Change of Possession (15 page)

We finished our breakfast and drove off toward the wall. He picked out paint and brushes, and I watched as he worked on making the rose come to life. I gazed over the property, seeing the old house that I was always curious about. Maybe one day I’d ask Vahn about it, but today I just wanted to bask in the sun and watch him.

I had my laptop with me and I emailed my mom, letting her know that school was good and that I met someone. I wasn’t sure how she’d really react to that part of the news, but she might as well get used to the idea because I was never letting him go. I neglected to tell her about the crazy stuff that was happening. I figured she wouldn’t like being told I had a psycho football player stalking me. I also caught up with some homework and studies, which was probably a good thing.

The sun was setting and I wondered where the day went. Time flew by so fast when I was with Vahn. He put the paint up and came over to me, lifting me up and setting me on the hood of his car.

“So, I can think of a few things we can do, but what do you want to do?”

I playfully tapped my finger on my chin. “Hummm. You know, I just can’t think of anything I want to do with you.”

“You’re a tease.”

I splayed my hand across my chest. “Me? Oh no, Mr. Silver, I believe the tease title goes to you.”

He snuggled in between my legs and put a hand on each side of me on the hood. “I never tease.” He leaned closer and kissed me. I wasn’t sure how much longer either one of us could keep it up before something happened. We were going to have to find a different outlet, but the thought of that saddened me. I wasn’t sure what I wanted when I was so close to him.

Tires rolling over gravel made Vahn look up. “Get in the car, Keeley.”

“What?” I looked over my shoulder and froze. Vahn helped me off the hood and I quickly got inside the car.

Jonah’s Focus pulled in with four other vehicles behind him. I silently pleaded that Vahn would get in the car with me and we’d just leave.

Steve jumped out of Jonah’s car before it was fully stopped. “Hey, you. Yeah, you.”

Vahn stood next to my door, his fists clenched. “This is private property.”

Steve didn’t stop; he kept walking. “Yeah, so? You have a point? You’ve got my girl; I’ve just come to get her.”

“Keeley isn’t your girl. She never has been, and never will be.”

My heart raced so fast I thought it would explode. I fumbled with my phone until I finally got 911. I told the dispatch the address and what was happening, along with the fact that Steve was wanted. I hung up before she wanted me to, but Vahn needed me. “Vahn, get in the car. Let’s go.”

Steve strode right up to Vahn and clocked him in the jaw. Vahn stumbled back but came forward with a swing of his own, sending Steve backward. Vahn took that moment and rushed at Steve; they both tumbled to the ground and I watched helplessly as all the guys from the team got out of the other vehicles. Brick hurried over to help Steve.

I opened the car door and screamed. “No!”

Vahn looked up briefly, just in time to see Brick coming full force at him. Brick kicked Vahn and he rolled off Steve.

“Leave him alone!” I ran closer but arms grabbed around me, dragging me back. I kicked and screamed more. “Get off me! You son of a bitch, leave me alone!” Two guys from the team held me tightly.

Brick tackled Vahn as Steve was getting up. He walked over to Vahn and kicked him in the ribs. Tears filled my eyes and my stomach rolled.

Steve whistled and three more guys came over. They all took turns with Vahn, beating him. I struggled to break free of the hold around me. I stomped on the foot of one guy, breaking his grip on me, and then turned to knee the other guy. I ran to help Vahn.

“Stop it! Get off him,” I pleaded and cried. Steve wrapped his arms around my middle and picked me up.

“Hey, I thought I told you two to keep her safe?” His voice was threatening as he yelled at the two I escaped.

I got a split second look at Vahn and was immediately sick. His face was covered in blood and he was still—too still. Tears spilled like a river down my face. With this many guys, Vahn didn’t have a chance.

“Alright, guys, I have what we came for.” Steve tightened his grip around me. He chuckled as he bent lower to whisper in my ear. “This is what we call a change of possession.”

The three guys and Brick backed off Vahn, leaving him on the ground. I wiggled, trying to break free of Steve’s near-crushing hold. I needed to get to Vahn. He needed me.

I saw Vahn move his arm slightly in my direction, almost reaching for me. His mouth moved; he said my name, but not even I could hear him. “No!” I screamed again, but no one cared.  I watched as Vahn rolled over and tried to get up, but he fell back down to the ground.

