Page 13 of Hysteria Rises (Dark Falls Hollow #1)

NINE

ARROW

My siren glares at me for a split second before quickly tearing those intense blue eyes of hers away. I hadn’t been able to determine what color they were in the dark of Nolan’s sick bay in the earliest hours of the day, but damn. They’re fiery, not unlike the hottest part of a flame.

We have her pinned down to the exam table, so I can’t really blame her for being mad and don’t doubt for a second that she picked up on a lot while the Collective were in the room—the group dynamics and what we’re like, not to mention our plans for her.

Because of that, it doesn’t surprise me that she’s anxious.

The fact that she stubbornly refuses to look at any of us simply verifies that line of thought.

The entire time Cross has spent preparing the injection he’s getting ready to administer, she hasn’t acknowledged a single person. And ever since Nolan, Kiefer, and Henry left, she’s kept her lips clamped tightly shut. She’s gone eerily quiet.

It’s kinda fuckin’ scary, if you ask me.

I exhale hard, cataloging every feature of her face while perched on top of her legs to control her lower half.

While she won’t meet my gaze, I’m definitely in her line of sight.

So, she sees me, I know she does. Notices me watching every breath she takes.

Every twitch of muscle. Everything about her, honestly.

My brow furrows. Twenty-three. I roll her number around in my head, imagining calling her that. Maybe I’ll just call her Mine.

I’m lost somewhere in my head when Hayze lets out an exaggerated sigh, eyeing our medically inclined friend. “You ready with that yet?”

In response, Cross shoots us a tight-lipped grin, then with a bob of his head, comes over to swab her upper arm where he intends to stick her.

“Please don’t. I’m begging you.” She drags in a shuddering breath, shaking her head as she watches him swivel back to the supply cart. She doesn’t get any reprieve, as he’s back in less than ten seconds with a syringe in hand. “Got her, Hayze?”

“Yeah.” He nods, firming his grip on her arm. “Go for it.”

Cross lets out a breath, studying the agitation washing over the girl’s features. “You should try to relax. Tensing up only makes it hurt more. It’s the same stuff we gave you last night.”

Malakai snorts with laughter. “Excellent bedside manner right before you jab her with a needle.”

The growl Cross lets loose is legendary.

“Shut up, man, I’m trying to help.” He brings his attention back to her, but she’s closed her eyes and turned her head away from him.

“It’ll just make you loopy and fall asleep,” he continues, despite the fact she’s ignoring him.

“It’ll pinch, then maybe feel weird for a few seconds as I inject it. ”

“If you’re trying to help, don’t do this to me at all, asshole,” she grits out through clenched teeth as angry tears leak from the corners of both eyes.

“If you weren’t so noncompliant, we wouldn’t have to,” Hayze replies matter-of-factly. “You’ve caused a lot of trouble already.”

She releases a disbelieving, horrified laugh.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” She freezes, eyes flicking over him.

I can tell she’s trying to work something out.

Her gaze moves over his plethora of tattoos before locking on his face again.

“It was you. You brought me here, didn’t you, you fucking bastard?

” Her last words carry a bite that Hayze would do well to beware of.

When he doesn’t answer her, she glares at him, a disturbed chuckle bursting from her lips as their eyes connect.

“Yeah. Well, fuck you and the demonic horse you rode in on, Hayze.”

Damn. She’s so angry. I’ve been mostly quiet up until now, but I have the sudden need to reassure her, so I give a gentle squeeze of her thighs. “It’ll be okay.”

“Don’t.” Her eyes dart to mine, blazing.

Oof. “Don’t what?” I murmur, knocked sideways by the bite in her voice. Anger bubbles within her, barely contained in her chest. It’ll boil over at any moment if we don’t get her sedated; of that, I’m certain.

“Don’t act like the nice guy of this gang of douche canoes. I already know you’re not here to help me. You’re sick like the rest of them.”

The snort of laughter that Malakai attempts to mask has my brows raising and my head cocking to the side.

I have no idea what a douche canoe is, but he clearly does.

That doesn’t sit well with me because I get the idea it’s something he’ll be a jerk about.

In that way, he and Gannon are a lot alike.

My attention snaps back to my siren when the needle comes into her peripheral vision only a second later and she flinches hard, distress evident in the tremble of her lips.

And as much as I don’t like that, it’s for the best that the truth of my late-night visit to our compound’s newest resident didn’t come out.

