LAILAH #2
“Please trust me, Lala. Just look at me. We need to get you warm. You are literally turning blue right before my eyes,” she begged, wrapping a blanket around me that Maggs pulled from the back seat.
“I can’t answer your questions because I don’t know.
They started giving him CPR right away, but other than that, I don’t know.
As your guardian, you are my first priority. ”
My body started to shake, and not just from the cold, as I processed her words. “What if I didn’t save him in time? It would be my fault he’s dead. I… I could have stopped this from happening, but I refused.”
Cami grasped my shoulders and gave me a rough shake.
“You listen to me, Lailah—none of this is your fault. There was a crazy man who admitted he was evil and twisted. You are not responsible for someone else’s actions.
He came here knowing he was going to hurt someone to mess with your head.
This is exactly what the Dark Lord wants to have happen, and we can’t let him win—do you hear me? ”
Numb, I nodded my head, but I didn’t really believe what she was saying to me. I chose to taunt the Dark Lord in our last conversation, and he was making good on his threat in a more twisted way than I could have imagined. Was this just the beginning?
“I need to get you back home so we can warm you up. The last thing we need is for you to be out of commission when you are the key to dealing with all of this crazy shit,” Cami muttered as she tucked me into the seat and buckled me.
Maggs hopped into the driver’s seat as Cami pulled out her cell that had been going off like crazy.
“Hudson, we have a situation. Lailah is hypothermic after taking a swim in the ice-skating pond. I have her out of most of her wet clothes and wrapped in a blanket with the heat on. What else should we do while I’m heading back to you? ”
I could hear Hudson talking quickly and shouting at someone, but I couldn’t make out his words.
“Fuck, I’m such an idiot… I have hot chocolate I can give her… small amounts at a time… got it.” Cami nodded as she hopped back out of the car and ran to the bench we had been sitting on when this all started.
She was still talking on the phone, but from the anger clouding her face, I didn’t think it was Hudson she was talking to anymore. Shouting into the phone, she hung up and swore before getting back in.
“Alright, Lala. I need you to hold onto this thermos and take small sips of the hot chocolate. Don’t guzzle it down—that could make you throw up,” Cami instructed.
As we pulled out, I turned to get a clear view of the pond and saw the mother of the small boy cradling her son, whose arms were tightly wrapped around her neck.
I’d managed to save him in time; now I had to pray they could get him to the hospital in time to keep him that way.
He had been in the water longer than I had, and my whole body burned as it started to warm up.
Clasping the thermos as tightly as I could, trying to keep my hands from shaking so badly, I took a sip but spilled half of it down my chin.
After the third try, I gave up and clutched the warm container to my chest, leeching any warmth I could from it.
My head pounded, and all I wanted to do was close my eyes and go to sleep, but something told me that wasn’t a smart idea.
Staying awake until I was back at the Manor with the rest of my guys was a safer option.
Between the five of them, they would know what to do once I was allowed to rest.
Maggs pulled up right in front of the house, and seconds later the guys came pouring out. Micah was the first to my door, yanking it open. Then Brayden stepped in, unbuckled me, and pulled me into his arms.
He was so warm I couldn’t help but nuzzle my face against his neck, making him hiss at the contact. “Jesus fucking Christ! You’re colder than an ice cube, Angel.”
“Quick, we need to get her up to the bathroom and put her in the tub. One of us will have to be in there with her. I’m surprised she hasn’t passed out already with the shock her body has been through,” Hudson instructed as we headed up the stairs.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going, Camilla?” Micah snapped.
“Don’t pull this shit on me right now. I need to make sure my best friend is going to be okay,” Cami challenged.
Micah let out a harsh laugh. “Like hell you are. Haven’t you done enough? Let us deal with this and we’ll keep you updated. Now GO.”
The next thing I knew, I was being lowered into a tub full of water, crying out at the fire that surged through my body. Arms wrapped around me from behind, pulling me against a chest.
“Too hot, it hurts,” I whimpered.
A different hand gripped mine and I could feel the pain lessening to be a little more bearable, letting me know that Parker was trying to help. Even then it still burned against my skin like I was set on a bed of hot coals.
“Give it a moment, Angel. The water is warm at best, but you’re so cold it must feel like we’re putting you in an oven. Try to breathe through it. I’ve got you,” Brayden comforted as he placed gentle kisses down my neck and on my shoulder, trying to soothe me.
“Trust us, Sunshine. Close your eyes and rest if you can. Your body has been through a lot, and we just have to give it time to warm up gradually,” Hudson said, taking my hand and stroking it.
With their reassurance, I allowed myself to relax, and as I did, the pain seemed to lessen. The sounds of their voices faded into the background, and I dozed, secure in Brayden’s arms.
“Can someone please explain to me what the fuck happened?” Micah growled, causing me to stir at his anger.
“Keep your voice down if you’re going to stay in here. We need her to rest and recover,” Hudson whispered harshly.
Micah grunted his acknowledgement. “My question still stands.”
“Sounds like we had our first meeting of one of the Dark Lord’s new serum soldiers,” Parker mused.
The sound of something being smashed caused me to open my eyes just as Micah was pulling his fist out of the bathroom wall. I struggled to sit up, but Brayden held me tightly.
“Easy. He’s fine, just upset about what happened,” Brayden reassured. “He’s going to punch a lot more walls if we don’t get you better, so just rest. We will deal with everything later.”
Watching as Hudson kicked out the rest of the guys from the bathroom, I took a deep breath and gave into the demands of my body to sleep.