Reign (The Sainthood - Boys of Lowell High #3)(2)
“Are they always this territorial?” She probes my head with gentle fingers.
“They’re usually much worse, so count your blessings,” I joke.
She shines a light in my eyes, takes my blood pressure, checks my chart, and tops up the saline drip hooked up to the back of my hand. “Everything looks good, Harlow.” Her warm smile is genuine. “We’re scaling back your pain meds, but if it hurts too much and you need more, just press the button.”
“I’m good,” I lie, because I need to get the fuck out of here. “The pain is manageable.”
“You’re lucky your injuries weren’t more extensive.”
“So, I can leave?”
“That’s up to the doctor. You’ve suffered a mild concussion and bruised a few ribs, so he may want to keep you under observation for another twenty-four hours.”
Hell to the no. I don’t give a fuck what the doctor says—I’m leaving today.
“Can’t you just give me pain meds and let me recuperate at home? I’d rather be in my own bed.” I hate hospitals with a burning passion. It reminds me of the time I spent in the hospital after my kidnapping.
“You can discuss it with the doctor. He’s with Mr. Lennox, so he’ll be right with you.”
“How is he?” I blurt, reaching out and grabbing her arm as she prepares to walk off.
She pats my hand before replacing it on the bed. “I can’t discuss another patient with you even if he is your boyfriend. While Galen’s injuries were a little more serious, he is on the road to recovery. You were both very lucky you got far enough away to avoid the full impact of the blast.” She pats my hand again. “I hope the police find the person responsible.”
Saint growls. Caz’s eyes narrow. Theo sighs, plopping down into the chair and pulling it up closer to the bed.
The nurse leaves, and my gaze bounces between the guys. “What have you found out? Was it Taylor?” I remember the flash of long blonde hair just before Galen shoved me away from the car, which makes Taylor Tamlin—Parker’s half-sister and a girl who has connections to The Bulls and The Arrows—the most likely suspect.
“That fucking bitch is dead,” Caz spits out, confirming the truth.
“As soon as we locate her,” Saint agrees.
“We pulled footage from the front of the school,” Theo explains, lacing his hand in mine. “Taylor put the bomb under the car parked alongside yours and waited for us to show so she could activate it remotely.”
She’s clearly pissed I killed her half-sister Parker. “She did her homework.” She is obviously aware of the safety features of my custom-built Lexus and knew it had an explosion-mitigating floor.
“Bitch is smart,” Theo says.
Saint harrumphs, glaring at Theo across the bed. “She’s dumb as shit, dude. She messed with us. And there’s only one way that story ends.”
“Damn fucking straight,” Caz agrees, reclaiming his spot on the edge of my bed. He drags a hand through his hair, stifling a yawn. He too is sporting superficial wounds and more stubble than usual on his face.
“Are you guys okay?” I ask. “And have any of you slept?” I reach out, running my fingers through the bristly hair on Caz’s right cheek.
“We’re fine.” Theo offers me a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about us. Just focus on getting better, sweetheart.”
“We were far enough away to avoid any serious damage,” Saint adds. “We got hit with some debris, but we can cope with a few minor cuts.”
“How bad is Galen? And don’t even attempt to sugarcoat it.” I drill him with a warning look.
“Don’t sweat it, Lo.” Caz tweaks my nose, flashing me a wide grin. “That pretty face you love is still intact.”
“You can see for yourself in a bit,” Saint says as the door opens, and a tall, thin man with salt-and-pepper hair enters the room.
The doc looks at my stats and asks me a few questions before agreeing to release me later today provided my prognosis hasn’t changed.
I fling the covers off the instant he leaves the room, pulling my body around in the bed so my legs dangle over the side, biting the inside of my cheek to stop myself from crying out as pain pummels me from every angle. “Fuck.”
“This is madness,” Caz says, beseeching me with his eyes. “Stay in bed, babe.”
“I’ve been in bed for three fucking days. I’m done sleeping.” I push to my feet, ignoring the wave of pain that washes over me, clasping Caz’s shoulder to steady myself. “I want to see Galen and…” I falter as my best friend’s face forms in my mind’s eye. Blood rushes to my head, and my heart pounds in my chest. “Sariah,” I whisper, tears pricking the back of my eyes as that part of the day returns to haunt me. We were only leaving school because Vice Principal Pierson had received a call confirming Sariah was being taken off life support. “Is she…”
The three guys share an anguished look, and I drop back on the bed as a different kind of pain settles on my chest. My breathing stutters, and my chest heaves as pressure bears down on me. A pulsing pain throbs in my skull, and my heart aches as if someone has a hand around it, squeezing it tight. “Please tell me it was a lie,” I whimper. “A ruse to get us out of school. Please tell me that’s all it was.” My heart thumps frantically behind my rib cage as I cling to straws.