The Blame Game_A Brook Brothers Novel Read online

  She touched her fingers to Jax’s neck… and felt a pulse. Indie almost jumped for joy. She felt the same with Phil—a pulse—but much, much fainter.

  Being as careful as she could, she felt around in Jax’s pockets for his cell, but he didn’t have it on him. Phil didn’t either. As fast as her legs would take her, she ran downstairs and into the basement. She looked frantically around the room, then she spotted Jax’s phone on the kitchen counter. She snatched it up and stabbed out 9-1-1.

  “What’s your emergency?” the operator asked.

  Indie set off upstairs, panting as she fell over her words. “Please, I need an ambulance. There’s been an accident. Two men. They’re unconscious.”

  “What’s your location, ma’am?”

  Indie gave the address, stuttering as panic and fear set in. Jax and Phil were still unconscious when she reached them.

  “Please hurry.”

  “Help is on the way, ma’am. Can you tell if they’re breathing?”

  Indie fell to her knees. She put her ear over Jax’s mouth, but if he was breathing, it was too faint for her to be able to pick up.

  “I don’t know. I don’t know. Please hurry.”

  “The paramedics have already been dispatched, ma’am. Stay on the phone with me.”

  “Oh please, please. I can’t lose them. Please help me.”

  She began to hyperventilate, her breathing fast and strained. The dispatcher was talking in her ear, but Indie wasn’t paying attention. Phil’s complexion was almost translucent, the skin slack around his eyes and mouth. Jax was also pale. Too pale.

  Indie heard the sirens. She forced herself to leave the two men and launched herself downstairs, almost falling over her feet in her haste. As she flung open the front door, she barreled into a hard, broad chest.

  “What the fuck?”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Indie craned her head back. “Oh, Calum. Thank God.”

  He must have read the panic in her face because his large hands came around her upper arms. “What’s going on, Indie?” he said as the ambulance slewed into the curbside.

  “They’re here,” she said, relief trickling into her tone.

  “Indie!” Calum shook her, hard.

  “It’s Jax. There’s been an accident.”

  “What kind of an accident? Where is he?” Calum’s panicked tone reflected her own.

  She jerked her head. “Second floor. At the bottom of the stairs.”

  As Calum took off, Indie waved the paramedics over. They followed her, carrying medical bags and backboards, a sight that both comforted and terrified her. By the time they reached Jax and Phil, Calum was already bent over them both, a look of terror making his eyes wild.

  “I don’t think he’s breathing,” he said to no one in particular.

  “Stand aside, sir,” the paramedics said. “Let us help them.”

  Calum came to stand next to Indie. His arm curved around her waist, and he tugged her into him. She let him take her weight and drew on his strength as the paramedics got to work.

  “Do you know who the other guy is?” Calum said.

  She nodded glumly. It would all come out now. She wouldn’t be able to hide what she’d done any longer. “My brother.”

  “Brother? I didn’t know you had family.”

  She nodded again. Then she remembered. Oh God. With the fight and the accident, she’d completely forgotten the reason for her mad dash to the hotel: Phil’s computer. How could she forget that? Her heartbeat ramped up, the sound thrashing in her ears. She wavered. No, she couldn’t pass out.

  “Calum.” She grabbed hold of his hand and tugged at it. “We need to get everyone out. Now. I think there’s a bomb.”

  The paramedic’s head snapped up, while Calum looked at her as though she belonged in a lunatic asylum.

  “Indie, what are you talking about?”

  She carried on tugging on his hand. “Please,” she said, beseeching the paramedics. “Hurry. We need to get out of here. It could go off at any minute. I think my brother planted it. You have to believe me. You have to trust me. Please, we can’t take the risk.”

  “I’ll call Cole.” Calum reached into his pocket to grab his cell, while the paramedics upped their work rate. The next fifteen minutes passed in a blur. There was a flurry of activity. The bomb squad arrived. A cordon was set up around the block. Buildings were evacuated. Indie was questioned. She explained what she’d found on Phil’s computer and told them everything she knew—everything apart from why he’d done it. Calum listened intently, his brows drawn low as he made a mental note of every word, but before he could interrogate her, as he clearly wanted to do, Jax and Phil were brought out on stretchers, their necks in braces, a swathe of bandages around Phil’s head.

