42. Dion
42
DION
I walk through the hospital doors, Angelica and Evander by my side.
My heart pounds in my chest.
Angelica’s steps are hesitant, her eyes darting around as if she’s expecting danger at any moment. Evander brushes his hand against hers, and I visibly see her tense shoulders loosen a bit.
We reach the door to Aria’s room, and I let Angelica go in with Evan to have a moment with her best friend. This is a reunion that’s been a long time coming, and I want to give them space. Angelica hasn’t seen Aria in the two long months she’s been recovering. Between Angelica’s own injuries and the ordeal of being kidnapped by Aria’s father, this occasion will surely be monumental for both women.
I pace the hallway, bouquet of sunflowers in hand. This will be the first time I see her conscious and awake.
A few minutes later, Evan emerges from the room.
“ How is she?” I ask.
“ From first impressions, she looks pretty good. And the little shit is still feisty as ever,” he says, shaking his head.
I laugh, the sound rough. Evander smirks when he finally notices the flowers in my hand. “ So , you’re responsible for the botanical garden in there?”
“ Yes . Don’t act like you wouldn’t have showered Angelica with peonies if it had been you.”
He chuckles. “ Just get in there already.”
I push open the door, and Aria looks up from her bed, eyes widening in surprise.
Once Angelica has left, after giving me a soft, reassuring smile, I step closer.
“ Dion ,” Aria says, her voice still weak. “ Hey .”
“ Hey ,” I reply with a smile, reaching out to squeeze her hand. “ It’s good to see you, astéri mou . It has felt like an eternity.”
She squeezes my hand back. “ I’m sorry I put you through this.”
“ Aria , no. You have nothing to apologize for. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you,” I insist, shaking my head. “ The only thing that matters is that you’re here now. You’re going to be okay.”
She nods. “ I missed you.” Tears stream down her cheeks. I wipe them away with my thumb.
“ I missed you too,” I choke out. “ So much.”
We sit in silence for a few moments, just holding hands.
“ Thank you, by the way,” she says, pointing to the garden of flowers around us. “ I love them. You didn’t have to come here every day.”
I met Aria’s mother when I came to visit her one of the first times, and Elena’s been an angel in disguise, making sure that Andrew doesn’t catch wind of my visits. Dimitri had my back, too.
They’re a solid family—except for her corpse father, of course.
“ I couldn’t stand not seeing you, Aria .”
“ What about Andrew ?” she asks, glancing nervously at the door.
“ Don’t worry about him.”
She jerks her hand away from mine. “ How , Dion ? He’s been here to see me. He still wants to get married!”
“ That won’t take him very far. Everyone is dead. He has no back-up, and your brother has things under control,” I reply.
“ He won’t let me go that easily, Dion ,” she mutters. “ Not if the pact was sealed in blood.”
“ You’re right.” I remain at the foot of her hospital bed, my gaze turning serious. “ But there’s something else you should know.”
“ What is it?” Aria shifts, wincing as pain shoots through her. I stop myself from reaching for her, afraid to make it worse.
“ Right after your engagement, someone tried to kill me.”
Her fingers grip the thin hospital blanket. “ What ?”
“ My Ducati was rigged with an explosive.”
Aria’s breath hitches.
“ It was Andrew ,” I continue, my gaze unwavering as I watch her process this. “ So , I threatened to kill him if I ever saw him again.”
Aria swallows hard. “ I wish I’d known.”
I let out a sigh, stepping closer to the bed. “ I didn’t want to worry you, especially with everything else going on. And …we weren’t exactly on speaking terms.”
Tears well up in her eyes. “ I’m sorry, Dion .”
I sit next to her and grab her hands, placing a kiss on one of them. “ Don’t be, astéri mou . None of this is your fault. No matter what happens, it’s not your fault. I’ll take care of everything.”
Aria looks up to the ceiling, blinking to clear her tears. “ That’s why he’s been scarce, leaving town for weeks, sometimes months…”
I nod, jaw clenched. “ I’d be surprised if he actually does decide to proceed with the wedding, knowing he has a target on his back.”
And if he does, I’ll fucking kill him with my bare hands.