Incandescent

“Don’t even think about it, Kadence,” he warns like he can see my thoughts.

Everything in the small space around me fades; my best friend lying shot next to me, the pain in my chest gone. Everything stops for a moment. My eyes sting, begging me to blink, but for the life of me, I’m stuck, fascinated by the hollow shape staring back at me.

Memories of my mom and dad flash before me like a playback on an old movie reel. Holly and I on our first day of college, the day Zane got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife, the fire that changed my life. Each significant moment plays like a movie before my eyes, then fades fast when Nix’s voice breaks through. His gravelly voice, telling me to get on his damn bike. Z’s smiling face is staring at me as I hold on to his dad’s hand.

The small black hole moves forward, the coldness of the metal meeting my forehead. I close my eyes, willing to see Nix and Z again, my mind knowing that they are the last people I want to see. I don’t hear the words coming from Zane. They bleed into each other. I focus solely on remembering the touch of Nix’s hands, the taste of his lips.

I’m going to die, and I’m never going to see him again.

My breathing comes back, dragging and forcing air into my lungs, the encompassing pain pulling me from the haze. A bone-chilling roar, followed by a loud thud has me twisting away. A force like no other pushes me down, and a heaviness falls over me. Before my back hits the solid ground, the darkness takes me.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Nix

“Tell me you got a fuckin’ hit on him,” I roar down my cell. The pain in my chest feels akin to someone slamming into me, reaching in and tearing me apart. I don’t know what will kill me first: the blinding rage that’s searing through my heart or the paralyzing fear that she’s been hurt. The fury that’s building inside of me shows no signs of calming anytime soon.

I got a call an hour ago. The last thing I ever expected to hear was that Gu

Nothing can happen to her. Nothing. It will kill me.

“Mayhems are on board and putting a recon team together as we speak. We’ve narrowed it down to an old farmhouse an hour away. Jesse and I are on our way now.” Sy sounds calm and collected, but I detect the controlled anger he’s keeping at bay. Brooks was taken off guard when he was knocked over the head waiting for Kadence and Holly, and now Zane has her. I shouldn’t have thought for a second leaving her was smart. My head messed up with Z and Addison’s shit, I left Kadence vulnerable and open to an attack. I fucking knew Zane would pull this shit. He’s so far up Gu

“Keep me posted, and Sy?”

“Yeah, boss, you don’t have to tell me.” He cuts me off before I say it. I know he’s feelin’ me. I know I’m not go

***

I watch the fluorescent light flicker above me, the buzzing sounds replacing the bright light, before switching back into the full light only to repeat all over again. I look around at my family and my friends, all gathered in the waiting room by my side. My mind won’t still, racing through thought after thought.

How much fucking longer?

Sy stands near the double doors, his back against the wall. Blood matter covers the front of his shirt and cut. He hasn’t spoken a word to me since going over the details when I first made it to the hospital. He’s fighting some serious rage behind his eyes. I didn’t push him; the tension rolling off him is telling me he’s about to snap.

Brooks and Jesse sit watching the muted TV. After only just leaving the emergency room himself with ten stiches at the back of the head, I told Brooks to go home, but he still refuses. He won’t leave until he knows they are okay.

Jesse’s leg bounces up and down, impatient to hear the news. He filled me in on what Sy couldn’t say. After receiving the call that the Warriors of Mayhem had found where the girls were being held, they floored it to meet them. After T and his boys took out the two assholes guarding the perimeter, Sy took Zane, while Jesse took out the other fuckhead holding Holly. I know he is dealing with some serious shit over there, probably replaying the fact he just killed another person, but I don’t doubt he doesn’t regret it. The asshole had it coming, and knowing that Holly is fighting for her life, we all know those assholes deserve more.

I look over to where Beau sits on the one side of Z, with my pops on the other.

“Will Kadence be okay?” Z asks when my eyes go to him. I don’t miss the stagger in his question, my strong boy trying to hold it together. I told Pops to stay behind, but the old bastard didn’t listen. I’m glad he’s here. After spending the last three nights with him, he’s come to know Kadence through me constantly talking about her. I know our relationship was strained after losing Mom, but after he turned his patch in and allowed the club repair, we were able to build it back. I don’t get to see him as often as I like now that he lives out at the lake house still mourning my mom. Z and I were on our last night away, both impatient to get home to Kadence. The hilarious yet smart-ass shit she pulls with me has become the highlight of my day. The way she’s shown nothing but compassion to my son, nurturing him through the fallout with his mom, only makes me fall in love with her more.

While having Kadence around us has been healing for Z, I needed to be able to make sure he wasn’t just okay because of her, because of us. I wanted to be right with him. In order to do that, I had to do it away from Kadence. She consumes me and takes all my attention. It’s like my body is drawn to hers. Getting away for a few nights helped me separate myself from that and focus solely on Z. We talked through everything that was concerning me; where his head was at and where we are going from here. I wanted to make sure Z was okay with being with me full time, and see how he was handling the thought of not having his mom in his life. He seems to be accepting it for what it is, knowing it’s not his fault. I can only hope that Addison doesn’t fight me on custody.

A large bang pulls me from my thoughts. Looking up I see an older man slam his fist down on the nurses’ station. A small petite woman tries to calm him, her dark hair pulled back from her face. Her features are strikingly similar to Kadence's. Shit, these are her parents.

It’s not how I expected to meet them, especially here tonight. The small woman ushers the larger man to the waiting chairs, when the nurse just shakes her head no. I'm not sure what to do in this situation. Should I go over there? Introduce myself to them? I’m not even sure she’s told them about me. Hell, I only told Pops about her this week. My decision is made for me when the doctor walks out through the doors. Sy pushes off the wall coming forward to meet the older man. “Kadence Turner’s family?” he calls out. I look to the older couple as we both walk to the waiting doctor.