35. Chapter 35

35

" I s she okay?" Dimitri asks over the phone.

We barely got her to the hospital in time. The hours she was in surgery were the worst time of my life. I thought every nurse that passed Ryker was going to get throttled for not knowing anything about Blake.

"They're keeping an eye on her for the next twenty-four hours." I glance over at Ryker and Blake lying in the hospital bed.

"And who was it that attacked her again?" he asks.

"No one important." Luna is someone I never should have brought Blake to in the first place. I knew she had some crush on me, but I had no idea she was obsessed.

"We'll be there tomorrow—"

"There's no need," I cut Dimitri off.

"Excuse me?"

"She gets released either tomorrow or the next day, and we're bringing her home." The word home feels like acid on my tongue. Her home is with Ryker and me, not trapped inside that house looking over her shoulder .

"That works, Gabriel and her mother will be happy to see her home." Dimitri chuckles. I resist the urge to question him if he'll be happy but stop myself. I don't plan on leaving her in that house, not by herself.

"Okay, I'll let you know when we leave," I tell him.

"I'll text you a location. A private jet will be there."

"Fine," I mutter before hanging up the phone.

My eyes skim over Blake in the bed, one of her eyes swollen shut, her lip split open, and her nose in a cast. I swallow hard as I look at her wrists that are covered in bandages because she ripped the zip ties off for us.

"Get over here," Ryker mumbles. Looking at him, I can only see his eyes because of his mask. "She needs you too."

I don't tell him that's debatable. I'm the reason she's in here. If I hadn't picked the phone up, fallen for Luna's trap, Blake wouldn't be in the hospital bed, with cuts and broken ribs again. Broken ribs that collapsed her lung.

"Please," Ryker whispers.

Swallowing my fear, I slip into the bed that barely fits one person let alone three. Burying my face into her neck and hair, I take a deep breath. Blake presses her ass against my crotch as her hand reaches behind for me.

"I'm here, Sunshine," I whisper, interlocking our pinkies.

Blake squeezes my pinkie and I breathe a sigh of relief. She might not blame me, but I sure as hell do. She'll just never know about it.

I wake up to Ryker and Jace snoring on each ear. While I'm glad they're alive to snore, I roll my eyes, annoyed with noise.

"They wouldn't leave your side." A nurse steps into the room. My body freezes for a moment before I take a calming breath. "I'm just here to take some vitals, and afterward, you can shower if you want." She smiles.

Nodding my head, I glance down at the hospital gown I'm wearing. My skin feels clammy and sticky. A shower would be nice.

Scooting down the bed, the nurse helps me stand, tossing the blanket in the middle of Jace and Ryker. Smiling at them cuddling, she takes my vitals before helping me into the bathroom.

"I'm Jennifer, by the way. If you need any help, just hit the emergency button." She points to the remote in the shower. Backing away, she starts to close the door. Grabbing her arm, my nails bite into her arm. I shake my head, tilting my head towards the door.

"The door?"

I nod my head.

"You want me to leave it open?" she asks frowning.

Again, I nod my head.

"Okay, dear, I can do that." Jennifer smiles sadly at me. I wait until the hospital room door shuts before I drop the hospital gown. My eyes drop from the mirror, unable to look at myself. If I do, I know I will break, and I can't chance the guys finding me like that.

Taking a deep breath, I flip the shower on. Stepping inside, I lean against the cold wall. I hiss when the freezing water hits me. My eyes close, and flashes of Jace sitting in the chair with a knife lodged into his neck hit me.

What if I hadn't been able to break the zip ties? What if she had killed me before I was able to save him? Instead of me being tortured, it's Jace. He's the one being stabbed and cut.

I shake my head, trying to get rid of the thoughts. He can't die. He can't leave me.

My breath comes in ragged, my knees buckling. I'm not strong enough to hold myself any longer. My legs crumble beneath me. My ass hits the ground with a thud, and I'm sure I woke them up. Tears spring from my eyes, pouring down my cheeks. I can't breathe. I can't breathe.

My fingers grip my throat, and my nails dig into my skin. Clawing at my neck.

Arms wrap around me, my ribs screaming at me when I flinch, jerking away.

"Shh, it's me, Sunshine," Jace murmurs into my ear. My body immediately relaxes, my head falling back against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Fuck. Blake, I'm sorry." His voice shakes as he speaks. I shift around, my legs wrapping around his waist as he holds my back. "I never should have taken you there. I'm sorry. I never meant for you to get hurt. I never should have fallen for it, Blake. I'm so fucking sorr—" He sobs, dropping his head to my chest. My fingers brush through his hair as he cries. Tipping my head up, the water sprays over my face. Before I would have panicked if the water hit my face. I would have cried and stabbed anything touching me.

But now, with Jace's arm around me, holding me as if his life depends on it, I smile, letting the water hit my face, and calmness rushes over me.

"Jace," I mumble, my voice raspy and scratchy. "I love you[SK1] ."

Jace freezes, his sobs melting away. I cup his cheeks, picking his head up. His eyes blink rapidly, not believing I talked. It's hard to believe myself; it wasn't something I planned. I just had this overwhelming need to tell Jace that I love him.

I swipe his cheeks, not sure if it's from him crying or the water from the shower.

"I'm so—"

"I love you," I croak, pressing my forehead against him. His body shivers against mine, his cock hardening in his pants.

"I never thought I would hear your voice," he says, his voice pained.

I shake my head. The moment Jace let me stab him and locked me in the gas station bathroom, I knew he was going to tear down my walls. I knew he was going to be the one who broke into my brain and demanded to hear my voice.

"I love you," he whispers crushing his lips to mine. I smile against his mouth, a laugh bubbling inside my throat and for the first time, I let myself feel safe enough to let go. Jace smiles, his hands sliding up my sides and to the back of my head. Gripping my hair, he pulls me back.

"I'm so in love with you. I've loved you since you threw that knife at my face. You weren't scared of me. You didn't take my shit. I dreamed of hearing you speak, that you would feel comfortable enough to trust me. That you would know the moment you let that last wall down, you would know I'll always run to you. It's only you, Blake." Jace pours his heart out, never once looking away. He wanted me to know and understand everything he was confessing.

There was no doubt in my mind. I might have only met them weeks ago, but no one besides Ryker and Jace was going to make me feel safe enough. Because I knew no matter what, if I screamed for them, they would be there to save me.