Landen was just about to climb into bed when his phone beeped. He picked it up from his nightstand, smiling when he saw it was from Amelia.

He hit the button to open it.

Goodnight, Landen xx.

Landen smiled, typing in his reply

I miss you tonight.

He hit send, then waited a moment or two, before his phone beeped once again.

I miss you too xx.

Landen stared at it for a moment, smiling before he typed in his reply.

It’s not too late to change your mind!!

Landen hit send and waited. A couple of moments later his phone beeped once more.

But I’m warm and cozy in my bed.

Landen laughed as he pictured her snuggled beneath her bedclothes, but it just made him want to see her more. He tapped in another response.

I could come there??

He hit send, but regardless of her response, his mind was already made up. He threw his phone down onto the bed, hurrying to his wardrobe. When the phone beeped a few moments later, Landen hurried back out of the wardrobe, picking up his phone. He smiled when he read her response.

Hurry up!! Xx.

Landen wasted no time. He quickly dressed before he grabbed his car keys from the hall table, heading down to the garage beneath his apartment building.

He had just reached his car when he felt a blinding pain on the back of his head before he crashed to the ground. Landen felt like the world was spinning when suddenly he felt a blow to the ribs, and all the air was sucked from his body.

“Charles Greenway sends his regards,” a voice growled into his ear before he delivered another blow, Landen fell into the darkness.

“Landen!” Dylan’s voice echoed in Landen’s head, it felt like a grenade had gone off inside his brain. “Can you open your eyes?”

“I can if you stop shouting, Dylan,” Landen groaned as he slowly tried to open his eyes, but the bright lights of wherever the hell he was, was almost blinding, so he quickly closed them again.

“Landen, I need you to look at me,” Dylan repeated, and Landen could hear the concern in his brother’s voice. “You’re in the hospital. You’ve received quite a blow to your head.”

He slowly opened his eyes, groaning before he tried to focus on his brother.

“Well, your brain is still intact,” Dylan said as he shone a bright light into Landen’s eyes. “But you are going to have an impressive black eye. You were found by security, unconscious next to your car about an hour ago. They called the emergency services. So, who did you piss off this time?”

“No one new,” Landen sighed and winced once more as his head ached when he spoke. “Christ my head hurts like hell.”

“Well, Liam is outside, and he is telling a very different story,” Dylan warned his brother. Landen knew that Liam would not back down until he knew exactly what was going on. “Mom and Dad are outside too, so is Nikki and some girl she said was her cousin.”

Landen looked up at Dylan, knowing he was talking about Amelia. Then he remembered that he was on his way over to her. God knows what she must be thinking right at that moment. Landen tried to push himself up in the bed, but the room instantly began to spin, before he crashed back down to the bed.

“You have a concussion,” Dylan explained as he wrote in his brother’s chart. “And you have a couple of bruised ribs, which are going to hurt like a bitch for a couple of days. I would suggest you don’t try to sit up or move too suddenly.”

“When can I go home?” Landen asked, giving his brother a question.

“We want to keep you here tonight,” Dylan replied, as Landen blew out a long breath. “As I said, you took quite a knock to the head, so we need to keep an eye on you.”

“I’m not spending the night in this place,” he insisted as he looked at his brother.

“I see,” Dylan replied with a smile. “And are you going to tell Mom that?”

“Why did you have to call her?” Landen grumbled, knowing that his brother was right. There was no way his mother would agree with him leaving there against medical advice. He just hated the thought of him being in there and Nikki and Amelia being alone without him after what had happened. He was afraid Charles Greenway and his goon would pay the girls a visit next. Landen knew that Charles has quite a temper.

He also didn’t want his mother to have to worry about him. Having her come to the emergency room in the middle of the night was definitely the last thing he wanted.

“Oh, I didn’t,” Dylan replied with a grin. “That would be Liam who did that. Someone called him from the station, telling him you were on your way here. He got here before you even arrived. He was talking about how he knew this would happen; that he had warned you. Care to tell me what the hell he’s talking about?”

“Liam just thinks he knows everything,” Landen sighed, knowing that Liam was going to be a nightmare now.

“Well, he is pissed off about something,” Dylan sighed as he gave him a smile. “But right now, I need to go and let everyone know you’re okay.”

“Okay,” Landen nodded, then sighed once more, as his head ached. “And thanks, Dylan.”

