JADE.
"Hello? Who's this?"
"Jade, it's me, Meredith."
"Oh... new number?"
"Yeah, kinda. I'm actually at the hospital."
"Hospital? Why?"
"I, uhh.. I got shot."
"Wait, what?!"
__________
My feet pounded the pavement, leaving Michael's sputtering protests in the dust as I got out of the car before he could park.
I threw open the doors of the hospital, gasping for breath, my whole body a tremor of raw fear. Meredith. My sister. My only family. This couldn't be happening.
I skidded to a halt at the front desk, heart hammering against my ribs. The young woman behind it barely glanced up, her bored gaze glued to her phone.
"Excuse me!" I choked out, my voice raw with panic. "My sister just got admitted. She—she was shot!"
She finally deigned to offer her attention, tilting her head slowly. I could have sworn a flicker of annoyance crossed her face before it settled back into a mask of utter indifference.
"What's her name?" she drawled, typing something mundane on her phone.
"Meredith Bishop," I forced out, the words catching in my throat. "Gunshot."
The woman turned to her computer, the slowness of her movements ever so infuriating. Each agonizing tap of the key was a hammer blow to my already frayed nerves.
"When was she admitted?" she asked, the question landing in the space between breaths I hadn't realized I was holding.
"Earlier this morning," I stammered.
The world narrowed to the rhythmic tap-tap-tap of her nails on the keyboard and the steady rise of a monstrous rage within me. It felt like an eternity before she spoke again.
"There's no Meredith Bishop here," she announced, her voice flat and emotionless. "I'm sorry."
"Yes, there is!" I roared, "Check again!"
She met my gaze with a frown that deepened into something colder, as if I was personally inconveniencing her by daring to show distress.
"Don't you dare give me that look," I snarled.
"Excuse me?" she huffed, eyebrows climbing her forehead.
"You're excused!" I yelled, not caring that I had drawn a little bit of attention to myself. "You will not treat me like this! Find. Meredith. Bishop. In. That. Database. Now. Or so help me God, I will have you fired in the next five seconds! Try me!"
Her eyes flickered to the side, landing on Oliver who had finally reached my side.
A flicker of something, maybe fear, crossed her features before she tapped away at the keyboard once more, this time with a newfound urgency.
She shook her head, her voice tight. "There's no Meredith Bishop," she said, the words landing like a physical blow.
I frantically dial the number my sister called me from, but it rings unanswered. My hands shake with growing anxiety.
Meredith had insisted she was fine, but I would only believe her if I saw her myself, safe and sound.
Three attempts later, a voice finally crackled through the receiver.
"Jade-"
Relief surged, then instantly curdled into frustration. "Meredith, where are you?! I'm at the hospital, just like you said, but the nurse keeps saying your name isn't on record. And I've been calling this line and-"
"Jade, Jade, calm down. I told you I was fine."
"Fine? You were shot, Meredith!"
"I am fine. Tell the nurse at the front desk you're here to see Lylah Blackwood. She'll show you my room."
"Lylah Blackwood?" Before I could question it further, the call ended. I spun on the nurse, urgency sharpening my voice. "Lylah Blackwood. Hurry up."
She resumed her flurry of typing, and a moment later, she confirmed, "There is a Lylah Blackwood in the private ER. I- I can't tell you which room exactly unless you confirm you're both family."
"Just me. I'm her sister," I snapped, impatience bubbling.
"Right, right," she stammered, a touch of fear coloring her voice. "Your legal name, please, for the visitor's badge. Just following protocol."
"Jade Price."
A flicker of surprise crossed her face, then she went into overdrive, her movements brisk and efficient. "The private ER is through that door at the end of the hall. She's in Bay 5. Room numbers are on the doors."
I snatched the badge and hurried towards the ER, but Oliver intercepted me. "I must come with you."
"I'll be fine," I mumbled, brushing past him.
As I approach Bay 5, two towering men, matching Oliver's height, stand guard at the door. Probably the hospital's security measures for patients who've just gone through this kind of trauma, I think as I hold up my badge to their face and announce, "I'm her sister." But they remain stoic, unresponsive, so I enter the room.
My heart shatters at the sight of Meredith lying in bed, a breathing tube attached to her face. Yet, she's smiling broadly at me, her eyes sparkling with mischief. I rush to her side, tears streaming down my face, and wrap her in a tight hug.
"Ow, ow!" she protests, chuckling. "Here to finish me off?"
I quickly release her, my hands shaking. "You think this is funny?" I ask, my voice laced with worry. "This isn't funny!"
Meredith's laughter is weak but genuine. "No, but you look like you're at my damn funeral."
"Shut up," I swatted her arm and frantically scanned Meredith – the plastic tube that snaked up her nose disappeared beneath her hospital gown, leading somewhere near her chest. "You were shot in the chest?"
"My left lung," she rasped.
My eyes widened in horror. "What? Meredith, you could have…" The words died in my throat, replaced by a choked sob.
She reached for the glass of water on the bedside table, her movements slow and cautious. "But I didn't," she said, taking a small sip.
"And this happened at the spa?" I sputtered, disbelief lacing my voice. "Spas are supposed to be a million miles away from danger. Beats the nightclub any day. What happened?"
