Fatal (Portland Street Kings Book 2) (16 page)

Corey’s face turns ashen, but I don’t stay to work it out. Our friendship died years ago when all the lies began.
 

I reach Rex’s bedroom door and place my hand on the handle. As I twist it and open the door slowly, I hear the familiar rumble of
Chevy
pull up out the front.
He’s here.
My body relaxes all on its own knowing Mack has arrived.

And then I freeze. My mind is screaming. My heart is breaking. I’m unable to move my body past the entrance to the room.
 

There lies a man, but he isn’t my brother.
 

He’s too thin to be Rex.
 

He’s too scarred to be Rex.
 

His skin is too yellow to be Rex.

My healthy, strong brother is gone.
 

My world spins. Nothing could have ever prepared me to see my big brother lying helpless on his bed. Face, arms and legs covered in bloodied, scabbed sores. Dark circles under his eyes, and hollowed cheeks with yellowing skin.
 

God, is his body bruised?

Moving slowly toward my brother, I’m too frightened to touch him in case I’ll hurt his fragile body. I cover my mouth trying not to wake him with my heartache.
 

Muffled voices come from the living room and then Mack appears in the doorway. However, I can’t rip my eyes from my worst nightmare. So I don’t see the stunned look on his face, but I hear it as Mack sucks in a big breath and then in a pained voice says, “Christ.”
 

I gesture to Rex with my hands and try to quietly say, “What’s wrong with him?” However, my words come out unclear and high pitched.

“Dove,” Mack says softly and then stops speaking suddenly.
 

I know what he was going to say, what he’s thinking. He tried to warn me. He attempted to stop me and protect me from seeing my brother this way.
 

Mack tentatively steps toward me. I spin my head quickly to look at him. He’s being cautious, because I know he wants to get me out of here, and assumes I won’t go quietly or willingly. But I’m torn. I want him to take me away and help me forget I ever saw my brother this way, although I also want him to take charge, do something to make my brother better.
 

“Mack what happened to him?” I plead for answers. He wasn’t this way when I lived here.
 

He wasn’t this way two months ago.

“Don’t let his peaceful expression and ravaged body fool you. It took myself, Kodi and Reed to wrestle Rex to the ground yesterday,” Corey interrupts.
 

My eyes widen. “You need to explain what the fuck has been going on Corey because he was not like this two months ago. Not even close.”
 

“After learning it was Della who killed Jae, Rex grew distant and started pushing everyone away. The guys assume it’s because you chose not to come back, Lana. Kodi and Reed are the only ones who know the truth.”
 

“That information wasn’t for you to share.” Mack’s deep, angry voice rumbles throughout the bedroom.

“Yeah, well, fuck you, Mack,” Corey spits back. “Kodi and Reed deserved to know the truth. None of us wanted this war, but we supported our friend. I know and you should too, they wouldn’t do anything to harm Della.”
 

“You mean like ordering a drive-by that almost killed her. That was supposed to kill another woman?” Mack steps forward in an intimating manner.
 

Corey doesn’t budge. He stands his ground. “We didn’t know about that. Rex said he had plans, but none of us knew how far he’d gone to get back at Slater. He didn’t tell us for a reason, because he knew we’d try to talk him out of it. You might think we’re your enemies, Mack. But truthfully we’re the real reason he’s stuck to some semblance of rules and honor throughout the years. Honestly, Rex hasn’t had a sane thought on his own in five years.”
 

I lower my chin and stare at the ground ashamed, because I know Corey’s right. My brother has been teetering on the edge of that cliff for longer than the past two months.

“Anyway, we decided to give him a week to get his head around what we’d learned. Except, he never called us after a week or even after two. Reed and I stopped in to see him and we found him passed out on the sofa with a needle in his arm and a bag of ice on the coffee table. We’ve spent the last six weeks trying to get him clean. Even trying to get him on something less damaging like Ecstasy. But it’s been fucking hard, he’s unreasonable and paranoid all the fucking time and when he’s coming down he’s downright dangerous. He’d kill one of us to get his next hit. I have no doubt. When he tried to kill Kodi with a knife yesterday, he was calling him the devil, because he refused to drive him to get on. He’s been asleep ever since. That’s been his typical comedown symptoms which we’ve been experiencing on repeat for the past few weeks.”