I’ll be worrying over whether my secret will be uncovered until …

well, until it does and I have to face the repercussions of my inability to control my impulses when it comes to her.

A moment later, Cross injects the sedative, and all hell breaks loose. Our pretty little complication lets loose a wail of agony, then bucks in our hold, doing everything she can to free herself.

Frankly, it’s too little, too late now that the drug has been administered.

I swear, I can’t fathom how this slip of a girl still has any energy left at all, but she continues the attempt to tug her arms loose from Malakai and Hayze.

With my weight pinning her down, too, there’s simply no way she’ll get free.

She doesn’t stand a chance. The terrible thing is, from the desperation in her actions, I believe she’s aware of that.

But maybe, just maybe, she’s trying to let us know that we haven’t broken her.

Not yet. And with that understanding comes a new respect.

It doesn’t take long before she becomes woozy. And then the defiance in her eyes is snuffed out.

Lifting a hand, Malakai combs his fingers through long locks of hair. He bends at the waist, coming in for a closer look. “I can just take her down to the cellar. She’s mostly done for now.”

“Yeah, you’d probably enjoy telling your father we had you do that, especially after they specifically told us all to go.” Hayze aims a withering look at Mal that leaves no question as to what he makes of his suggestion.

My teeth grind. Reminders shouldn’t be necessary when it comes to who the primary leadership role of this compound will fall to in our generation.

That responsibility—and sometimes pain in the ass—sits squarely on Hayze’s shoulders.

I don’t like the way Kiefer’s son continues to insert himself.

Leading is a right of the firstborn son in the compound, simply something we accept.

Mal’s being a dick, and he knows it. Same old song and dance with that one.

Same old asshole routine. Yet, he keeps pushing.

Taking a deep breath, Hayze makes a cutting motion with his hand that stops further discussion. “E-fucking-nough. Malakai and I will go down first. We’ll try to clear the way—at the very least make sure the children are occupied. No need for them to see some of this shit yet.”

“And the women?” Cross raises a brow. “We don’t need idle curiosity causing trouble, but hopefully she’ll be out for a good long time.” He glances among us. “Oh, for fuck’s sake, let’s just get her downstairs and do it with as little disruption as possible.”

Hayze wets his lips. I’m not sure what he’s mulling over, but a moment later, he grits out, “Whichever of you carries her, be quick about it.”

The girl stirs, moaning, and I raise a hand. “I’d like to do it. She might flip out if she wakes up and Cross has her.”

The man in question snickers. “True. I’m not her favorite person by a long shot at this point.”

A loud huff leaves Hayze’s lips. “After this, I don’t think it much matters, but she’s all yours, Arrow.” I don’t miss the knowing wink he shoots me as I climb from the table. “I’m not fucking imagining things, am I?” he rumbles. “I’m curious how you let this spirited thing punch you. And when.”

Letting my frustration out with a sigh, I wince, mumbling, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Catching my eye, Malakai raises a brow. “Forget telling us about how you let her punch you, freak show. I want to know what you did to her. Did you try to kiss her, hot stuff?”

I give a swift and decisive shake of my head, only to have the bastard let loose a loud chuckle, his lips twisting into a mocking grin.

“Fuck off,” I grumble.

“Gladly.” Malakai shakes his head, more laughter falling from his lips as he walks away.

The look Hayze shoots me simply reads Ignore him.

And so I do, but only because I know it feeds his ego to get under my skin. Instead, I slip an arm under the girl’s back and hook her knees, gathering her to my chest.

“You got her?” At my nod, Cross sighs. “Don’t let him get to you.”

“I’m good. Promise.” I work my jaw to the side, wondering if I should say more.

“What?” Cross murmurs, clearly noting I’ve still got something on my mind. He moves his hand in a circle, motioning that I should continue. “Hurry up and spill. We’ve gotta get going.”

I let out a reluctant sigh. “Is it my imagination playing tricks on me or has the animosity between Hayze and Malakai kicked up a notch overnight?”

“Mal delights in finding weak spots and purposely prodding at them with a sharp stick. You should know that better than anyone … and you definitely aren’t the only one he fucks with.” With a quick search of my eyes, Cross turns on his heel.

I nod. He’s totally right. I simply don’t know what it is about me that sets him off. Setting it aside, I watch Cross as he starts pulling medical supplies off the cart. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going down there prepared. Fail to prepare, then prepare to fail and all that, right?”