Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Dominic
T he elevator doors slide open with a soft ding, revealing the well-lit hospital corridor.
My boots thud on the glossy linoleum as I step out. The scent of antiseptic fills the air, a smell that’s become far too familiar over the past week.
The nurse at the front desk greets me as I pass, recognizing me on sight at this point.
When I tracked down Vivian at the racetrack, it feels like I used up all my luck. My heart sits heavy in my chest as I walk down the corridor to Grady’s room.
Outside the door, I take a deep breath, steeling myself before I step inside.
Shadows lie over the room, a single lamp casting a pale glow. Grady lies still and pale amidst a tangle of wires and tubes, the machines around him beeping out a steady rhythm. He appears fragile, nothing like the vibrant, quick-witted Beta I met such a short time ago.
Holden sits hunched over Grady’s bedside table, the glow of his cell phone illuminating his face. Brow furrowed in concentration, his fingers fly over his screen. As I enter, he barely acknowledges my presence with a tight nod, while the burnt-sugar scent of his pheromones fills the room with his anxiety.
Unsure of my welcome, I hover in the doorway. The urge to go to him, to offer comfort, wars with the awkwardness that sprouted up between us after my role in Chloe’s past was exposed.
I want to say something, anything, to break the heavy silence, but fear tightens my throat, locking in the words.
If we never find Chloe, will it mean the end of my place in our pack? My bondmates forgave my past long ago, but meeting the woman I bullied in high school and then falling for her dragged it all back into the light.
My attention returns to Grady’s still form, taking in the dark circles beneath his eyes and the pallor of his skin. Guilt twists in my gut that he was injured on our island. If he doesn’t wake up, we’ll never find out why he ignored the fence and warning signs cautioning against going near the foundation being dug out for the spa/fitness area.
With a shake of my head, I push the thought away. No use lingering on questions we have no answers to. We need something tangible now . “Did you have any luck with the Omega Registration Office?”
Holden’s shoulders tense, but he doesn’t look up from the screen. “No. They’re stonewalling me. Without Grady’s authorization, they won’t release any information. They wouldn’t even confirm her status.”
“Right.” We expected as much, but it still burns to have it confirmed. “Okay, so we can’t go through official channels. What else can we do?”
“Hacking into their database is risky.” Holden grimaces. “It’s also been a while since I did anything like that. Not sure my skills are up to the task.”
“If Grady doesn’t wake up soon, we’re out of options.” I study the sleeping man. “How’s he doing?”
Holden half lifts his head, his hazel eyes red-rimmed with exhaustion. “No change. The swelling is down, so the doctors say it’s a waiting game now.”
My chest constricts at the news. Grady may be a stranger to us, but he’s Chloe’s best friend. Her rock. Seeing him like this, pale and lifeless, is a stark reminder of what could have been Chloe’s fate.
The scrape of metal legs on linoleum fills the silence as I pull up a chair across from Holden. The air between us is thick with unspoken emotions, a tangle of fear, regret, and something else too close to loss.
The vinyl in my seat creaks as I shift, trying to find the right words.
But what can I say? That I’m sorry? I’ve already apologized, both to my pack and to Chloe. That I wish I had stood by her side in high school? There’s no turning back time and changing the choices I made as a young Alpha afraid of my family and peers.
My fingers curl into fists on my thighs, but I choke down the emotion. This isn’t about me. It’s about Chloe. About finding her and bringing her home safe.
“What can I do?” I force my spine straight. “How else can I help?”
Holden’s lips press into a thin line, his shoulders sagging with exhaustion and stress. “I don’t know. I’ve been through Grady’s laptop twice, but there’s nothing. Did you have any luck with the penthouses owned by the Santaro pack?”
Regret fills me as I shake my head. I so hoped the lead Vivian inadvertently gave us would pay out. “Too much security, and Louie doesn’t move around on the surface roads. Maybe with a bigger pack to keep up twenty-four-hour surveillance on all of the properties…”
I rub my temple, where a mild headache has taken up residence and refuses to leave. “We’ll find her. I promise.”
He looks at me, really looks at me, and an emotion flickers across his face. Regret? Concern? I can’t interpret his expression when I’m this tired and just want our friendship to go back to normal.
Then Holden blinks, his face shuttering, and his attention returns to his cell phone.
As I settle in my chair, my mind drifts to memories of happier times when Chloe was a kid, her pink hair tied up in pigtails, always excited to tell me about the latest story on her mind. She used to laugh when we were together, the sound like tinkling bells filling the air.
But my cruel actions now stain those memories. I remember the day I turned on her, the day I let my fear and insecurity override our friendship. I still see the hurt on her face, the confusion and betrayal when I joined the other kids in mocking her.
Regret swallows me, pressing down on my chest until breathing becomes hard. I struggle to push back the tide of emotions that threaten to drown me.
