look up into Jax’s eyes, finding him looking down at his mother as if seeing her anew. He definitely heard her cryptic remarks, and it’s clear that he has no idea what she is talking about.
She’s just confirmed that she knew my mum, and by the sounds of it, quite well. What did she mean she was strong, the bravest of them all?
Why does it feel like I’m getting more questions than answers, the more time passes?
And the biggest question of all?
Who was Laura Darling?