Chapter Twenty Nine
Drew
Shit! That was a fucking rough landing. I’m almost too scared to open my eyes and see what state everyone is in. I struggle to open my eyes and I give up on the fight. They still feel too heavy anyway. So I stay in the world between living and dreaming. I repeat what has happened and I do regret trying to go ahead with my revenge on the Chasers without anyone else. I may not be here, wherever I am and I could be safe at home. I was willing to risk my own life in order to avenge Sketch and I see that was foolish now because I don’t want to hurt the ones I love. The pain that I have been through, in result of Sketch’s death was hard to live with and don’t want my family to go through that, especially my parents. Look at poor Suzy, and after what she told me about her brother, I doubt that he will give a shit about her death. Hopefully he gets his act together and realises what he’s done but I know I won’t be forgiving him for not looking after Suzy and practically handing her over to them.
I begin to hear a quiet beeping sound and muffled voices. I try to work them out but it’s impossible. Trying to open my eyes is still hard work, it’s as if my eyelids are glued shut.
“Drew?” The voice sounds so far away. “Drew?” They ask again, this time sounding closer and a lot clearer. I would know that voice anywhere. My mum!
“Mum?” I ask, my voice sounding very croaky and it makes me cough. She gasps and orders me to drink some water, beginning to fuss over me as always but I begin to panic. I try to rip my eyelids open and take in my surroundings but they only peep open a tiny bit but it’s too bright and my vision is blurred. “You need to get out of here mum.”
“Honey?” She asks. “You’re in the hospital.”
Hospital? I blink a few times, determined to look at her and my vision becomes clearer with every blink and I eventually see for myself that I am in hospital. My mother is right by my side. She looks tired, but relieved and I know I’m the cause of that. Looking around the bright room brings me back to unhappy memories from the last time I was in a hospital. I feel defeated and I hang my head.
“I’m so sorry.” I sob, my dad then coming into sight. “I shouldn’t have snuck out.”
My dad nods, his face grim but like my mum, he also looks relieved. “Never again Drew.”
“What happened?” I ask. “I was in the van and Burner,” I stop talking when I remember what Burner had tried to do just before the van begun to spin.
“Burner did what?” I’m shocked to hear Cyrus, and he appears from behind my dad. He looks dangerous, all rough and dark.
Heavily sighing, I decide to just tell him the truth. I owe Cyrus for being so deceiving. “When we were in the van, the men thought they deserved to play.” Cyrus’ eyes burn and I see him clenching his jaw. “But nothing happened, Burner was going to but then the van started to spin and that’s all I can remember.”
“Darling?” My dad asks. “Now, is there any insight? Anything we need to know?”
“Frank.” My mum complains, trying to hush him and complaining that I’ve just woken up, but my dad asks me his question again.
“Burner kept ringing Venom.” At the mention of the name, my dad and Cyrus straighten their backs. “He rang him twice to report and I think we were meeting him when we were in the van. I heard him saying they were more men.”
My dad gets out his mobile, a sign that he means business so I’m not shocked when he steps outside. My mother grins down at me. “Cyrus only just made it here on time before you woke up.”
“Really?” I look over to Cyrus as he stands at the end of my bed. “Left me, did you?”
“Drew.” My mum gasps.
“I had business to see to.” Cyrus smirks and I’m not stupid to not know what he means.
“Who?” I ask and my mother argues that I shouldn’t ask that, but I look at Cyrus and ask again. “Who?”
“Burner and Twist.” Cyrus replies, his voice full of anger and I nod.
“Twist killed Suzy.” I look down at my hands, unable to look at my mum or Cyrus. The images of Suzy lying in her blood are almost too much to bear.
“Suzy?” Cyrus asks and my mother fills him in on mine and Suzy’s long friendship.
“They captured her, raped and tortured her until she agreed to help them capture me as well. I walked into the Black Ring and they all knew who I was and I had no idea.” I continue to look down at my hands as I tell them both what happened, I hear my dad come back but he stays quiet. “She tried to save me. Suzy stole Twists phone and called you to save me and he found out. Shot her in the head.” A tear roles down my cheek and I don’t stop it. I let it fall. “She was pregnant with Twist’s baby and he shot her in the head.”
“Oh my god.” My mum sobs and we cry together as she wraps her hands around me.
“Fucking animals.” My dad snaps. He then goes on to tell me he will send men over to make sure there’s no other Chasers left and take Suzy out of there. I cry again, so thankful to my dad. “Drew love, why did you do this alone?”
I look at my dad and decide to hold nothing back. They don’t deserve any more lies from me. “I wanted to avenge Sketch alone. I wanted it to be me who killed the man that took him away from me. At first the thought of my revenge was the only thing that kept me going.”
“And now?” Cyrus asks and I look up at him through watered eyes.
“I’ve found other things to keep me going.” I smile.
