The Forbidden Note (Redwood Kings Book 4)

“The surgery was successful.” The doctor holds up an X-ray to the light. “Thankfully, there’s no severe head trauma and only minor lacerations. The bad news is his wrist is badly damaged. He’ll need to wear a splint for at least six weeks and then go through physical therapy—”

“But he’ll heal,” Dutch says, his voice husky and raw. “Right?”

The doctor’s face is grim. “Yes. But…”

“But what?” Finn demands.

The doctor goes quiet. “Bones heal, but tendons don’t. I haven’t seen a fracture this bad in a long time…”

My heart thunders.

I feel sick to my stomach.

“Will he be able to play drums again?” Sol growls.

“It will be hard to know for sure until we get him into physical therapy—”

“Will he. Play. Again?” Sol shrieks.

The room goes quiet.

I glance at Sol. His face is bloody and his eyes are swollen, the left one purple and almost completely shut. There’s blood on his shirt and bruises down his arms and neck. He refused to let any of the nurses see him. The moment he got to the hospital, all he did was pace up and down outside Zane’s surgical ward.

“I don’t know,” the doctor admits.

His words slam against us.

I feel my heart shatter.

If Zane hadn’t rescued me from Hall, the crazy junior wouldn’t have come back for revenge.

Even the fact that we can’t call the police is on me. If the authorities start asking questions about Hall, they’re going to want to know what we were doing tonight.

I’m responsible for this mess.

I’m responsible for all of it.

The doctor clears his throat. “Mr. Cross is young and healthy. He’ll recover well. And in regards to his wrist… I’m sure he can find a new hobby.”

Sol grabs the doctor by the collar. “You don’t understand. He needs to play. It’s who he is. It’s why he breathes.”

“Sol, let him go,” Dutch says.

Finn grabs Sol’s hand.

Sol looks like he’ll start swinging, but one look into Finn’s face makes him freeze.

“Stop,” Finn says quietly. He’s not loud or abrasive at all, but there’s enough force in that order to scare a tornado back into hiding.

Sol wrenches his arm away, kicks a chair in the waiting room and stalks off.

“I’ll go talk to him,” Cadence says, her eyes stained with tears.

“I’ll come with you,” Dutch says.

Finn juts his chin at me. “I can take you home.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

The doctor pinches his lips. “We’ll move Mr. Cross to the recovery room and then you can see him.”

Silence descends.

It’s not broken until a nurse appears to bring me and Finn to Zane’s room.

Zane is on the bed, looking pale and helpless. His wrist is in a cast. The doctor’s grim prediction that he may never be able to play drums professionally again rips through my head.

My fault.

I turn away, unable to look.

At that moment, Dutch, Sol and Cadence enter the room.

Dutch looks over at Zane, his lips tightening.

Cadence glances down.

Finn stands as still as a statue.

“Dammit!” Sol rams a fist against the wall.

Cadence doesn’t stop him this time.

“What are we going to do about Hall?”

The question comes from Finn. His tone sends a black chill down my spine.

“I say we break both his legs,” Sol growls.

I lift my attention to the boy with tan skin, wavy brown hair and sharp, chiseled cheekbones.

Sol’s eyes are glittering as he adds, “I say we break every bone in his body and bury him alive.”

Dutch slides his fingers over his chin, considering it.

“Breaking a few bones isn’t enough. We have to make an example out of him,” Finn says, almost inhumanely calm.

“And cracking his legs the way he cracked Zane’s wrist isn’t going to do that?” Sol folds his arms over his chest and scowls.

Dutch rubs his chin, considering it.

I sense their mounting wrath and it frightens me. These dangerous boys would commit murder tonight and be proud of it.

“Guys, we need to regroup here. We can’t move on anger. That’s how you make stupid decisions,” I say earnestly.

Cadey meets my eyes, her worried look reflecting mine.

“Guys,” I try again.

But no one is listening to me.

Sol moves toward the door first. “I’m going to find Hall.”

Finn marches behind him.

Dutch takes a step and Cadey grabs his arm.

He looks down at her.

“If you leave, I’m coming with you,” she says.

“Stay here,” Dutch orders.

Cadey narrows her eyes in direct defiance.

“I’m coming with you too.” I step forward.

The boys look at me like I just admitted to being a different species.

I glance at Finn, Dutch and Sol in turn. “But if we all leave, Zane will be left at the hospital by himself.”

Dutch backs down, probably due to Cadence’s pleading look in his direction.

But Sol and Finn still seem determined.

I walk toward them. “I know a little something about revenge, remember? It’s so easy to get lost in it. To lose your way and become the same type of animal that you’re trying to destroy.”

Sol glances away.

Quietly, I add, “Right now, let’s focus on Zane. That’s all that matters.”

Finn leans against the wall, head tilted down.

I breathe a sigh of relief.

They’re staying put.

For now.

As the silence stretches, a pained groan filters through the room.

Zane slowly cracks his eyes open. “My head.”

His brothers and Sol spring forward, crowding the bed.

“Don’t try to talk,” Cadence says urgently.

Zane struggles to sit up. His face creases in pain.

“Don’t move,” Finn urges.

He groans again. “Where am I?”

“In the hospital,” Sol says.

“The hell were you thinking fighting Hall without us?” Dutch growls. “If Rick hadn’t heard you on that walkie—”

“Did you get the boxes?” Zane mumbles.

Dutch freezes. “What?”

“The boxes… Grey… secret room…”

His eyes flutter closed.

He’s out again.

As one, The Kings turn and look at me.

My heart quivers. I can’t stand the weight of their gazes.

“I’m… going to get some water.” I stalk outside on wobbly legs. Alone in the hallway, I wilt to the floor and cover my face with my hands.

I was supposed to bring justice to Sloane.

And in the process, I dreamt of bringing Redwood Prep down.

The Kings are the very faces of that despicable school.

They’re everything I claimed to hate.

Rich. Powerful. Bullies.

But now that I’ve made progress with the investigation and humiliated Harris on stage, it doesn’t feel like a win. It feels like I’m ruining my life and the lives of everyone around me in my best friend’s name.