CHAPTER NINE
903 Words
SAINT'S POV
What the hell was she thinking taking cold water when she knew she was sick?
Who the f**k does that?
Was she trying to kill herself?
God. I couldn't handle another death in this house.
I knew I should have just kept her in a room upstairs instead of the basement.
What was I thinking putting a woman alone down there by herself.
Fuck. I was such an i***t.
I was in the middle of an important meeting with Rico in the library when Lillian rushed in saying the girl downstairs was terribly sick.
I never leave my meetings for anyone.
Money was the one thing in this world I could count on. I couldn't say the same about people. Even if the world was burning I wouldn't stop trying to get more money just because a few people were on fire.
But here I was telling Rico we would continue later and rushing downstairs to help a stranger.
This girl was driving me insane.
I got downstairs and found her standing at the fridge gulping cold water like she had lost every single brain cell she was born with.
Before I could stop her she was on the floor.
Just like that.
I looked at her lying there. Her skin had gone pale. Almost white. Her lips were chapped and dry and peeling at the edges like she hadn't touched a lip balm in weeks.
Wasn't she taking care of herself down here?
She could have just asked Lillian for a damn lip balm. Lillian would have brought her anything she needed.
Seeing her on that floor like that brought things back that I had spent years trying to bury. Memories I had locked away in places I didn't visit anymore.
And now here they were.
Crawling back up.
Fuck.
"We need to call a doctor sir." Lillian's voice pulled me back.
"Yes." I rubbed my face with my left hand. "We do."
I pulled out my phone and went straight to contacts.
Bruno.
Bruno was my doctor. Also my partner. My best friend. To the outside world he was a respected physician with a clean reputation and a waiting list of patients.
To the people who knew the real business, he was a f**king drug lord.
He was my Tommy to Ghost. The one person who knew everything and helped me handle everything, including the things that couldn't be talked about in public.
He was the one I called when our workers got shot. When things went wrong. When bodies needed to disappear.
I dialed his number.
It rang out.
I tried again.
Same thing.
Voicemail picked up on the third try, that automated voice telling me to leave a message after the tone. I didn't wait for the full thing.
"Hey man. I need you at my house right now." I paused. Exhaled slowly. "Come right now."
The line beeped and cut off.
I lowered the phone.
That was when I noticed my hands were shaking.
No.
Not this.
Not the panic attack.
I hadn't had one in years. Five f**king years.
My heart was going too fast. Way too fast. Pounding against my chest like it was trying to get out. I clung to my phone hard like squeezing it would transfer whatever was happening in my body into it instead.
Shit. What the f**k was I supposed to do.
Lillian had sat down on the floor and put the girl's head in her lap. She looked up at me with that expression, waiting for me to have an answer. Waiting for me to be in control.
I turned my face away.
I didn't want her to see anything on my face right now.
To the world I didn't give a f**k about anything.
But I hated being clueless. I hated not knowing what to do. And right now I had no idea what to do and the feeling was making everything worse.
I didn't even know her name.
Not once had I asked.
I had called her collateral. Reggie's wife. Doe. Everything except her actual name.
My phone rang.
Bruno.
I hit the green button before the second ring finished.
"Hey man I need you here right now. Right now." I didn't give him a chance to speak first. The words just came out fast and without space between them.
"Slow down." His voice was deep and steady. "What the f**k is going on."
"She's not responding. I don't know what to do man." I ran my fingers through my hair.
My mouth had gone completely dry.
"Who's she?" A pause. "You know what... I'm on my way. Just calm the f**k down and don't do anything stupid." He ended the call.
I stood there for a second.
He thought I needed him to come hide a body.
The funny thing was I didn't get shaky hands when I actually killed someone. I had done it plenty of times. I would do it again. And my hands never shook when I took a life.
But a girl fainting in my basement had me standing here with sweaty palms and a heart that wouldn't slow down.
I walked over to where Lillian was sitting and scooped the girl up from her lap.
She was so light.
Too f*****g light.
I put her over my shoulder and headed for the stairs.
I was taking her to my room.
- Writer
