40. Jasmine

Chapter forty

Jasmine

I 'm still stuck in this laundry chute, pinned by the steel tube, so I can't sit down. I ache all over, and my voice is ragged from all the screaming and crying. The duvet above my head stifles my chances of hearing anything from Alex, but my mind plays tricks on me with the sound of his little voice crying out for me.

"Alex." I call out periodically, but nothing else breaks my silence.

Without the fabric under my feet, I'm feeling the cold through my socks. I feel very underdressed for the situation, completely unprepared for something like this. I need to ask Zane for more training if he still wants me. How could he want me after putting Alex in danger like this? I should have said yes to him when he asked when I had everything I've ever wanted laid out before me. Not that an engagement ring could save me from this stupidity.

Unable to admit defeat, I stretch my toes out again, feeling around the bottom of the chute for any way out. I can't believe this is all there is to the emergency escape plan. If they all used the tubes in an emergency, they'd all get stuck. I have to be missing something. Yet again, I fail to find my own freedom, which means I fail Alex.

There's a sound by my feet. Instinct has me looking down until my head bangs against the tube.

A sliver of light enters the chute, along with the strong smell of laundry liquid.

"Ah, those are the feet we're looking for." Lenny's voice rings out, and the relief it brings makes me weak at my stiff knees. "Hello. Are you okay in there?"

"Check on Alex, please. I think he needs help."

"He has enough relatives doing that, honey, let me worry about you." A hand briefly wraps around my ankle. "Slide your feet down; I've got you," he coaxed, his tone steady and reassuring.

Guided by his instructions, I edge my feet cautiously downward, feeling for his presence. The moment my toes meet his outstretched hands, relief surges through me. His grip is firm, and with a gentle tug, he eases me from the confines of the chute. As I emerge into the dimly lit laundry room, the duvet falls away like a shed skin.

"Alex," I gasp, my voice hoarse with concern as I steady myself against the wall, brushing off the lint and dust from my clothes. "Where is he? Is he alright?"

"Here, sit down for a moment." Lenny guides me to a small stool where I can take the weight off my knees.

Lenny's eyes hold a gravity that tightens my chest. "He's not alone," he replies, his voice carrying an undercurrent of worry. "The doctor's with him now."

The doctor.

I knew he was hurt when I heard that awful thump. "Can I see him?"

"I can take you to dad, he'll be pleased to see you. He'll know if Alex can have visitors."

Peering around Lenny I'm startled to see two men dressed like security guards, one holding a dog on a lead while the happy animal chews on a tennis ball.

"These guys are Max and Deven Chambers, this boing-a-matic nutter is Cat. She is the one who found you," Lenny enlightens me.

"Thank you, Cat," I praise the dog, but I need to let Zane know I'm safe and find out how Alex is.

"Come on, let's get you to the kitchen. Marcus and dad are waiting." Lenny touches my shoulder lightly, urging me forward.

Lenny guides me down the corridor to the kitchen. I am surprisingly close to the hub of the home, where the scent of fresh coffee hits me with welcome relief.

I'm not welcomed with the usual cheerful looks from the two men standing beside the jug of caffeinated delight.

Zane smiles when he sees me, jumping forward to capture me in his arms, but I don't see the relief I was looking for.

"Alex?" I mutter, resting my head on Zane's chest.

Marcus' jaw clenches at the mention of his son's name.

"Is he...?" my question trails off, unable to express the fear that grips me.

Zane sighs, his warm breath on my head reminding me how cold I am.

"Tell me," I insist, my voice barely above a whisper but carrying all the strength of my resolve. "Please."

"I'm glad to see you," Zane skirts around the question. "I've been so worried about you. I'm sure Alex will be fine, but the doctor is checking him over now."

"Worried because we thought you'd been dragged off. Not that you left my boy to fend for himself while you hid all snug and warm." Marcus snaps, turning his body away from me.

"Marcus!" Zane scolds.

"It's ok. I feel awful for being unable to help him." I sigh, knowing I deserve the anger boiling through the worried father.

"Thank you for being okay." Zane plants a kiss on the top of my head.

Marcus stands abruptly, the chair legs scraping loudly this time. "You should have been there," he bites, his words sharp, slicing through the tense air. "You promised to watch out for him."

The accusation hits me with the weight of a physical blow, and I stagger under its weight. "I—"

"Alex needed you," Marcus continues, his voice rising. "Where were you when he..."

"Marcus, please," Zane interjects, his hand reaching out as if to physically restrain the brewing temper in Marcus's soul. "This isn't helping."

"Then tell me how he is!" The words burst from me, a plea of desperation. "Please."

Zane's eyes drop to the floor, a heavy breath escaping him as he seems to gather the strength. "He hasn't woken up yet," he says softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Alex... he's unconscious."

"Unconscious," I echo. "I'm so sorry I left him. I thought he would follow me, and I couldn't get back out once I was in. I tried everything to get back to him."

For so long, I'd held back my sobs, pushing them to the back of my mind behind a barrier of determination; now, there is no hiding the grief I feel.

Zane pulls me closer. With my head on his chest, I can hear the hitching of each breath as he himself fights back the tears.

"They don't know much yet," he admits. "But the doctors are doing everything they can."

"Everything they can," I repeat. That has a very critical sound to it.

My mind journeys to a dark place where the poor boy is unconscious from lack of blood, or from having his skull bashed in. Zane really hasn't given me much information to go on here. But the darkening thoughts in my mind want Desmond's blood for this.

"It was Desmond. I didn't see him, but I recognised his voice."

I deserve to pay for what has happened, and I know losing Zane will be my punishment. They haven't asked me to leave yet, and I know they won't do it today. But it will happen in time. This will be the first time in my unsettled life that I don't want to leave. I want Zane and his family more than anything else in the world, and I have realised it too late.