The steady beep of Grady’s heart monitor fills the silence as minutes tick by and Holden remains hunched over his phone, his fingers soft taps on the screen. My eyes burn and my back aches, but I stay silent, waiting for when the nurse comes to tell us visiting hours are over and we return to our quiet island home.
Chloe stayed with us for only a week, but everything feels duller in her absence.
The thought of her trapped with Louie, at the mercy of his twisted desires, churns my stomach. I shake my head, trying to banish the image from my mind. It lingers, though, a dark shadow threatening to consume me.
Holden must sense my unease, because his head lifts, and his brow pinches with concern. “You okay?”
I start to brush off his concern, but stop. It’s the first time since Chloe’s disappearance that Holden has reached out like he used to.
“I’m scared,” I admit, my voice trembling. “Scared of what’s happening to her. Of what might have already been done.”
Holden’s expression softens with a quiet understanding. He reaches across Grady’s bed, hand extending toward me, before his phone buzzing steals his attention.
He snatches it up, his lips parting as he reads the message.
“It’s from Kyle.” His voice trembles with a mix of hope and disbelief. “Chloe called the resort number. She’s here.”
My heart leaps into my throat. “What do you mean here?”
Holden bursts to his feet. “ Here . In room three-fifteen!”
Adrenaline surges through me, my hands shaking. “She’s so close.”
Determination settles across Holden’s features. “We’re going to bring her home.”
He shoves the phone into his pocket and strides around the end of Grady’s bed. “She told Kyle that Santaro has a guard at the door, so we need a plan. We can’t just waltz in and expect to leave with Chloe unscathed.”
“We need a diversion to draw them away from her room long enough to get in and out.” An idea sparks in my mind, a dangerous, reckless thing that might work. “I’ll figure out a distraction.”
Holden’s mouth opens to protest, but a sharp shake of my head cuts him off. “It has to be me. If I’m caught, I’ll create a big enough commotion for you to still reach Chloe. You’re the one she trusts, the one she needs right now.”
Reluctantly, he agrees. “Try not to end up in jail.”
My lips twitch. “Well, that is the plan. My preference is for all of us to walk out of this hospital as free people.”
We’re so close now, only a few floors separating us from Chloe.
I can’t fail her again. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.” Anxiety fills his face as he steps back, and I duck out of the room.
My heart pounds as I slink down the sterile, white hallway and pause near the nurses’ station, listening.
Only the steady beeps of monitors and clicking of keyboards.
I seize my chance and sneak behind the desk. It takes no time to locate a supply closet and snag two sets of nurse's uniforms, the starched cotton unfamiliar in my hands.
I slip back out without being noticed and hurry back to Grady’s room.
“Here.” I shove a pair of scrubs at him. “Hide them under your sweater.”
“Where…?” He clutches the fabric to his chest. “Where did you find these?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Nervous sweat prickles on my skin as I tuck the second set into my jacket.
We leave Grady’s room and stride toward the elevator, trying to appear casual. Once inside, I jam the button for the fifth floor. Holden shifts his weight from foot to foot, vibrating with nerves in the tight space.
“It’s going to be okay,” I mutter, more to myself than him. “We’re not leaving without her this time.”
We arrive with a quiet ding , and the doors slide open. I check the hallway. Empty. “Come on.”
I lead Holden down the corridor, scanning the directory until I locate Chloe’s hall. Relief surges through me, followed by a fresh wave of adrenaline.
A dark room comes into view, and when I test the doorknob, it turns. “In here.”
We duck inside, the light filtering through from the hall giving us enough illumination to change into the scrubs. Holden wriggles a little to fit into his, the restrictive material straining over his slight stomach.
He tugs on the hem. “What now?”
“I’ll create a distraction so we can reach Chloe.” Smoothing down my scrubs, I square my shoulders. “Stay in here until I return.”
Holden’s forehead creases with concern. “Okay, please be careful.”
“I will.” I want to rub my cheek against his, to blend our pheromones for comfort. But I’m not sure I’m welcome anymore, so I ball my hands into fists. “Be ready when it’s time to move.”
Then I’m out the door, slipping back into the well-lit hallway.
Stride purposeful so as not to draw attention, I move down the corridor, peeking into patient rooms as I pass, searching for what I need.
There. An elderly man hooked up to a tangle of tubes and wires, the beep and hiss of machines keeping him alive.
Guilt twists my gut as I slip inside, but I push it down. I survey the machines until I find the blood pressure monitor. It’s not what keeps him alive but will cause a commotion when it sets off alarms. With a deep breath and a whispered apology to the unconscious man, I yank the power cord from the wall.
Alarms blare and lights flash. Shouts fill the air.
Moving fast, I duck out into the hall as nurses rush toward the crisis I created.
Now for phase two.