  “I have to go with Jax,” Indie said.

  Calum nodded. “We’ll all go.”

  “There’s no room,” Cole said. “Indie, you go in the ambulance. Calum and I will follow behind in the squad car.”

  Only as the ambulance sped off did Indie realize she’d made the automatic decision to go with Jax, even though that meant Phil was alone. She could have left Jax with his brothers, but she’d acted instinctively. It answered the question as to who was more important to her.

  “Please don’t die,” she murmured under her breath as she took Jax’s unresponsive hand in hers.

  The ambulance stopped outside the hospital, and the back doors opened. Commotion ensued as Jax was rushed inside, still unconscious. Cole and Calum arrived, and the three of them dashed after Jax. As he was wheeled through a set of double doors, a nurse put out her hand, stopping them from going with him.

  “There’s a waiting area over there,” she said, pointing, before she, too, disappeared inside.

  A few minutes later, Phil was brought in. Indie ran alongside the gurney, but she didn’t get to say much before her brother was wheeled into the room next to Jax’s.

  Indie clutched her stomach as a tidal wave of fear washed over her. She sank onto the seat next to Cole as tears she’d tried so hard to hold back spilled down her cheeks. Cole put his arm around her, while Calum’s keen gaze was full of questions. The moment Jax was out of the woods, she knew the cross-examination from Calum would begin. She could see it in the narrowed eyes, pursed lips, and firm set of his jaw. But she wouldn’t tell him anything. Jax was the one who deserved to hear the truth first. Calum would just have to wait. At least she could bathe in their affection for a little while longer. As soon as they found out how she’d betrayed Jax and lied to them all, that would be the end. She’d lose the love of her life, his brothers who she’d become so fond of, and the chance of a happy future. Gone. It’d all be gone.

  “Where’s Nate?” Cole asked Calum.

  “Oh shit,” Calum said. “He went off with some woman. Fuck, I need to call him.” He pulled his cell from his pocket and stepped away to make the call.

  Cole gently rubbed her back. “How are you holding up?”

  She shook her head, unable to speak.

  “Try not to worry until we know more.”

  She nodded glumly as Calum came back.

  “Nate’s on his way.”

  “Good,” Cole said as his cell rang. He lifted it from his pocket, frowning at the screen. “It’s my boss.”

  “The bomb?” Calum asked.

  “Maybe.” He moved away to answer it. When he returned, his face held less worry.

  “Have they found the bomb?” Indie said, trying to keep the alarm out of her voice.

  Cole nodded. “It had been put in the basement, in one of the closets. It wouldn’t have gone off, though.”

  “Why not?” Calum said.

  “According to the bomb squad, it simply didn’t have the right component parts. Another case of some nutjob thinking they could simply type, ‘How to make a bomb’ into Google, and the answer would present itself.”

  Indie winced. Nutjob. That was how people would think of her brother from now on.
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  Cole gave her a sympathetic look. “Sorry.”

  She shook her head. “No need.” She pressed a hand to her forehead. Her skin felt too warm, almost like she was coming down with a fever. “I never thought he’d do something so utterly crazy.”

  “Well, as soon as Jax is on the road to recovery, we can have a little chat,” Calum said, the tone of his voice making her legs quiver. Out of Jax’s three brothers, Calum was the last one she wanted to talk to about this fucked-up situation. He had a determined edge to him, his demeanor blunt and uncompromising, and she had no doubt he would dig and dig until he’d gotten to the truth.

  What a complete and utter mess, and all of her own making. She should never have gone along with Phil’s plan in the first place. It was stupid, reckless, and heartless. She’d always thought of herself as bright, cautious, kind, and thoughtful. It seemed she was wrong. It wouldn’t matter that she’d bottled it at the last minute. Jax wouldn’t care that she’d told Phil she wanted out. Her head fell into her hands at the sheer hopelessness of it all.

  “Miss Monroe?”

