Chapter 20

Phases - Chase Atlantic

The alarm ringtone sound of my phone echoes around my room, waking me from a deep sleep. Quickly, I reach for it off the table and swipe to answer it.

"Talon? Talon, you there?" Draygon's panicked voice muffles through the speakerphone. Jolting upright, I click on the small lamp on my bedside table. I rub my eyes with my index finger and thumb, allowing them a moment to adjust to the light before responding. Pulling my phone from my ear, I check the time on the glowing screen.

1:24 am. Draygon would only call me this late if it was something important. He can be a fuck head when he wants to be, but when it comes down to it, the guy doesn't fuck around. Especially not after spending the day saying our goodbyes to our friend. To Cruz.

His breathing becomes rugged and coarse against the phone.

"Draygon? Yeah. What's going on?" I reply, sensing his distress. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just─fuck!" he shouts.

Rising from the bed, I begin to pace around the room with anticipation. The cool ocean breeze billows in through the window, but it does little to calm my nerves as I wait for his reply. "What are you talking about? What happened?" I ask, running my hand through my thick hair.

"It's Sayshen, man." He shouts. "They just took him to TGH. Fuck man, this is all my fault. I knew this was a stupid idea."

His words replay in my head. TGH, Florida South Tampa General Hospital.

I freeze. My back stiffening with the mention of my brother's name. "What are you talking about? Who is taking him there? And why? What the fuck is going on?"

"He went down, bro, at the strip. It's not good. They said he suffered a lot of head trauma, man. His head was all fucked up. I'm so fucking sorry, fuck."

"What do you mean you're sorry? Why the fuck was he even at the strip! Why are either of you?" Draygon tries to explain, but I snap. "Fucking forget it, you can explain later. I'm leaving now," I add before ending the call. Grabbing my gray sweats from the floor, I quickly step into them and throw on the first T-shirt I can find.

Heading out into the hall, I first rush right past Sayshen's room, but once I reach the top of the stairs, something in my gut stops me.

Bexley.

I've avoided her as much as possible since that day at the track. Not because I'm angry with her, though I know that's what she thinks. She thinks I blame her. She probably assumes that my rejection last night was because of her, and I have no doubt that she believes Christian's wrath is because I saved her that day. But I don't, at least not fully.

Fuck, rejecting her took everything in me. Watching her crawl toward me with that look in her goddamn eyes did something to me. Something no other girl has ever done. She was so eager to please, even with my brothers cum still coating her lips, and every fucking fiber of my body wanted to let her. I wanted to sink myself inside her right then and there on the livingroom floor with my brother watching. To hear the sweet fucking sound I heard the other night, slip from her lips again. But I couldn't. Because right now, when I see her, I see him. Christian. The mother fucker responsible for all the pain my team is feeling.

And I don't know how to get past that.

I know it's not what she wanted. Cruz's death hurt her just as much as the rest of us. She didn't want this for any of us, especially him. And yet, some fucked up part of me still wants to blame her so I don't have to blame myself. In some fucked up way, when I see her, I see my team crumbling. But even though I want to grab her face and press my lips against hers until the pain coursing through my body dissipates, I won't.

Because if I hadn't saved her and brought her to my brother that night, maybe Cruz would still be here, and maybe, just maybe, Reign would still be riding… and Sayshen wouldn"t be at TGH.

Opening the wooden door, I prepare to find darkness, but instead, I find Bexley sitting in the middle of the bed. Her legs are crossed and her dark hair is hanging down her shoulders in thick natural waves. The black silk sheets are pulled up over her tits as she scrolls mercilessly through her phone. The door creaks, causing her widened eyes to snap to mine.

"Get dressed, we have to go," I explain with a commanding tone.

"It's Sayshen, isn't it," she asks as she quickly rushes out of bed. Holding the silk sheet around her tight frame, I watch as she gathers clothing from around the room and heads to the ensuite.

"Did you know he left? Did he tell you where he was going?" I ask.

She quickly makes her way out of the bathroom fully clothed in a pair of black leggings and a small navy crop. She sits on the edge of the bed, frantically trying to slide her feet into some checkered vans.

"No," she replies, shaking her head. "I just woke up, and he wasn't here. I've tried calling him. It rang the first time, but after that, it just went to voicemail every time. It's not like him," she adds. "He always answers my calls."

"Draygon called me. Sayshen's being taken to TGH. He went down at the strip. It's a─"

"I know what it is. Christian races there all the time," she admits, clearly putting two and two together. "Why would he go there in the middle of the night? Why wouldn't he wake us?"

