crap any longer. It was a smart choice, but goddamn if I wasn't mentally kicking myself for letting my paranoia slip. Of course he was watching—he was always watching. I just had to hope he assumed it was Alexi or someone else. Anyone but Cass.
"It'll be okay," Lucas reassured from the backseat. I flicked him a grateful look and reached my hand back to tangle with his fingers. Just touching him sometimes could calm the wild storm of my emotions.
This wasn't one of those times. But I still liked to touch him anyway. Zed said nothing, but his hand found my knee while he drove. None of us really spoke again for the rest of the drive to the hospital.
When we arrived, the attending nurse wasn't all too happy about letting us in to see Maxine. Apparently, my friend had been in surgery since she was brought in at three in the morning, but the doctors had done all they could. She'd been brought out for her parents to say their goodbyes before switching off life-support.
It was only when a more senior nurse recognized Zed and I that we were given access but warned sternly to turn our phones off and respect Maxine's understandably distraught family.
I paused outside the room they had Maxine in. Her parents were both in there, along with a younger girl who looked so much like Maxine she had to be her sister. They were utterly devastated, gathered around the hospital bed that Maxine lay totally lifeless in. A breathing tube covered her lower face, and her neck and forehead were strapped into a type of brace that indicated spinal damage. What little could be seen of her face and arms was so covered in bruises and lacerations she didn't even look human.
"Hayden," Lucas said softly, his hand gentle on the small of my back. "Do you want to go in?"
Swallowing hard, I shook my head. "No." Because I'd seen enough. I didn't need to intrude on her family's goodbyes. That wasn't my place, nor was it my right. It was only guilt that had brought me to the hospital, but I wasn't selfish enough to push it any further.
Zed looked through the window, his face creased with pain, but he nodded his agreement. "You're right. Let's go."
He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and walked with me back to the nurses’ station, where I paused to speak to the nurse who'd let us in to see Maxine.
"Do you know when they plan to switch her off?" I asked, forcing my voice to be level and calm once more.
The nurse gave a sympathetic smile and shrugged. "When they're ready. Could be now, could be tomorrow, could be never. Every family deals with loss differently."
"Got it," I replied, then let Zed and Lucas lead me back outside. When we passed through the hospital doors, I switched my phone back on. I needed to get my head back into work mode. My hardest shell was always in place when I was dealing with business. No one cracked Hades.
I trailed slightly behind Lucas and Zed as I checked my messages, noticing a voicemail from Alexi. I tapped the button to listen and brought the phone to my ear, pausing to wait for an ambulance to pass while Alexi's voice started.
"Boss," he said in a hushed whisper. "I need to speak with you, urgently. Some shit has gone down... I'd feel better speaking with you in person." There was an awkward pause, then he sighed. "Preferably alone. I'll be at Club 22."
That was the end of the message, and I frowned at my phone as I hurried to catch up with Zed and Lucas.
"What's up?" Zed asked when I reached the car.
I climbed into my seat and relayed Alexi's message, adding that he had sounded strange.
"Sounds like a setup," Lucas offered, meeting my eyes in the rearview mirror. "You're not going to 22 alone, right?"
I gave him a smile. "Of course not. But Alexi wouldn't set me up. It's probably just—"
"Him shooting his shot at joining Team Hades?" Zed suggested, giving me a knowing smirk. "He's probably decided to go all in and declare his undying love or some crap, like he's totally forgotten how many times you've subtly rejected his attention over the years."
Lucas snickered. "Well, it worked for you."
"Dare never rejected me," Zed replied, "she just didn't notice I was flirting in the first place."
I gave a small, embarrassed groan and raked my fingers through my hair. "Whatever.