“He’s hallucinating,” Mack states calmly as if it’s a normal part of the process.

Corey nods. “He thinks he has bugs under his skin, hence why he has so many sores from scratching his skin and he mutters to himself a lot about moving on to another life. Ending this one and getting a clean slate for the next.”
 

“I don’t understand,” I grate out in frustration.
 

Mack walks over and embraces me. I don’t hug him back. I only want answers. I push away from him and focus on Corey.
 

“If you’ve known about this for six weeks, why didn’t you call me? Why is he still so bad if you’ve kept him here to get him clean?”

“Look around, Lana. The window behind you is boarded up with cardboard because he smashed through the glass with his bare hands to get out. All the locks and glass on the entry doors have been smashed or broken with your steel meat hammer. We’ve managed to keep him clean for a few days here and there, but it never lasts, he manages to find a way out and then he’s gone. By the time we find him, usually near the train tracks we used to drink at, it’s too late, he’s already taken the shit. And there was no way we were calling you. Rex would never want you to see him this way.”
 

“That’s not my brother,” I state angrily, pointing at the
thing
lying in my brother’s body.
 

Unexpectedly an agonizing moan sounds through the room. We all freeze and look at Rex, who begins to groan louder and roll around on the bed as he wraps his arms around his waist as if in pain.
 

“Shit,” Corey curses.

“Why does he seem like he’s in pain?” My voice shakes as I stare at my brother.
 

“He hasn’t eaten for two days,” Corey replies while walking over to the other side of the bed next to Rex.
 

Mack kisses my hair and mutters, “It’s a side effect of the drug. Rex doesn’t feel the hunger pains.”
 

“It’s why he’s lost weight,” I whisper to myself, but Mack answers me anyway, “Yeah, Dove, that’s why.”
 

Suddenly, Corey pulls a syringe from his jean’s pocket and removes the plastic cover from the tip.
 

“What the hell are you doing?” Mack moves toward Corey.
 

Corey doesn’t even glance at Mack, who’s approaching him, he looks straight at me. “I told you earlier we’re taking Rex to the hospital.” Corey lifts the needle in the air. “This is how we get him there.”

Mack stops and asks, “What’s in the needle?”

Still looking at me, Corey replies, “It’s morphine. It’s going to take away Rex’s body aches and make him feel sleepy, but not pass out. It’s how we get him to the hospital without anyone getting hurt. Doctor Evan Angelos from Clarke Memorial Hospital gave this to me. He’s waiting for us. We’re going to take Rex to Emergency where two security guards will be waiting. They will take Rex up to recovery where Dr. Evan is going to put him on methadone for two days to dry Rex out. Then when he wakes, we’re going to make sure he signs rehab papers. Dr. Evan knows of a good facility in Jefferson Rex can go to for six months.”

My heart’s racing and my mouth is dry. It’s as if there’s a ticking time bomb in the room and everyone’s waiting for it to explode.

“Lana, I don’t need your approval to do this. But I respect you enough to do this with you in the room or wait until you leave if you don’t want to see this,” Corey announces.

“I’m good. I’m all for this plan. It’s something you should have done weeks ago,” I reply in an accusatory tone.

How much can one needle hurt? My brother has been pricking himself for months now.

“Mack, I’m going to need you to go to the other side of the bed. I need to find a vein on his forearm and he’s not going to like anyone touching him, so we’ll need to hold him down.”

Mackson moves to my side of the bed and I shuffle backward to give him room.

“Lana,” Corey calls my name with a firm tone, “if Rex starts flailing, I need you to grab one of his legs and hold him down as best you can, okay?”

I nod.

All at once, Corey and Mack grab a wrist each and turn Rex gently to lay flat on his back.

