I

REX

Sleep is the only thing I want when my phone rings ten minutes to midnight. The darkness of my bedroom shatters with every flash of the screen, forcing me to roll over to grab the obnoxious device off the nightstand.

“Yeah?” I answer, my voice rough, and sleep desperately wants me to go back to bed.

“Rex.” Owen strains just saying my name, which gets me to sit all the way up. I’m wide awake as I wait for my law partner and best friend to tell me what’s going on.

“Hey, I’m up. What’s happening? Where are you?” I ask him. The bed creaks quietly under my weight while I swing my legs over the side. The dark gray carpet is warm as I pad my way into the bathroom. The lights force me to squint, waiting for my eyes to adjust to being open at this hour.

“Saint Salvatore’s,” he grunts out. I’m already doing the math of how long it will take for me to get dressed and drive over there.

I tell him, “I’ll be there in like twenty minutes.”

“No, don’t.” He strains and grunts from the obvious pain