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A/N: Thanks for the two readers that have caught interest in this story and for Black Rose- I would love to read your story, just tell me where it is cause I couldn’t find on the site. I’ll gladly review, after all it’s all I can do! With this story I’m trying to give you guys the readers to see what each character is going through emotionally. Thanks so much for the support. Here it is the next chapter- Enjoy! If you’re interested in other stories I write, maybe you can check out a story called a “A Hero’s Heart” and in the suspense section of this site a story called “Daywalkers”

“A Broken Soul”

**~Chapter 2~**

That night or should I say morning I lied awake staring at the billowing curtains in my room. The gentle breeze floats into the room, bringing with it the soft smell of the beach and flowers. The thoughts of A.J. and his possible condition had me worrying the whole time. We as a group were told nothing about how our friend is doing and the hospital isn’t allowing us, only close relatives to visit him at the moment. I try closing my eyes but failed to sleep. My mind was speeding with thoughts and I couldn’t understand why we, who are as close to A.J’s family, weren’t able to see him now. I sigh and fall into a fitful sleep, anything that would take me away from this oppressive agony that settles in my chest. Just as I was about to enter to the deep sleeping state, I jump as my heart banged against my chest to the surprise loud ringing of a black cordless phone besides me. Rolling over on the bed, I reach out to the bedside table to pick up the phone.

Groggily and confused I manage to speak: “Hello?”

“Hey, good you’re up D.” Nick murmurs quietly on the other line.

Rolling my eyes, I stare towards the balcony, “Hey Nicky, what is it? Why you calling me at 4:30 in the morning?” I ask gently, knowing what Nick went through is taking its toll on him.

“I can’t sleep.” Nick whispers sadly.

“I know. I’m having trouble trying to get some sleep too. I’m sure Kevin will keep us inform of everything. I know it’s hard to not worry, especially when the hospital isn’t letting us see A.J.” I say taking a deep breath.

Nick sighs on the other line as a yawn escaped his mouth, “I’ll guess I’ll talk to ya later on this morning. I’m started to feel exhausted now. Thanks for listening.”

I smile, “No problem Nicky.” And I hear the dial tone as he hangs up. Slowly I do the same and feel a tear welling up in the corner of my eye. “I won’t cry now. I have to support Nick and the others.” I murmur as I lie back on the bed and fall asleep.
~*~

“I don’t like this tie” Nick mutters staring at the full length mirror in front of him. I watch as Brian tries to persuade Nick to wear a tie. He seems flustered and exhausted just like me and everyone else. Last night was a bad night to rest, it seems all of us were left haunted with the thoughts that our safety was in danger. I waited for Kevin to get back from the bathroom as I watch the two guys tugging on a black tie.

My thoughts drifted back to what Brian had told me. Brian stated that if whoever got to A.J. that easily, that person could get to them just as fast. I didn’t want to think about that possibility; our management fired the guards and opted to hire new ones without a defect in their record. This is a tough spot we’re in. People will speculate when they see us without our other member. I hate lying to the fans but the excuse that A.J. got the flu and is feeling ill was the story they will have to tell those nosy reporters. Though the fans will know that isn’t the case. I manage to have gotten some sleep in the early morning, but it felt like nothing to me. I feel overwhelmed and too tired to think straight. I fight to keep my eyes open as I stare around the suite. It’s been over a half and hour and we were set up for a meeting with our lawyers to discuss the situation at hand. Our thoughts on A.J. troubled our mind. The only fact we know is what hospital he’s staying in, St. Ann’s. As for his injuries, that was still up in the air. In fact the whole attack on A.J. was sketchy for me.

I recalled hearing someone running down the hallway and Kevin bursting my door open. I had awoken startled and followed Kevin who was yelling that someone got into A.J’s room to hurt him. I was confused, how could the guards allow something like to happen? What about their safety? What if it was too late? I had thought. I watched as the lights in the hallway fade away leaving us in the utter blackness. We stumble around and I hear Kevin kicking down A.J’s door. The door managed to swing open when the predator crashed into Kevin and runs off into the hallway disappearing. Kevin tried to go after the person but lost the attacker in the dark hallways. We had no idea who the person was and it remained a frightening mystery to us. I recalled entering A.J.’s room as I hear Nick stumble his way over to us. Brian was already calling the ambulance and the police in fear that maybe something bad really did occur. I turned on the lights in A.J’s suite but like the hallway, it remained in the dark. Kevin carried a small flashlight and scanned it around the room until it landed on A.J. who was bleeding profusely in his leg and the side of his abdomen. He was lying on his side groaning out in pain. I stood there in fright fearing the worst, I didn’t want to lose another person in my life. The paramedics came clambering into the room about five minutes later, taking care of the almost conscious A.J. They placed him on the stretcher and wheeled him out. It was a strange incident. A.J. didn’t say anything, he only mumbled something about, “It’s him, it’s him.” He turned his eyes and stared around the room to each us as if he feared us for the first time. It seemed all his trust had faded when he stared at us before being wheeled away into the back of the ambulance.