Whatever has happened to my little brother, I have no doubt, is a result of that piece of shit. "Besides street racing being illegal and getting him kicked off the team, there"s only one other reason I think of that would make me go down there. I swear to fucking god if that fucking piece of shit has anything to do with this, I'll fucking kill him."

"Let's just get there and figure out what"s going on, okay?" Bex adds with a soft tone as she approaches me. Taking my hand in hers, she lifts her brown eyes to mine and her expression softens. "Right now, Sayshen needs us. Everything else can wait."

Threading my fingers with hers, I lead her downstairs and through the hall to the main entrance. I grab my jacket off the hook by the door and slide it on before tossing Bexley my Now Or Never hoodie.

"Put this on. The ride is going to be chilly, you'll need it," I explain. She quickly lifts it over her head before heading out to the deck and down the stairs to where my bike is parked. I don't know what it is about her that has me so captivated. How one small touch and suddenly my nerves are settled, my emotions calm and I forget about my anger. My rage.

Because she's right. Right now, all that matters is my little brother.

Grabbing my keys, I lock the door behind me before heading down to where Bex is waiting. When I reach my bike, she's already got her helmet on her head and is struggling to buckle it.

"Here, let me help," I add with a hushed tone.

"Thanks," she replies. Taking the straps in my hands, she tilts her chin up. Her eyes searching my face like she's waiting for me to say something that will make her better. Something to ease the pain and worry she's feeling. But I can't. Because I don't know what we're about to walk into when we get there.

I can feel her fear for my brother. She's trying to hide it, and I'll give her credit, she's pretty good at it. But she's not fooling me.

Because I'm feeling everything she is.

With her helmet secured, I climb on my S1000, and with a twist of my key, the engine purrs to life. Bex climbs on behind me, pressing her chest against my back and wrapping her arms tightly around my waist. Slowly, I back the bike out of the driveway, and take off down the beach strip toward the city.

To find out if my brother is dead, or alive.

Though the ride to the hospital is short, the minutes seemed to feel like hours as all the possibilities of what could be awaiting us played out through my head. Pacing the waiting room, I wait for the doctor treating Sayshen to update us. Draygon and Bexley are sitting in the row of chairs along the wall. Draygon is hunched over, his fingers locked along the back of his neck as he keeps his eyes glued to the dated tile floor.

When we arrived, no one told us anything, not even if he was alive. All anyone said was that the doctor would be out to speak with us. That was three and a half hours ago, and there's still no update.

Draygon filled Bexley and me in on what happened. Told me about how he called Sayshen down to the strip when he heard that Christian was racing. Figuring he'd want retaliation, which of course he did. What he couldn't tell me was how Sayshen went down. Everyone saw Christian run him off the road after hitting his front tire, but Sayshen would've had time to dodge it, and he didn't. He didn't even move, Draygon said.

But why? What had him so fucking distracted that he didn't see Cordova coming?

"Mr. Shaw?" An older gentleman in teal scrubs shouts as he enters the waiting area.

"Yeah. That's me," I reply as Draygon, Bex, and I rush toward him. My heart races. Thumping fast and hard in my chest as I try to mentally prepare for the worst news to leave the doctor"s mouth. "Is he okay?"

He shakes my hand as he greets me. "I'm Dr. O'brian, and I'll be in charge of your brother's care. When he arrived, it was clear he had sustained multiple injuries, the majority of them to his head after his helmet was knocked off. Thankfully, he was smart enough to lift his arms around his head after the initial impact, shielding it from the worst of it," the doctor explains.

"He'll be okay, though, right?" Bex asks with a soft and concerned tone. She is fidgeting with the rim of the sleeves of my hoodie, keeping her attention focused on the doctor. Even like this, she's fucking beautiful. Her eyes are swollen from spending the last three hours crying. She tried to hide it from me, thinking that if she just turned away and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of my hoodie, I wouldn't notice. But I did.

It shows me she truly cares for my brother. Her feelings for him are genuine, and though their relationship may be newer, she"s struggling as much as I am with the news of his crash. Part of me wants to scoop her up in my arms, console her, and tell her everything will be okay. That he will be okay. I want to wipe her tears. Replacing them with soft and gentle kisses along her rosy cheeks. But I won't. I can't.

Because the guilt is just too much, and not only is she my little brother's girl, but I don"t deserve her. Not after the choices I've made have caused so many people I love, so much pain, and especially not after being so hard on her. For viewing her as a problem that needed to be fixed, erased. After thinking my brothers obsession with her would fuck with his head. That he wouldn't be able to focus on racing. On the team, but since she's been here, I've seen a whole new side to my little brother and the guys on the team.

