31. Isabel
Isabel
Dr. Boyd is a highly skilled cardiologist. He moves like nothing can shake his focus, his decisions immediate, each step flowing into the next.
There’s no rush in him, no wasted motion.
Before I register how quickly we’ve worked, Trent is stable and the procedure done.
Under forty minutes from start to finish.
It’s the kind of efficiency you get with experience.
He’s older than he looks, in his mid-forties. He works at this hospital because his father has heart issues and he wants to be closer to look after him. Ethical or not, he wasn’t about to let him die of a heart attack because the next nearest cardiologist was hours away.
“Good job, Dr. Lopez.” He praises as we walk out of the OR. “Have you ever considered cardiology as your specialty?”
The shift in temperature hits my skin as we step into the scrub area.
“Not really.” I turn on the water and watch the suds disappear down the drain. “I’ve always wanted to travel the world and offer my skills to those who don’t have access to care. General surgery felt like the better option.”
“Makes sense,” he says, drying his hands. “But there are a lot of people in those situations who could benefit from a top-notch cardiologist. You could train under someone for a few years, build the experience you need. I’d sponsor you in a heartbeat.”
He laughs at his own joke, the tension of the procedure finally easing from his shoulders. “Just something to think about.”
“I will. Thank you.” And I will. He’s not wrong. There are too many third-world countries where they don’t even get the chance to survive something like this. They go without care they can’t afford, and I could change that.
He heads off to check on Trent, leaving me to finish up. I take a few extra seconds, needing the quiet before I follow. I should check in with Aiden to see if he’s heard anything from the others.
When I step out of the prep room, I round the corner and run smack into a wall that shouldn’t be there, forcing me back inside. “What the hell?”
Aiden’s hand clamps over my mouth before I can say more. “Shhh.”
My heart kicks hard against my ribs as I stare up at him, lowering my voice instinctively. “What’s going on? Why are you back here?”
“Drake is working with Rurik.” The words come out low, controlled, but the exhale that follows gives him away. “He said something that made me think you were in danger. I needed to check on you. Now I’m not leaving your side until we find that prick.”
A thought crosses my mind, and I feel the color drain from my face. “Grams. Where is she?”
Aiden closes his eyes, as if he’s trying to avoid telling me, but doesn’t leave me hanging. “We don’t really know.”
“What do you mean you don’t fucking know?” It comes out louder than I mean it to, but who can blame me? My grandmother is missing.
“Drake took advantage of the situation and left while we were busy with the shitshow in the kitchen.” Aiden’s jaw tightens.
“I’m not convinced that wasn’t the plan.
I mean, I don’t think Rurik expected to get stabbed in the leg by your sister’s sidekick, but I think he was meant to distract us long enough for Drake to get into position. ”
“Except Bear fucked him up, putting a stop to that. He had no way of letting Rurik know.” I draw in a breath, forcing myself to think past the panic trying to take over. “Grams recognized him.”
“Recognized him how? I’m sure she’s seen him before. Drake’s been Trent’s personal bodyguard for almost twenty years. Been a member of the Doyle family his entire life. Looks the same as he always has, just older.”
“No, that’s not it.” I shake my head, trying to hold onto the memory before it slips. “When she looked at him, she was… spooked. It didn’t register then because I was trying to get out of the hold he had on my ankle. But now, I can’t shake it.”
Aiden steps back and leans his body against the sink. “The theory we were playing with earlier about the gun.”
“Drake!” I gasp, realizing where he’s going with this. “But how did he get into the penthouse?”
“Is Trent awake?” Aiden straightens and grabs my arm, already moving. “We need to ask him about that night.”
“He’s in recovery.” I grip his forearm, squeezing hard enough to get him to turn and look at me. “We can’t get him worked up. His heart can’t take that. We need to keep him calm.”
“Do you want to find your grandmother?” His voice doesn’t rise, but the weight behind it does.
“Or are you more worried about him? Because I don’t give a shit about Trent.
He’s the reason we’re in this fucking nightmare to begin with.
It’s time to learn the truth about what really happened that night, and I’m telling you—he knows more than he’s saying. ”
He’s right.
“Fine.” I don’t like this. “But please try not to give him another heart attack.”
“I make no promises.” He pulls me along as he steps into the hall.
Lane is there waiting for us. “He’s not here.”
“You’re sure?” Aiden doesn’t sound convinced.
“Yes. But I think I know where he might be heading.” Lane moves with us as we make our way toward Trent’s private room.
