Page 5 of Raze
He sighs again, like he really doesn’t want to say what he’s about to. “Look, Rae. I know you both became friends while I was gone. I told you when our alliance first began that I didn’t want anyone under my protection to get involved in this fight. But they kidnapped Portia, and now that she’s on the run…I think it’s best for her and for the others at Hype if you keep your distance for now. Let things cool off a bit. You could lead them right to her if you try to help, andI can’t take that chance.”
My throat constricts.
How can I not look for her and make sure she’s safe? But what if he’s right and I lead them to her doorstep? Just like I had by bringing her to Joe’s house.
It's like Dane said.Casualties by association with me.
Elias continues. “You have my word that she’ll be safe again. Trust that I’m doing everything in my power for her. There isn’t much you’d be able to do, anyway. As soon as she’s safe, I’ll let you know.”
The call disconnects.
Portia was my first real friend. Someone I could open up to and share some of the darkest parts of me. And look where I got her. Kidnapped, tortured, and now on the run.
This was why I never stuck around somewhere long enough to make friends. To have any real relationship with anyone. I should leave this city so they can all come back here without worrying about Gifted Enterprise.
But GE wouldn’t follow now, would they? Not now that they know Dane is here. And could I leave knowing that Vera is alive and hunting down her brother?
Someone tugs the phone from my hand and slips it into my pocket. Jackson cups my face and angles it to his. He smells like gasoline and blood. Fire and copper. Death.
I take a deep breath and find comfort in it. In him. In what he’s willing to do to protect me and the others.
He smirks and then turns my head so he can peer at the head wound Joe had given me. “Don’t worry about that guy. We’re goingto take down GE. And then when it’s all done, we’ll find Elias and you can be with your friend again.”
“You heard everything?” I rasp.
His fingers poke and prod at my scalp, and I wince when he gets to a nasty spot. His smile falls at what he sees or my reaction, and I feel like a wimp for flinching like that. “Mm. Now you know your friend isn’t with GE anymore, we can focus on you.”
He drags me to his bathroom and sits me on the toilet while he pulls supplies from a medicine cabinet. I stare at the white tile floor. There’s a single drop of red on it that makes me pause. Am I still bleeding? I thought it had stopped not long after I finished the congressman.
Another drop joins the first.
Only thing is, the blood isn’t under me. It’s under Jackson.
“Jack?” Another drop, and another. It’s getting worse. “Why are you bleeding?”
He looks up from where he was picking out the supplies and then sees the small pool of blood dripping from the elbow of his hoodie. I try tugging up his sleeve and gasp when I touch it. His entire sleeve issoakedwith blood.
“Take this off!” I yank at his sweatshirt, too afraid to attempt it myself with how many weapons he stores in it. Thankfully, he does it without hesitation and dumps it in the corner of the bathroom. “Oh my god, Jack. You were shot! Why didn’t you say anything? Aiden! Kell!”
He studies the bullet hole in his arm. “Mm. I forgot.”
“Youforgot?!” I ask incredulously.
He shrugs. “I knew when it happened and kept any blood from coming out, but I forgot to keep doing it at some point.”
“What’s—” Aiden rushes in and skids to a halt as soon as he sees the puddle of blood. He hits a button on his phone and turns away from us. “Come to the address I text you. Now.”
Kellan’s eyes widen when he appears in the room. “Fuck, beautiful. Is that from your head?” He pulls me into him and starts checking me over.
I push away from him so I can get back to Jackson’s side. “Stop it, I’m fine. Jack’s been shot.” The bleeding has slowed on his arm again, which means he’s using his gift to stop the blood loss. That doesn’t mean it’s going to heal itself, though.
But none of us “exist” anymore. There is no hospital for us. Not just because we don’t want them running our blood, but because we don’t have IDs or insurance. We would bring up too many questions that we don’t have good answers for, and the last thing we need is to have regular law enforcement or the government looking into us.
The medicine kit is already open, so I rummage through it for gauze, tape, and antiseptic wipes. “Do you have a needle and thread in here? You’re going to need stitches. And antibiotics. Is there a pharmacy nearby?” I look up from the kit and all three of them are watching me. “Well?”
Why are they just standing around? Jackson could bleed to death if we don’t hurry and close the hole in him! Or he could die from an infection.
He smiles and pulls a needle and thread out of the medicine cabinet to hand to me.
