Page 15

I t was wonderful to see how people responded so well when the situation was made slightly more dramatic. This was not good, she thought as they all left. No one said a word, not even a mere goodbye as they left the hotel.

It was only her, Angel and Kyle left.

And she could barely stand.

With a tight exhale, Ray walked ahead, her movements practiced even as the pain pierced her abdomen so hard, she wanted to scream. Despite her body’s protests, she didn’t stop until she was standing before a man she’d managed to hurt badly before. His face was bloodied, and his nose broken, but he was still awake.

And he was the only one within her range who didn’t look like a child.

Ray didn’t lean down. No, as she saw the man’s eyes flutter open in pain, she just raised her foot and slammed it right on his pounding heart. The man’s body bowed, and she almost grinned at the piercing howl that left his lips. His eyes snapped to hers, and then she did smile. All sinister and bat-shit crazy.

“Why don’t you tell me why you brought a bunch of teenagers to fight here, old man?” she began, pressing her foot against the middle of his chest. He shook his head, a gurgle of sounds leaving his mouth. Ray’s smile was still intact and crazy against the blinding pain when she heard Kyle’s voice say softly behind her,

“Leave that shit to me for now Walker. ”

Ray turned then and saw the expression on his face. Would’ve almost stopped grinning through the numb shots in her abdomen if her gaze hadn’t shifted from him. To those amber eyes that were glaring into hers. She was here, smiling with blood splattered on her face while he was there, his eyes ablaze as he crossed the room and ran in her direction,

“You,” he snarled softly, and she raised a brow, the smile dropping from her face, "You're fine. Are you insane? Why the hell would you mouth run as if you were going to die? Scared the shit out of me."

Ray shrugged innocently and barely hid her wince at the sudden movement.

He glared and opened his mouth to say something. Her brows scrunched in confusion, her hands suddenly limp at her sides as she tilted her head,

“What did you say?” she asked, only to realize that she was saying the words too slowly. She blinked, but even that movement seemed to slow. Everything around her blurred and came back into focus within a second. She heard wisps of Angel’s voice seep through the abrupt haze in her mind,

Storm?

Ray blinked and looked back, her movements too slow for her to decipher. She still smiled though and saw those amber eyes widen with slight panic,

“Right,” she breathed a bit too heavily. There was too less of oxygen in her lungs, too little of everything, she realized as she stumbled back, “I was about to tell you–”

She exhaled sharply but pointed to the knife buried in the side of her abdomen .

Through the haze of her mind, she heard a mutter of harsh words as sudden warm hands touched her skin. But it was too hot. Too cold at the same time. Couldn’t breathe.

Ray gasped, “I might’ve gotten stabbed,” her words mumbled a bit dumbly.

And then Angel’s hands were on her cheeks, pulling her face close to his. She saw his wide amber eyes dart around, his panicked state as he pulled all her weight on him and yelled out something to someone behind him. Ray’s head slumped on his shoulder as she breathed heavily.

“Don’t fucking close your eyes.” Angel’s words were right in her ear, but the ringing was too loud.

Too deafening.

Ray groaned when Angel pulled her closer and continued speaking in that soft voice of his,

“This is going hurt.” He said and pulled away from her by an inch, “Fuck Ray, you could’ve told someone. I’m going to pick you up now, okay?”

Ray was going to sob. The pain was too much, if that knife moved even by an inch she was going to scream.

“Hey, hey, Ray. Ray?”

Words were somewhere closer than she wanted them to be. Her eyes shuttered open and she heard Angel’s relieved exhale as she looked up at him,

“Stop acting like you give a shit.” She slurred her words together, and she could swear she heard his wet laugh as he put a hand under her knees and one behind her shoulders .

“Scream when I pick you up storm.” He said softly and her brows scrunched through the haze of her mind, “I want you to blow out my fucking eardrums, I don’t care. Just scream and keep screaming and keep talking. Do you understand me?”

“God,” Ray spat, her mind out of her control, “Just do it already.”

Angel didn’t hesitate. And nor did the gods' damned knife in her body. An excruciating shot of pain washed all over her and Ray’s body bowed of its own accord, a wretched scream leaving her tongue as Angel ran forward.

She screamed again, agonizing pain washing everywhere.

“I told you.” He said above her, and Ray groaned out loud again, her hands limp on her sides. Her body was getting weak, but she was determined to get through it. Even if it meant she’d have to argue with a stupid boy her entire life.

“Shut up Santos.” she breathed, and Angel huffed out above her,

“I’m saving your life Storm.” He said and she groaned out loud, “You could be a least bit thankful.” He murmured before bending lightly to sit inside. He didn’t adjust her at all. Just held her the way she was as the car door shut and they zoomed off.

“Is she alright?” Kyle’s voice was like a headache that would never go away.

“Fuck off Larsen.”

Angel whistled above her as Kyle sighed and turned in his seat.

“You’re alright.” Angel’s voice was soft above her.

