Chapter 264

Nelson suddenly started coughing badly, the kind that felt like something sharp kept stabbing right in his chest, over and over. His eyes were red from the pain, and with every cough, the bruises on his body from Adrian' beating flared up again. But none of that compared to the pain in his chest. It was like someone took a dagger to his heart, stabbing and scraping at it nonstop. Tiny, piercing stings, like needles threading through nerves, impossible to ignore. Even thinking about it made him wince. Dominic was totally freaked out, immediately putting down his phone and jumping up from his chair. "Nelson, are you okay? Dude, are you sick? Should I take you to the hospital now?" Nelson leaned forward, pressing a hand to his forehead, chuckling bitterly. His bloodshot eyes and that off-kilter smile—he looked borderline unhinged. He jerked away from Dominic's concerned hand like he was in some kind of trance. Dominic started to panic. The guy looked really messed up, like he might snap a