Addicted by Elle Kennedy
Or at least that was the story Reese was hoping they’d buy.
Jamie prayed like hell it worked. That the Enforcers who found the truck didn’t somehow piece it together that their men had died at Foxworth and not on the road.
But at the moment, she was far more worried about Kade, who had been drifting in and out of consciousness since the blood transfusion.
Jamie sat up and rubbed her eyes just as Hudson emerged from Kade’s room to give them another report. Thankfully the blonde was looking steady on her feet again. Jamie had been truly concerned about her earlier. Hudson had given Kade way too much blood, and it was a miracle she hadn’t died herself.
“Xan,” Hudson said softly.
The man shot up from his chair. “Time for another transfusion?” When Hudson slowly shook her head, Xander’s eyes widened in horror. “Is he . . . ?”
“No,” the blonde said quickly. “He’s alive.” There was an agonizingly long pause. “But I’m not sure how long he’ll stay that way.”
Jamie’s heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. No. She stumbled to her feet. Lennox did the same, his warm hand resting on her hip to steady her.
“Then give him another transfusion.” Xander’s desperation thickened the air in the corridor.
“It won’t help.”
“You don’t know that! We can at least try, goddamn it!”
Hudson repeated herself. Low and weary. “It won’t help.”
The small group followed her into Kade’s room, where she gingerly removed the dressing over his bullet wound. Jamie tried not to gasp when she glimpsed Kade’s abdomen. It was distended. And turning purple. The signs of internal bleeding were impossible to miss, and a strangled sob lodged in her throat when she recognized the implications of that.
Hudson confirmed Jamie’s suspicions. “He’s bleeding internally. I don’t know if even surgery would help at this point, but that’s not an option. We’re not equipped to operate.”
“How long?” Xander whispered, and they all knew what he meant.
“I don’t know,” Hudson said helplessly. “Minutes? Hours?”
“Is he in pain?” Rylan asked from the door. His expression was as stricken as everyone else’s.
“I gave him some painkillers, but . . .” Hudson bit her lip. “He’s suffering.”
Xander let out a tortured groan. “Give him more, then,” he burst out. “Don’t you have anything stronger?”
“We’ve got some morphine, but not a lot. Which means either we inject him with small doses, which won’t help much with the pain. Or we give him one massive dose and . . .” She trailed off.
This time Jamie did gasp. One massive dose? That would . . . fuck, it would kill him.
Her gaze landed on Kade. His face was grayer than the cinder block walls. His breaths were so shallow his chest was scarcely moving anymore.
No, the morphine wouldn’t kill him.
It would put him out of his misery.
At Kade’s side, Xander had evidently reached the same conclusion. His entire face collapsed as another anguished sound escaped his lips. Everyone went silent. It felt like hours. Days. And then Xander’s head turned sharply toward Hudson.
“Give me the morphine.”
“Xan—” she protested.
“Just give it to me and leave,” he bit out. “All of you. Just leave.”
Jamie’s hands began to shake, so hard that Lennox took both of them in his palms and squeezed tightly. “Jamie,” he murmured. “Let’s go.”
God. She didn’t want to leave. But Xander was already pushing away from the table, forcibly shoving everyone but Hudson to the door.
In the hallway, the tears spilled over, soaking her cheeks and prompting her to bury her face against Lennox’s chest. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she whispered.
His shaky hand stroked her hair. “I know.”
There was a loud click. Jamie raised her head to find that Xander had kicked Hudson out too. The blonde looked so ravaged that Jamie moved from Lennox’s arms to Hudson’s, holding the other woman tight. “You did everything you could, Hudson.”
“But it wasn’t enough,” Hudson mumbled.
Jamie heard a low voice from behind the door. Xander, as he spoke quietly to Kade. She was dreading the moment when he stopped talking, because that would mean that he’d . . .
Another sob flew out, and she released Hudson so abruptly the woman staggered backward. Jamie whirled around to Lennox. “I can’t be here,” she choked out. “I can’t—”
He had his arm around her before she could get another word out. “It’s okay, love. It’s okay. We don’t have to be here.”
She didn’t remember leaving the infirmary or heading back to their room. She didn’t remember Lennox pulling a blanket over her and sliding in beside her. She didn’t remember what they said to each other, or exactly when it was that the first light of dawn streamed in through the window.
All she knew was that when she opened her eyes that morning, Kade was dead.
24
Foxworth was in mourning. Lennox was in mourning. Even as he went through his usual morning routine—got dressed, washed up, grabbed a cup of coffee from the restaurant—it didn’t escape him that his world had once again been rocked off its axis. He’d lost two close friends last night.
Arch. Kade.
Jesus, Kade. The grief he felt at the loss of Arch was crushing, but the loss of Kade . . . the knowledge that Xander had been forced to inject the lethal dose of morphine that took their friend’s life . . . it would haunt Lennox for the rest of his life.
He forced himself to stay productive. He helped Beckett and Travis clean up the debris littering the town square. He checked in on Jamie, who was spending the day hovering over Bethany. And now he was heading to the restaurant, because he’d been told Randy was there, and he wanted to make sure the kid’s arm was holding up well.
