Chapter 16 #2
“What would the public think if you shared those? That’s illegal, you know?”
“They’d never know it was me. See, that’s the thing. Money can really buy you anything.”
I don’t answer, just wanting to get Colton out of here, to get him medical attention.
But it does make me think, for just a second.
What will his teammates think? Will they accept him, or will this be the end of his future career as a soccer star?
I don’t know. I can’t know. I just have to protect him right now. That’s all I can do.
We can face tomorrow together.
“Tell me. Did you give him something?” I shout, and Erick chuckles, his hand loosening its grip on me.
“Like I said, he has a stash here.”
I don’t move, just watch as he steps to the side and pulls a drawer open, taking out three small baggies. I don’t know what’s in them, but I make a mental note of the shape and color of the pills.
“Now do you believe me?”
“Fuck no! It doesn’t matter anyway. I’m taking him,” I growl.
He tosses the bags on the bed, and I eye them.
“You can’t. We have a board meeting tomorrow. He has to be there.”
“Fuck this. Reschedule it,” I say, and when Erick blocks my way to him, I feel a rage I’ve never known pulse through me.
I knock into him, like a player on the field, and he goes flying to the side.
His ass hits the floor with a loud crash, and he grunts as I reach down and grab Colton’s cell phone on the bedstand before picking Colton up.
I cradle him in my arms and move around Erick, who is still sitting on the ground, almost unsure of what happened.
Good. Fuck him.
I walk toward my bedroom and stuff my cell phone in my pocket with Colton’s, and toe my shoes on. He should be thinking about what I’m capable of. I may not act on it often, but I could take him down if I wanted to.
When I make my way toward the stairs, I see Erick standing in the doorway of Colton’s bedroom, his eyes dark and watchful.
I meet that evil gaze and then continue on, carrying the two of us down the stairs to the front door.
When I approach, I see Dex skidding around a corner, his hair slightly mussed, his clothes crooked.
“Heard the commotion,” he explains as he jogs outside. “You need to go, yeah?”
He glances at Colton and shakes his head. “On it.”
A minute later, the car pulls up, and I gently place Colton in the passenger seat. His head lolls forward, and I feel bile rise in my throat as I buckle him in. What the fuck did they give him? I can’t believe he’d do this to himself. Not with me right there, just across the hall.
“Does he do this often?” I can’t help but ask.
Dex worries his bottom lip, looking back at the house before meeting my stare.
“I wouldn’t say that he does this to himself, per se.
And he’s never been out cold like this.” He swallows roughly and then shakes his head.
“Anyway, I’ll make sure to bring your stuff to you.
Will personally deliver it tomorrow. Don’t worry, I have his address.
Now you better go. They must have given him strong stuff. ”
With that, I move, hustling to the driver’s seat and slipping inside. I put the car in drive and squeal out of the driveway. As I speed down the road, I put the nearest hospital into my phone. It’s twenty minutes away. An eternity away.
My phone rings, and I answer it as I pull onto the freeway.
“Hey,” Maya says. “I saw it all. I have it all on video. I’m backing it up now.”
That spikes my adrenaline, my body almost trembling with it. “You even got what Dex said?”
“Yep, got the audio. Colton’s phone was still recording. Now, tell me what hospital you’re headed to. We’ll be there in a bit.”
I don’t even bother telling her not to. I just rattle off the name and push down harder on the accelerator.
When I arrive at the hospital, I pull up to the emergency entrance and nearly stumble out of the car, pulling Colton into my arms and rushing inside.
I’m met by a few nurses who look composed, each speaking to me with clarity and purpose, asking me urgent questions and responding with clear answers.
It’s the first bit of truth I’ve heard in what feels like years, and it’s such a relief.
“Thank you,” I say, my voice cracking.
“It’s okay, honey. We got him.” And with those words, I allow myself to break down. To cry. To let it all out.
One pats me on the shoulder as I watch two nurses maneuver him onto a gurney and wheel him back.
I’m left to stand there, trying to explain it all to the nurse who stays behind.
All of it comes out muttered and mostly incoherent between hiccups and tears.
I describe the pill, telling her he was drugged.
The nurse nods, taking it all down before walking briskly down the hall.
I sink into a plastic chair in the lobby and stare at the floor, my knee bouncing erratically, for what feels like eons, when Desiree and my mom appear.
They’re frazzled, still wearing their pajamas, but the sight of them is so welcome that the tears come all over again. My mom gathers me in her arms as Desiree rubs my back.
I explain it all, everything I witnessed, everything I saw Colton endure. As each word slips out, I feel sick once more.
“Oh, Myles. That’s awful, but next time, you tell me. Don’t keep something so big from me. You have a mother for a reason. I’m here to protect you and him. He’s your partner,” my mom says, handing me an antacid. I chew on it, hoping it helps keep the bile down.
