A Redo (Sterling Shore 6)

My blood boils, and Rye’s grip tightens on me at the same time Dane’s does, as though they’re preparing to hold me back.

“But,” Corbin goes on, “they’re just patching him up and sending him to the hospital closer to the prison. He won’t be here long.”

“Allie stabbed him with an ink pen to get him away from Tria,” Rain says, trying to talk me off the murderous ledge. “She aimed between the ribs and just barely missed puncturing his lung. I think that’s what she was trying to do—puncture it, not miss. That’s why he’s getting patched up. She might have saved Tria’s life. Now let Corbin keep you from getting arrested. Stay out here until they take her to a room.”

I slink back, feeling all my muscles so tight that they’re ready to snap. “How did this happen? Where the hell did he get that truck?” I ask, needing the distraction, needing some semblance of logic to go with the madness.

“He stole it,” Dale says, walking up from behind Corbin. “They were just a mile from some town when the crew hit them and sprung the prisoners. The cops think they set the ones like Pete free so they could distract the police from the drug dealer king who escaped. Pete and some of the others ran into town. Pete stole a truck that a guy left the keys in, and he drove like hell to Sterling Shore.”

Maverick chimes in, adding, “People saw him cruise by Tria’s house in that truck. They’ve been calling in with reports, and we’ve been getting updates from the police. Traffic cameras caught him running a red light once he spotted Tria’s car. The pink breast cancer awareness sticker on the back gave her away. Not too many cars like Tria’s have stickers that big on the bumpers. He followed and attacked when he was sure it was her.”

Kode Sterling is suddenly bursting through the doors, all of his muscles flexing as he barely keeps it together.

“Tria is sleeping. They gave her some strong shit for the pain, and it made her loopy for a while, but it finally put her to sleep. I want him dead,” he says, looking at Dane.

“You can’t kill him. He’s going away for good now. Attempted murder is a pretty serious charge that he’ll be facing. He’ll never see the outside of a prison again.”

Kode cracks his neck to the side, and he bats Corbin’s hand away when he tries to touch him. He looks like he’s ready to kill or ready to cry. I know exactly how he feels.

“They’re taking her up to a room. I was forced to leave so they could do it. I’m going to meet her up there. I was just coming to tell you guys.”

I look around, noticing that Bella has disappeared. I pull out my phone, dialing Mom as a distraction. Thank God Angel wasn’t with Allie tonight.

“Wren? Is she okay? Please tell me she’s okay!” Mom demands, sounding just as panicked as I’ve felt.

“She’s fine. They’re keeping her here until she wakes up. The pain meds knocked her out. How is Angel? She doesn’t know anything, does she?”

“No. You know me. I won’t let her see me upset, and Bella said Allie wouldn’t want Angel worrying either. Right now she seems to think something is going on, but I’ve promised her everything is fine and lied my ass off. You’re sure Allie is okay?”

I nod, then realize she can’t see me nodding. “Yeah. She’s fine. She’s—”

Bella walks out, her eyes trained on me. “They’re taking her up to a room. Come on.”

She waves me through a different set of doors, and I finish talking to Mom. “I’m on my way up to Allie’s room. I’ll keep you updated.”

Mom sighs long and hard before saying, “Okay. By the way, I just received confirmation that Erica is officially gone. Billy says he’s been dealing with Keith. I can’t believe he’d do this. Becks is so pissed that she’s kicked him out of her house.”

“He’s a grown man. He needs to be kicked out.”

She laughs with exhaustion in her tone. “Call me if you need anything. Tell Allie the same. I don’t care what time it is.”

I promise to call her later and hang up as we ride the elevator to another floor. Kode and the others have already gone up to see Tria in another elevator. Bella and I are alone, and I look over to see her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

“Bella,” I say softly, reaching out to her shoulder.

“Don’t,” she sniffles, knocking my hand away. “If you hug me or some shit, I’ll start crying and I won’t stop. And I can’t do that right now. And don’t ask me if I’m okay, either, because the floodgates are triggered by that question for some reason.”