Chapter 43 Sera
SERA
My eyelids feel like they’ve been glued shut.
I can hear beeping, and when the antiseptic smell hits my nostrils, panic isn’t far behind.
I attempt to open my eyes and almost cry with relief when both respond.
They’re not taped closed like last time.
The room is a little hazy, and I blink several times to clear my vision.
Brady is slumped in a chair by my bed, looking wrecked—a little too reminiscent of my last hospital stay. His shirt is wrinkled, and his jaw is covered in at least a day’s worth of growth.
Pain throbs deep in my gut, hot and vicious, like someone has shoved a branding iron into my stomach. I pull in a shallow breath, wincing as memories bombard me.
“Liev?” My voice comes out in a desperate croak, bringing my brother out of his chair. He puts his hand on my shoulder to prevent me from sitting up. “Where’s Liev?”
“Easy. He’s okay. He’s in another room on this floor.”
“I need to see him.” My heart hammers, making the machine next to me beep faster.
The memory of him bleeding out on the floor next to me flashes through me. The image of the first bullet hitting his body, and him continuing to run toward me uncaring of the gun aiming at him. I can’t catch my breath, as hot tears spill down my cheeks. “I need to see for myself.”
“I promise you, he’s okay.” Brady wipes my cheeks. “He’s in better shape than you are.”
“I don’t believe you.” I gasp as white-hot pain stabs at me.
“I wouldn’t lie about that.” Brady offers me a smile as the door swings open and a nurse hurries in.
“What’s going on in here,” she asks frowning at the screen. “She needs to stay calm.”
Brady lifts his eyebrows at me. The nurse moves him aside as she injects something into the IV in the back of my hand.
“Brady, please.”
He takes my hand, as the nurse steps back, stroking over my fingers. “You need to rest. Just sleep.”
My brain fogs. But when the door opens, I see two men standing outside my door. One turns to look at me and winks, before turning to face the hall again. Yuri. The neck tattoos should have given him away.
Brady follows my line of sight. “Interesting life you’ve chosen.”
The drugs are pulling me under. “Pretty sure it’s my life that got us here,” I whisper.
My lids shut, but I hear my brother’s broken voice when he says, “No, this one is on me. I should have climbed down into the jungle to make sure he was dead.” He shakes his head.
“I still don’t know how he survived it. I watched Vincent’s shot through the scope…
He went off the bend just like we planned… ”
I force my eyes to open even if it’s just slits.
“It’s not your fault, Brady. If you’d taken the time to check, you might have been caught by the locals who found him.
Besides,” I sigh, trying to resist the pull of sleep.
“Most likely even the devil didn’t want him yet.
” I lick my dry lips. “He’s really dead this time though, right? ”
I feel lips brush my forehead. “Yeah, Ser. This time I double-checked.
The next time my eyes open, the light through the window has shifted.
“Hey, Little Warrior.”
Liev. Emotion swamps me as I take in the bandages visible on his arm and beneath his shirt and peeking out from the waistband of his sweatpants. Tears fill my eyes.
His face contorts. “Are you in pain?” He reaches for the call button, but I put my hand on his to stop him.
Pressing my lips in a tight line to hold the relieved sobs in, I shake my head. I lick my dry lips and say, “I’m just really glad to see you.”
He gives me a lopsided smile. “Trust me, not nearly as happy as seeing your eyes makes me.” For a minute our gazes lock, and I can see my own feelings reflected back to me in his dark eyes.
“I thought my heart was going to stop when I saw you with him…” He roughly clears his throat.
“At least, I didn’t make you watch me run in front of a bunch of bullets.” I do my best to glare at him, but I’m too relieved he’s okay to fake it.
“Pfft.” He smiles. “He was a lousy shot. The one across my ribs was only cause I hadn’t strapped my vest tight enough.”
“You’re okay though, right?”
“Yeah, I’m being discharged tomorrow. His face grows serious and he interlaces our fingers. “The doctors say you’ll be here another week,” he murmurs, thumb caressing the back of my hand. “But I won’t leave you.”
“You scared me,” I admit. “When you lost consciousness…”
“Nah.” His eyes crinkle at the corners. “I was resting my eyes so your brother could play hero when he finally showed up. Didn’t want him to feel bad about missing out on all the action.”