“Where?” I ask, needing to know. “And is Grams with him?”
“We still don’t know that.”
“How on earth did he leave without anyone noticing?”
Lane’s face darkens, anger rising fast. “Don’t fucking know. He waited until I took Bear with me. Must’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity. I still can’t figure out how he got loose. Didn’t know he could pick a lock.”
“What if he didn’t?” I stop mid-step, the thought locking down everything else in place. “What if there were others? Rurik wouldn’t come alone.”
“He didn’t. We took out the others,” Lane adds.
“You’re sure you got them all?” I raise an eyebrow. “Trent and Drake snuck past you without anyone noticing. Don’t you think it’s possible someone else did too?”
“I suppose.” Lane’s jaw tightens as he says it, like the admission costs him something.
“I’m not calling you out,” I want to make that clear. “I’m looking at the gaps. Do you think it was another of Trent’s men or someone from Rurik’s side? Would he have trusted one of Rurik’s?”
The words barely leave my mouth before Lane’s phone rings. He pulls it out and sets it to speaker. “Talk.”
“We found a body,” Pauly says. “One we know we didn’t kill.”
The silence that follows stretches, heavy and expectant.
“We also found the sweater Alma was wearing. Her phone too.”
The floor feels less steady beneath me. That can only mean one thing.
“We plan to speak with Trent. Keep looking. Maybe we’ll get lucky.” Aiden turns to Lane. “Just in case we’re wrong, stay here and keep watch. We won’t be long.”
When we enter Trent’s room, a nurse is there checking on him. She looks up at us and frowns. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be here. Not after that little stunt in A&E.”
“What little stunt?” Trent asks, beating me to it.
I flick a look at Aiden, hoping he’ll explain, but all I get is an eye roll.
Paying no attention to either of us, he addresses the nurse. “You can go. We need to talk to him alone.”
The nurse doesn’t budge, folding her arms tighter. “You plan pulling a gun on me if I refuse?”
I step in before this goes sideways. “No, he will not. Not unless he wants me to take it from him and shove it up his arse.”
That earns a smile. “I like you.”
“Can you please give us a few minutes? We won’t be long.” I point my thumb at Aiden. “I’ll make sure this one behaves.”
She wraps up what she was doing and grabs her cart. “I’ll be back in twenty. Don’t get his heart rate up. He needs his rest to make a full recovery.”
Trent doesn’t say a word until the door closes behind her. “What did I miss?”
Aiden surprises me by sitting beside him, his focus settling in a way I haven’t seen before. “You look like if you sneeze, you’ll keel over.”
“I feel like that too,” he admits, his eyes finding mine. “You saved my life.”
“Dying seemed like the easy way out.” I stay at the foot of his bed, scanning his chart more out of habit. “You might not be so happy about that when I’m so far up your arse during your recovery, making sure you keep the stress level at normal.”
“Normal for who?” Trent frowns. “You understand what I do, right?”
“I do. But for the next several months, you’re letting Silas handle it.” Bracing my hands against the railing, I set the chart down. “I didn’t save your life just so you could throw it away.”
I hold his gaze, making sure he understands. “We need to ask you some questions, but I need you to promise me you’ll remain calm. Or at least try. Because when you hear this, you’ll want to go full mob boss—but you can’t. So don’t even try. Can you do that?”
There is no way in hell this man—someone used to giving orders and eliminating anyone who dares to cross him—will sit here and be chill.
Trent closes his eyes, drawing in slow, controlled breaths. “It’s about Drake, isn’t it?”
The certainty in his voice catches me off guard. My eyes land on Aiden, who’s just as thrown.
“Yes.”
Trent inhales once before opening his eyes, and whatever restraint he had slips. He glares at Aiden, fire burning brightly behind them, and issues a command he expects to be obeyed.
“Kill him.”
“You knew.” It’s not a question. “How long?” Aiden asks.
“Not long.” Trent does his best to do what I asked him to do: remain calm. “I was waiting for him to prove me right. Looks like he finally did.”
“It took some persuading, but Rurik confirmed. They’ve been working together.
Drake went to him nine months ago. Offered him the Doyles in exchange for control after.
” Aiden gives Trent a minute when his heart rate spikes, letting it settle before going on.
“As I was leaving, Rurik tried to spin it like Drake had taken Isabel again. Obviously, that wasn’t the case. I’ve got a read on it.”
He does?