  Her head snapped up. Standing in front of her was a doctor in green scrubs with dark stains on the front. Blood.

  “Jax?” She scrambled to her feet as Calum and Cole did the same.

  The doctor shook his head. “Your brother.” He painted on a sensitive expression. “His injuries are severe, I’m afraid. He’s broken his back, although we won’t know whether his spinal cord is damaged until he regains consciousness. He also suffered a serious head injury. We’ve done all we can for now, and we’ve placed him in a medically induced coma. He’ll be taken up to the critical-care unit shortly. Once he’s settled, I’ll have someone come get you so you can see him.”

  She nodded, expecting to feel pain, anguish, and sorrow. Instead, all she felt was a numbness that made her fingers and toes tingle and her chest feel hollow. “Thank you, Doctor.”

  Cole put his arm around her, pulling her into his side. “Get her a drink, Calum. Something sweet.”

  “I’m okay,” she said weakly.

  “Go,” Cole said.

  “There’s a vending machine just down there,” the doctor said before he slowly backed away and left.

  Cole eased her back onto the chair. “You look awfully pale,” he said, worry lacing his tone.

  She gave him a wan smile. “I’m tougher than I look.”

  Calum returned with a fizzy orange drink. Indie wanted to tell him that she wasn’t a fan of soda, but instead, she thanked him and took a sip. After a few more sips, with encouragement from Cole, she did begin to feel a little better. Her thoughts turned to Jax.

  “Why are they taking so long with Jax?” she said, more to herself than anyone else.

  Calum answered, “Probably trying to find his brain.”

  Cole shot Calum a furious look, but Calum’s joke had the desired effect, because Indie laughed. “I’m going to tell him you said that.”

  Calum grinned. “Not if I tell him first.”

  Fifteen minutes later, the doctor came to take her up to the ICU. She made Cole promise to come and get her as soon as there was any news about Jax, and then she went with the doctor. As she walked through the door, her hand flew to her mouth. Phil was lying on the bed, his head bandaged, tubes in his nose and mouth. They’d attached him to a ventilator, the rhythmic whoosh as it deflated and inflated his lungs giving her no comfort.

  She pulled up a chair and took Phil’s hand in hers. “What were you thinking? Oh, Phil, it’s all such a mess.”

  The nurse sitting in the corner gave her a sympathetic look. “Can I get you anything, honey?”

  Indie shook her head. She pressed Phil’s palm against her cheek and spoke in a low tone so the nurse wouldn’t be able to hear. Some things were too private to be spoken in public.

  “I can’t stay long. I need to go be with Jax. I’m sorry, Phil, but he’s my priority. I can’t believe you lied to me. That you pretended you were okay with everything. That you were so cruel as to allow me to think you were going to finally give up on this vendetta, yet all along, you had this heinous act planned out. That’s what you were doing at my place that night, wasn’t it? You needed something that would help make the bomb. Something that you couldn’t purchase, as it would be traced back to you.” The longer she spoke, the more her anger toward him increased, but then she took one look at his broken body, and love for him surged through her. Her anger softened and withered. “I’m so sorry. I wish things could be different.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Hang in there for me. I’ll come by later.”

  She scraped back her chair and left the room, her heart heavy in her chest.

  When she got back to the waiting area, Nate had arrived. Their eyes met briefly before he returned to staring at the floor.

  “Any news?” she asked no one in particular.

  Both Calum and Cole shook their heads.

  Indie plunked herself down next to Cole, her body exhausted yet her mind overwrought.

  “How’s your brother?” Cole asked. His question brought a snort from Calum and a glare from Nate. Clearly, they’d all been having a chat while she’d been visiting Phil.

  “Critical,” she said.

  Calum muttered, “Good.”

  As the time passed, they fell silent, too lost in their own thoughts to bother striking up a conversation. But as dawn broke, Indie spotted another doctor heading their way. “Oh God,” she muttered as fear made her hands clammy and her mouth dry up. They all scrambled to their feet.

  “Doc,” Calum said. “What’s the news?”

