Chapter Twenty-four Amethyst #2
“The body needs time. Especially after trauma like that."
“When will he wake up?" I ask. My voice is small. Desperate.
“I don’t know," she says. “Could be hours. Could be days. The anesthesia is out of his system. Now it’s just his body deciding when it’s ready."
Days. More days.
“You should rest," she says. “You’re still recovering too."
“I’m fine."
“You’re not."
“I’m not leaving him."
She’s quiet for a moment. Studying me.
“I’ll have food brought in," she says finally.
“You can sleep here. In the bed next to his."
“Thank you."
She nods. Leaves. The door closes. Silence again. Just the monitor. Just his breathing. I lean forward. Rest my forehead against his hand.
“I’m not going anywhere," I whisper. “I promise."
Its evening time now. I’m talking to him. I don’t know why. Maybe he can hear me. Maybe he can’t. But I need to talk. Need to fill the silence.
“Enzo ran.”The admission taste bitter.
“I let him.”
My grip tightens around Kade’s hand.
“That mistake wont happen twice.”
The monitor beeps. Unchanged.
“I’m sorry," I continue. “I should have—I should have killed him when I had the chance. But I was trying to get to you. And he just—he disappeared."
I squeeze his hand.
“We’ll find him," I say. “When you wake up. When we’re both healed. We’ll finish this."
Pause.
“Together. Always together"
They make the bed that’s next to his. I should sleep. I know I should. But I can’t. Can’t stop watching him. Can’t stop waiting. My hand is still in his. I haven’t let go. Not once. “Do you remember the cabin?" I ask.
My voice is soft. Almost a whisper.
“When you told me you loved me."
The memory is sharp. Clear.
“I didn’t say it back," I continue. “Not then. I wanted to. But I—I couldn’t."
I swallow. Hard.
“I said it in the van," I whisper. “When you were bleeding. When I thought—"
I stop. Can’t finish.
“You need to wake up," I say instead.
“So I can say it again. When you can actually hear me."
Morning light filters through the window. I didn’t sleep. Couldn’t. Just watched him. All night. His chest rising and Falling. The monitor beeping. Steady. Constant. Proof. He’s still here. Still alive. My hand is cramping. I’ve been holding his for hours. I don’t let go. Can’t let go.
“Good morning," I say.
My voice is rough. Tired.
“It’s been four days since the shooting. Since—"
I stop.
Breathe.
The Raven told me at some point last night that I had been out for a full day before I woke up the first time and almost a day and a half before I woke up the second time. “You’re doing good," I continue. “The Raven says your vitals are strong. You’re healing."
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Wake up.”Silence.
Just the monitor. Just the steady rise and fall of his chest. “You don’t get to leave me with this.”
The Raven came. Checked his bandages. Changed the IV bag. Took his vitals. “Everything looks good," she said.
“Then why isn’t he awake?"
“His body is healing. It takes time."
“How much time?"
“I don’t know."
She left. I’m alone with him again. Watching. Waiting.
“I don’t know what to do," I say.
My voice breaks. Just a little.
“I’m good at a lot of things. Killing. Planning. Surviving. But this—"
I squeeze his hand.
“I don’t know how to do this," I whisper.
“I don’t know how to just wait."
I’m telling him about the facility. About Enzo’s operation. About Rafe. Lucia. Mateo. “Three down," I say.
“One left."
My thumb traces circles on the back of his hand. Gentle. Repetitive.
“You would have been proud," I continue.
“I was clean. Efficient. No mistakes."
Pause.
“Except Enzo."
My jaw tightens.
“I should have killed him first," I say. “Should have prioritized. But I thought—I thought I had time."
The monitor beeps. Steady.
“I was wrong," I whisper.
My ribs are screaming. Sharp. Burning. I shift in the chair. Try to find a position that doesn’t hurt. Can’t. Everything hurts. But I don’t move away from him. Don’t let go of his hand.
“I’m healing too," I say. “Slower than I’d like. But I’m getting there."
I look down at my arms. The cuts. Scabbed over now. Healing.
“Enzo did this," I say quietly. “With a knife. Shallow cuts. Just enough to hurt. To bleed. To make me talk."
I swallow.
“I didn’t," I continue. “I didn’t tell him anything. Not about you. Not about the Raven. Nothing."
Pause.
“I knew you were coming,"
I whisper.
“I knew you’d find me. I just had to hold on."
It’s been three more days since I started sitting here with him. Seven days since the shooting. Since he collapsed. Since I heard his voice. I’m exhausted. Bone-deep. Soul-deep.
But I can’t sleep. Can’t close my eyes. Because what if he wakes up? What if I miss it?
“Seven days.”My voice is rough.
“Seven fucking days.”
The monitor keeps beeping. Unbothered. Unchanged.
“I’ve woken.”
I swallow.
“Now it’s your turn.”
I squeeze his hand. Tighter.
“I need you to wake up," I whisper. “I need to see your eyes. Hear your voice. I need—"
I stop. Breathe.