“What’s that?” Trent and I ask at the same time.
Aiden settles back into his chair. “He set both of you up. Maybe even all three of you, honestly. You, Rurik, and Rico. Kept his hands clean while you went at each other. If one of you survived, he’d step in, finish it, and make it look like the other did.”
“I sent you to the penthouse instead of Drake because I didn’t trust him.” Trent smacks his lips together and reaches for the water next to him.
I jump into action and help. “Here, let me.”
He takes a small sip, and when he’s done, he nods. “Thank you.”
“If you didn’t trust him, why keep him around?” That makes no sense to me. “Weren’t you afraid he’d kill you?”
That pulls a low laugh from Trent. “Not really. If he killed me himself, my men would’ve gladly handled him. Loyalty like that doesn’t waver. There’s an order. You don’t step outside it. He needed a cleaner way. Something that made him look like he had nothing to do with it.”
“Makes sense. In a warped kind of way.” I sit beside him on the bed, keeping my movements measured. “If you died, Silas takes over, right? He’d need him gone too. Remove both of you, and everything spirals. Who’s next in line?”
“Yes.” Trent grits his teeth. “His plan to take out my son failed today, didn’t it, Aiden?”
I don’t miss his blatant disregard for my inquiry about the next person in line.
Silas doesn’t have a brother. He had a sister, but she died several years ago.
I mean, I guess Rurik is the oldest, but hell would freeze over before any Doyle would let a Russian lead them.
It seems the responsibility will fall to me, and that’s something I absolutely will not support.
“If that was the plan, yes.”
“What do you mean?” Trent asks.
“That required him to rely on Rurik, and that dipshit loves to play with his enemies.” Aiden’s tone stays even. “He’s proven that in the short time we’ve been playing his games. Leaves things unfinished, drawn out longer than they should be. You build a plan around that, it’s going to crash.”
“Typical Del Markov behavior,” Trent scoffs.
My first thought is that’s typical bad guy behavior, but I keep it to myself. When I look over at Aiden, he tilts his head, as if he can read my mind, and the corner of my mouth lifts before I can stop it.
Aiden presses forward. “What is it you thought I’d find? It wasn’t the brooch, was it?”
“No.” He takes a moment to catch his breath. “Rico was a smart man. He never conducted business with his special clients without recording the meeting.”
“That’s not true.” I shake my head, holding firm. “He refused to let me install any cameras so I could check in on my grandmother. He told them, in no uncertain terms, ‘I don’t need everyone, including you, knowing my business.’”
“And I don’t allow cameras at Soulcombe.
” A barely perceptible smile appears on Trent’s lips.
“You want people to behave? You watch them. The only areas not under surveillance are my private residence and office. Everywhere else is covered.” He glances at Aiden, a warning settling in his expression.
“Keep that to yourself, or you’ll end up in the same plight as Mr. Theiss. ”
My blood goes cold. “Where is he? Is he dead?”
“Not yet,” Trent admits with zero regret. “But I’d wager he wishes he was. I haven’t decided what to do with him. Silas thinks he’s learned his lesson. That we should let him live. What do you think, Aiden? Mercy?”
“Not my call, sir.”
“I vote for mercy.” I share my opinion, knowing it won’t carry weight. “Back to the cameras. You really think my grandfather had those, because I don’t. He valued his privacy.”
Trent shifts against his pillow, closing his eyes. “There’s only one way to find out.”
Aiden pushes up from his seat and reaches for my hand. “Looks like we’re heading back to London. Would’ve saved us some trouble if you’d mentioned that sooner.”
Without opening his eyes, Trent smirks. “Didn’t want to make your job easier. Maybe next time you’ll think to look for them.”
I’m not sure what drives my next move. Maybe I’m developing a soft spot for the man who once loved my mother. Before I second guess it, I lean down and place a brief kiss on Trent’s cheek. “Rest and don’t die on us while we’re gone.”
“Not planning on it.” He opens one eye, studying me. “You shouldn’t go. It’s not safe.”
Behind me, Aiden lets out a quiet chuckle.
I straighten, unimpressed.
“I hate when men try to pull that shit.” My voice stays even, but there’s no missing the edge. “If it’s not safe, then no one should go. I trust Aiden to handle whatever comes our way. He and his friends won’t let anything get past them. And if something does, we’ll deal with it.”
Taking a step back, I huff, “And if that fails, my sister won’t. No one fucks with Gabby and lives to tell about it.”