“Don’t tell me what I am.” She snarled with her eyes closed. She heard his muted laughter and was about to snap back when she felt him lean in closer to her face. His breath brushed her ear as whispered ,

“Wanna know something that will piss you off?” he whispered, and Ray’s eyes shutter open, her eyes glaring at the shit-eating grin on his face.

“No.” she snapped but he didn’t relent. Just pressed closer to her face and said in the most serious tone she’d ever heard him use,

“I wasn’t acting earlier.”

And hell, if that didn’t bring her back to life more than everything else already had.

* *

His words might’ve done a number on him more than they had on Raylene Walker. Because here he was. Back in the main house after Sorin had dropped him off, Angel had rushed back to his room to stop himself from running back to the hospital.

Because Raylene Walker had the audacity to have him thrown out of there.

So now he sat on his bed, his head in his head and he let out a muffled scream. His head snapped back after doing so, his eyes wide in exasperation. Why had he said that? Why had she thrown him out?

Why had she been injured in the first place?

That thought brought Angel rushing back to reality. His brows scrunched in thought. His first guess behind the ambush had obviously been Sorin Ardelean, but according to Kyle, he had been the one to switch on the lights.

And he’d been the one who had jumped into battle with them. The boy had a few bruises to prove it as well.

But the timing of it all seemed all too convenient for him .

Apart from that, why was Ray the only one who’d ended up with such a serious injury? Which meant someone was out for her blood while looking at eradicating all other possibilities at the same time as well. It was someone who knew about their alliance, otherwise they had no other reason to come after Raylene Walker.

She’d been a ghost until she’d turned up with the Lions suddenly.

No one knew anything about her. Her past was clean and was the only reason why Angel had been so surprised to find out about Nathan Kraft being her biological father. In another timeline, that information might’ve been useful. But now that both the Krafts were dead…

Angel was still submerged in his thoughts when he heard the knock on the door. He recognized the pace, and didn’t move as Luke Hawthorne threw the doors open and strode in with the rest of them.

“Don’t you look handsome?”

Angel didn’t have to turn around to recognize her voice. He just leaned back on his arms and shifted a hand through his hair as he flopped back on his bed. A redhead peeped over his bed, coming in the line of his vision, making him smile softly.

“Hello, Mia Andrews.”

That lock of red hair hit him in the face as she jumped on his bed and sat on the opposite end. Angel saw her now, her red, curly hair an absolute mess as she flopped down. Her green headphones were wrapped around her neck as she looked down at him with a half grin and a pair of twinkling light brown eyes. She’d recently gotten a septum piercing that had somehow colored her perky nose into an amusing shade of red.

She grinned down at him now, her eyes wide in amusement, “So who’d you kill? ”

She was also a bit insane.

“No one.” He said and turned his head as she muttered boring under her breath. Angel’s eyes were on Luke’s as he said,

“We got ambushed today.” He said and Luke nodded seriously,

“I heard.” Was his response.

“By teenagers.”

Jack snorted as Christina shut the door and Luke’s eyes widened in surprise, Angel clarified,

“All of them weren’t teenagers, but they were a part of the crowd. Most of them managed to escape beforehand.” He said and saw Christina’s brows scrunch in confusion,

“Any guesses about who was behind this entire mess?”

Angel wasn’t sure he wanted to share anything about Sorin yet. So, he shook his head and turned to face Mia who was sucking on a lollipop as she looked at her phone,

“Will you get on this?” he asked, and she nodded, her eyes trained on her screen,

“Already on it.”

Angel sighed and was about to continue when he heard it. The softest click echoed through the hallway and in his room. His eyes widened as he scrambled off his bed, she was back . Angel’s pride was pretty much non-existent when he was around her, maybe that’s why decided to go after her. Maybe she’d found out something there? Or maybe she’d–

He didn’t know. Whatever damned excuse was good enough for him to check up on her .

Angel exhaled as he crossed his room, wrapped a hand around the doorknob, and turned to face his friends over his shoulder. His amber eyes were narrowed seriously when he looked at all of them and said softly,

“I’ll be back.”

Luke arched a brow, but Angel was already out of the room.

He strode to her closed door, frowning as he thought about why she was discharged so soon when he heard the faint voices from the other end.

Angel stopped next to the door, and despite his better judgement, pressed his ear against the surface. The voices were muffled but he caught a few words here and there.

“She’s going to–” Kyle’s voice? “Hospital. Till tomorrow.”

“–check up on her.” A female voice replied, and Angel’s shoulders tightened. Verana? He was thinking when he heard the knob twist. Angel jerked back and started walking back to his room when he heard the door open behind him.

“Angel?”

Thankfully Angel was close enough to his door to act as though he’d been walking through the hallway. He stopped now and turned his head over his shoulder. His brows furrowed as he saw the bloodshot look in Kyle’s eyes and the grim set of Verana’s lips as they gazed at him,

“Kyle? What are you doing back?” Angel asked, feigning ignorance as he turned to face them with concern etched on his face. They both seemed to buy his act because Kyle shoved a rough hand through his hair,

“It’s Raylene. Her operation is done, but she needs to stay there till tomorrow.” Kyle said, his voice tainted with a hint of annoyance. He dangled a bag in front of him, “I need to get this to her. ”

“You look exhausted man,” Angel started, walking back towards them and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, “Are you sure you want to go right now?”