Rex starts to moan louder and pulls his arms toward himself. Corey searches for a vein while Rex slowly realizes that he’s being held down. The moment between the silence and the furious roar my brother lets out is shocking. My eyes widen and my body goes cold. In mere seconds he went from being sleepy to a bucking bull, thrashing about. His angry and desperate pleas to be let go break my heart.

Mack pushes down on Rex’s shoulder and wrist trying to keep him as still as possible, but it’s not enough to help keep him immobile for Corey to insert the needle. I try to grab his kicking foot, but I’m struggling to catch it.

Abruptly, Kodi and Reed race into the room and I’m pushed out of the way. They have Rex pinned down to the bed and Corey inserting the needle into his vein in no time.

Rex is yelling and cursing us all, red-faced.

I cover my mouth, trying to muffle the heartache desperate to escape. Rex jerks his head in my direction and his body freezes. His eyes grow glassy, and when I thought it could never be possible his cheeks grow pink. I’m desperate to look away. I don’t want to see my brother so low and now riddled with shame.
 

A jolt runs through my body as I realize I need to be here for my brother, not be the scared little sister. Rex deserves courage and strength from me, and in order to be there for him I must be strong.
 

I walk to the side of the bed, looking directly at Rex’s face and drop to my knees. His body relaxes as the morphine takes effect. Kodi and Reed slowly loosen their grip on Rex’s legs and step back from the bed. Mack and Corey remain, holding his wrists down.
 

Rex is still staring at me as if I’m a wonder to behold and also a curse.
 

“It’s going to be okay, Rex. I promise. We’re going to get you help. Soon this nightmare will be over.”
 

He relaxes his head back onto the pillow, his eyes still staring intently at me. “I need to wash away my regrets,” he says with a hoarse voice and mournful tone.
 

His words slash at my soul as if I’ve just witnessed my brother give up and say his goodbyes.
 

Chapter Twelve

Lana

My brother’s calm, contented and drugged up body is gently laid down on a hospital bed and taken by two security guards along with two nurses into an elevator, and we’re told to wait in Emergency. As soon as Dr. Evan is done treating and making Rex comfortable, he’ll come down and take us to my brother.

Mack walks us across the room to two blue, beat-up old seats by the doors closest to where the doctors and nurses are coming and leaving through.

That was two hours ago.
I’m almost at breaking point.

Sitting on the edge of my seat, bouncing my legs anxiously, I rub my sweaty palms against my jeans to try and relax my body, but it’s not working.

Corey, Kodi, and Reed are sitting in chairs by the automatic front doors.

I fidget in my seat more and push out a frustrating breath.

At that time, Kodi and Reed walk over. Their expressions are gentle with slight frowns and their arms hang loosely by their sides.

I stand instantly. I don’t remember a time when they weren’t in Rex’s life, therefore, mine too. They might not feel the same, but Rex’s friends were the closest thing to a family that I had growing up.

Mack also stands and wraps his arm securely around my waist to stop me from stepping forward any further.

Kodi and Reed’s eyes turn hard on Mack, and I can’t fault them for it. They would never hurt me.

I shift my body around to face Mackson. I smile reassuringly and kiss him on the side of the neck, lingering for a second longer than normal. Then step out of his arms and embrace the men, who won’t ever realize how much of a part they played in my young life and who will always have a small piece of my heart no matter time or distance.

I burrow between Kodi and Reed and sigh contentedly, taking in the warmth and their familiar smoky scents.
 

“We’ll get him through this, Lana. Don’t you worry, Rex is gonna be okay.”
 

I nod into Kodi’s chest while listening to Reed’s words and hoping with everything that I am that he’s right.

I take a step back from them and force a smile. Pretending to be okay is exhausting. Acting as if this waiting game isn’t killing me is crippling. I’m on the verge of losing it. I’m desperate to tear down every door between my brother and myself.
He needs me.
 

Heat hits my back and Mack takes a hold of my hand. Strength surges through me, and the tears recede. My heart’s rapid beat slows and the terror flowing through my veins ease.

Corey appears and murmurs in a strained voice, “We have a problem.”
 

“What?” Mack questions.

“Delivery day and Bone is at the garage and asking where Rex is. He’s fucking pissed.”