An Oath In Blood (Book #3)

Chapter 37: Confessions Of A Lifetime

CORVINA HAWKE

Lily all but jumped on me the moment I stepped out of the car on unsteady legs, stealing the breath from my lungs. Eman and Ahvi walked away from us before the former shot me a concerned look. My best friend's arms wrapped around me in a crushing hug as she buried her face in my shoulder, making me forget about the others around us. My leg screamed in pain, the wound in my thigh still untreated. Trish had wrapped a spare cloth we'd found in the car around it to stop the blood flow but I could feel weakness creeping in on me.

"Thank fuck you're okay," she mumured, her voice dripping with genuine concern for me. The concept of love was quite foreign to me, to us because we'd never been introduced to it. But now, hearing Lily's voice quiver as if she had been devastated at the thought of losing me ignited a warmth in my chest that I didn't think myself capable of.

I searched the group gathered around me for signs of Warren but he was nowhere to be seen. Had he gone home? Did something come up at the office? Did Tariq ask him to leave?

"I am here. I'm okay." I assured her, pulling away from her gingerly, pushing thoughts of Warren out of my head even as it spun. Her gaze darted over my face, examining every inch. It took her only moments to seek out the bandage around my leg and the white cloth that was now dyed red.

"What happened?" she asked, stepping away from me. Guilt flashed in her eyes, probably at the realization that she had hurt me when she had hugged me. Trish joined us as the Encore clan trickled inside the house.

"Come on in. You need to rest." Eman called, her voice hoarse yet gentle. I offered a small smile, trying hard to focus on her blurring face.

"There was an explosion in the junkyard, I threw myself on the ground for cover and some shard or the other caused this." I stuttered, my throat feeling parched. I wanted to lay down, take a nap perhaps. The adrenaline coursing through my body at the yard had helped me make an escape with Eman. But now that the urgency had faded, I was left trembling.

"Fuck, Cor. We need to take you to the hospital!" Lily cried as I leaned on her slightly, making my way into the house, toward the living room. My limp was more pronounced now, the fatigue from the blood loss working on my body slowly, taking away my ability to walk as surely as I usually would.

I could feel the others looking at me as I walked past them. Trish had driven us back and the only thing keeping me from passing out was Eman Hashim.

She had told me her secret, one that would come out soon enough. But ever since she'd relied to me that she was pregnant, I couldn't help but feel this need to protect her more than before. She had been seated beside me in the back, her worried gaze roving over me. She had held my hand and whispered affirmations to me and I had focused on her voice to keep myself from slipping into the dark void that was calling to me.

We stepped into the doorway of the living room, almost colliding with a figure who was hurrying out of the room. Blue eyes bore into mine, widening with relief at the sight of me. I managed to smile through the pain, the daze I was slowly falling into.

"I was just cleaning up for you guys so you could rest-" He began but then stopped abruptly as his gaze fell to my leg. "Fuck! You're bleeding!" A solid arm wrapped around my waist as he pulled me into him, away from Lily.

"She needs to go to the hospital." Ahvi murmured. At least I thought it was Ahvi, I couldn't tell anymore. The relief at the sight of Warren took away last of my concerns and I slowly slipped through the tunnel, my consciousness being sucked in by the need to escape the pain.

"I-I'm fine. No hospitals." I stammered, shaking my head. I had never been to one and now, the thought of going to one made my skin crawl.

"Why didn't you take her straight to the hospital?!" I heard someone demand, the deep voice reverberating through his chest into mine. I sagged against him, closing my eyes. Just for a moment and I would be fine. Just for a moment and I would be alright again.