That thought puzzled me, why would he say that? What did he mean by that? But I let it slip by when Brian’s aggravated voice grows louder.

“It doesn’t matter Nick, that’s the only appropriate tie you got in your closet” Brian states fixing Nick’s tie. I lean back on the wall and examine our outfits, all properly dressed in pants and shirts accompanied with ties. Brian’s sandy blonde hair lie combed down as his ocean eyes shrouded a hint of annoyance. I smirk at the sight and watch as Nick dressed in black pants and nice white long sleeve shirt grumble. Brian had on the similar outfit as well as I and Kevin. Only difference was the color of my shirt was a dark green, Kevin’s was silver, and Brian’s was navy blue. Nick throws his black blazer over him and looks at my direction. I gaze over to the doorway of the suite and see Kevin rushing into the room.

Sighing, Kevin walks in the room with his black wool coat draping over his arm, “Come on guys, we have to get ready to meet the lawyers and the officers. I’m personally not excited about doing this, but if it can help the police find the real criminal then so be it.”

Brian grabs his keys and starts tugging on Nick’s arm, “Nick, buddy, it’ll be fine. The cops aren’t gonna place us in prison or anything, they’re just gonna ask us some questions. K” he says, sighing softly. I watch the scene and take a deep breath, following him out the door and out the room.

I stare at Kevin who’s walking ahead of us and I jog up to catch up to him. Tugging on his sleeve, I whisper, “Wait. Kevin are you ok?”

He turns his head to look at me as he pushes the elevator button. His emerald eyes were clouded with worry and confusion. Sarcastically he responds, “Should I be feeling happy with all that’s happening?”

I stare at him confuse and shake my head realizing Kevin was hurting just like the rest of us and that was his way of getting through things. I feel Kevin’s hand on my shoulder, “I’m sorry Howie. It’s just been crazy. With all the media wanting to get a possible story out of this, I’ve been trying to keep our names out all of this.”

I nod my head taking in what he said and watch as the metal door to the elevators open for us and we board in it.
~*~

The van pulls up in the driveway of the building where the lawyers are waiting for us. The steel building was decorated with a large front yard, and wooden benches for those who choose to rest for awhile. We all file out and enter the exquisite building, the chandelier giving the lobby a wealthy image. The front doors slide open as we enter the lobby of the building. The thick mahogany planks lined the walls and floors and the forest green carpet covered much of the shiny planks on the floors. Thin dark blue curtains were tied up on its side to allow sunlight to beam into the lobby. The furniture of soft plush velvet blue seats lined up the side and in the center was a thick mahogany counter with a receptionist typing furiously on a lab top. Her golden locks are tied up into a fancy upswept hairstyle, as her blue green eyes stare at us interestingly.

Her light snowy complexion beam softly in the incoming sunlight. She pulls on the sleeve of her green blouse and in a sweet voice talks, “Welcome and good morning. How can I help you?” Her red painted lips smile at Kevin’s direction as he tells her there is a meeting with a lawyer by the name of Bernstein.

“Hold on, I’ll call Bernstein.” She whispers, her eyes glittering in recognition of who Kevin is. After a brief conversation with the lawyer on the phone, she smiles and tells Kevin that the room is on the third floor. “The meeting is being held in room 318. Just take the elevators here and the first large conference room is yours.”

Nick stands near Kevin and smiling thanks the woman. The woman blushes and smiles, whispering “Not a problem at all. Can I get an autograph from you?” the young woman states, her cheeks a blazing pink by now. Nick was about too, but Kevin pulled on his arm.

“Sorry, he’ll do it when we’re done. We’re already running late for the meeting. But I’ll make sure he’ll sign before we leave.” Kevin says kindly, his eyes smiling gently. The woman pushes a scrap of paper away from Nick and places it near her.

“Ok, I’ll be here waiting then.” The woman states as we all hurried over to the large elevators.
~*~

She watches the four men enter the elevator and she smiles. She reaches under the counter and pushes a small green button. In about a minute the switch board on the phone lit up. Giggling she picks up the phone, “Hey I was waiting for you to call me.” The woman states as she examines her nails.