Kyle let out a harsh breath, but it was Verana who responded, sounding equally annoyed, “She was the one who got herself stabbed,” she started as if agreeing with Angel’s sentiment, “And we’re meant to go check her out.”

Angel barely stopped his frown at the venom in her words, but looked back at Kyle, mirroring an annoyed look as well,

“Can’t you send one of the staff?” he asked but Kyle sighed, shaking his head as he did so,

“Can’t have them know about her being hurt. She’ll become a larger liability.”

Dick.

Angel exhaled and looked away as if lost in thought. Counted to three in his mind slowly before he sighed, as if he were tired but too kind.

“I could go.” He said, making sure to keep that annoyance in his tone. Kyle’s head snapped back, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. But it was too late, Angel had already seen the gleam of happiness in both their eyes. Some team, Angel thought venomously as he rubbed the back of his neck,

“I don’t mind. I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight anyway.” He said, bringing forth that delicious hint of vulnerability in his tone. That bought him his ticket because then Kyle was shoving the bag in his hands and Verana was handing him the keys to the car before turning on her heels with a salute in his direction.

“Thanks, Raven.” Verana said and walked away. Kyle tucked his hand in the pockets of his pants and shot him a grateful smile ,

“Grazie Santos.”

And with that, he and Verana disappeared.

Angel’s facade fell, his eyes narrowing in annoyance as he looked down at the heavy bag . God damn you Raylene Walker, he thought, cursing her name as he strode through the hallway, always making me do things I’m not used to doing.

For once, his mind was silent as he walked out and sat in the car. As it rumbled beneath his feet. Angel wasn’t thinking, was barely aware of his reality before he reached the hospital Verana had told him about in the note she’d handed to him with the keys. Now as Angel stepped out of his parked vehicle and walked up the silent stairs of the hospital, a dreadful feeling started climbing up his spine.

His thoughts that had been so silent before were carefully inching up his body, whispering, laughing behind his back as he walked up the stairs with the bag clutched in his hand. Angel breathed out, suddenly nauseous at the sudden voices in his mind as he placed a hand against the glass doors. It’s alright , he murmured as he placed his fingers around his necklace for comfort. The voices were muffled now.

But as he threw open the doors, they came rushing to him like a tidal wave.

Angel swore under his breath and tried to swim through the storm in his mind as he looked at the nurse who’d approached him.

“Raylene Walker.” He said, his voice dry, and saw her eyes widen.

“Yes sir,” she said, too fast for his mind to catch up, “Right this way.”

As the nurse, a brunette with a kind face walked through the empty hallway and led him to Ray’s room, the memories came to him in flashes .

His father’s hands around him, hugging him to his body as he saw his mother’s body being carried away.

His father’s voice as they walked into the room she was kept in.

Her entire body covered with a white cloth.

His father’s voice as they pulled it down to uncover her face and say–

“There she is.”

Angel snapped back, almost jerking back at the force of his mind as the nurse walked away. His eyes cut to the glass, and he saw Raylene Walker there. She was sitting up in her bed, an arm braced around her abdomen as she spoke with a man who stood before her. A doctor, Angel thought as he saw his white coat and the prescription pad in his arms.

He was about to walk in when a sudden noise stopped him in his tracks.

The voices in his head fell away suddenly.

Why wouldn’t they?

Angel’s eyes turned and he saw her then, her lips turned up and her eyes crinkled as laughter spilled from her throat. His lips parted in half surprise, his eyes going wide as he saw her throw her head back and close her eyes.

And laugh.

Dios.

It was all Angel could think of as her bag went slack in his hands.

Dios. Dios. Dios.

She was laughing at something the doctor had said, and he wanted to turn to see if the man was mirroring her grin, but he couldn’t. He wouldn’t turn his head away from her, wouldn’t take his eyes off her for a damned second. And a crazy, dipshit part of his mind thought ,

I want to make her do that.

I want to make her laugh like that.

Angel jerked back at his thoughts, blinking rapidly as Ray’s laughter dimmed into light chuckles. He didn’t give himself time to think. Couldn’t as he strode ahead suddenly, clenching the bag in his hands as he walked to the door of her room.

Threw them open and didn’t even flinch as–

Thunk.

As Raylene Walker threw a knife in his direction.

That brought him back to his senses. Angel didn’t even blink, just turned to face her with a shit-eating grin on his face as he heard her huff of surprise,

“Wha–” she started but Angel threw the bag on her bag, careful to aim for her legs. Her doctor balked though, but Angel brushed past him and braced his hands against the metal edge of her bed.

Looked at her with that grin on his face. And asked with a notion of confidence he didn’t really have anymore.

“Why do you never laugh with me like that?”

Not after having felt that shit.