Page 96 of Misted

Hawk

You taste of bitterness and ruin, and I’m ready to let it rip us open.

Present,

A deep ringing wakes me up. I reach blindingly to my side, but then realise that the sound is in my fucking head.

I grunt as I sit up and pain explodes in my upper back. My lips are dry and my head is so croggy, I see the world double.

Or triple considering that three lamps stare down at me.

I reach to the side of the table and I’m thankful to find pills and water there. There’s no label on the pills – or there is but I don’t see it. I chug them down, anyway. The pills can be for menstruation, and I would take them.

I remember waking up earlier to something like this. Pills… discovering I was shot… then…

Then what?

I jump to my feet and hiss when my back burns.

Mist.

She was there during the attack. She was fucking there. What if I couldn’t protect her? What if she —

No. She must be fine.

I stumble out of the room; wearing only shorts. Bandages wrap around my upper body and my skin is slick with sweat. The burning of the bullet unsteadies my steps. Despite my blurry, doubling vision, I still descend the stairs like a drunk. I clutch the barrister for balance all the way.

When I finally arrive down, I’m panting and my vision is filled with black dots.

“Bloody hell, mate.” Someone is steadying me. I stare at the face and it’s actually two. When the fuck did Crow get a twin?

Crow and his twin half-carry me towards a sofa and throws me there. I grunt as the burn hits me again.

“The fuck are you doing out of your room?”

“Mist…” I croak, panting for breath. “She… was… there…”

“Fuck, mate.” He runs a tense hand through his hair. “Forget about the redhead. She’ll seriously be your cause of death.”

“Where… is… ”

“Eloise!” he calls. “Come here, love. You have a stubborn patient to subdue.”

Black takes over my sight. I feel hands on me. I hear ringing. Lots of fucking ringing. A female muffled voice tells me to stay with her while Crow curses. Then there’s light. Lot of fucking blinding white.

I’m thankful for the darkness when it comes along.

When I openmy eyes again, my wound still throbs but there’s no ringing in my head. I grunt as I sit up in bed, careful not to lean on my back.

This time, Crow is plopped on a chair opposite the bed, legs outstretched in front of him. A brunette straddles his lap as he kisses her with unmistakable hunger.

I rattle the bed to pull their attention. His wife — Eloise, I assume — stumbles to her feet, her cheeks tainted in crimson.

Crow cuts me a sharp glare as if killing me in his mind for ruining his fun.

“Mist…” I croak, and my voice comes out scratchy and hoarse. Eloise hands me a bottle of water and other pills that I chug down in one go.

She clicks some device to my ear then smiles. “Good. Your fever went down.”