“Let me go,” I yelled, but Steve continued to carry me toward Jonah’s car. I bent my head down and bit his arm that was around my chest.

He let go. Not much, but enough for me to squirm out of his hold. I took off to Vahn’s car and jumped in, locking the doors. Steve was outside watching me. It was like a standoff, neither of us moved.

Our eyes never wavered as we stared at each other.  My gut twisted and my heart raced so fast I could hear it pound in my ears. Fury radiated from his glare and his whole body tensed. His shoulders reared back making me think he was going to turn around and finish off what he started with Vahn. I watched in frozen fear of what might happen.

“Hey, Steve, we gotta go, man. I hear sirens!” Brick yelled from the jacked-up pickup truck.

Steve hesitated but then jumped into Jonah’s car. They all sped off and as soon as the last vehicle was gone, I jumped out and ran to Vahn.

I helped roll him over to his back. “Oh my gosh, Vahn, I’m here.”

“Keeley…” he whispered.

“Yeah, I’m here.” It was hard to see past the tears, and I wiped them off as fast as they fell. “Vahn, what do I do? Can you get up?”

He groaned as he tried to move. I put my hand under his shoulder to help him, but he fell back to the ground only after he was inches off of it. My heart raced and my mind blurred. I needed to think. My mom taught me first aid since I was old enough to reach the first aid kit, surely I could remember how to help Vahn.

I took a calming breath and wiped off the last of the tears. “Vahn, I need to know where you’re hurt.”

“Everywhere,” he whispered through clenched teeth.

That didn’t help. I thought back to everything my mom ever said about finding someone unconscious or severely injured. “Okay, don’t move. I don’t want to help you up if something is broken and hurt you worse.”

“Since when did you switch majors…and become a nurse?” he tried jesting in between two ragged breaths.

“I told you my mom is a surgeon.” I grasped his hand and he squeezed mine back. I wasn’t going to let go until someone made me.

It wasn’t long before an ambulance and a police car pulled in with lights flashing. Two EMTs ran over to assess Vahn’s injuries. I had to let go of Vahn for them to load him onto the backboard and into the ambulance.

My whole body shook as I watched him being loaded. I tried to explain that a group of guys ambushed us and beat him down.

“Are you okay to drive?” one the officers asked me as I watched the ambulance leave.

“What?” I looked at him, a little confused.

“I assumed you were going to the hospital. Are you okay to drive?” he repeated.

Drive? My heart hammered violently in my chest. “Um, well, I didn’t think about that,” I stammered.

“We can stay with you until you’re ready, if you’d like, or drive you?”

I shook my head. No, they’d be waiting forever. “I’m okay.”

They both shook their heads. “Alright, if you need anything else, or you remember anything else, or even remember a face from tonight, don’t hesitate to call.”

“Thanks,” I said.

They got in their patrol car and I walked to Vahn’s Firebird. Slowly I slid into the driver’s seat. My stomach flipped and threatened to make me throw up, but I forced myself to close the door and put the keys in the ignition. I needed to get to Vahn, but this wasn’t something I thought I’d have to be doing so soon.

After some deep breaths, I started the engine and grasped the steering wheel with white knuckles. As cautiously as possible, I headed out toward the road and stopped. It was strange to feel the power of a car under my fingers again. I forgot how much I used to love driving. I let out one more long breath before pulling out onto the main road.

My nerves reached a new height as the realization that I was driving sunk in. Every car I passed made me tense. What was I doing? I shouldn’t be driving. I should have asked the officers for a ride. My heart rate picked up and I had to steady my breathing to keep from panicking.

I couldn’t even look over in the passenger seat for fear I’d see Celeste’s ghost reminding me of the last time I was behind the wheel.

I couldn’t help but worry over Vahn. I knew things were bad when he couldn’t get up. My worry over Vahn pushed my other fears of driving away until I couldn’t remember what I was scared of. All I could think of was him. I swallowed the lump in my throat and thought about the whole thing. Steve really had a grip over the team, but why? What could he possibly have over them to make them do something so horrible?

I wasn’t any closer to the answers when I pulled into a parking spot and jumped out of the car. The emergency room doors seemed forever away as I ran toward them. They slid open as I neared them, slowing me down.

