Chapter Nine: Everybody Hurts

Chapter Nine

Jonas

EVERYBODY HURTS

Performed by The Corrs

Jonas's chest was on fire, agony ripping through him at Paisley's pained cries. Her tortured words. He wrapped his arms around her, lifting her from where she'd collapsed next to her sister.

Paisley kicked out. "Let me go."

"Paise, come away. You can't. You don't want to see this. Come away." His voice was crammed with tears. For her. For Landry. For all of them.

"Make her live, Trevor! Make her live. Get the ambulance. The doctors. Make her live!" she screamed at Trevor standing in front of her sister's body, blocking them from the gruesome sight. But it was too late. It was burned into his irises.

Jonas carried Paisley away, taking her back toward the house.

At the top of the porch steps, Nikki waited, hand to her mouth, horror in her eyes.

"No… No!" Nikki said, shaking her head, fear and sorrow echoed in her words. It made Paisley's tight body crumple into violent sobs in his arms.

Jonas grabbed Nikki's hand, pulling her into the house with them.

He set Paisley down on the couch in the front room, and Nikki collapsed next to her, hugging Paisley to her chest like Jonas wanted to do.

Ronan stood there with his crew behind him, cameras rolling, as sirens ripped through in the air.

"What is it?" Ronan asked, looking at Jonas with the most serious expression on his face he'd ever seen on the man.

Jonas shook his head. He had no words to describe what he'd seen, especially not on camera.

"Turn the fucking cameras off," Jonas said.

Ronan bristled. "We're here―"

Jonas reached over to the man holding the camera next to Ronan and placed a hand over the lens. "Turn the fucking cameras off before I toss them all in the pond."

Jonas's voice was laced with both threats and promises. Ones he would absolutely follow through on just as he had with Larry the day before. The cameraman looked to Ronan, and Ronan nodded. The camera light went out, and Jonas turned back to Paisley and Nikki.

He fell at Paisley's feet, grabbed her hand, and put it on his cheek. "Paisley. I got you. I'm here."

Paisley's eyes lifted from Nikki's chest. They were red-rimmed and tortured. Her voice almost disappeared as she whispered the words, "That picture on the door… Is this our fault? Did that happen… Did he think she was me?"

Jonas's heart clogged his throat, making it hard to breathe. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know the right answer. Thoughts of the blood dripping from the photograph and the image of Landry's neck sliced open caused his stomach to lurch, threatening to let loose everything he'd eaten at lunch.

The house filled with police and the Daisies' security team. Marco strode through the room as if he owned it, the other security detail making room for their leader. His face was impassive until he saw Jonas, and then relief filled it, dark eyes meeting his. "Thank God, you're okay."

But his words caused Paisley to convulse, and a wounded cry ripped from her because her sister wasn't okay. Her sister was dead.

Marco looked regretful, rubbed a hand through his hair, and then tilted his head at Jonas toward the kitchen.

Jonas looked at Paisley and Nikki huddled on the couch, tears pouring down their faces. "I'll be right back, Paisley. I'll be right in the kitchen."

He didn't know what else to say. He didn't know how else to help, except to let her know he was there. That he wasn't going anywhere.

When they got to the kitchen, Marco wrapped Jonas in a hug that was tight and hard, as if he was afraid to let him go, and Jonas hugged him back equally as hard. He needed his brother's strength to wash off on him so he could be strong for Paisley.

"Jo-Jo," Marco said.

"Where the fuck was her security?" Jonas said into his shoulder.

"Ramona's dead too," Marco said quietly. "Trevor found her."

Fuck .

"I'm going out there to help with the investigation. You going to be okay in here?" Marco asked.

Jonas nodded even though he wasn't sure it was true.

Marco squeezed him one more time and then left out the back. Jonas turned around, heading for Paisley, as the front door burst open, and Fiadh rushed in. Tommy and Nick were at her side with some man in a suit Jonas had never seen before.

Fiadh's wide eyes met Jonas's.

"Tell me…just…" Her voice trailed off as she saw Paisley and Nikki wrapped together, weeping.

Fiadh's throat bobbed as she whispered, "Lan…"

Jonas swallowed hard, and the words came out like a croak. "She's…she's dead."

Tears filled Fiadh's eyes, and then they were pouring down her face as she joined the other two women on the couch, locking them in a fierce embrace.

"Fuck," the man in the suit said, flicking his hand over his jacket as if brushing off lint. He looked at Nick and said with a blandness that seemed completely out of place, given the situation, "I guess that discount I asked for is going to be back on the table."

Nick blanched but ignored the man. Instead, he turned to Ronan and the crew. "I think it's best if you leave."

"We don't want anyone going anywhere," a police officer said from behind them. "Everyone who was on the property needs to stay put until we have a chance to debrief them."

In the officer's hand was the picture that had been on the door―the picture of Paisley and Jonas with their faces scratched out in blood.

Despair sliced its way through Jonas's heart. Was Paisley right? Had Landry been killed because of them?