No time was wasted—Tamara had them moving immediately.
By sheer luck, Colleen was on shift when they arrived. One look at Zane, and her eyes went wide. “What in the world happened to you? Don’t tell me you got into a fight!”
“Hah.” A dry laugh escaped Zane, though it hardly disguised his discomfort. Hadley didn’t wait for him to say more. She gave a small nod, her brows drawing together. “He did—kind of.”
Colleen couldn’t find the words. For a moment, she just stood there, stunned. “Let’s get those wounds cleaned up—now,” Colleen said to the nurse standing nearby, without taking her eyes off Zane. “Right away!” The nurse responded briskly. She moved to Zane’s side and guided him to the treatment room, where a doctor immediately began patching him up.
“Alright. Tell me everything—what really happened out there?” Once things had settled, Colleen pulled Hadley aside and kept her voice low.
Hadley paused. Her lashes quivered slightly as she lowered her voice. “It’s my fault… I dragged him into this.”
“Wait, what are you talking about?” Colleen’s expression twisted in confusion. “How is this your fault?”
“It started earlier today…” Hadley quickly walked her friend through the events, her fingers curling into tight fists without her noticing.
After taking it all in, Colleen narrowed her eyes and asked, “Who were those guys? Why would they go after Zane?”
Hadley’s expression shifted, her voice low and steady. “I know exactly who sent them.”
“Who exactly—” Colleen began, but her question was cut short. “Colleen. Hadley.”
Just then, the door to the treatment room creaked open, and Zane stepped out with a fresh bandage wrapped around his head. Both women immediately turned toward him, falling silent.
g?lnσν?s﹒, the heart of fiction
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine,” Zane replied with a small smile, giving his head a cautious shake. “It’s nothing serious. Just a few scrapes.”
Just a few scrapes?
Hadley stared at him, thinking that no one ends up looking like that for no reason. Someone had to answer for this.
“Zane,” Hadley called gently. “You’re hurt. Let me bring you home.”
Zane’s car was still at the scene—he hadn’t even made it back to it. And since it was her mess that dragged him into this, she wasn’t about to let him leave alone.
“That actually sounds good. Thanks for the offer,” Zane paused for a second, then nodded. “I was heading home anyway.”
“I’ve got it covered,” Hadley said with a quick nod. She glanced toward Colleen.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he gets back safe.”
Colleen gave her a simple nod in return. “Alright.”
Behind the wheel once more, Tamara drove Zane straight to his place. When they arrived, Hadley walked him to the front door but didn’t follow him inside.
“Zane,” Hadley said gently, lifting her eyes to meet his. “What happened today… it’s my fault. But I swear this won’t just be brushed aside. The person who did this to you has to pay.”
.
.
.