Deception. Betrayal. Mistrust.
It seems the closer Rayne gets to the truth, the more she finds herself wanting to run away from it. It's complex and terrifying-more than she ever fathomed.
New family members, good and bad, pop out at her like a br...
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𝗧hey are getting too close for comfort.
Rueben ran both hands through his hair, pushing it back as he stood off to the side, exasperated and fearful. He listened to the indistinct conversation muddle between the pair of paramedics as they lifted the stretcher up and into the ambulance, carrying Kaiser to medical treatment.
He was passed out now, not existing within this world, but when he first arrived, that had not been the case. Instead of withering away, he did his best to remain awake—he wanted to make sure that whoever ended up on the scene first, would get his witness statement.
Of course, he found a lack of surprise present when he described the man that took Rayne.
If only he hadn't left her in bed by herself this morning. If only he hadn't purposely ignored her messages because he wanted his actions to remain ambiguous. Maybe then he would have been here for her when she was taken—when she watched her bodyguard give up his body to protect her, and her secretary, her life.
"Let's go!" one of the paramedics yelled, tapping the back of the ambulance.
"Where are you taking him?" he asked.
"L.A. Med," they answered quickly before running to the cab area.
Placing that piece of information in the back of his mind, he turned on his heel and directed his attention to the crowd gathering behind him. As the ambulance's siren faded the further they disappeared from the scene, the rattling noise of the firemen working and the chatter of the medical examiner's team took its place.
One group was working on maintaining the structure of the building, stabilizing it so it didn't collapse and wreak havoc on the city, while the other tended to the young remains of a girl gone too soon from this world—much like Lilly, she had a bright path ahead that was snuffed out by some selfish organization.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and breathed out, wondering if he should go home and wait for the news to break, or if he should remain here in hopes of her impossible return. When he arrived and they told him that Rayne had been kidnapped, Chloe had died, and Kaiser was injured so badly, it was unlikely he would survive the night, it felt like his world had shattered.
And the one person he wanted to turn to was the one he'd failed to protect.
The tips of his fingers brushed across the felt box that weighed heavily in his pocket. Something that seemed so important this morning—so consuming—was now nothing more than a reminder that he had not been where it mattered. And he knew in the back of his mind that he shouldn't be blaming himself for not predicting the unknown and that it would help no one, but he couldn't help it.
He had been naïve for believing she had immunity.
"Alright, we're done here," a voice shouted from the M.E. group, "Load her up."
