Chapter 7 #2
For a second, I saw the real predator lurking right beneath his everlasting calm exterior. “And just so you know, I don’t need to ‘weasel’ my way in. You might be her choice for now but you’re still the one who lied for months during your relationship. You think she’s ever going to forget that?”
I felt control slipping away. My fists flew up, ready to swing. “You son of a—”
“Do it,” Caden said, stepping right into my space. “Take your shot, Walker. See how that works out for you.”
Motherfucker. My rage haze whooshed out instantly. But before I could make a move, Jackson’s voice cut through. “Enough!”
Both of us froze as Jackson strode toward us, his face twisted with frustration. “Are you two kidding me?” he snapped, standing between us. “Emma’s in there recovering from the gods know what, and you’re out here fighting like children.”
Caden didn’t back down, but his gaze flicked toward Jackson, a hint of annoyance crossing his face. “Stay out of this, Jackson.”
“No,” Jackson shot back. “You both need to grow the hell up. She’s trying to heal after one hell of a trauma, again. And you two idiots are making it about your own egos.”
I clenched my jaw, trying to rein in my anger, but Jackson wasn’t done.
“You both love her? Great,” Jackson said, his focus darting between us. “Then stop acting like this is a competition instead of a responsibility. Maybe figure out what she needs, instead of focusing on your own godsdamn selves.”
“Fine,” I snarled, choking down the fury that was threatening to break loose, forcing myself to push it back.
Caden gave a curt nod, his expression unreadable, but the tension between us didn’t ease.
“Okay then. Now, let’s all wait for Hillary to give us an update and behave like the true gentlemen we are,” Jackson said, the words laced with sarcasm but carrying an edge of authority.
I rolled my eyes at my best friend. Seriously, the guy had the whole moral compass act down to a science.
Jackson’s Nexus flared to life, and Sean’s face appeared as if he were here with us. His eyes were frantic with worry. “How is she?” he asked, the tension in his tone unmistakable.
“Awake,” Jackson replied, steady. “Hillary’s checking on her now. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear more.”
“Jackson…” Sean’s voice cracked, barely holding it together. My brow furrowed at how raw, how vulnerable he sounded. Emma being hurt had obviously hit him hard.
“I know,” Jackson said, softening his tone. “I know you’re worried, Sean. There’s nothing we can do right now, but I promise, I’ll keep you updated.”
The connection blinked out, leaving a heavy silence in its wake. I glanced over at Caden, who had been watching the exchange, his expression unreadable. He scratched at his throat before speaking. “So, you and Sean finally found some common ground?”
Jackson shrugged, casual as ever. “He reached out when you two left for the border. Said he was worried about Emma. I promised to keep him in the loop.”
Caden nodded, his focus shifting back toward the door.
“So, now what?” I asked, impatience bleeding into my question.
“Now, we wait,” Jackson replied simply, sliding down the wall until he was sitting on the floor.
Caden followed after a beat, sinking down beside him. After a second of hesitation, I sighed and joined them, sitting on the cold floor with my back to the wall.
Time dragged. None of us had any sense of how long we sat there, waiting for news. It felt like hours—maybe it had been—but when Hillary finally emerged from Emma’s room, my heart kicked into gear.
“You can see her now,” Hillary said, wiping her hands on her scrubs. “She’s awake and responsive, but she’s not saying much. Of course, she doesn’t know me, so maybe you’ll have better luck.”
She shot me a look, like she was warning me not to screw this up.
“Take it easy on her,” she added, her tone pointed.
What, like I was about to fuck her brains out?
I forced myself to stay calm. “I was planning on it.”
We filed into the room, and found Emma sitting up straight, pale against the sheets, her face still as stone. She didn’t even look up when we entered.
My chest tightened at the sight of her, looking so fragile and distant, as if she’d put up walls I couldn’t reach through.
Jackson cleared his throat, breaking the tension. “Emma?”
Her gaze flicked up, meeting ours with a cold, detached stare. No warmth. No recognition. Just a hollow look that made my gut churn.
“Please, tell us what happened to you,” I whispered, barely restraining the urge to shake her out of this…void.
“Human military came to my parents’ house. They came for me,” she said, devoid of any emotion. “Said they had orders to arrest me. Bullshit charges.” She paused, glancing down at her hands as if she didn’t even recognize them. “They killed my parents.”
She said it so calmly, like she was talking to us about some class she took. I looked to Caden, who stood stiff beside Jackson, his jaw clenched.
“I lost control,” Emma continued, her tone still cold. “I… blew up the whole floor without even thinking of the bubble. It just…happened.” Her gaze drifted to the far wall. “I don’t even know how I survived. But I did.”
I waited for something, anything. Some crack in the ice. Some flicker of emotion. But there was nothing. She was…blank.
“I ran,” she added quietly. “Ran straight into trouble. Got myself out.”
No anger in her voice, no regret. Nothing.
“We’ll find who’s behind this, Emma,” Jackson said softly, his tone filled with sympathy, but her attention remained fixed on the wall, as if nothing he said could reach her.
Caden’s chest heaved before adding, “We’ll handle it.”
Her eyes found his, and I wanted to strangle him for even looking at her. “Whatever.”
Her focus then finally shifted to me, but there was no life in her, no spark. I swallowed hard, my chest constricting at the sight of her like this. The Emma I knew was gone, and this version of her...it terrified me.
“You’re in shock,” I said softly. “Maybe you should talk to someone about this… Get someone to help you process this.”
Her expression flickered for a second, but then that icy mask I hated more than Colt snapped back into place. “I’m not in shock, James,” she said, her tone cold. “I’m simply telling you what happened.”
Bullshit.
I exchanged a glance with Jackson, his expression as grim as mine. We both knew she wasn’t okay, and this wall she’d built around herself wasn’t going to come down easily.
“We’ll give you some space,” Caden said, stepping back to the door, his demeanor surprisingly calm.
But Emma didn’t seem to care. She stared blankly ahead, like nothing we said mattered.
I could feel the anxiety gnawing at me, twisting in my chest. I didn’t know what to say, what to do. I wanted to pull her out of that cold shell she’d retreated into, but every instinct screamed if I pushed too hard, she’d slip further away.
She was safe. Physically. But for the first time, I wasn’t sure if we’d get her back.