The reality of the situation hits me hard. Blake is seriously disturbed. He hurt Seth, and he said he hurt Micah.
I bend over, swallowing down nausea. Crap. Micah is lying somewhere, hurt, and I don’t even have the number of any of his friends to call.
Slowly I straighten. Think, Ev.
We were supposed to meet here, at his apartment, right after he finished work. If he was jumped, it must be on the way here. So what I need to do is walk back toward Damage Control and find him.
I hurry down the street, trying to orientate myself as cars roll by, headlights flashing. Cold rain is falling, the drops stinging my face like needles. Fear pumps my blood faster through my veins, lifting the exhaustion off me. What a day from hell.
I start to run. My knee sends warning twinges up my leg, but I ignore them as I turn the corner and start up another street, gauging it’s more or less in the right direction. Running helps me focus and keeps the tears at bay.
No time for crying now.
“Micah!” I yell as I run. “Micah, where are you?”
I don’t see him until I’m almost on top of him. He’s half-hidden in shadows, sitting on the sidewalk, legs stretched out, his back to the fa?ade of a building.
I drop to my knees, but I have no voice to talk. I bend over, panting harshly, and look into his face.
His eyes are half-open, blue peeking through. “Ev?” he mumbles.
“How badly are you hurt?” His face is bruised, his upper lip split. Blood coats his chin and neck. “Shit.”
“I’m okay,” he says.
“Yeah? Is that why you’re sitting on the sidewalk on the frigging street? I—” My voice breaks and I swallow hard. Tears roll down my cheeks, mingling with the rain.
He gives me a crooked grin. “I’m just taking a breather.”
“A breather.” I laugh through the tears. “Holy crap, Micah.” I fumble for my cell. “I’m calling an ambulance.”
“No.” He puts his hand over mine. His knuckles are bleeding. “I’ll be fine.”
“Fine. Why you don’t answer your cell?”
“Broke it. New record.” He looks morose for a moment. “Will you just help me up?”
I nod, and the tears keep slipping down my cheeks. “I did this. Because of me, both you and Seth were hurt. I can’t—”
“You saved my life.” He strokes my wet cheek. “Then and now again.”
“It was you,” I say, because I want to hear it from him. “Back then, months ago. The guy with pneumonia.”
“Legionnaires’ Disease. An infection I got from the last facility. If not for you, I’d surely be dead by now.”
“But you still have a cough. Are you still sick?”
“It’s just an after effect. It will go away eventually.”
“It was you.” I shake my head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You were afraid of Seth, and I thought you’d be afraid of me, too.” He shifts and winces. “Didn’t want that to happen.”
“I’m not afraid of you.” I manage a shaky smile. “I love you. I’m so glad I didn’t lose you.”
He blinks at me, and I look away in a hurry. Oh God. I didn’t just say I loved him.
I did.
“Can we call someone to come pick us up?” I pull out my cell.
“I can walk.” He’s struggling to get up, a hand propped on the wall, his face scrunched up, lips white with pain.
“Micah, please.”
He sighs. “Rafe. Call him.” He rattles off a number, and I call.
Five minutes later, a black Mustang stops where we are, and Rafe steps out. The rain plasters his blond mane to his head and face. He peers at us through soaked bangs.
“You kids need to stop getting into trouble,” he grumbles, and it’s kinda funny because he seems to be our age. He crouches at Micah’s other side.
“Hey, Rafe,” Micah mutters. “Thanks for coming, man.”
“What happened?” He peels back Micah’s soaked jacket and prods his side, making Micah hiss and curse. “Bruised ribs, maybe one of them cracked, but it looks like you’ll live. Who did this?”
“Don’t know him.” Micah grimaces.
“Did he say anything to you?”
“The usual. From Blake, for Evie.” He looks down at me, his lips white with pain. “Like Seth.”
“He didn’t get you as bad,” Rafe says as he wraps an arm around Micah’s back and helps him up.
“I beat the shit out of him. He thought I was easy prey. He was fucking mistaken.” Micah’s face goes white when he straightens. “Besides, he didn’t catch me entirely by surprise.”
“How’s that?” I reach for him, steadying him, then drape his arm over my shoulders, and we move toward the car.
“You told me about Blake’s threats. I knew he might come after me.”
I let that sink in as Rafe opens the car door, and we bundle Micah in. I didn’t fail him completely. I kept him alive.
I turn my face up and smile in the rain.
Chapter Thirteen
Micah
Lying on my bed, finally warm and dry, the blood washed off my face, I convince myself I’m alive. Safe. I hurt all over, though, and as I wait for the painkillers to kick in, I gaze at Ev who’s on the phone, pacing right outside my bedroom.
Damn, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I found her kneeling by my side on the sidewalk. She keeps coming back for me, checking I’m all right.
Isn’t this what family does? What home is? This girl has a heart big as the world and for some reason she seems fond of me. She said…
She said she loves me. I poke the memory gently, afraid I’ll change it. She did say those words. My ears were ringing pretty badly at the time, but I’m sure she said it…
I think.
She’s talking to her brother, Joel. Her eyes flash with anger and then satisfaction, and she waves a hand in the air. Catching snatches of their conversation, I try to piece together what happened tonight and what else Blake The Asshole has done.
Fuck-ass bitch wronged my girl. He hurt her, staged an accident and broke her leg, landed her in hospital. Made her suffer.
Screw waiting for the painkillers to act. I sit up, and my ribs fucking burn. The pain blinds me for a moment, and I pant, waiting for my eyes to clear.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Rafe shoves me back unceremoniously, and I fall onto my pillow with a gasp. “What do you need?”
“To break Blake’s neck.”
Rafe grins at me. He’s still in his jacket. He didn’t even bother to take it off. “I see. Feeling better already?”
“He hurt her.” The words are like nails in my mouth.
“He’ll get what he deserves. Don’t worry about it.” His eyes go cold. “Now rest. We didn’t get you home, so you could go chasing that bastard.”
Ev comes inside before I can try getting up a second time. Without a word, she comes and sits by my side. She takes my hand and studies my bandaged knuckles.
Anger chokes me but her touch is soothing, her skin warm on mine.
“Joel, my brother, taped Blake’s confession on his phone,” Ev says. “I’m pressing assault charges. He will go to jail.”
That sounds like a good plan, but Rafe chuckles.