The waiting room was full of people, but I paid no attention to them as I rushed to the triage desk. “My boyfriend was just brought in by ambulance,” I said in between breathes.

The lady barely looked up at me. “Name?”

“Vahn Silver.”

“You’ll have to wait a moment. I’ll have a nurse come and get you as soon as they get him comfortable.”

My heart plummeted as I found a seat as close to the triage doors as possible. I wanted to barge through the doors and find Vahn. Waiting and not knowing killed me. I wrapped my arms around my middle and bent over with my head between my knees.

Two police officers entered through the doors and were admitted entrance to the back and I wanted desperately to go with them. Were they here for Vahn? Did they find Steve?

Minutes passed, and I couldn’t sit still a moment longer. Pacing was the only way of moving without leaving, so I wore down the tile, looking up hopefully every time the doors would open for a nurse to call back another patient. I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and checked the time for the hundredth time. Thirty minutes passed. When where they going to call me back? Was Vahn okay?

The time alone left my mind open to replaying the evening, to replaying the fight. My stomach churned and every muscle inside me cringed. The door swung open and a nurse in a colorful scrub top called my name. I wasted no time getting over to her. She led me through the doors and down the hall to the small room where the officers I saw earlier were leaving his room. Vahn was on a bed and they already had an IV hooked up to him. A couple of monitors beeped occasionally.

I stalled near the doorway. I wasn’t sure what to expect once I got back to see him, but now that I was there, it scared me.

“Go ahead,” the nurse insisted. “We gave him something to help relax him and for the pain. The doctor will be in shortly to talk with you.”

I walked over to Vahn and grabbed his hand. He stirred and his eyelids fluttered open. “Hey, beautiful,” he said in a raspy voice.

I choked back more tears. “Hey.”

“They said I’ll live, so I guess you’re stuck with me.”

I smirked. “Yeah, well, I guess if I have to be.” I sniffed and forced a smile. “I was so worried.”

“I know you were. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“But it is. I should’ve fought harder.”

I sat down in the chair next to the bed, still holding his hand. “Vahn, that’s impossible. You know as well as I do that neither one of us stood a chance against the whole team.”

“I saw Steve grab you, I tried to get up to help you, I swear. Just knowing I couldn’t save you kills me.”

“It’s okay, I’m okay. I know you will always be there for me.”

Vahn looked away. “Keeley, this wasn’t the last time. You know that they’ll come back for you. What if I’m not there?”

“The police will catch him and it will be okay.”

He shook his head. “But what about the rest of them?”

A light tap on the door interrupted Vahn. A doctor came in and smiled at us. He wore a white coat and blue scrubs. His hair was disheveled and dark rings circled his eyes, giving away what was probably a long shift. “So, this must be, Keeley. Vahn was very worried about you while we were admitting him.” He chuckled. “I’m Doctor White.”

I blushed a little. “Hi.”

“So, Vahn here is a little banged up. A few cuts around his face and a bunch of bruising, but other than that, he’s actually okay.” Dr. White looked directly at me. “He’ll have to rest for a few days, stay off his feet. Keep him comfortable. I’m actually quite surprised that he wasn’t injured more. When he first was brought in, I thought for sure he’d have a broken rib, but he got away with some bruising. You take care of him.”

I nodded and squeezed Vahn’s hand. “I can do that.”

“Good. So, Vahn, I’ll be sending you home in good hands it looks like, as well as a prescription for some pain meds. You’ll need to be checked out in a couple weeks, make sure everything is healing okay.”

Vahn and I continued to agree with whatever Dr. White said until I was handed the prescription slips and Vahn signed his release papers.

I pulled the car around to the doors to pick Vahn up. He chuckled when I got out of the driver’s seat. “I never thought I’d see you drive my car.”

“Yeah, well, get used to it.” I smiled at him. “Oh really?”

“Yeah, now get in so we can go home. I am so over this day and just want it to end.”

He cringed as he sat down carefully in the seat. “You and me both.”

Twelve

The next day I kept my head low in Professor Priese’s class and tried to avoid making any contact with Caty. It was hard not to notice Alison’s empty seat behind me. The whole day crawled by with knowing Vahn was in my apartment, in my bed. It made it hard for me to want to be in class, but nothing could have prepared me for returning to school and facing potential enemies everywhere. There wasn’t a corner I didn’t look in waiting to see Steve sneering at me.