  The doctor smiled, and that one action released the tension from her tight shoulders. The other doctor hadn’t smiled—the one who’d come to tell her about Phil. Surely, that could only be good news for Jax.

  He shook all three of the brothers’ hands and gave Indie a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Sorry it took me so long to come and speak with you. We had another emergency come in. Mr. Brook is going to be fine.”

  Indie clamped a hand over her mouth as tears welled up behind her eyelids, and Nate muttered, “Thank fuck,” the rare interjection from him making her smile. The doctor continued as though the interruption hadn’t happened.

  “He lost a fair amount of blood, so we had to transfuse him. He’s broken his left leg in two places and fractured a couple of fingers on his right hand. We’ve put those in splints. He’ll have a cast on his leg for at least six to eight weeks, and he’ll probably need some physical therapy afterward. He also has a severe concussion, so we’ll be keeping him in for a day or two just to monitor his vitals.” He turned kind eyes on Indie. “He’ll be up on the ward shortly. You can go and sit with him then.”

  Indie burst into tears as relief hit her hard. Her legs trembled, and she almost fell into the chair.

  “Stop bawling, woman.” Calum sat beside her and gave her a friendly nudge to soften his harsh words.

  Indie smiled at him through her tears. “You’re all heart, Calum Brook.”

  “If you want sympathy, Cole will oblige.”

  Indie leaned against Cole’s shoulder. His arm came around her, and he kissed her temple. “More than happy to.”

  She smiled, drawing from the deep pool of strength Cole offered, knowing she didn’t have much longer to immerse herself in this close and wonderful family. If she’d come clean earlier, it could have been hers. But now… as soon as she told Jax everything, he’d hate her. He’d cast her out. His brothers would want to know why. He’d tell them. They’d hate her. She’d be left with nothing. And she had no one to blame but herself.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  A half hour later, flanked by the twins with Nate trailing behind, Indie followed a nurse to Jax’s hospital room. As she pushed open the door, she swallowed a cry of anguish. Jax’s leg was in plaster, raised up on a pillow. He had what looked like sticks holding together the middle two fingers of his right hand. His face was covered in bruises, some from the fall, she gues
sed, and others from Phil’s fists. His right cheek was swollen, and he had a split lip.

  “Hey, beautiful,” he said, beckoning to her.

  Indie raced over. She pressed his palm to her cheek. “I’m so sorry, Jax.”

  “Hey now,” he said, taking her hand and kissing it. “I’m fine. In a few weeks, I’ll be good as new.” He looked over at his brothers. “I’m going to need your help to finish the hotel and support me with the launch.” He turned his gaze on Nate specifically. “Including you.”

  Calum barked out a laugh. “You’re in the hospital after nearly being killed, and your mind goes straight to work?”

  Jax gave a crooked smile. “I’ve worked too hard to lose it all now.”

  A jolt of guilt made Indie catch her breath, but no one seemed to notice.

  “Don’t worry about a thing,” Cole said. “We’ll all pitch in, won’t we, Nate?”

  Nate shrugged. “I’m waiting for a recall on a part. If it comes through, I’ll need to fly back to audition, but apart from that, I can be around.”

  “Good,” Calum said. “Jax can concentrate on getting better. Cole can do all the work, and you and I can charm the ladies.”

  Jax made a half grimace and touched his cheek. “It’s a plan. Now, get out of here, because I want to talk to my girl alone.”

  His girl. Her heart ached. She wouldn’t be his girl for much longer.

  “Be gentle with him, Indie.” Calum fixed her with a hard stare. “We’ll have that chat later.”

  Indie swallowed and gave Calum a brief nod. Once the door closed, she pulled up a chair and put Jax’s hand against her cheek once more, determined to make the most of the last time he’d look at her with such love in his eyes.

  “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

  “Hey now.” Jax nudged her chin with his finger, gently applying pressure until she met his gaze. “You can’t be held responsible for what your brother did. Jesus, if I was held responsible for all the shit my brothers got up to…” He grinned, and then his face grew serious. “How is he?”

  His compassion was her undoing. She had to struggle to hold it together, especially knowing what was to come. His benevolence was wasted on someone like her.