Wicked Ones {bxb}

{Chapter 25 : Tally Marks}

The light that hung from the rafters flickered and swayed, and shadows danced around the room in a swirling vertigo. Vincent's eyes followed small bespatters of blood to the table where Kailan sat, his clothing stained red with all the color his complexion lacked.

"Kailan," Vincent expelled the name. His footsteps felt numb, but in a second's time, he was at the Kailan's side, grasping him hard by the shoulders. "What the fuck did you do?"

Kailan wheezed in laughter, pushing his arms away with meager efforts; he was too drained to do much of anything. "Some guys saw me do that thing to Jason." He took his hand off the wound, hissing in pain, "Decided to try and play cops or murderers, not really sure. Guess I was the cop." Kailan pressed down on the stab wound again, struggling to his feet.

Lightheaded, he lost his balance to the wall. He could do no more than slide down against the cold metal until he met the floor below. He glanced up for only a moment, but the stern look in Vincent's eyes said more than he wanted to hear. "I'm not going to fucking hospital." Kailan was quick to refuse. His expression contorted in pain, but he tried to laugh it off. "I mean it's fixable, Jahni can do it."

"You're fucking insane." It was Gigi who spoke, shielding her eyes from Kailan's mess. He had lost a considerable amount of blood and the panic that was setting in was hardly helping him. Adrenaline made the heart pump blood faster. The faster it beat, the more he lost. The stuff was everywhere.

"I really fucked up this time," he said with a laugh.

"Yeah, no shit." Vinny took to a crouch in front of him. He reached for Kailan's shirt, drawing it up just enough to find the wound.

His body was painted scarlet, the copper stench of blood hanging stagnant in the air.

"Jesus Christ, Kailan. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I wasn't." Kailan laughed again, the noise but an aching sob. "When do I ever think shit through, Vinny?" He pressed his wrist over his eyes, to avoid the blood on his palms. Then he felt something soft and warm smother the gash in his middle, and when he looked once more, Vincent had forfeited his shirt to stop the bleeding. Kailan watched best he could past his blurry vision, as the white cotton grew a gradient red. "It's not like I tried picking a fight with them," he explained, "At least this time it was a surprise."

"Who was it?" Kailan was suddenly staring into a set of icy cerulean eyes. Pale and intense like a gas-fed flame. Vinny was angry, and it shown in the blaze of his glower. "What did they look like?"

Before Kailan could answer, something crashed against the floor with a heavy thud, and Jahni stood before them.

"Both of you, out," he ordered.

"What?" Vinny reared to his feet. "No, I—"

"I said out." His dark eyes stared with authority, then they sought Gigi. "Take him with you."

"Come on, Vinny." She coiled around his arm, but he was quick to rip it away.

"I'm not leaving."

There was a pause in that moment—maybe not for the others, but for Gigi. She stared up at him, her face softened like she'd been hit by a sudden understanding. Her eyes fell, but she smirked.

"Go! You are only in the way here," Jahni's voice thundered. He knelt to the box at his feet—the same gargantuan first-aid kit April had used to stop Vincent's nosebleed. Jahni dove through it for this thing and that, laying out a small white tarp to place his sanitary supplies on. Then he came up with a needle and small vial of liquid. But Kailan was more intrigued by the look on Vincent's face. He seemed so helpless.