But Randy wasn’t alone when Lennox strode into the restaurant. The boy was sitting in a corner booth with Sara.
Shit. After everything that had happened last night, Lennox knew Sara’s father would be even more determined now to keep his daughter away from Randy.
Just as Lennox took a tense step toward the booth, a large hand clamped onto his shoulder. He turned, surprised to find Gideon there. The man had been holed up in the booth behind Lennox, judging by the lone steaming mug on the tabletop.
“It’s all right,” Gideon murmured, following Lennox’s gaze. “I told him he could sit with her.”
He couldn’t mask his surprise. “You did?”
“He saved her life last night. That Enforcer bastard tried to”—Gideon’s voice cracked—“rape her. If Randy hadn’t shown up . . .” Relief and agony warred in the man’s gaze.
Lennox nodded in understanding. “What was she even doing out last night? We had a curfew in effect.”
“She was looking for that goddamn necklace.”
“What are you talking about?” he asked with a frown.
“Your woman gave her a necklace. Those pearls? I guess the clasp was loose and the damn thing fell off somewhere in the rec center.” Gideon angrily shook his head. “She snuck out to get it, said she didn’t want the Enforcers finding the necklace and stealing it from her.”
Lennox stifled a sigh.
“Trust me, I’m not happy with that bit of foolishness.” Gideon’s tone softened. “But I don’t have the heart to punish her for it. She was already punished enough last night.” He sighed. “I’m damn grateful Randy showed up when he did.”
Lennox glanced toward the booth again, where Randy and Sara were talking quietly. Neither one was smiling, but they looked far more relaxed than they’d been last night.
His stomach clenched when he remembered their pale faces. Sara’s tears. Randy’s bloodstained sleeve. Gid
Lennox had almost lost Jamie.
“You leaving?”
The abrupt question snapped his head up. “What?”
“You and your people,” Gideon clarified. “Are you heading back to your camp now that training is over?”
“Yeah. In a few hours, actually.” Agony clogged his throat. “Ry and Xan are preparing Kade’s body. They want to bury him at our camp.”
Gideon’s expression grew pained. “I’m sorry for your loss, Lennox.”
“You lost someone too last night,” he said roughly. “Arch.”
They both fell silent as they thought about their fallen friends. Lennox knew there was a funeral being planned for Arch tomorrow, but as much as it pained him not to attend, he was getting the hell out of Foxworth as soon as Rylan and the others were ready to go.
It was so fucking ironic. He’d always felt safest here in Foxworth, but how foolish was that? For all his preaching about safety being an illusion, he’d taken Foxworth for granted. He’d allowed himself to believe that nothing bad could touch this town, that the gates and Reese’s deals with the city were enough to protect the people living here.
He’d been wrong. There were no safe places in the free land. Danger was everywhere, and now it looked as though Foxworth might be the most dangerous place of all.
Jamie could have died yesterday. Other people had died.
Which meant it was time to go.
But first, there was one more person he needed to check in with.
He found Reese in the courtyard. She was murmuring instructions to Travis, who had taken over Arch’s duties of manning the gate. Trav had a rifle slung over his shoulder and was listening intently to every word Reese said.
Lennox waited until they were done, then cornered Reese on the sidewalk. “Did you hear from your other reps?” he asked in lieu of greeting.
She gave a brisk nod. “I got in touch with Nestor about an hour ago.”
“And?”
“They found Charlie’s unit.” Her lips quirked. “Nestor asked me whether I was aware that there were bandits this close to Foxworth.”
Lennox breathed in relief. “He wasn’t suspicious?”
“Not in the slightest. Turns out the last time Charlie reported in, he told headquarters they were on their way back to base. They must have had their run-in with the bandits right after that, and he didn’t bother checking in again to let anyone know his team was coming to Foxworth.”
“What about your alliances? Still intact?”
“For now. Nestor still isn’t happy about what happened on his last visit, but he assured me that Charlie’s replacement would abide by the rules of our deal.” She slanted her head. “What about you?”
He narrowed his eyes. “What about me?”
“You ready to give me an answer yet?”
“No.”
She ran a frustrated hand through her copper hair. “Len. Come on. After last night, it’s even more important for all of us to stand together. The Enforcers are out of control.” Fury lit her eyes. “That bastard Cruz shot Arch in cold blood. These people need to be stopped.”
“I’ll be in touch,” was all he said.
Her annoyed curse told him she didn’t like that answer, but he didn’t give a shit if she was displeased. He wasn’t committing to anything until he’d considered every angle. Even so, he knew Reese was right. Surviving in the free land was becoming increasingly hazardous. The Enforcers were out of control. But Lennox had bigger concerns. Priorities that ran deeper than helping Reese form a united stand against the council.
He wasn’t throwing himself in the line of fire unless he was absolutely sure he could keep Jamie out of the line of fire.
“I’ll find you before we leave.” He touched Reese’s arm and then headed off to see Jamie.
