Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Nothing.
About ten minutes later, I hear the sirens in the distance. They sound different from American sirens.
Then a pounding on the door.
I open the door, and two paramedics greet me. They head toward the bed.
The first paramedic checks Dragon’s vitals. “How old is he?”
“He’s thirty-two.”
“History of drug use?”
“Yes. But he’s been clean, other than pot and booze, for a while.”
“Got it.” The man checks his neck. “Light pulse.” He shakes Dragon. “Sir, can you hear me? Sir, can you wake up?”
The other two bring a stretcher, and they get Dragon situated on it.
“You a family member?”
“Friend. We’re members of a band that’s playing with Emerald Phoenix here in the UK. He’s my roommate. We’ve been friends forever.”
“Good, you can come in the ambulance with us. If he comes to, he’ll want to see a familiar face.”
I gulp, nodding.
“Emerald Phoenix, you say?” the female paramedic asks.
“Yeah, we’re their opener.”
“I have tickets to the concert tonight.”
“You may not see us if we don’t have a drummer.”
My heart is racing. Dragon’s not just my bandmate. He’s my friend. He’s shared secrets with me that he hasn’t told anyone else.
I can’t believe he would screw up five years of sobriety from narcotics. So he has a drink once in a while, smokes a joint.
But I should know better. Those are gateway drugs. When you’ve got a narcotics addiction under your belt, you really need to stay away from everything.
Why didn’t I try harder? Why didn’t I intervene?
Because I know Dragon’s history. I know what he’s trying to escape. And frankly, I’d need a drink every now and then if I were him.
We leave the room with Dragon on the stretcher, and of course doors open in the hallway, guests wandering out to see what the commotion is.
I keep my eyes on one door—Maddie’s and Brianna’s room.
Please don’t open. Please don’t open.
Cage opens the door to his and Jake’s room, which is right next to ours.
Brock and Rory and Donny and Callie are a few floors up in suites. Thank God they won’t hear this.
“Cuz?” Cage says, his voice shaking.
“Dragon. I think he may have OD’d on something.”
“Fuck!” Cage rushes alongside me.
“You a family member?” the male paramedic asks.
“Friend. Bandmate,” Cage says.
“I can only let one of you ride along.”
I nod to Cage. “I’ll keep you posted.”
We’re almost to the elevator when what I was dreading happens.
Maddie and Brianna, both dressed in lounge pants and tank tops, come running toward me.
“What’s going on?” Brianna demands. “Jesse, are you all right?”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Brianna
“It’s Dragon,” Jesse says, his voice low, slightly shaking.
“What happened?” Maddie asks.
“I don’t know. He may have OD’d on something. I’ll keep you all posted as well as I can.”
I reach out to touch Jesse’s arm, but he yanks it away.
I’m hurt, but we had this chat.
No distractions.
And this—whatever just happened to Dragon—is a major distraction. Jesse doesn’t need me on top of that.
The elevator doors close, and Maddie clasps her hand to her mouth. “Is Dragon going to make it?”
“God, I hope so.” My heart is racing.
“What are they going to do for a drummer?”
“I don’t know. Brock used to play the drums. He and David and a couple other guys had a garage band.”
“Were they any good?”
“Hell no. They sucked.”
“Then how is that going to do us any good?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know, Mads. But Brock may be all we have.”
“Maybe Dragon’s okay. Maybe he’s just drunk or something.”
“God, I hope so,” I say again.
I stand against the wall, trying not to hyperventilate. I don’t know Dragon well. No one does, really.
Except Jesse. I’ve spotted him and Dragon alone and talking many times—mainly because I’m always watching Jesse. The two of them seem to be close friends.
This must be killing Jesse.
“It’s eight thirty,” Maddie says. “We’re supposed to meet Brock, Callie, and Donny for sightseeing in half an hour.”
“Right. I guess I forgot to set my alarm.”
“Me too. I was so angry after Jesse broke up that date—or whatever it was—with Zane that I came up here and pouted. Now none of that seems important now.”
“No, it’s not important. In fact, it never was. We should be thanking your brother, Maddie, and we’ve got to fix this for him.”
“How are we supposed to fix this? We can’t go back in time and make sure Dragon stays away from whatever he took.”
“No. But we can find a drummer. What floor is Emerald Phoenix on?”
“What are you suggesting?”
“We have no choice. We have to see if their drummer can fill in for Dragon.”
“Emerald Phoenix’s drummer is not going to fill in for Dragon,” Maddie says. “He has his own band.”