The deep voice on the other line laughs, “So they’re there right?”

She smiles, “Oh yeah, all four of them. Thanks to you the fifth is still stuck in the hospital.”

The man chuckles on the other line, “Yeah, I got him pretty bad. He’ll live for now. Just enough to scare him though.”

The woman laughs quietly as she files her nails, “You are quite the master at this.”

The man lets out a puff of air and response, “Thanks, but know I can’t do this alone.”

The woman giggles again, “That’s right. That’s why you got me! Listen I gotta let you go, I have people coming in. I’ll talk to ya later sweetie.”

The man laughs and tells her he’ll pick her up from work. “You just behave girl.”

The woman smirks, “Don’t I always?” And she hangs up the phone attending the customer that came in.
~*~

We all boarded the elevator and I look at each of the guys as thoughts consumed me. The elevator arrives at the floor and we exit it. Kevin gazes around the area and Brian points to the first large thick mahogany doors near the elevators.

“Kevin this is the room.” I say as the other three follow me. I open one of the doors and is greeted to a tiny lobby where a young man was waiting for us.

“We’re sorry about the lateness.” Brian whispers a bit ashamed.

The young man smiles, “It’s ok, you’re only a few minutes behind. You’re what I like to say is called casually late.”

Nick smirks whispering, “Hell if that’s casually late…” Nick is interrupted when Kevin poked him with his elbow. And we all follow the young well dressed man to front of a doorway. The young man disappears down the hallway as we enter the room.

We are ushered into a conference room where two lawyers and an officer sat waiting. “Good morning gentlemen, please take a seat” announced a lawyer holding onto a manila folder with papers in it. The lawyer, a young man of about his early thirties with thick black hair, is wearing a wire rim silver plated glasses over his grey eyes. “Ok, let me introduce myself, I’m Gregory Bernstein, and my partner is Ms. Jasmine Rodriguez. The officer is Mr. Vincent Henslin and he’s here to ask you all some questions regarding the crime committed on your friend. As we can tell your friend was brutally beaten by someone who has access to his room. Which brings me to you guys. All of your security guards are under custody by the police until we have more evidence on this crime.”

Brian finally speaks breaking the unusual silence surrounding us in the room. “Sorry mister Bernstein, but I’m curious to know exactly what is the condition of A.J.? It seems everything is being kept under wraps and I or all of us really care about A.J. and wanna know how he is doing and what exactly happened to him.” The woman lawyer stands up and approaches Brian, swaying her brown curls over her shoulder. She stares at him, “Sir I know you care for his well being, but we are not the ones to be answering this question. I suggest you call the hospital and get the information from there. We only have the basics here.”

I really thought that was kind of rude coming from this woman, but I understand she’s probably doing her job. I gaze over to Brian who seems upset from the remark and quietly takes his seat. God, this is gonna be one long morning. I think to myself.

I look around the conference table at the attorneys and officer and my eyes fell on the guys. Kevin seems as he haven’t slept since the incident and his eyes had a downcast look to it. Brian carries a sad expression with him constantly. It’s funny, I don’t remember the last time he smiled: it has been too long. Nick seems spaced out and doesn’t seem to be listening to anything that’s happening in the conference room.

After two hours of the similarly same questions asked of us, I left the conference room with no answers and even more confused than before entering. Obviously the lawyers know something more than they were willing to tell us. And it frustrated me to know that they could even be allowed to hold data from us. I grumble on the way back to the hotel as the other guys by some miracle fell asleep all expect Brian who was staring blindly out the van window.

“Brian. Wanna talk?” I ask, hoping he was up for some talking. He nods his head, his ocean eyes held a glint of hope.

“What did you think of the meeting?” I ask, running my tan fingers through my unruly short brown hair.

Brian shakes his head, “We got nothing. They told us nothing. It’s like they’re playing a game and we’re in it. I don’t understand why we can’t just find this psycho and press charges on him?” He angrily whispers.

I sigh and shake my head, “I was thinking the same thing. Something’s up. Like a cover up or something. Who ever had access to A.J.’s room could be anyone of the employers at the hotel, or working in the company with us.”

Brian slammed his fist on the window pane, “I can’t even believe they have us down on the suspect list. Someone is setting us up. I just know it.” And he stares out the window clouded with his thoughts. I watch and take deep breath. Something was up, the cat and mouse game just began and we were thrown in without being prepared.
~**~

**~TO BE CONTINUED~**