A doctor then walks in, cutting off our conversation and checks me over. Seeming pleased with what he finds, he disconnects me from all the monitors and leaves us to it. Promising to come and check on me again later. My parents then decide to give Cyrus and me some time alone. My mum said she will update the girls. They’re being nice to me now, but I know as soon as I’m better, my parents will let me know how angry and disappointed they are.
“Go on.” I urge when Cyrus and I are alone. “Tell me how angry you are.”
Cyrus smirks and sits beside me on my hospital bed, wedging himself in the small space. “You already know I’m not angry. Annoyed maybe, but I wasn’t angry with you.”
“Really?” I frown and he nods.
“I understand the need for revenge better than anyone, I’m just annoyed that you didn’t tell me because I could have helped.” Cyrus reaches out and touches my hand. “I want to help.”
I believe him. I really do.
“I’m sorry.” I whisper and Cyrus shakes his head.
“I’ve never been so fucking scared.” Cyrus scoots closer, our bodies touching as I’m under the plain white hospital sheet. “I didn’t want to lose you.”
His words warm me and I catch my breath as Cyrus lets his fingers run through my hair. Moving onto my jaw and then cheek.
“Can I tell you something?” I ask him and when he nods I admit how scared I was. “I was scared for you too, when they took me into the back of the van, I was terrified that they had shot you. I was so scared when they had me tied up in that dark and dirty room, thinking they would come in at any minute to rape me.”
“Nobody will ever scare you or take you away from me again.” Cyrus looks into my eyes, my heart beats so fucking fast as he leans in closer, finally claiming my lips and if I wasn’t already sitting down I would have been knocked to my feet. Cyrus secures his hand behind my head, his fingers tangling through my hair. He pulls me in even closer and acting on instinct, my arms wrap around his neck. I ignore the soreness of my body as I melt against Cyrus. I thought I would feel bad, but I don’t and if anything I want more. Cyrus almost growls and it excites me. I’ve always felt this pull towards Cyrus and the longer he’s been back, the stronger it gets and right now in this moment, I can’t ignore it. I need this.
“Fuck.” Cyrus sighs when we break apart. We breathe heavily, our foreheads touching and break out in a smile. “Do you know how fucking long I’ve wanted to do that?”
“About as long as I have.” I admit to both Cyrus and myself. I then decide to apologise for forcing him out of the apartment.
“Babe, I knew you were lying. I was outside your apartment the whole time and watched you get into your taxi. If it wasn’t for me following the man hidden around the corner, I might have been able to stop you going alone in your crazy plan.” I nod my agreement.
“My knight in black leather.” I giggle and Cyrus erupts in a loud laugh.
***
Later in the day, the girls decide to visit and as they walk inside my room, I begin to get nervous. No doubt they’re angry and annoyed with me, but I sure am glad to see their faces. Initially, they all smile as they rush towards me, capturing me in their arms but then as I suspected, they soon turn they’re happy faces into sad and annoyed looking ones.
“Why?” Lauren demands to know.
“I wanted my revenge.” I admit and tell them every little detail. Elise cries when I tell them that having the plan helped me get out of bed in the morning. “I know I was stupid, but until I was captured all I could see was killing the man who murdered Sketch. When I was thrown into the back of that van, I realised how fucking dumb I was.”
“You’re not dumb.” Tasha argues. “You were grieving.”
I decide not to mention Suzy because I’m too tired right now to cry. The earlier tears have taken it out of me and my energy has been zapped.
“So,” Elise wiggles her eyebrows. “Where’s Cyrus?”
Maci nods. “Apparently he’s been glued to your side since you were brought here.”
“He was worried.” I shrug. “He’s most likely at the warehouse.”
Lauren nods. “Rightly so seeing as those Chaser bastards are being kept there.”
“Drew?” Elise asks gently. “Is there something happening between the two of you?”
I look at all their eager eyes. I can’t lie to them. “We kissed.” Their eyes go wide and Elise happily claps. The romantic inside her getting very excited.
“So, there is.” Maci grins.
“I do like him.” I smirk. “It’s kind of hard not to.”
They all giggle and my cheeks burn.
“We’ve all been watching the romance blossom.” Elise flutters her eyelashes.
My smirk fades and I fiddle with the hard hospital sheets. “Do you think it’s too soon though?”
“No!” They all say together, shaking their heads in unison.
“It’s just,” I begin, but I don’t know how to continue my explanation. Accepting defeat, I sigh. “I didn’t think I would ever love again after Sketch.”
Lauren’s eyes widen. “You love Cyrus?”
I shrug. “I don’t know.”
Maci places her hand over mine and smiles sweetly. “Drew, you’ve been through a lot this year and if anyone deserves to be happy, you do.”
“And you couldn’t have chosen a more dangerous man.” Tasha giggles.
“Dangerous to those who try to hurt her.” Elise points out.
“Yeah.” Maci nods. “I have to admit, Cyrus scares me more than Grim.”
At that Lauren bursts out laughing and we return to our usual friendly banter. I begin to get a little tired though, so they all kiss me goodbye and as they exit my hospital room doors, my eyes become very heavy.