“Just doing my job,” Dylan replied with a smile before he turned, heading out the door. Landen lay his head back, closing his eyes for a moment. His head hurt, and he really just wanted to sleep. But first, he needed to talk to Amelia. He needed to assure her that what happened was not her fault because he knew her enough to know that she would think the worse.

The door opened once more. Before Landen had time to think his bed was surrounded by half his family and Nikki. He quickly searched the room, and finally, he spotted Amelia standing next to the door. She looked like she wanted to cry, but she was doing her best to keep it together.

“How are you feeling?” Sean asked his son, as he gave him a worried look.

“Like I’ve been run over by a steamroller,” Landen replied honestly.

“You look like it,” Sean said as he slipped his arm around Nell’s shoulder before he looked at Dylan. “He’s going to be okay, right?”

“He is,” Dylan assured his father. “As long as he takes it easy.”

“You gave us all such a scare,” Nell said as she reached for Landen’s hand. “Do you know what happened?”

“I was walking to my car, something hit me from behind,” Landen explained, as once more his eyes searched out Amelia. She was still standing next to the door, her face was now completely unreadable, but Landen could feel a knot of fear grow deep down inside him. “I have no idea who or what it was about.”

“I think I could venture a guess,” Liam said, and Landen knew exactly what he was getting at. “This is about that friend; the one you’re helping. This was a warning to back the hell off.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Landen hissed. The last thing he needed right now, was Amelia to think this was her fault, but he also didn’t want Nikki to know that her father was behind this either.

“Yes, I do, Landen,” Liam replied angrily. “One of the rich assholes you’re representing has some psycho after them, and you are getting in the way. I told you this was going to happen.”

“This has nothing to do with that,” Landen replied, as he glanced toward Amelia once more. The look on her face almost broke him, but he couldn’t react if he were to keep her secret.

“Liam now is not the time,” Nell said, and Landen could see the surprise on Liam’s face.

“Mom!” Liam exclaimed angrily. “Now is a perfect time! Landen could have been killed, but he is too stupid and too arrogant to see it.”

“But he wasn’t,” Nell tried to reassure her son, before she glanced at Amelia, giving her a smile, then turned back to Landen. “Right now, we need just to be grateful that he is okay. Tomorrow we can figure out the rest.”

“And what about next time?” Liam demanded. “What happens when whoever this asshole was decides that Landen needs more than a warning? What if next time he puts a bullet into his head to get him out of the way for good?”

“THERE WON’T BE A NEXT TIME!” Landen shouted, then cried out in pain. His head felt like it was about to explode, he could hardly catch his breath. Landen held his chest, gasping for air as Dylan hurried to Landen’s side, pulling the oxygen mask from behind the bed, then slipped it over Landen’s mouth.

“You need to keep calm, Landen,” Dylan said, his voice even and calm. “I need you to take, slow, steady breaths. You’re going to be okay, but you need to try to stay calm and breathe.”

Landen did as Dylan said, as slowly his breathing began to return to normal. He hated that he looked so weak and pathetic in front of his whole family. When he could breathe easier, he lifted his head, looking over towards the door, to where Amelia had been standing, but she was no longer there.

“Where’s Amelia?” He asked, no longer caring about the pretense that she was Nikki’s cousin. “Where did she go?”

“You mean Nikki’s cousin?” Dylan asked as he turned, looking towards the door too, as did everyone else. “I didn’t see.”

“Yes,” Landen said as he pulled his oxygen mask off before he pushed back his bedclothes, trying to get up from the bed. “I’ve got to go look for her.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Dylan said as he pushed Landen back down on the bed.

“Dylan, get out of my way,” Landen gasped as he reached for the IV that was in his arm, trying to remove it.

“Landen, you can barely breathe,” Dylan said as he grabbed Landen’s hand, stopping him from pulling it out. “How the hell do you think you can even walk?”

“But you don’t understand,” Landen insisted as once more his chest tightened, as his breathing became laboured once again. “If she runs, I will never find her again. Please.”

“I’ll go look for her,” Nikki said before she turned and hurried out the door of the room.

“She isn’t Nikki’s cousin, is she?” Liam said as it all became clear to him. “She’s the friend.”

“She is more than just a friend, Liam,” Landen gasped, as Dylan slipped the oxygen mask back on him. Landen crashed back down on the bed.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Liam asked as he moved closer to his brother. “I could have helped you. I could have helped you both.”

