Fever (Breathless #2)(122)

“Jace . . .”

“What, baby? Talk to me. Fight this. Please, for me. For us.”

“I didn’t do it,” she said fiercely. “I didn’t take anything. I wouldn’t. You have to believe me.”

He stared back at her in shock. “Baby, you passed out. You almost died. You have to tell us what happened.”

“I don’t know what happened!”

Her voice rose, hysterical. She became agitated and an alarm went off, causing one of the nurses to rush forward.

“Sir, you need to leave now,” the nurse said briskly. “She’s not getting enough oxygen and her vitals are dropping.”

He was shoved aside as the medical team crowded in. They put a mask over her face, but she fought it and them.

“Jace!”

“I’m here, baby. I’m here!”

“I didn’t do this! Please, you have to believe me,” she sobbed.

Then he was shoved more firmly from the room. Gabe and Ash were there to pull him back the minute he was forced out.

The door was shut firmly in his face and he turned, putting his fist into the wall.

Gabe and Ash grabbed him, subduing him before he could punch the wall again. They forced his back against the wall he’d just punched and Gabe got into his face.

“Cool it, man. You have to keep calm.”

Jace shrugged them off and stalked back to the waiting room, where Kaden still stood.

“Where is Kingston?” Jace snarled.

Kaden’s eyes darkened. “I don’t know. I didn’t give a f**k about him when I saw Bethany on the floor. My sole concern was her. We loaded her into the ambulance and left. He was still at the apartment.”

“You go find him and you bring him here,” Jace roared. “I don’t give a f**k what you have to do. You get him here now.”

“I’m on it. I’ll call Trevor. He was on his way over after I called. I’ll make sure he sits on Kingston until I get there.”

“You do that,” Jace said tersely.

Kaden walked briskly away and Jace turned to see Gabe and Ash standing there, confusion in their eyes.

“What the f**k was that about, man?” Ash queried.

Jace was seething with fury. His fingers curled and uncurled as he tried to gain control of his rage.

“Bethany says she didn’t do it. She didn’t take anything.”

Gabe’s brows furrowed. “You believe her?”

“Hell yes, I believe her!” Jace exploded. “You didn’t see her. When she came to, she was scared and confused as hell. You should have seen her face when I told her she’d overdosed. She got hysterical. Vitals tanked. They shoved me out. But she said she didn’t take anything. Didn’t know what the f**k I was talking about. She asked me what the hell happened.”

“Then what the f**k?” Ash demanded.

Jace’s nostrils flared and he sucked in deep, steadying breaths. He had to get control. He had to be strong for Bethany.

“What it means is that if she didn’t take that shit, then someone gave it to her. And Kingston was the only other person in that apartment.”

Chapter forty

Jace paced the floor of the waiting room in agony, not knowing how Bethany was doing. They’d kept him from her room as they worked to rid her system of the drugs she’d ingested. He didn’t know how or why Jack had forced them on her, and he wouldn’t know until the bastard showed up. It would be a miracle if Jace didn’t kill him before he could wrest an explanation from him.

And then the gloves were off. No more would he allow this to go on. He didn’t give a f**k how upset it made Bethany, Jack was gone. Out of her life. If Jack had given her the drugs, Jace would file charges and have him arrested. He could rot in jail for all Jace cared.

Mia had rushed to the hospital the moment Gabe had called her and she kept vigil with the others. She worried incessantly over Jace’s state of mind, but she’d backed off when Gabe had murmured to her to leave her brother alone. He’d sent Gabe a grateful look. The last thing he wanted was to lash out at his sister when she was only trying to help. And he appreciated them all being here. Appreciated their unwavering support, though God only knew he didn’t deserve it after the way he’d treated them all. Especially Ash. But Ash hadn’t moved from the waiting room the entire time. He sat just as worried as the rest, fretting endlessly over Bethany’s condition.

And then Kaden came through the door, shoving Jack in front of him. Kaden held up his hand when Jace would have launched himself forward, and hustled Jack into one of the private family waiting rooms. Jace followed behind, with Ash and Gabe on his heels. They likely wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to commit murder in a public facility.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Jace slammed Jack into the wall and got into his face.

“What the f**k did you do to her, you bastard?”

Jack’s face was twisted with grief. He looked haggard. Completely wrung out. His eyes were bloodshot and he didn’t even attempt to defend himself.

“What did you give her?” Jace snarled. “She’s in there fighting for her life and we need to know what the f**k she ingested so they can help her.”

“Narcos,” Jack said in a shaky voice. “An entire bottle. I think there were forty or so. I don’t know exactly.”