A flicker of hesitation crossed her face, a silent admission that things weren't quite what they seemed. "Actually," she began slowly, "I was, well, the target of an assassin."
The realization hit me like a physical blow. My frown deepened. Sebastian's words about his enemies echoed in my head. Targeting his wife's sister? What kind of cutthroat business world did he navigate?
"Sebastian warned me his enemies would go after anyone close to him, distract him. That's why Oliver's practically glued to my side, Meredith. If Sebastian even finds out I'm here without him, he'll-"
"Jade, this doesn't involve Sebastian," she interjected quickly.
"But it does!" I countered, my voice tight with rising anger.
"Jade, calm down and listen! I said it has nothing to do with Sebastian."
"How can you be so sure?" My voice trailed off as a horrifying possibility dawned on me. "Wait, how did you even know it was an assassin? Did the police tell you? Is that why those two guys are guarding the door?"
The door swung open before I could ask another question, revealing a stunned Marcus in the doorway. His gaze darted between Meredith and me, finally settling on her. "This is your sister?" he asked.
"Meredith, what's going on?" I demanded, my worry now tinged with confusion.
"Will you just stop asking and just listen?"
"Ok then. I'm listening."
A smile bloomed on Meredith's face. "A month ago, I got this client at the spa. We had so much in common, and we had the best conversation I've ever had about pole dancing with anyone ever."
"Meredith-"
"Shut up, Jade."
"..."
"So, this woman, she tells me she works at a nightclub and insists I come by sometime. Coincidentally, my schedule was clear that night so I passed by, and the second I walked in and saw that pole – oh, it was glorious. So beautiful, I just couldn't resist working it that night. And the best part? The stage was far from those creepy men.. Brenda lent me her clothes and a mask and I got down to doing my thang," she launched into a mock shimmy, then winced and stopped as the movement pulled at her injury.
"Anyway," she continued, settling back against the pillows, "after my little performance, Brenda told me the owner of the nightclub wanted to see me in person. Not to offer me a job, mind you, but to have me dance privately – just for him! Any price, he said."
"Meredith, why would you even agree to something like that? We're not exactly poor anymore-"
"You're not the one stuck at the spa all day."
"I told you to stop working, didn't I? Why can't you just be happy with how things turned out?" I asked, frustration mixing with concern.
She fell silent, the question hanging heavy in the air.
I stole a glance at Marcus, who stood awkwardly by the door, his arms in his pockets. His gaze was fixed on me, intense and unreadable. There was something about the way he looked at me... a flicker of something I couldn't quite place.
Before I could dwell on it further, Meredith spoke again, shattering the comfortable silence. "Until this afternoon, I had no idea the same man I was giving these private dances to and dating didn't even go by the name I called him. His real name is Héctor Castillo and he's the leader of a cartel."
"What?!" The room seemed to shrink around me. My mind reeled, questions bombarding me from all sides. Where did I even begin?
"And why is he here?" I gestured towards Marcus.
"That's Reyes," Meredith answered, "Héctor's right-hand man. He helped me set up a video call with Héctor to explain everything, and now he's here to arrange our protection."
My head swam, information overload threatening to drown me. "Meredith," I whispered, pinching the bridge of my nose. "This is Marcus, Sebastian's brother. We spoke about him last week at the spa?"
Silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor. Then, a flicker of understanding crossed Meredith's face. "Not exactly a shocker you lied about your name," she said to him.
I spun on Marcus, my gaze settling on his unreadable expression.
His eyes – a striking emerald green that mirrored Sebastian's – held a depth I couldn't decipher. "The cartel?" I breathed, the word tasting foreign on my tongue. "You work for a cartel? Does Sebastian even know? Is that why he warned me to stay away?"
A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "I understand this is a lot to take in, but right now, your sister's life – both yours and hers – are in danger. Getting you out of this city is my top priority."
"Out of this city? You're crazy. You have done quite enough," I snapped, anger flaring. "Whatever shit you guys got going on with your cartel mess, leave my sister and I out of it."
"Whether you like it or not, you're already in the thick of it."
"I'm not tolerating whatever nonsense is going on here. Get out of my sight."
"This isn't a suggestion, Jade."
"Neither is me telling you to leave!" My voice echoed in the sterile room, our glare locked in a silent battle.
"I see Sebastian has already brainwashed you."
"And do you know what I see?" I challenged, stepping closer until we were mere inches apart. The clean scent of his cologne filled my senses, a stark contrast to the antiseptic smell of the room. "I see my sister clinging to life, and the man potentially responsible standing right in front of me."
"We can offer you the protection you need," he said, his voice softening. But his gaze remained unwavering, holding a strange intensity.
"My husband can provide ten times the protection you ever could," I countered, reaching for my phone to dial Sebastian.
"Who are you calling?" he demanded, a flicker of urgency crossing his face.
A smirk played on my lips. "You'll see," I replied, my finger hovering over the call button.
Before I could press it, the world tilted on its axis. Marcus's fingers had just brushed the side of my neck.
A dizzying wave washed over me, pulling me into the welcoming darkness of unconsciousness.