Priceless (Forbidden Men #8)(98)

“The f*ck if he can’t. I sure as hell blame me.”

“Brandt,” Noel started with a sigh as if he was going to refute everything I’d just said. But then he shook his head, obviously clueless about how to handle this. “Jesus, I don’t even know.”

My chin quivered, and I realized I was a second away from bursting into another round of tears. I had no idea what my problem was. I think I’d cried more lately than I had in my entire life put together. Something was seriously f*cking wrong with me.

“What’re you doing here?” Noel said to someone new who entered the kitchen.

I looked up, blinking when I saw Mason in front of me. Certain I was seeing things, I shook my head. Then it struck me. There could only be only one reason he would come here.

Something was wrong with Sarah.

“Oh God.” I tried to fumble my way to my feet but my shoe got caught in the leg of the chair. “What happened?”

He grabbed two handfuls of the front of my shirt and hauled me out of my chair. “I’m trying to find out what the hell you’re doing here. Why aren’t you at the hospital?”

I paused at the question and had to reach out and brace my hand against the table before falling flat on my face. “Y-you told me to leave.”

“Yeah, well, screw what I want. Sarah’s been asking for you, so you better get your ass back there.”

“She...” My head went woozy from lack of oxygen. I sucked in a quick breath before asking, “She’s awake?”

Mason gaped at me as if I was a moron. “Of course, she’s awake. What’d you think? She was in a coma or something?”

“Yeah, only cool people like me fall into comas.” Ten nodded knowingly.

“Excuse me?” Mason whirled to pierce him with a glare.

He lifted his hands. “Hey, sorry. No offense. I’m just overly giddy not to be the one nailing the little sister this time around.”

“Well, it wasn’t funny.”

“Really? I thought it was pretty damn cute myself. Maybe a little inappropriate, but—”

He never got to finish his sentence because Mason’s fist swung out and cracked him hard in the jaw.

“Ouch! Fuck!” Gripping his jaw, Ten danced away before shaking it off. “Dude.”

Mason kept his hands curled into fists as he glared. “Sarah almost died, and you’re cracking jokes? Really?”

“Damn, I was just trying to help relieve a little tension.” Turning to Caroline for sympathy, he murmured, “I totally should’ve seen that one coming, huh?”

Prodding his tender jaw and making him wince, she nodded. “Probably.”

Still seething, Mason whirled toward me. I ducked away, thinking he’d go after me next. I was really the only person in the room who deserved a fat lip. But all he did was narrow his eyes and mutter, “Well? Get your ass cleaned up and let’s go already.”

So I got my ass cleaned up. I would’ve gone straight to Sarah first, but everyone insisted I’d freak her out if I went in looking the way I did. I had no idea what they were talking about until I stepped into the bathroom and saw myself in the mirror. My clothes were rumpled badly as if I’d slept in them, and even the cloth was torn in the neckline of my shirt. I wasn’t sure how that had happened; it wasn’t as if I’d gotten into a struggle with anyone.

Or had I?

I guess there’d been a while there where I’d blacked out, and I didn’t remember what had happened or how I’d made it home from the hospital.

My face was the scariest sight, though. It was pale white with red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes and a red nose. I splashed water onto my cheeks, then rushed to put on a new shirt. Mason waited for me as if he thought I’d flake out on him. I have no idea why; with Sarah was the only place I wanted to be.

But then we made it to the hospital, and suddenly, the nerves set in.

Earlier, they hadn’t been able to keep me away from her. I’d needed her that bad. But now...now, she needed me. And that petrified me. She was the emotionally strong one, not me. How the hell was I supposed to support her when I just wanted to fall apart?

The closer we got to her room, the more terrified I became. If she’d been asking for me that meant she probably didn’t blame me. But I blamed myself, and I wasn’t sure how to face her without bawling through an apology...which was probably the last thing she needed.

God, how was I going to do this?

Mason held back after he pointed out her room. I glanced at him, uncertain, but he waved me forward with a frown. So, gulping, I turned and moved forward.

The door stood open. When I stepped in front of it, I slowed to a stop, unable to enter. Inside the dim room, I instantly made out Knox and Felicity standing on one side of the bed while Asher and Remy stood on the other side. Damn, what time was it? It had to be after two in the morning and the bar was closed if they were here and off work.

I waited through another inhale and exhale before I took in the vision on the bed lying under a layer of white sheets.

Oh, God.

Relief rushed through me when I saw her sitting upright. A clear oxygen tube ran directly under her nose and an IV was plugged into her arm, but other than that, she looked healthy. Alive. Tired but otherwise okay. She had color and was smiling sleepily as she answered something Felicity had just said to her.