Secret Obsession: Chapter 54

I come to with a jolt.

There’s a steady, fast beeping noise. White walls, white bed, white ceiling. A blue curtain cuts off my view of anything else.

Hospital, my mind supplies.

I touch my temple and wince. There’s a bandage covering it, and the aching pain spreads out from there across my head. I’ve taken my fair share of hits, but none of them have felt quite like this.

Like I got run over by a truck.

Truck. Daniel Freeman’s brother.

Willow.

My mind is working overtime to catch up with what the fuck is going on. He was there, dragging me out of the car. Only to bring me to the hospital?

“Hey, there.” A nurse pulls back the curtain. “Good to see you’re awake.”

I lick my lips. “What happened?”

He hit me in the temple with something. It shouldn’t have knocked me out for longer than… I don’t know. An hour? Less?

“The EMTs brought you in. You were found bleeding on the benches out front.” She frowns. “Someone dropped you off. Do you remember what happened?”

I start to shake my head, and the room tilts.

Gah, don’t do that. My stomach twists, the nausea making everything worse.

“No,” I manage.

She grabs a Styrofoam cup with a lid and straw, handing it to me. “Water?”

“Thanks. How long have I been here? Has anyone called… anyone?”

“You actually came to once we started to move you, but you lost consciousness again when we were running tests. You’ve been here for about two hours. The doctor will be in soon to discuss your results. And your parents are on their way.”

Great.

“My phone?”

She retrieves a small, clear bag of my belongings from the closet. “Everything you came in with is in here.”

“Thanks.”

She leaves me alone, and I suck down the water. Setting it aside, I rummage through the bag for my phone. It’s all the way at the bottom, and there’s a crack in the screen. Still works, though, so I call Knox back.

“Miles?”

“Hey,” I answer. “I’m, um, in the hospital. Where are you?”

“Holy shit, dude. I—hey—”

“Miles.” Violet’s voice now, with way more panic than my brother’s. “Where is she? He won’t tell us.”

“Because I don’t know,” Knox mutters in the background.

My heart lurches. The beeping on the monitor is picking up speed. “Who?”

“Willow,” Violet cries.

“Hey, it’s Greyson. Knox took Willow somewhere after your phone call. Said the brother wanted to exchange her for you…”

“I’ve been here for two fucking hours,” I tell him. I swing my legs over the edge of the bed, pinching the phone between my ear and shoulder. Although that really makes my vision go fuzzy. I’m connected to wires, and I start pulling them off. The monitor gives an alarmed shriek.

Fuck.

I jam my finger into buttons along the bottom of the machine until it goes quiet.

“He had me,” I say. “He had me unconscious, and he…”

He twisted my brother to suit his needs. He’s been after Willow this whole fucking time, but I was the easier target tonight. So he struck, and now he has her instead of me.

“Come pick me up.”

“We’re already on our way,” he assures me.

I hang up and shed the loose hospital gown, pulling on my clothes. My jeans are damp with blood and water, but I ignore the cold sensation against my skin. My shirt didn’t fare much better. Socks, shoes. My knife. I flip it open and press the pad of my thumb into the blade, then close it. I pocket it, plus my wallet and phone, and slip out of the room.

I’ll pay for not discharging myself appropriately later.

Right now, I’m going to kill my brother.

And then the dead guy’s brother.

I manage to make it all the way past the security desk, out the front door, before someone calls out behind me. I ignore it and hop into Greyson’s truck idling at the curb. I slam the door and twist around, looking first at Greyson, then Violet and Steele in the backseat.

“She’s my best friend,” Violet says steadily. “I’m going with you.”

“Fine. Where’s my brother?”

“At the hockey house,” Steele answers. “Aspen’s watching him.”

I grunt.

Not quite good enough.

“That’s where we’re going,” he adds. “Because that’s where he brought Willow.”

We get there in record time. I stride into the house and make a beeline for my brother, who stands from the kitchen table when he sees me.

I slam my fist into his face. There’s a crunch, but it doesn’t do shit to dull the ache in my chest.

And then my phone rings.

It’s Willow.