19. Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Freya
K ai walks through the door, and I sit up straighter, my heart thrashing against my chest.
He barges past Lucas, whose fists are tightly clamped.
“Holy shit, Frey, are you okay?” Kai rushes to my side, his fingers skimming lightly over my bandages.
The meds are helping, but there’s still a slight ache in my skin.
“I’m fine,” I say, offering him a reassuring smile.
Zion and Bear stand at the door, watching Lucas closely.
“We’ve got it from here, bro,” Bear says, lifting the corner of his mouth.
Lucas’s jaw tightens.
“Why the fuck is Kai your next of kin?” he growls, looking between us both, and I shrug.
“He’s my best friend. It used to be Alec, but when he decided he was going to college early, we changed it to Kai in case I needed someone close by when Alec was gone . . .” My words trail off and silence follows.
Lucas stares at me with a mixture of anger and hurt clear in his widened gaze.
I won’t apologize for Kai being my next of kin, because he is.
He’s my best friend and has been there for me through everything, and nothing will change that.
This rift between my best friend and the loves of my life will ultimately break me in the end, because I’ll never choose between them.
I can’t.
Lucas comes closer and leans down.
He presses a kiss against my forehead, but he doesn’t say another word before walking away.
I want to tell him to stay, but he won’t.
When he kissed me earlier, part of my heart stitched itself back together again.
We can’t return to the way we were before, and I get that, but there’s hope for us yet.
I’ll hold on to that smallest little lifeline and won’t let go.
The nurse injects the last of my medicine before Kai signs off the discharge papers.
Zion pushes in a wheelchair, and I scoff.
“There’s no way I’m going in that,” I say, kicking my legs over the bed.
“Who said you have a choice?” Zion comes to a stop in front of the bed and takes my outstretched hand.
I slide my feet into my sneakers, and Zion leans down, tying them up.
“Here’s your phone. It’s been vibrating like crazy,” the nurse says, handing it to me, and I thank her.
There are a million missed calls from Amirah.
Fuck.
I hit dial on her name, and she answers after the first ring.
“Holy shit, are you okay? Where are you? Fuck. None of the guys are giving me much.” She speaks so quickly it takes me a moment to process everything.
I’m not sure if it’s the painkillers or her.
“I’m fine. I’m getting discharged now from the hospital,” I say, standing.
My head becomes light and my legs wobble.
Zion grabs my waist and lowers me into the wheelchair.
I throw him a dirty look, but he ignores me, pushing me out of the room.
“I’m coming to get you,” she says, then yells something to someone and curses.
“Amirah, I’m fine. Kai is here.”
She huffs.
“Fine, but I’m coming to see you. Text me where you go, and I’m there.” She hangs up before I can tell her no.
The painkiller kicks in, and my eyes start to droop.
I try to keep them open, but darkness takes over.
Voices echo around me.
My head throbs as though someone is banging something against my skull over and over.
I peel my eyes open to the sight of a familiar dark room, the only light seeping in from under the door.
Kai’s bedroom.
The door swings open, banging against the wall before slamming shut again.
Amirah storms in, her gaze wide as she takes in every part of me.
There’s an angry scowl twisting her mouth before her eyes glaze over.
She rushes toward me and jumps onto Kai’s bed.
I groan, sitting up.
She takes my hand in hers, looking over the bandages.
“Oh my God, this doesn’t look good.” She breathes out through her nose.
“Looks worse than it feels,” I say, then laugh.
The painkillers have worn off, and the burns sting, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.
I’ve been through worse than this.
“This is crazy. I can’t believe—” Her words stop as Kai’s door flies open, and he walks in with his jaw tight.
A shirt no longer hides his chest covered in tattoos, and his muscles flex with each step.
“I don’t appreciate your friend breaking down my damn door. She’s a psycho,” Kai growls out.
“How’d you even know where I live, anyway?” he asks Amirah.
