Fever (Breathless #2)(119)

The last thing she saw was Jack lunging for her, but he wasn’t in time. She hit the floor and the world blanked around her.

Chapter thirty-nine

“Mr. Crestwell, I’m sorry to interrupt, but you have an urgent phone call from a Kaden Ginsberg. I told him you were in meetings but he insisted on speaking to you at once.”

Jace rocketed up from his seat and strode from the office where he, Gabe and Ash were on a conference call with the group of investors for their Paris hotel. Gabe and Ash both rose in concern, but Jace left to go into his office without another word.

“Crestwell here,” Jace barked when he picked up the phone.

“Mr. Crestwell, you need to get to Roosevelt Hospital as fast as possible,” Kaden bit out with no preamble.

Jace’s blood froze and he had to sit down before his legs gave out. “What the f**k is going on?”

“It’s Miss Willis. I called her this morning to tell her that Kingston had come back to the apartment. I escorted her up myself and stayed with her. I stepped just outside the apartment so the two could speak privately. When I came back in, she was unconscious on the floor of the living room.”

“What the f**k?” Jace exploded.

“Sir, it’s not good. She’s not good. Looks like an overdose,” Kaden said quietly.

Jace’s heart fell and panic seared through his brain, rendering him incapable of thought or speech. Overdose? Oh God. Had she tried to kill herself? Had he driven her to this?

“Overdose?” he croaked. “Are you certain?”

“I’m not certain of anything. I called for an ambulance but her respirations were so light I could barely detect them. Scared the shit out of me. I did mouth-to-mouth. She still had a very faint pulse. When the medics got there, they intubated her and loaded her up as fast as they could. We’re en route to the hospital now. Should be there in a couple of minutes.”

“I’ll meet you there,” Jace said shortly.

He hung up the phone and lunged from his chair. He ran headlong into Gabe and Ash, who’d both been standing at the door listening.

“What the f**k is going on?” Ash demanded.

“Bethany’s on her way to the hospital. It’s not good,” Jace choked out. “Overdose.”

“Jesus,” Gabe breathed.

“I’ve got to get to her,” Jace said, trying to push past his friends.

“Fuck no. You aren’t in shape to be driving anywhere,” Ash said, holding his arm. “Gabe and I will drive you.”

“I don’t give a f**k who drives. I just have to get there now,” Jace roared.

“Cool it, man,” Gabe said. “Get your head on. Last thing you need is to lose your shit. Take a deep breath. Be strong for Bethany. We’ll get you there. Ash, call for the driver. Mine is on standby. I’d planned to take Mia to lunch after our meetings so he’s waiting. Have him pull to the front immediately.”

“How can I cool it when I f**king did this to her?” Jace asked in a haunted voice.

“Jesus,” Gabe cursed again.

“Come on, we’re wasting time,” Ash clipped out.

They ran out to the car that had just pulled up when they exited the building. Gabe climbed in front and directed the driver while Jace and Ash got in back.

His mind was numb. His heart flayed open. The only thing he could feel was paralyzing fear. It choked him until he couldn’t breathe. He was absolutely gutted. All he could think of was last night, the look on her face, the devastation in her eyes and her accusation that he didn’t trust her, that he’d never trust her. Her saying she wanted out, to leave. Her saying she didn’t want to sleep next to him.

Memories flooded him. Bethany the first night he’d seen her. Her beautiful eyes. Her breathtaking smile. How she’d responded to his touch. And now that could all be taken away in one cruel moment because he’d been the worst sort of ass. He could have prevented this. If only he’d stayed with her this morning. He should have worked it out. He should have made certain she knew that she was the single most important thing in his life. But he hadn’t and now she was on a stretcher in an ambulance fighting for her f**king life.

“Jace, man, you have to breathe,” Ash murmured. “Keep it together. You need to be strong for her.”

He lifted his gaze to meet Ash’s. Cold and numbness crawled through his body until it blocked everything else. “I did this to her. Jesus Christ, I drove her to this. You were there. You know what I did. What I did to you both.”

“You don’t know that,” Ash snapped. “Keep your shit together until we know what happened.”

“Kaden said she was barely breathing. He had to do mouth-to-mouth on her. The medics had to intubate her. Kaden said it looked like an overdose. Now you tell me. After what you saw last night when I lit into you both, how upset and devastated she was because I was a complete ass**le. You tell me I had nothing to do with this. This is on me, man. I left her this morning when I damn well should have stayed with her to make things right. But I left because I wanted to give her some space. I put a business deal before her and what she needed from me. I left her to think that I still didn’t trust her. You didn’t see her. Eyes swollen and puffy from crying her f**king heart out last night. We went to bed and she had her back to me all goddamn night. Fuck, she wanted to leave last night and I wouldn’t let her. She wanted to sleep apart from me and I wouldn’t allow that either. So she laid in that bed next to me last night and she cried because I’m an arrogant dickhead who lost his shit over nothing.”