“I promised her,” Landen replied between deep breaths, as he reached out and grabbed his brother’s arm. “What happened had nothing to do with her. It was Nikki’s dad, we saw him earlier, and he sent one of his friends to give me a message. If she is gone back to the apartment, and Charles Greenway is there…”

“My dad did this?” Nikki asked suddenly from the doorway.

“Nik, did you find her?” Landen asked ignoring her question.

“She’s gone,” Nikki said as she stepped further into the room. “Why didn’t you say it was my dad?”

“Because I know you, and I don’t want you to blame yourself,” Landen explained. “But right now, I need to find Amelia. I promise, once I know she is okay, I will tell you what you want to know.”

“I’ll go look for her,” Liam said as he gave Landen a smile. “I promise I will find her, and I will bring her back to you.”

“Please, Liam,” Landen said as he gave him a pleading look. “I can’t lose her. Not like this.”

“I promise,” Liam said as he patted Landen’s shoulder before he headed to the door.

“Liam!” Nikki called out, and Liam stopped and turned back to her. She handed him the key to her apartment, telling him the code. “You will need these to get up to the apartment.”

“Thanks, Nik,” Liam replied, giving her a grateful smile before he turned and hurried out of the room.

“Now, I know you’re all worried about him,” Dylan said looking at his parents. “But I think Landen really needs to rest. If he wants to get out of here in the next day or so, he needs to try to get some sleep.”

“Finn and Callum are on their way in,” Sean said as he pulled his phone from his pocket. “I will call them and tell them to go straight to the house.”

Sean walked out of the room, leaving Landen alone with his mom, Nikki and Dylan.

“Landen, I’m so sorry that this happened to you,” Nikki said as she took hold of Landen’s hand.

“You don’t have to be sorry, Nik,” Landen reassured her. “We are going to sort this, okay?”

“Okay,” Nikki nodded as tears trickled down her face.

“Why don’t I take you back to my house, Nikki,” Nell said as she wrapped her arm around Nikki’s shoulder. “I think tonight is a night to be with family.”

“Thank you,” Nikki replied, smiling through her tears.

“Promise me that you will do what Dylan tells you,” Nell said as she turned her attention back to Landen. “I know you’re worried about Amelia, but you are no good to her unless you allow yourself to heal.”

“I promise, Mom,” Landen assured her before she leaned down and kissed his forehead. Then she turned to Dylan, kissing him on the cheek. “Take care of him for me, don’t let him talk you into letting him leave here, no matter what.”

“I won’t,” Dylan assured his mother as he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “I promise you he is going nowhere.”

“Thank you,” Nell said as she looked at Landen once more, and he hated that once more his mother was worried about him. “I will be back in the morning.”

Nikki stared at Landen for a moment longer before she allowed Nell to lead her out of the room.

“So,” Dylan said once he and Landen were alone once more. “You want to fill me in on what’s going on? Who’s this Amelia girl?”

“It’s a long story, Dylan,” Landen sighed as he sank back on his pillow. “I promise I will tell you everything, but once this headache is gone.”

“Then maybe you should get some rest,” Dylan said, giving his brother a knowing smile.

“I can’t,” Landen replied, honestly. “Not until I know that she’s okay.”

“I thought you might say that,” Dylan said with a chuckle as he turned and walked over to a cabinet on the back wall. Picking up a syringe, he turned and walked towards Landen.

He reached up, inserting the syringe into the access port on the IV that was connected to Landen’s arm.

“What are you doing?” Landen asked as he gave his brother a questioning look.

“I need you to sleep,” Dylan explained as he pressed down on the syringe. “So, I am giving you something to relax you.”

“Dylan, no,” Landen argued, but it was too late. The sedative was already in the drip and working its way into his system. “What if Amelia comes back.”

“Then I will make sure she doesn’t leave again,” Dylan replied with a smile, as he threw the syringe into the dangerous waste disposal next to the door. “Liam is going to find her Landen. He will take care of her, but I need to take care of you.”

“I…I don’t want to go to sleep,” Landen insisted, but he could already feel the effects of the drugs that were now in his system. “Dylan….”

Suddenly his eyes grew heavy, and as much as Landen tried, he could fight the sleep no longer. He lay his head back down on the pillow and closed his eyes.