Omerta ||ʙᴏᴏᴋ 1||

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ

I cradled Jack's body in my lap, pressing my hands against the blood pouring from his arm. It had gone clean through—one bullet in, one out—but the blood wouldn't stop. His little eyes fluttered like he was dreaming, but his pulse... it was barely there.

When we reached the hospital, Cole didn't hesitate—he scooped Jack into his arms like he weighed nothing. I was still in just my shorts and bra, dazed and shivering, so he tossed his leather jacket to me without a word. I zipped it up as I followed him through the sliding doors.

Inside, everything was chaos and white noise. Nurses shouting. The squeak of the stretcher wheels. Then the elevator doors slammed shut, and Jack was gone.

I stood frozen until I felt a hand rest gently on my shoulder, warm and grounding. I turned and met Cole's eyes—green, unreadable, and somehow steady in all the madness. I looked down and saw Jack's blood smeared across his shirt... and mine. It clung to our skin like guilt.

"Hey," he said softly. "I know we didn't exactly hit it off, but I'm sorry. I really hope your brother pulls through."

I didn't say anything.

"It's okay to cry, Sky," he added, giving me a side hug. "Your family's on the way. In a couple days, your little bro will be back playing with his cars or whatever he does."

I leaned into his shoulder, not because I wanted to—but because I had nothing left. The clock ticked louder than the world around me. Every second made my stomach twist tighter.

"This is my fault," I whispered. "If I had just listened to my dad and left when he told me to, Jack would be okay. None of this would've happened."

Tears burned down my cheeks as I buried my face into Cole's shoulder.

"It's all because I made us stay," I said, choking on the words. "Because I thought I knew better."

Cole turned toward me, his hand lifting my chin until I was staring straight into his eyes.

Before he could say anything, the waiting room doors burst open.

"SKYLAR ANN HAYES!"

My dad's voice cut through everything like a blade.

He stormed in, face flushed, rage boiling in his eyes. "I TOLD YOU THIS WOULD HAPPEN! IF WE LEFT LIKE I SAID, JACK WOULDN'T BE IN THAT HOSPITAL!"

I shrank under the weight of his words. Everyone turned to stare—the nurses, the security, even the janitor paused mid-mop.

"I should've never agreed to stay," he barked. "THIS IS ON YOU."

Cole reached out for me again, but I pulled away. I didn't want comfort. I didn't want anything.

I stood and walked toward my dad until I was right in front of him, our eyes locked.

"Don't you think I know that?" I said quietly, my voice shaking. "I already hate myself for it."

The fury in his eyes didn't fade, but something shifted—his breathing slowed, just a little. He reached out and pulled me into a hug. It felt more like a routine than real forgiveness. His arms were tight, but the warmth wasn't there.

"I forgive you," he muttered, "but if anything happens to Jack, the guilt's yours. Not mine. Understood?"

I nodded slowly. "Y-yes, sir."

He stepped back and stared at me with the same look I remembered from when I caught him cheating on Mom. A liar trying to look sincere.

I walked back to my seat—right next to Cole, even though the whole waiting room was empty.