“Found me,” Angel echoed, turning away from him.Didn’t he get shot in the back? Didn’t he cover Ray’s–
Ray.
“Foundme?”he asked again, his voice going louder as he whirled on Kyle, his arm suddenly forgotten, “What about Ray?”
His eyes turned into slits, “She took a hit.” Kyle snapped and Angel leaned back at his tone, unnerved by the simmering rage in his eyes as his mind went slack at the thought.She took a hit? From what, from fucking where–
“Where is she?”
And Kyle, thatasshole,turned his head away from him. His laced hands tightened, his entire body straightened like an iron rod as an odd set of silence settled.
Angel blinked at his lack of response, a ball of dread gnawing his gut as he let out a harsh breath and flinched back. Blinked. A whirlwind of possibilities dawned upon him, each getting worse. Each gettingterrifying.
No.
“Where is she?” he asked again but his voice came out hoarse, came outweakas Kyle let out a soft sigh and shuddered once, but continued speaking robotically, his eyes staring into nowhere.
“Sorin.” He said instead and Angel’s eyes hardened, his glare already working as Kyle lifted his hands in surrender, “He was the one who came after us. Who saved dad. He’s the one who tipped us off. There’s no way he’s the mole.”
Angel’s jaw clenching to the point of pain, his fingers fisting. Didn’t care.He didn’t fucking care.
“Mom’s in the hospital,” Kyle continued, his voice ridden with grief and pain, “And Vera is injured as well. Sorin took a bullet for dad. Almost took another for me–”
“What aren’t you telling me, Kyle?” Angel snarled softly, knowing he was rambling for no reason. He saw Kyle’s throat bob, the tick in his jaw as his green eyes hardened further. Thatlook. That rage. Angel’s patience snapped, his mind stalling at his actions as he stood up abruptly.Rippedthose IV lines from his hand and shot forward, a growl ready on his tongue as he grabbed the hem of Kyle’s shirt.Slammedhim against the wall before hauling him forward and looked right through those defeated green eyes,
“Where the fuck is she?”he seethed but Kyle didn’t balk. Didn’t even respond. Just glanced down to his bleeding hand and back up at him again.
“Sit down.”
He rasped in response, and Angel’s fingers tightened against the fabric of his shirt. Contemplating throwing him out thefuckingambulance when–
“We found her body next to yours.”
Her body.
Angel stumbled back, letting go of Kyle abruptly, arushof dread, of fear, ofpainswimming through him at his words.We found her body next to yours.
How could that be true? How when he had tried everything in his power–
“Relax,” Kyle said and Angel’s head snapped up so fast his neck caught in the movement painfully. He grunted and braced his uninjured hand against the back of his neck as Kyle continued,
“She’s alive. In the hospital as we speak.” And as good as those words sounded, Angel could still hear the note of pain in his voice. He glared up at him, clutching his neck as Kyle shifted on his seat uncomfortably.
“But,” he said a bit weakly and Angel clenched his teeth, “She was in bad shape. Had been too close to the bomb site.”
“Cut the bullshit–”
“She’s in a coma right now.”
It took a moment for his rough voice to register. A moment for him to come to terms with the words he’d just heard.
She’s in a coma.
Angel fell back on his bed, unable to stand. Unable to do anything as his heart thundered in his chest.Thump, thump, thumpit went filling that silence in his head.The breath in his lungs seemed to fizzle out, his entire worldslowing.
“I want to see her.” He rasped and saw Kyle’s shoulder bunch further, his head slumping. Angel couldn’t bear this, couldn’tbearthis silence. His eyes snapped to Kyle, burning with rage but not grief.
Nevergrief.