“I need you,"
That afternoon The Raven brought food and set it on the table.
“You need to eat," she said.
“I’m fine."
“You’re not. You’re running on fumes. This isn’t who you are.
You’re a strategist. You come up with plans.
You take care of business. Yes your hurt right now buy I know your brain ain’t hurting.
As you said Enzo is out there. Are you going to let him get away or are you going to start doing something about it. "
She turns and walks away without waiting for an answer. Just left the food and her words hanging in the air. I stare at the tray. Should eat. I know I should. But my stomach is twisted. Tight.
But I need to try to eat. She’s right. I need to start thinking while my ribs heal. Then when they heal I need to find Enzo. I turn back to Kade. His face. Still pale. Still peaceful. Still unconscious.
“I’m sorry," I whisper. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop him. I’m sorry you got shot. I’m sorry—"
My voice breaks. I stop. Close my eyes.
“But I’ll fix this."
I’m talking again. As I write a full report of everything I saw and did at Enzo’s operation. Can’t stop. Need to fill the silence.
“Do you remember the hunt?" I ask.
My voice is soft. Tired.
“In the woods. When you chased me."
The memory is vivid. Sharp.
“I wasn’t afraid," I continue. “Not of you. Not of what you’d do. I was—"
I pause. Search for the word.
“Alive," I finish. “I felt alive."
I squeeze his hand.
“You made me feel alive," I whisper.
“You still do."
My report has been written I’ve poured over it multiple times. I’m waiting for the Raven to come back. I need anything and everything that was collected from the operation. Hopefully they have the plans, maps and everything that was left.
My eyes are burning. Dry. Heavy.
I blink. Force them to stay open. Can’t sleep. Need to stay awake til I talk to the Raven.
“I love you," I say.
The words are easier now. Less terrifying.
“I know I said it before. In the van. But I need you to hear it when you’re awake. When you can—"
I stop. Swallow.
"When you can say it back,"
My eyes are so heavy. I lean forward and rest my head on Kade’s bed my ribs are screaming at me from bending over at this angle. I sit back up and stand up and walk over to the bed and lay down.
I closed my eyes for what only feels like a second but when I opened them again the sky was dark and the raven was back checking his vitals and changing his bandages.
“Still stable," she said.
I sit up. Careful. My ribs scream. Sharp. Immediate. I breathe through it. Shallow breaths. Can’t take deep ones yet. The Raven glances at me.
“You should be resting."
“I need something first."
She finishes with Kade’s bandages. Efficient. Professional. Pulls the blanket back up. Checks the IV.
“What do you need?"
I shift. Swing my legs over the side of the bed. Feet on the floor. Cold. Grounding. “Everything you collected from the facility," I say.
My voice is steady. Stronger than I feel.
“Maps. Photos. Surveillance footage. Documents. All of it."
The Raven turns. Looks at me directly.
“Why?"
“Because I know where Enzo’s operations were."
I stand. Slow. Careful. My hand goes to my ribs. Instinct.
“I organized the pickup and drop-off locations for his product shipments. The routes. The schedules. The safe houses."
The Raven’s expression doesn’t change. But I see it. The shift. The interest.
“You think you can track him."
“I know I can."
Not arrogance. Fact.
“I spent three weeks embedded in his operation. I know how he thinks. How he moves. Where his weak points are."
I take a step toward her. Another. My body protests. Everything hurts. But I keep moving.
“He has contingency plans. Backup locations. Emergency protocols. But they follow patterns. His patterns."
The Raven studies me. Silent. Assessing.
“You’re injured."
“I can work through it."
“Your ribs—"
“Are broken. I know. But I can sit. I can think. I can analyze data."
My hand drops from my ribs. I straighten. As much as I can.
“I need a laptop. And everything you collected."
Silence. Heavy.
The Raven looks at Kade. Then back at me.
“You should be healing."
“I’ll heal when Enzo is dead."
The words come out flat. Final. Absolute. The Raven’s jaw tightens. Almost imperceptible. But I see it.
“Sit down," she says.
“I don’t need to—"
“Sit. Down." Her voice is firm. Not unkind. But absolute.
I sit. Back on the edge of the bed. My ribs thank me. The Raven pulls out her phone. Types something. Quick. Efficient.
“I’ll have everything brought here within the hour," she says. “Laptop. Files. All physical evidence we collected."
Relief. Sharp. Immediate. “Thank you."
She pockets her phone. Looks at me again.
“But you work from this room. You don’t leave. You don’t push yourself. If I see you deteriorating, I’m taking the laptop away."
I nod.
“Understood."
“And you eat. Regularly. No arguments."
“Fine."
She moves to the door. Pauses.
“Amethyst."
I look up.
“He’s stable. He’s healing. Pushing yourself into the ground won’t help him."
“Finding Enzo will."
She holds my gaze. Something passes between us. Understanding. Recognition.
“One hour," she says. And leaves.