Page 41 of Love Me in the Dark

“Tripp and Rook are with Cade,” he says, almost carefully.

“Is he okay?” I ask. “Was he inside?”

When he doesn’t answer me, I yank my arms away from him and take off running to get around the burning cabin. “Nyx! Stop!” Knox yells at me.

When I get around, I see Rook and Tripp kneeling on the ground next to Cade. “Cade!” I scream as fear stabs through me. Rook is doing chest compressions, and Cade’s body is limp. I fall to my knees beside them, and I try to hold myself together.

“No. No. No,” Tripp says as he wraps me in a hug and pulls me again.

“Let go of me!” I scream as my voice breaks. “He’s my brother. I have to save him. Tripp, please. I have to save him. I can’t lose him.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he says as he picks me up to take me away from him. I thrash and fight against his hold, trying to get back to my brother. Trying to save him. Tripp keeps a tight hold on me as he gets into the truck and shuts us in. I am hittinghim and trying to get away, but he keeps a holding me. My sobs quickly take over, and weakness spreads through my body as pain roots in my soul.

I hear others, but I don’t move because I don’t want to hear them say that Cade is gone. I can’t hear their voices over the screaming in my head. I’m angry that he’s gone. If only they had killed me before, he would be here now.

“Phoenyx,” Callum says as he shakes me. I blink a few times, and I am sitting in the back seat of Knox’s truck with Callum and Tripp. I look around and we are not at the cabin anymore. We are in a parking garage. I am so fucking confused. I’ve lost time, but how much? “Honey, I need you to talk to me.”

“He’s gone,” I whimper. “Cade …. He’s gone.”

“No, Hun. Rook got him back. He was still in and out of it when the ambulance got there and took him,” Callum says.

“He’s okay?”

“I don’t know for sure. He was alive when he left us. We are at the hospital, but they’ll only talk to you. He has it set up so that only you can get information. They won’t even tell the detective.”

“I… How the fuck did we get here?” I ask, still dazed.

“You must have blacked out. I want you to get checked out, okay? He pushed you pretty hard. Did you hit your head?”

“I don’t know,” I admit.

“Let’s go in and get an update on him and then get you checked, okay?”

“Okay,” I sigh. We get out and I am a bit woozy, but I need to check on Cade. My mind is a whirlwind, but I can’t stop. When we get to the desk, a woman looks up. “My brother Cade Byam is here. I just need an update on him.”

“May I see your ID?” she asks. Callum hands it to her and she looks over it before handing it back. “I will page the doctor so he can talk to you.”

“She needs to be seen also,” Callum says. “She was in the same explosion.”

“Well, how about this? I’ll get you checked in and get you with the same doctor?” she asks me.

“I want to see Cade first,” I say.

“Okay,” she smiles. “Let’s get you checked in. While I find a place for you, I will get an update on your brother.”

“Thanks,” I say.

We go through the check-in process, and I am as truthful as I can be. She puts a band on my wrist and goes to get an update. We move out of the way, but I don’t sit. I can’t. I need my brother. I can’t think of anything else. Tripp tries to get me to sit, but I just pace. My head is pounding and I’m woozy, so I am willing to bet I have a concussion.

“Family for Mr. Byam?” a man says.

“Me. That’s me,” I say, spinning around. I get dizzy, and the doctor steadies me with his hands on my shoulders. “Phoenyx?”

“Mhmm. Yeah. Woah, I’m dizzy,” I say.

“Let’s get you a chair,” he says. “I am Dr. Rollins.”

“Is he okay?” I ask. “Is Cade okay?”