I snort. “Liar.”
God, I love this man.
He leans forward to kiss me, and I glimpse the wheelchair pushed against the wall.
“Damn, Gangster, I know you’re older than me, but I thought we had a few years before you’d need one of those.”
He looks adorably confused until he realizes where I’m looking and rolls his eyes. “I see they didn’t remove your terrible sense of humor along with your spleen.”
A few days later, I’m officially over being in the hospital. Between the constant poking and prodding and noises, it is impossible to sleep. I’ve resorted to begging Liev to take me home. He’s kept his word about not leaving me.
Elizabeth told me that after Liev made a hefty donation to the hospital, once I was awake, they’d wheeled in another bed next to mine. He even showers in the small, attached bathroom.
Today is the first time I’ve convinced him that it’s okay to leave me alone for a couple of hours.
He’s done most of his business over the phone, but this role is new, and I know there are parts he’s neglecting.
After assuring him that Elizabeth was coming to visit and promising to call if I needed him, he finally left.
“Come in,” I call when there is a knock at the door.
But instead of Elizabeth, I see Ray framed in the doorway, holding a massive bouquet of flowers. He looks terrible... older. The lines around his eyes are deeper, and his normal swaggering posture has been replaced by slumped shoulders.
“Ray?”
“Hey, kiddo.” He sets the flowers down, easing into the chair next to the bed like he’s afraid I’m going to tell him to get out.
“What are you doing here?”
He flinches. “I guess I deserve that.”
Guilt fills my chest. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just surprised to see you.”
“Your brother called. I wasn’t sure if you wanted me here or not.” He rubs a large palm over his face, exhaling roughly.
“I’m glad you’re here.” To my surprise, it’s the truth.
“I have something I need to say to you.” He stares at his hands for a minute before meeting my gaze. “The last time I saw you in a hospital... after the acid... I said the absolute worst thing I could. I’m not trying to make excuses, I just want to explain.”
He takes in a deep breath, and I do my best to keep my face neutral. I’ve never seen my father like this. There is no posturing, no jokes. He seems… genuine.
“I was worried when I got Brady’s call last time.
But I told myself you were young, and it wouldn’t be a big deal.
And then I saw you. Saw how much pain you were in.
Knew the rough road ahead of you and…” His voice cracks, and he shakes his head.
“I failed you. I didn’t know how to handle it, so I made a joke.
A horrible insensitive joke, and I will always regret it. ”
I stare at him openmouthed.
“But this time... when your brother told me what happened.” His breath catches and his lips tremble.
Then he shakes his head and frowns like he’s arguing with himself.
“When Brady called me, I’ve never been more scared in my entire life.
I thought I might lose you for good.” His eyes glisten, and then an actual tear drips down his face.
The raw emotion showing from a man who’d always been larger than life, but who never really appeared to care much about me, is thoroughly rattling.
“And I was going to lose you before I got the chance to make it right.” He continues looking miserable. “All those years I wasted, keeping you a secret, being a shit dad... Do you think you can ever—”
“Dad.” I cut him off softly. “How about we just move forward? See how it goes.”
He nods, swiping at his face with a rough hand, a choked laugh escaping. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
The door swings open suddenly, and Liev stalks in, his face darkening like a storm cloud at the sight of Ray.
I hold up a hand before things can escalate. “My dad just came to check on me. He was worried.”
Liev glances at me, and I guess my relaxed expression convinces him, because his shoulders drop. “You’re supposed to stay calm.”
“If I get any more calm, I’ll be dead,” I mutter.
He points a finger at me. “Too soon.”
I roll my eyes. “Whatever.”
Ray stands and faces my husband. “I heard you almost died saving her. Thank you.”
He extends his hand. Liev looks at me, and when I nod, he shakes my father’s hand.
“I’ll let you rest,” Ray says, squeezing my shoulder gently. “But I’d like to come back, if that’s okay.”
“It is.” I watch him leave with a strange sense of peace.
Liev takes my hand the second the door clicks shut. “You sure you’re okay? He didn’t upset you?”
I lean back against the pillows. “Kiss me”
The kiss he gives me is soft and tender. I smile against his lips. “Yeah, for the first time in forever... I think I’m perfect.”