Torin (Hope City #9) - Maryann Jordan Page 0,69
the body of another runner.”
The entire gathering lifted their gazes to the TV in the corner, seeing a picture of Erin kneeling on the street, debris all around, runners scattered or lying unconscious, her mouth open in a scream, tears streaking down her face mingled with blood running from a cut on her forehead, her eyes raised to the sky as an unconscious Torin was held in her arms.
The hospital room’s occupants all gasped in unison, none louder than Erin. Torin’s gaze shot from the TV to her wide-eyed expression of horror as she stared toward the image… just before she crumpled to the floor.
“Why the hell haven’t we heard anything?” Torin looked up at his sister while battling slight nausea from the pain medication, grimacing every time he moved his leg, which hurt like hell despite the pain medication.
“You should stay still.”
“I’m fuckin’ worried about Erin. I can’t believe I can’t get to her.”
“Look, brother dear, she’s being taken care of. The nurse called for someone when she fainted, and the hospital got her back down to the ER where they’re checking on everything.”
“But that still doesn’t tell me why I haven't heard anything.”
“Probably because the ER is filled with more people coming in than they can handle. I had to fight the media to get in here because everybody wants to know what’s happening. And I was lucky because as soon as Sean told Brock what happened with you and Erin, he got hold of Brody who was close to the Celtic Cock and managed to get me to the hospital.”
He laid his head back onto the pillow, too many thoughts and too many emotions hitting him all at once.
Maeve rose from the seat she’d been in to stand by his bed, reaching down to take his hand, squeezing it. He rolled his head to look at her. Anguish and fear were mingled with relief in her eyes. Shit, I’ve been so worried about what’s happening all around me, I never even thought about my own sister. “Are you okay?” She swallowed deeply and jerked her head up and down silently. He squeezed her hand again and said, “Talk to me, sis.”
“We were in the bar,” she began, her voice soft and hesitant. “There was a crowd, but it wasn’t yet overwhelming. Some of the first waves of runners had already crossed the finish line and there was celebrating. Our servers were working, Gramps and I were behind the bar, and Grandma was overseeing the cook. We had the televisions on, and I had you pulled up on my race app so we could see where you were. Gramps had said we were going to offer a free drink to everyone in the pub when you crossed the finish line.” She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, giving her head a little shake as though trying to dislodge the memories.
“Sis, I’m so sorry.”
Her eyes snapped open, and she glared. “Don’t you dare apologize. There was absolutely nothing you did wrong! Some idiot asshole set off a fuckin’ bomb. A bomb, Torin! Here in Hope City. I mean, what the hell?” Her voice cracked, and she dragged in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “The TV cameras were on the finish line, occasionally doing shots of other people in the race. And then suddenly the news people went apeshit. They started talking about a disruption in the race, and then they said a bomb went off. They finally got a street camera view, and we saw the replay of the first one going off. There wasn’t a close-up on anybody, so I had no idea who was there.”
“Christ, Gramps and Grandma saw that.”
“Torin, the whole city saw it. Hell, by now, the whole world has seen it. I grabbed my phone and looked at the app when Gramps wanted to know where you were. Your dot on the map had stopped. The whole bar was silent and then suddenly erupted. We figured out where the street camera shot was coming from and knew you were close.”
“Oh, Maeve, it might not have been my fault, but I’m so sorry you went through that.”
“All I could think of was that we lost Mom, then we lost Dad, and I thought I was going to lose you.”
Ignoring the dull pain in his leg as well as the pain in his head, he said, “I’m here, sis. I’m in one piece… well, somewhat-put-together pieces—”
She snorted, rolling her eyes. “Oh, God, Torin, only you