Hailey appears a few minutes later, and then Maya an hour after that, and we all sit together in the waiting room, my legs jiggling with anxiety as I wait for the doctor to come out and tell me he’s awake, that I can see him.
It doesn’t happen quickly enough, though.
Hours pass, my feet carrying me to and from the vending machine, gulping down cans of ginger ale while the minutes tick down. When a doctor finally appears, I stand up so quickly, I grow light-headed.
“For Colton Cavanaugh?” the doctor asks, a younger man with black hair and blue eyes. He looks put together and collected. Exactly what I need right now.
“Yes.”
“You family?”
My mom doesn’t hesitate. “Yes. I’m his mother.”
She whispers in-law right after, but I hear it.
“It’s all good news. He’s resting now and doing very well. We had to pump his stomach and we did a blood test. The drug he was given was ketamine. A high dose, it seems.”
“Shit.”
Maya is clicking away on her phone and then gasps. “Not detected on a normal drug test. Shit.”
The doctor nods, meeting Maya’s gaze. He looks intrigued, but then shrinks back slightly when she purses her lips.
“I’m going to eviscerate that man. Pull his balls out through his mouth,” she spits.
The doctor’s eyes widen, and he lets out a small laugh. “Excuse me. It’s been a long night, and I wasn’t expecting that.”
Maya’s eyes twinkle, and she shrugs. “Sorry. But it’s the truth.”
“I won’t ask,” he responds and then turns toward me. “Would you like to see him?”
I nod so eagerly that my teeth rattle in my skull.
“Can we all come?” I ask, knowing my family will want to see him as well.
“One at a time is preferable so as not to overwhelm him.”
I nod and follow the doctor down a few hallways, ending up in room eighteen, a shared space with a curtain pulled between him and another patient. It’s sterile in here and cool, but so much warmer than the house we just came from.
“He’s groggy, but he’ll be fine. Give him a minute to wake up, and he’ll be in and out of consciousness as he adjusts to everything.” I stare at Colton, trying like hell not to cry again. “And just so you know, the police have been notified. We do need to file a report…”
I pull the chair close to the bed and sit down, knowing that I’ll take it one step at a time. Right now, I just want to see Colton. To see his eyes, to hear his voice. The police report can wait.
“Thank you,” I tell the doctor, not looking at him. But I can hear his murmured, “You’re welcome,” before the door closes behind me.
My hand lands on Colton’s, and I hold him tightly, whispering for him to wake up.
A few minutes later, his eyelashes flutter, and I see his unfocused gaze meet mine.
“Myles? Where am I?” he asks, and I let out a relieved breath, my eyes stinging once more.
“Hospital. They drugged you.”
He blinks at me, his eyes glassy. “Hospital?”
“Yeah.”
He turns his gaze slightly, taking in the room, and winces. “Shit. It’s not usually this bad. I think they were trying to kill me this time.”
That makes anger flare inside of me. This time? What the fuck?
“He tried to tell me you did this to yourself.” When he says nothing, I ask. “You didn’t, right?”
He huffs. “No. Don’t do drugs. I drink sometimes to deal with them, and I’ve suspected for a while that they’ve been giving me something when I visit. But it’s never been this bad.”
I let out a long breath and squeeze his hand gently. “I was so worried.” My mouth meets his fingers, and I let my lips settle on them, breathing him in. “I was so fucking scared.” I turn my cheek and let it rest against him. His fingers unclench and touch my face softly.
“You saved me,” he says.
“I did, and I’d do it again. Knocked him on his ass too. He wasn’t expecting it.”
“Good,” he says with a small laugh. “I wish I were awake to see it.”
“Well, Maya got it all on video, so.”
He yawns, and I lift my head, meeting his stare.
“I’m so fucking tired.”
“You are. You should rest. I’m going to talk to the police—”
His fingers clench mine, and he shakes his head. “No police, Myles. Please.”
That makes me hesitate. I think we should talk to the police, give a statement. I want this on the record, even if nothing is done about it.
“Why not?”
He turns his gaze, and his hand drops from mine. “I just don’t want the trouble it will bring.”
“But if you don’t give your statement, then they will think you did this to yourself.”
“Nothing will happen to him if we do. It’s not worth it.” His voice is fading, his eyelids closing. “It’s not worth it.”
“Can I make that choice for you?” I ask as his eyes close entirely. “Baby, can I make that choice if we’re in it together?”
“You’ll take care of me, right? No matter what happens?” he murmurs, and I nod, swallowing back tears. He doesn’t see my response, but he’s asleep in seconds, his chest rising and falling softly.
I’m glad he’s sleeping, that he’s found the ability to rest through this. Because I know he says it’s not worth it, but I’ve decided to make that report. I’m going to tell the truth about this fucked-up family, and stick with Colton through all the fallout.
It’s been so long since someone cared about him, but now there is.
Me.
I’m the one who will be there for him. And I dare anyone to stop me.