I grab an empty wheelchair from an alcove and race back to the room where Holden waits.
When I burst in, he jumps, hand flying to his chest. “You scared me!”
“It’s time,” I gasp, a little out of breath. “Follow my lead, okay? No matter what.”
His shoulders square beneath the borrowed scrubs. “Okay. I trust you.”
My chest tightens at those words. “Let’s go get Chloe.”
I push the wheelchair out, and Holden follows.
We weave down the chaotic hallway, dodging scrambling nurses to reach Chloe’s room. The guard at the door doesn’t spot us right away as he cranes his neck to see what’s happening.
I clear my throat, injecting pure Alpha authority into my voice. “We’re here to take Ms. Richardson down for labs.”
The distracted guard startles, his attention snapping to us with a hard glare. For a moment, I think he’ll question us, but then another alarm joins the fray, and he waves us through. “Be quick about it.”
“Yes, sir.” I push the wheelchair through the door he opens, hoping he doesn’t notice the way my hands shake on the handles.
Then we’re inside, and she’s in front of us. Chloe. She sits up in bed, fear clear in her heart-shaped face, pink hair tangled around her shoulders, smelling like lilacs and distress.
My breath catches at the sight of her, so fragile and pale. Dark circles paint shadows at the tops of her cheekbones, and her face appears thinner than the last time I saw her. She’s lost weight. Too much too fast for the three weeks she’s been gone.
My protective instincts surge. I want to scoop her up and cradle her close, croon comfort into her ear.
But the clock is ticking, and that’s not a comfort I’m allowed.
I rush to the monitors beside her bed, hitting buttons until the beeping stops and the screens go dark. Holden works on removing her IV, his brow furrowed in concentration.
Chloe watches us with tear-bright eyes, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. “You came.”
“Of course we did, sugar.” Holden reaches out to help her off the bed. “We’re getting you out of here.”
Jealousy rises at the easy way she falls into his arms, but I shove it down. This is the bed I made, so now I’ll sleep in it.
Holden assists her into the wheelchair, being careful not to bump her cast, and tucks a blanket around her lap, taking an extra second to squeeze her hand.
Then I grip the wheelchair handles and aim us toward the door Holden opens.
Holden steps ahead of me, and I push Chloe out into the hallway.
The guard, who drifted down the hall to be closer to the chaos, stands with his back to us, forcing us to skirt around him.
As we pass, a hand clamps down on my arm, and ice shoots through my veins.
The guard frowns at us. “How long is this lab thing going to take?”
My heart pounds as I plaster on a professional smile. “Shouldn’t be more than thirty minutes. We’ll have her back in a jiffy.”
His frown deepens, and he leans closer, voice lowering. “Listen, you think you could tell me where I can sneak out for a quick smoke while you’re gone? This stint is killing me.”
Mind racing at this unexpected turn of luck, I match his hushed tone. “Back hallway, take a left. Door at the end leads to the service stairs. No alarm on it.”
His face brightens, and he claps my shoulder, all suspicion forgotten. “Thanks, man. I owe you one.”
Fishing in his pocket for a lighter, he strides away.
My knees turn to water, and I sag a little. For a second, I thought we were done for.
Chloe twists to look up at me, her fingers white-knuckled on the blanket. “Get me out of here. Please.”
Nodding, we start moving again, skirting around the old man’s room.
We round the corner, the elevator within sight, when a voice stops us cold. “Excuse me!”
Adrenaline spiking, I freeze. If needed, I’ll act as a distraction while Holden escapes with Chloe. Shoulders squaring, I turn to face the nurse striding toward us, her expression unreadable.
Her focus flickers between Holden and me, then down to Chloe. “Is this the help you called for?”
My mind blanks. Help? What help? We’ve been caught. We’re done for. I?—
“Yes,” Chloe says. “Thank you so much for letting me use your phone.”
“Don’t mention it.” The nurse’s face softens, and she leans down, patting Chloe’s hand. “I’m glad it worked out.”
Then she straightens, addressing us. “Take the service elevator down to the garage level. Fewer people that way, and it bypasses the waiting room.”
Relief crashes through me, so intense it leaves me dizzy. “Thank you. We will.”
“Good luck.” Without waiting for a response, she hurries off to her next task.
Holden presses a hand over his heart. “That was too close.”
“You’re telling me.” I blow out a shaky breath and straighten. “Come on. Let’s not push our luck.”
We arrive at the service elevator without further incident.
The doors close, cocooning us in blessed silence, and Holden crouches in front of Chloe. “You did great. We’re almost out of here. Just hold on a little longer.”
She manages a wobbly smile. “I trust you.”
Those three simple words rock me to my core, and emotion clogs my throat.
Someday, maybe she’ll say those words to me, too.
Now that she’s back with us, I have a chance to mend the rift I caused.