Sayshen's obsession with her was never the problem. It was me. My failure to see that some things are more important than racing.

"That's hard to say. He's stable right now, but he's been very touch and go. I expect him to improve, but he'll be heavily monitored over the next few days."

Just knowing he's alive eases some of my distress, but it does little to calm the anger flowing through me."Can we see him now?" My fists ball at my sides, and my jaw clicks. My little brother is laying in there, fighting for his life the same fucking way Cruz did, and its the same mother fucker who took Cruz from us that put him there.

"You can, but he is unconscious. We've put him into a medically induced coma to allow the swelling in his brain to go down. But you're welcome to sit with him in the meantime," he adds.

"How long will that take?" Draygon asks, cutting in. "For the swelling to go down, I mean."

"That's hard to say. Everyone is different, and everyone's body heals differently. But I expect to see some improvement in the next few days. I have other patients to attend to, but if you need me, have the nurses page me."

"Thanks, Doctor." I reply, before he walks away.

"Draygon, you should go home. Get some rest. Bexley and I will stay with Sayshen."

"I'm not leaving him. He wouldn't have even been there if it wasn't for me. This is my fucking fault, I'm going to be here to help him when he wakes up."

"It's not your fault, even if you did call him down there. Sayshen knew better than to let anyone or anything distract him. He knew not to take his eyes off the road and give that piece of shit the chance to do anything." I reply, though part of me agrees with him. Had he not called Sayshen down there, we would not be here right now. But Draygon didn't do it with the intent on hurting my brother. Not like Christian did. He's the one I'm angry with, and myself.

Not Draygon. Not Bexley. Not even Sayshen.

Though I should be. He's a fucking idiot for being so reckless.

"Doesn't mean I don't feel guilty, man. He wouldn't have even been there if it wasn't for me." He's not wrong, and I share the same guilt he feels. Bexley wouldn't be here if I hadn"t stepped in that night, and Christian wouldn't be so set on destroying Demons, one by one.

"Maybe so, but even you couldn't have predicted this would happen, so don't beat yourself up over it. He's alive, he'll pull through, and Christian, he'll get his," I explain doing my best to sound sincere.

"Alright, fine. But I'll be right back here, first thing in the morning," Draygon agrees, nodiing. Sensing his concern and guilt. I pull him into a hug, tightly wrapping my arms around him. "Here," he adds, pulling Sayshen's gun from the waistband of his jeans and handing it to me, "he asked me to hold this before the race,"

Quickly, I take it, tucking it in my pants before it draw unwanted attention, "Shit will work itself out, and Sayshen will pull through, alright. This isn't your fault," I whisper again as I pat him on the back for reassurance.

As his name slips from my lips, my eyes reach Bex. Her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she watches us.

Releasing him, he lifts his eyes to mine, "Appreciate that man. I really never meant for none of this shit to happen. You're right about one thing though, Cordova is going down for it," Draygon spits. "We're not losing another fucking Demon to him. I won't let it happen. Hes fucked with out family too many times."

"Fucking right he has. He may have gotten away with the first two. But not this one. Once I know Sayshen is good and clear, I'll be coming for him."

"We'll be coming for him. All of us. Christian is going to see what happens when you mess with Demons, and I'm not stopping until he's rotting in fucking hell."

"That makes two of us," I reply. "Now, get home. Get some rest, and fill the guys in. We'll check in tomorrow."

He pulls Bexley into a consoling hug and nods his head at me, "You got it." With that, he heads out of the hospital through the sliding doors, leaving Bex and me alone.

"Why would Sayshen have had a gun?" she questions with a hushed tone as she looks around the room.

"Everyone carries a piece when they're going to the strip. The street bike scene isn't like the track, Bex. There's no authority, no rules, and everyone plays dirty. It's why Sayshen going there was so fucking stupid," I explain.

She wipes her flushed cheeks on the oversized sleeves of my hoodie one last time before stepping toward me and taking my hand in hers.

"Let's go," she whispers as her dark eyes lock with mine.

"You don't have to come with me if you don't want to. It could be hard to see him like this."

"I'm not leaving you to do this all alone, Talon. I want to be here, for both of you," she explains as her hold on my hand tightens.

"Alright, have it your way," I reply before we head down the hallway toward Sayshen's room.

The moment we walk through the door, and my eyes land on the bed where my little brother lays motionless, my hold on her hand tightens and my body tenses.

Suddenly, I find myself thankful that Bexley chose to stay. Because this is one situation, even I don't think I could handle alone.