“He fucking shot her!” I yell.
Bennett walks over to Shane, grabs his shirt, and all but drags him out the double doors.
Deke comes to stand before me. “You need to calm down, man,” he whispers harshly. His eyes search the room, probably looking to see how many people are watching us. “Cole?” I stare past him to the door. He reaches up and slaps my face. Not hard enough to hurt but enough to get my attention. “Listen to me! If you make a scene and get kicked out of here, then that’s it. You’re done.” He places his hands on my upper arms. “The police are just looking for a reason to lock you up, so keep your shit together just a little longer.”
“What is going on?” Becky asks, confused about what just happened.
I shove Deke out of the way and storm out the sliding glass doors to see Shane and Bennet walking down the sidewalk to the side parking lot. “Did you fucking know what he was gonna do?” I demand.
They come to a stop, and Shane spins around to face me.
“Shit!” Bennett hisses under his breath.
I storm over to them, coming face to face with Shane, and shove at his chest. “Did you fucking know?”
He stumbles backward but gets his footing before he falls to his ass. Bummer.
I hear the doors slide open behind me. “Cole, don’t—”
“No,” I interrupt Deke. “If he wants to be a part of this group, then he’s going to fucking tell me.”
“Group? What group?” Shane demands, throwing his arms out wide. “You guys have completely lost your fucking minds.”
I fist my busted knuckles. They sting, but I’m ready for more. “No! Kellan lost his mind the moment he decided to want what was mine!”
He throws his head back, letting out a loud laugh that makes my brows rise. He knows something. When his eyes meet mine again, his laughter dies. “She was never yours. His plan all along was to make her his.”
I go to jump him, but an arm wraps around me, and I’m hauled backward. “Cut it out!” Deke growls in my ear. “You’re causing a scene!” Then he whispers, “He could be lying just to get you wound up.”
I shake him off but make no move to kick the shit out of Shane. I don’t wanna make a scene. I just want answers, and I’m used to getting them with my fists.
Bennett stands beside Shane. “He remembered her,” Shane spits out. “He wanted her! He was only fucking Celeste for his own revenge on Bruce!”
“What did Bruce do to him?” Deke asks.
He laughs, shaking his head. “It doesn’t fucking matter. None of it fucking matters anymore.” Then he turns and walks away, and I allow it. Because my biggest battle is waiting behind me, lying in a hospital bed. And although I’ve never had to pick my battles before, I know that she is the one I want to win.
_______________
It’s been six hours since she called me, and the clock on the wall reads a little after five a.m. Shelby notified us when she was out of surgery, but I haven’t been able to see her yet. All I can do is sit here in the waiting room and pray that Shelby can pull some strings to get me back there to her room. If not, I’ll have to sneak my way in. I’m not above breaking a few rules to see her.
Becky lies passed out in a seat across from me with Deke’s jacket over her like a blanket. Bennett sips on his third cup of coffee. He reappeared alone after shit went down outside and never mentioned Shane after that. And I haven’t cared enough to ask. Deke is to my right on his phone when a familiar voice comes through the silent waiting room.
“Cole! Oh God, Cole …” Austin’s voice cries out.
“What the fuck?” I demand as my head snaps over to look at him.
Deke silences his phone and shifts uncomfortably in his seat.
“What the fuck was that?” I question stupidly. I know exactly what it was. And I wanna kick myself in the ass for forgetting about it until just now.
He sighs. “It was the recording of you guys in the bathroom the night we went to the party to get Austin. The video popped up on my Facebook.”
Four months ago
Deke and I come up to Nate Wax’s parents’ house. I sit shotgun in his Range Rover as “Born Ready” by Zayde Wolf plays. This party I’ve heard about for the last two weeks looks to be in full swing. Deke got over a hundred invites to it on his Facebook. The GWS are invited to every party, but that doesn’t mean we go. When we decide to show up, they consider themselves fucking lucky that we grace them with our presence.