The mug starts to tremble in her hands as she slowly lowers it to the table. She quickly stands in a rush. “Sorry, Chills, I gotta—”
“No, go, this is important,” Chills offers.
Cherry moves into my side, fighting like hell to keep her shit together. She smooths her hands down her jeans nervously as we head for the stairs. “Jesus, I don’t think I want to hear this,” she mumbles under her breath.
I reach out placing my hand on her lower back. “It’s gonna be okay, Cherry. But I have to tell you and Prinie together.”
We traipse up the stairs, heading for Prinie’s room, and Cherry’s struggling not to panic. The strong woman from yesterday is losing the fight right in front of me. We reach Prinie’s door, and I grab Cherry, spinning her to face me. “You can’t go in there like this. It will freak Prinie out. He’s alive, okay?”
Cherry’s entire body sags in relief as she closes her eyes trying to steady herself. “Fuck! You could have led with that, Wraith.”
“Shit! Yeah, well, I’m no good at this crap, okay? All I know is we have to go into Prinie’s room and explain it all. She needs to know everything’s okay.”
“Is it, though? Is everything all right?”
“Let’s just go inside, and I’ll tell you all about the call.”
Cherry turns, knocking on Prinie’s door while I clench and unclench my fists.
Why am I this nervous to talk to Prinie?
“Come in,” her voice is melancholy and low as Cherry grips the door handle.
Here goes nothing.
PRINIE
Sitting on my bed, I pull the AirPods from my ears where Lewis Capaldi wistfully mourns about letting his guard down. The song hits home at the moment in more ways than one as I let my air buds fall to the mattress.
“Come in,” I somberly murmur, answering the knock.
My door casually opens. Cherry and Wraith stand there. “Well, are you coming in, or am I going somewhere with you?”
Wraith gestures to Cherry for her to enter. She rushes over to my bed, sliding in next to me then she reaches out gripping my hand in hers. Instantly, I know whatever’s coming is about Zero. Mentally, I brace myself for impact.
Wraith moves over to the desk chair, pulls it out, turns it around, and straddles the seat, putting some distance between us as expertly as he always does.
“Is somebody gonna start talking?” I grunt.
Wraith scratches his head, like he’s unsure where to start, but he does anyway. “I got a call from the Sergeant at the jail.”
Clenching my eyes, I tighten my hand on Cherry’s just waiting for the inevitable news I don’t want to hear. My breathing stops as I wait for my world to stop spinning.
“Zero was stabbed in his cell last night—”
“Jesus Christ, Wraith, you said he was okay? You promised me, you promised that you would get him out of there safe!” Cherry blurts out.
I open my eyes to Wraith holding his hands up in surrender.
“I never should have promised you that. I’m sorry, Cherry, but he’s in recovery in the medical unit of the jail… under strict supervision and protection. The perpetrator’s in isolation. He can’t get to Zero again.”
Cherry huffs, folding her arms over her chest in some sort of angry pose while I sit trying to comprehend Wraith’s words.
Zero was stabbed.
So badly, he needed to be moved to a medical ward.
“Is he going to be okay? Is he going to pull through?” My voice is barely a whisper.
Wraith’s eyes focus in on me. “Yes. He’s strong, Prinie. He has far too much to fight for.”
My eyes well with tears as I try to gather all the emotions racing through me right now.
Zero was stabbed.
He could have died.
But, he didn’t.
And right now, I am so fucking glad for small mercies.
“Prinie, I know this is a lot to take in right now. I want to be here for anything you need and to help you get through thi—”
“Actually, Wraith, Zero is alive,” I cut in. “That’s worth celebrating. I want to embrace the fact my brother survived. He’s strong. I don’t know if he’s going to make it through the entire time he’s in that place, but today… today is a win for us and the club.”
Cherry smiles with an enthusiastic drop of her chin. “Hell, yeah, it is. My old man wouldn’t want us moping around and fucking about. He’d want us celebrating the small stuff.”
Wraith’s eyes shift, they were dark, a shadow had taken them over, but now a small ray of light beckons beneath the blackness. “You wanna do something to celebrate, princess?”
I stand, running my hands down my sweatpants. “We need a club party.”
Cherry chuckles. “Yes, it’s what Zero would want.”
Wraith rubs the back of his neck. “You sure this isn’t just an excuse to get wasted and drown your sorrows?”
I roll my eyes. “You can do that if you want, but me and Cherry, we’re celebrating the guy we love making through another day in lockdown. Right, Rayne?”
Cherry stands with a firm nod of her head. “Exactly! We’re doing this, Wraith, with or without you.”
Groaning, I stand with a shrug. “Fine! We will have a very small, low-key party. No outside visitors. No heavy drinking… either of you. I don’t need anything happening. No drunken, boozy, bender behavior, you got me?”
I fold my arms over my chest. “Same goes for you, Mr. President.”
Wraith simply nods as Cherry exits my room to obviously get ready, which leaves us alone.
Wraith looks to the door, then walks over, closing us in. “How are you… really?”
I raise my brow. “You care?”
A low growl reverbs from his chest as he
