SIX MONTHS (A Seven Series Novel)

“I don’t know. He took off an hour ago and said he’d be back. I want to apologize, April. Reno explained everything. If you had told me someone was threatening you, I would have given you that money. I know why you kept it to yourself, but sometimes it’s okay to let people know you don’t have everything under control. Nobody’s perfect, and it doesn’t say anything bad about you. We all have things going on in our personal life, but you can’t carry that burden alone.”

 

 

“I shouldn’t have taken it,” I said in a raspy voice, feeling a stiff board and tape on my index finger where they were monitoring my pulse. The discomfort in my foot became a dull ache when I bent my knee and tried to move.

 

“Your doctor took an X-ray and said he thinks there’s a hairline fracture in your foot. But it’s definitely sprained and bruised up.” She leaned over my bed and held my hand. “He wants you to wear one of those ugly boots with crutches. After they ran the CT scan to check your head, they gave you a mild painkiller. Thank God we have insurance because this is going to cost a fortune. I’ll help with the expenses your insurance doesn’t cover, so don’t worry about a damn thing.”

 

“I can’t ask you to do that.”

 

“I don’t care,” she said matter-of-factly. “You’ve never once asked me for anything and all this time, you were the one who needed help the most. Accept my help, April. I’m giving it to you and that’s final. Dammit.”

 

I smirked at her stubbornness and she smiled at mine. “I’ll pay you back.”

 

“No, you won’t. This isn’t a favor; this is me helping out a friend and you accepting. That means no paybacks. Who did this to you?”

 

I turned away.

 

Lexi’s voice lowered. “Reno thought it was Trevor.”

 

My eyes widened and I tried to sit up but she pushed me down. “He didn’t go after him, did he? It wasn’t—”

 

“Chill out, babe. No one’s coming after me,” a good-humored voice said from the doorway.

 

His oxfords crossed the floor to the left side of the bed and Trevor bent over and kissed my cheek like he meant it. He did it super-softly this time and sighed, pressing his forehead against mine. Lexi walked to the foot of the bed and squeezed my left toe—the one that wasn’t hurt.

 

“We’re going to kill the asshole who did this to you. All I need is for you to give me his name,” Trevor said.

 

I looked up and saw Reno looming in the doorway, quietly watching us.

 

“Sanchez,” I whispered. “His name is Sanchez. He sprayed a canister of lighter fluid or something onto the sofa and walls. Before I could get up, he stomped on my ankle and I was paralyzed with pain. Then he shut the door. He didn’t douse me in that stuff because he wanted me to be afraid for as long as it took. I should have tried to get out the door—but the fire—I was scared and confused.”

 

“You did good, babe,” Trevor said, brushing his hand over my forehead. “He was probably holding the door shut, knowing you’d try to get out. Running to the back bought you some time.”

 

I lowered my eyes. “I was going to try to smash the window but I couldn’t breathe… everything began to spin and—”

 

“It’s ok, honey,” Lexi soothed. “The doctor said you have a nasty bump on your head. You were awake when they brought you in, but not lucid. I’m guessing you don’t remember.”

 

I shook my head. “All I remember is not wanting to burn alive.”

 

Reno’s eyes were blazing like the fire that had consumed my home, and I could almost feel the tension snapping like one of those live wires on the road after a storm.

 

Lexi must have felt it too, because she shuddered. “I’m going to talk to Austin,” she said. “Do you need anything?”

 

I shook my head and Reno whispered something to her at the door before she left.

 

“So, you two are on speaking terms?” I asked Trevor with a faint smile. My best friend on my left, my best I-don’t-know-what on my right.

 

It was a rhetorical question and I looked at Reno, searching for injuries.

 

“I’ll be back,” Trevor whispered against my cheek. “The cops want my statement and all that. I’m heading out to the trailer to see if anything is salvageable before we track down the soon-to-be-dead man who did this. The firemen got there pretty quick, so there might be something.”

 

“Your guitar is gone,” I said wearily. “I’m sorry. All your stuff—”

 

“Yeah, like I give a shit about my junk, April. Won’t be the first time I’ve had to start over. Just let them take care of you and hopefully they’ll discharge you this afternoon. I’ll pick you up and we’ll stay with… well, I’ll figure something out.”

 

Trevor disappeared around the corner and shut the heavy door.

 

“Are you okay? Did you heal all the way?”

 

“Don’t you worry about me, princess.” Reno leaned down and cupped his warm hands around my face. “But when you feel better, we’re going to have a talk about your friend kissing on you. I got a problem with another man’s lips on your body.”

 

His thumb gently stroked my cheekbone and I smiled into his palm. I didn’t have words for a man who ran through fire to save me. How do you show someone your gratitude for burning alive to save your life?

 

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