44. Astor
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
ASTOR
I ’m in my car heading to the hospital when my phone rings.
“Just, she ok? Surgery go well?”
“Yeah, she’s been awake for about an hour. That’s not why I called.” My teeth automatically start grinding and he sighs.
“Alessia is here and she’s a mess, man. A fucking mess. The girls are in the room with Caro, but I heard them talking. How the fuck does she know?”
“She overheard her father and I talking. It was a shitshow, a fucking disaster. I’m parking, man, I’ll be up in a bit.”
He hangs up and I look at myself in the rearview mirror. My eyes are bloodshot red and I’m still in my tux.
I meant what I said to her—she’s not leaving this marriage. I’ll chain her until she gets over it, but she isn’t fucking going anywhere.
I wish on every fucking level that I could’ve told her before she found out that way.
The waiting room is full of my friends waiting with Justin. It’s a private floor, what we always use when one of us gets hurt. We never use real names and we’re never listed in the hospital’s computers.
“Ast. What the fuck happened?” Teagan asks me when he spots me. I shake my head and take the seat next to him.
“Her fucking father—that’s what happened. It’s been a goddamn night. You good, though?”
“Yeah, nothing we couldn’t handle. Somehow, though, Mikhail and little Jay here got the girls to comfort them.” I chuckle and Justin all out laughs when Mikhail curses under his breath. I wish I could say it surprises me, but it doesn’t. I knew at some point we all would meet our matches, I just didn’t expect it to be my wife’s entire friend group.
My wife. My wife .
I look up at the door and stand. All of them watch me as I step towards the room.
“Good luck,” Jay says before smirking. I give him the finger and take a deep breath. This isn’t about us right now; I want to check on Caroline.
When I step into the room, all of the girls cease their conversation.
Briar coughs when Alessia doesn’t notice me. She looks at me and shakes her head.
“Caroline, how are you feeling?” I ask, walking to her bed. She smirks at me and nods to the chair next to her.
“Bitches, give us a second.” Alessia frowns and looks confused on what to do.
“You, too, Les. I need to talk to him.” Alessia shrugs and walks out without giving me a second look.
When the room is clear, she turns to me and I sigh.
“You sure you’re ok?”
“Yeah, missed anything vital. We’re all clear. I’m getting out of here in a couple of days...So...she knows. And you’re still alive. And a contract? Come on, Astor, a goddamn contract is what stopped you? Justin didn’t tell me that part.”
“Yeah, she knows about the contract. She knows how badly I wanted to tell her, but she’s pissed. She insinuated we wouldn’t have gotten married if she knew beforehand. That I should be glad she didn’t know before the wedding.”
“I know. But listen to me, the only reason I’ve kept it to myself when
Justin told me it is because I knew you wouldn’t stand a chance. She won’t leave you, but she won’t give in easily, either. She doesn’t know that I knew before—I don’t have the heart to tell her that. But she’s pissed, Astor. And sounds like she’s going on a rampage.”
“What do you mean?”
“She’s going after him. And she’ll need you. I haven’t seen her this way in a long time. She’s dark, unforgiving, and fucking angry. Help her. Be there for her, and most of all, fucking fight for her.”
Fuck .
I lean over and kiss her forehead.
“I’ve got her. I promise. Get better soon, Justin is beside himself.”
“He’s a pussy. Send him in here.” She winks at me and I nod as I walk back out to the lobby. Confusion surrounds me when I don’t see Alessia.
“Where’d she go?” I ask River. She looks at the ground and I snap at her, “Answer me.”
“She left. Said she needed to take care of something.”
“Goddamn it!” I punch the wall and head for the stairs, not surprised when I hear my boys following behind me. I turn and stop Justin, pointing to Caroline’s room. “She wants you. You stay. I’ll call later.”
“Fuck that. I’m with you.”
“No, you’re with her .”
We all file into the car quickly. I call Alessia’s phone over and over again with no answer. I know if I don’t get to her quickly, this won’t end well.
At all.
After the eighth unanswered phone call, I call her father, who answers on the first ring.
“Astor.”
“She’s gone. She left the hospital and she isn’t answering her phone.”
“You don’t have a fucking tracker on her phone? Did we not teach you anything?”
“ I do have one . Her phone is off and she’s not wearing the fucking necklace yet.”
“Why not?”
“It was a goddamn wedding present! If you aren’t going to help, get off my fucking line, Ander.” I hang the phone up and call Justin.
“Just, you have a tracker on Caroline’s car?”
“Of course I do. Alessia in it?”
“Yes, where the fuck is she?”
“Hold on.” I hear him pressing buttons on his phone, and a moment later, he chuckles. “Ast, she’s home.”
Home. You’re fucking kidding me.