She was exiting Bethany’s door when he reached the one-story building, and Lennox wasted no time pulling her into his arms. “Hey.” He buried his face in her hair.
“Hey,” she murmured back.
He breathed in her familiar scent and once again uttered a silent prayer that she was all right. Christ, he’d almost lost her last night.
The memory only fueled his need to get going. To speed away from Foxworth’s gates and take her back to Connor’s camp. To their hidden fortress in the mountains. Maybe there it would be safe. Maybe he could make it safe.
“We should start packing.” He released her abruptly. “We have a long drive ahead of us.”
Jamie hesitated.
“What?” he said instantly.
“I wanted to talk to you about that. I was coming to find you, actually.”
Her timid expression raised his hackles. Jamie was never timid. Unless she was about to tell him something she knew he wouldn’t like.
“Jamie . . .” His tone held a warning. And his pulse had kicked up a notch.
She puffed out a hurried breath. “I want to stay here.”
Lennox blinked.
Then blinked again.
“Bethany needs me,” she said when he didn’t respond. “She’s in such a bad place right now. And she’s seven months pregnant. In two months she’s going to be taking care of a baby. Alone.”
He blinked.
Then blinked again.
“She needs our help,” Jamie pleaded. “Arch is gone. The others are going to be too busy protecting the gates and keeping everyone safe. She’s our friend, Len. She needs us.”
He blinked.
Then blinked again.
“Damn it, Lennox! Would you stop blinking like an owl and start talking?”
The annoyed demand snapped him out of his trance. “Absolutely not,” he ground out.
Her blue eyes flickered with annoyance. “Lennox.”
“Absolutely not,” he echoed, and his thunderous tone made her flinch. “We’re not staying here.”
“Yes, we are.” She planted her hands on her hips. “Or at least, I am. You can go back to Connor if you want, but I’m not going anywhere. Bethany—”
“Someone else can take care of Bethany,” he interrupted. “It’s not your responsibility, Jamie.”
“She’s our friend.” Jamie stared at him with astonished eyes. “Arch was our friend. He would want us to take care of his woman.”
“I don’t give a shit what he would’ve wanted! You’re my woman, and I take care of you, you understand me? And we’re fucking leaving. Today.”
Defiance hardened her face. “No. I’m staying to take care of my friend. At least until the baby is born—”
“Until the baby is born?” he burst out in disbelief. “That’s two months!”
Didn’t she realize how long that was? How much shit could happen to her in that time? Lennox didn’t give a damn if Nestor had bought the bandit story Reese had orchestrated on the road. As long as Reese maintained her alliance with the Enforcers, Foxworth would always be on their radar. Connor’s camp wasn’t. End of fucking story.
“You’re not staying here,” he hissed out. “I mean it, Jamie. You’re coming with me and we’re getting the hell out of here.”
She met his eyes. “No.” Calm and resolute.
And just like that, something inside him snapped. As if a piece of rope that had become more and more frayed over time, the thin threads ripping apart into jagged, severed pieces.
“If you stay . . .” He struggled for breath. “If you stay, then it’s over between us.”
Jamie’s shocked gaze flew to his. “You don’t mean that.”
“Yes. I do.” Lennox was surprised his voice could be so steady when he’d lost every shred of control. “I can’t do this anymore.”
“Do what?” she said pleadingly.
“Watch you put your life at risk. I can’t keep you safe if you d
“Let yourself love me?” Her eyes blazed at him. “You need to give yourself permission to love me? Bullshit. You do love me. You always have, and you’re being ridiculous right now. It is safe here—”
“It’s not!” he roared.
“It’s as safe as it’s gonna get,” she shot back. “And yes, right now I’m not thinking about my own self-preservation. I’m thinking about Bethany, who’s going to have a baby soon, who just lost her man. What’s the point of making connections with people if you’re not going to be there for them when they need you the most?”
His heart rattled his rib cage, each erratic beat thudding between his ears. He drew a deep breath. Another one. And another. It didn’t calm him down. It just made him dizzy.
“Come with me,” he whispered. “Right now, Jamie. Please.”
“No.”
She might as well have slapped him. His heart fractured, sharp pieces slicing down to his gut.
“Now what? Does that mean it’s over?” she said sardonically.
Lennox exhaled. Then he nodded.
Her eyes went wide again. “What happened to I go where you go?” Anguish rang in her voice. “Doesn’t the opposite of that apply? I stay where you stay?”
“Not here,” he choked out. “We can’t stay here.”
“Well, that’s what I’m doing, Lennox. I’m staying with Bethany. And Reese will do everything in her power to protect this town.”
He was so frustrated he wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her. “This town? It’s not a town, Jamie. It’s a goddamn illusion. We’re still in outlaw territory. We’re still living in a fucking wasteland, and we’re still being hunted by those bastards in the city. This perfect little dream of yours? A baby? A home? There’s no such thing as home. Bethany and Arch tried building one, and look where it got them. Arch is fucking dead. And Bethany’s kid? Next time the Enforcers come here to crash and drink and screw, they’re gonna hear that goddamn baby crying, rip it right out of Bethany’s arms, and haul it to the city.”