“Is it a state secret? Are you upset?” She pouts and bats her eyelashes, mocking him, and I giggle.
“You don’t want to see me upset,” he mumbles, but I’m sure there’s a hint of a smile in his tone.
“Freya’s mom told me when I came looking for her. Don’t worry—I told your mom you’re okay and that you’ll be home soon,” Amirah says, addressing me.
“She’s got ten minutes, then she’s gone. Got it?” Kai says, and I nod, mouthing thank you.
He leaves and Amirah stares blankly at the door for several seconds.
“I have no idea why he’s your best friend. He’s a pig,” she says, then snorts like a pig.
“I saw the way you were checking him out. You’ve never shown such interest in swine before,” I tease, and she rolls her eyes.
“I didn’t tell your mom you were hurt—just that you were at Kai’s place. Didn’t want to worry her,” Amirah says.
“Thanks. Have you seen the guys?” I ask, and Amirah purses her lips together.
“Yeah, at the hall—they’re on major cleanup. Babe, this is huge and whatever comes from this, fuck. I just hope we all get through it together,” Amirah says, joining me back on the bed.
She doesn’t relax, her back straight, and she looks from me to the door several times.
Does Amirah think Kai was responsible?
“Yeah, I need to talk to Kai and ask if he knows anything. He wouldn’t have done this. He wouldn’t put that many people at risk. That’s not Kai’s style.” I release a heavy sigh.
Kai wouldn’t kill people from his side of the tracks—that’s just not his MO.
And why would the guys, when they were the ones who set it up in the first place?
There’s no way they were behind it.
I won’t believe that for a second.
This is someone else, and I’ll get to the bottom of it, hopefully before an all-out war breaks out.
“Same as the guys—they wouldn’t do that. Not after they’d finally accepted my plan to try and lower the divide between us,” I say.
Amirah raises her eyebrows.
“Equity between hood and ville—but still not men and women.”
“Huh?” I ask, confused.
What’s that supposed to mean?
“Don’t you ever wish there was a sisterhood?” Amirah asks, and I guess I’d never thought of that before.
“I mean, sounds pretty cool.” In the background, I hear Kai talking on the phone to someone, his voice getting louder.
“But I don’t want to sleep with the leaders of the sisterhood—just saying.”
Amirah swats me with a pillow, and we laugh.
I don’t reassure her that we’ll all make it through, because after what happened to my brother, I can’t promise anyone tomorrow.
Our life can be ripped from us in an instant.
Amirah stays for ten minutes, then leaves after I promise her I’ll come to her place to rest tomorrow.
She wanted me to go with her now, but I can’t.
I need to talk to Kai first.
Kai kicks open his door, carrying a bag of food in one hand and a bottle of water in the other.
He passes me the bag, and I sit up, leaning back against the pillow.
I pull out a burger from Jerry’s and my stomach rumbles.
“I haven’t had one of these in ages.” I groan before taking a massive bite.
My eyes close and the peppery mayo runs down my chin.
My tongue swipes out, collecting every last drop.
Kai laughs, sitting down next to me on the bed.
“You’re a mess.”
After I finish eating the burger, Kai hands me a couple of painkillers.
I pop them into my mouth and drink from the water bottle before handing it back to him.
We stay silent for several heartbeats.
I can practically feel Kai thinking, and I can’t take it any longer.
“Just spit it out,” I say.
“They killed all those innocent people in that hall, and you’re still with them?” Kai shifts on the bed, moving away slightly, and faces me.
“They didn’t do it.”
“But they organized the meeting, knowing full well how many people from our side of the tracks would be there. They fucked up, and the consequences are going to be deadly.” Kai grips the comforter in his fist.
“The meeting was my idea, and you know that. Some of The Brotherhood, and plenty of people from the Ville, died.” I choke back a sob.
Kai shrugs.
“Still, they organized it. It was no doubt a calculated risk. They were obviously hoping more Hood people would have been there.”
“Kai! You don’t know that,” I say, raising my voice.
He shakes his head and bites into his bottom lip.
“Most of the dead were women and children, so they were expendable for The Brotherhood.”
“Please don’t start a war,” I beg, reaching for Kai, but he rolls off the bed and stands, facing me.
His eyes turn a darker shade of brown.
“The war’s already begun, and you’ll have to choose your side.”
My stomach drops, and I want to throw up.
“You know I can’t choose between them and you, and I won’t.”
Kai grimaces and shakes his head.
“Frey, if you don’t choose, the choice will be ripped away from you. I can’t protect you if you’re with them, and fuck, I can’t lose you too.”
“You won’t.”
Kai blows out a breath before he turns and leaves.
I push my head back farther into his pillow and squeeze my eyes shut.
Fucking hell.
I’m doomed if I do and doomed if I don’t.
No matter what I do, I’ll hurt someone, and he’s right—the consequences will be deadly.
Kai didn’t blow up the town hall.
The guys didn’t either; so, who the fuck did?
Could it have been a random from the Hood, unhappy with their lot?
Seems unlikely.
Usually, when big things happen around here, Kai knows about it.
The guys have been watching Dominic, but I wouldn’t put this past him.
He doesn’t want them leading The Brotherhood; he wants to take back the reins.
This is the perfect distraction, but would he risk killing members of The Brotherhood in the process?
Although I don’t think he would, I can’t be sure.
I spend the next couple of hours asleep in Kai’s bed before the sun starts to rise and I decide to leave.
My mom’s been blowing up my phone, and I need to go see her.
This is the kind of thing to send her spiraling, unless she’s already there.
When I left her yesterday, I didn’t know if she decided to use or not.
It’s all too much.
Kai’s trailer is quiet as I walk down the hall and out the front door.
The early morning sky has an orange hue that’s hazier than usual, thanks to the fire.
It’s just past six, and I’m tired, but I can’t sleep with all the thoughts swarming around in my head.
How can I save everyone and avoid this war?
No matter what, someone always gets hurt.
I’m fucked if I do and fucked if I don’t.
I take the short walk back to our trailer and push open the front door.
It squeals and the lights flick on.
Mom rushes toward me, pulling me in for a hug.
I bite down on my bottom lip, hissing through the pain as her hands touch my burn marks.
“Oh my God, Freya, are you okay?” She pulls back, inspecting my arms, and when she sees the pain in my eyes, she steps away.
“Shit, sorry.”
“I’m okay, just a couple of burns, nothing major.” I shrug, moving toward the couch and falling back into the seat.
“Fucking hell, what a shit show. I have been worried sick about you. Don’t you ever leave me worried like that again,” she growls, concern evident in the tone of her voice.
“I don’t wanna lose another kid. I can’t.”
She pulls out a smoke from a pack on the kitchen counter and lights it up.
Her hands shake before she takes a long drag and puffs out the smoke.
Guilt claws its way through my body at the mention of my brother.
She wasn’t there for him over the years, but she’s still grieving after losing her only son, and I get it.
I haven’t found a way to process, and I’m not sure if I ever will.
I’ll never be able to fully accept that he’s gone forever.
“Sorry. I’m glad Amirah told you I was with Kai,” I say, and Mom nods.
“I hope he fucking gives those dogs what’s coming to them.”
I don’t reply, because no matter what I say, she’ll argue until she’s black and blue.
She’ll never forgive The Brotherhood for what they did to her and us, and I don’t blame her.
There’s no choosing for her; she’ll back Kai and the Hood until her dying breath.
She fumbles with her phone.
“I haven’t heard from Jessie. She was going to that meeting. Did you see her?”
I shake my head, and Mom breathes in and out before she snatches her smokes off the counter and walks out the front door without another word.
I look around the living space for any sign of drugs lying around, but there’s nothing.
She’s keeping to her word.
Fuck, I hope her friend is okay, because if she loses one more person, that could be the end for her.
There’s no turning back.