32. Aiden
Aiden
The looks I receive from the hospital staff as I pass tells me everything I need to know. They don’t trust me. They shouldn’t. Not after what I did to Rurik.
We’re closing in on the lobby when I spot a couple of coppers talking to Dr. Miller. “Fuck.”
Isabel glances up and turns it on me as she mumbles, “What the hell did you do?”
“What needed doing.” I pull her off course, down a corridor that’s less crowded.
As we hurry along, I turn to Lane. “Tell me we’ve got a Plan B.”
The shuffling behind us signals that we’ve been made. The order that follows tells me it’s time to go.
“Stop! Police!”
Lane, having already scouted the small hospital for Drake, confidently takes the lead. “This way!”
We pivot, pushing down another hallway. A nurse and a patient block the path, forcing us to adjust on the fly and maneuver around them. I guide Isabel through the narrow space, keeping us moving without drawing more attention.
“Sorry!” Isabel calls over her shoulder.
We make another sharp right, then an immediate left through a set of swinging doors. The air on the other side is sharp and cold, biting through the warmth we just left behind.
The morgue.
“This way.” Lane doesn’t slow down as he leads us toward a solid backdoor. An alarm pierces the air the instant he pushes through.
“Shit!” I hold it long enough for Isabel to slip through, her footing unsteady with her shoes covered in those disposable booties. “Now where?”
A white van pulls up like it’s been waiting. The side door slides open, and a familiar face appears. “Need a ride?”
The three of us don’t waste time. Isabel climbs in first. I’m right behind her when the door behind us slams open again, the coppers spilling into the alley.
“Go!”
The van jerks forward before I’m fully in. Isabel loses her balance with the sudden movement. I catch her mid-step, pull her in, and shift us away as the door slides shut.
“Well, that was the most fun I’ve had in years,” Darius Falcon admits, trying not to fall over as the driver pushes the van harder, weaving us clear.
Isabel finds her balance and looks forward. “Sir Edward?”
The driver glances back with a grin and a quick wink. “Good to see you again, princess.”
“You too.” She leans her body against mine. “Now tell me what the hell is going on. Why did we run away from the police like hardened criminals?”
I can’t stop the words from spilling out. “Because I’m a bad guy. Or did you forget that?”
“So, this is what it’s like to live the life of crime.” She reaches down and strips the covers off her shoes. “Next time, warn me. Running in those was a nightmare. No grip at all. Pretty sure I twisted my ankle going around that corner.”
“Let me see.” I catch her leg and turn her before she can pull away, making her squeal in surprise.
The van brakes hard, and Darius is already moving, flinging the door open. “Hold off checking her until we switch vehicles.”
The others pile out. I don’t. Not now that I know she’s hurt. No way I’m letting her walk, even if it’s only from one vehicle to the other, less than thirty yards away.
Before she can argue, I scoop her in my arms and slide across the metal floor until my feet hit the ground. Then move after the others with her in my arms.
“Is it wrong that I’m a little turned on?” She leans her head against my shoulder, clearly enjoying herself. “Cause I am.”
“It’s the adrenaline,” I tell her.
“Funny, I thought it was the hot, dangerous guy carrying me like a damsel in distress.” She shifts slightly. “Good to know I can just write it off as adrenaline.”
“Don’t start,” I warn. “Or you’ll earn another spanking.”
Darius holds the backdoor open, watching us approach. “You might want to rein that in. Her brothers are right there.”
“Brothers?” Isabel tilts her head back and peeks inside. “Oh. Well. It’s like a family reunion.”
I lower her into the seat next to King Antonio, whose frown tells me he heard every word. Once she’s settled, I take my seat across from her next to a man who’s barely containing his amusement, even as the other two scowl at me like I’ve overstayed my welcome.
“Stop!” Isabel smacks Antonio’s leg. “We’re not doing this here. You will be nice or you can all fuck right off.”
“Language,” Antonio grunts.
Isabel rolls her eyes and makes introductions. “Aiden, this grump is my brother Antonio, King of Hermosa Islas. His bark is worse than his bite.”
“Don’t tell him that.” Antonio’s expression turns sharper.
I offer him my hand. “Nice to meet you, Your Majesty.”
“Please don’t call him that. His head’s big enough as it is.” Isabel nudges her brother’s arm. “Don’t be rude. Shake my boyfriend’s hand.”
“Boyfriend?” The word comes from all three together.
“Did I stutter?” The flush in her cheeks doesn’t slow her down. “Behave, or you won’t be invited over for tea.”
“You live together?” the man next to Antonio asks.
“Not yet.” I meet his gaze. “We’ve been busy dealing with… complications.”
“How will that work?” the one next to me presses. “You’re in medical school. His work is in London, and from what I’ve heard—”
“Lorenzo, shut up.” Isabel folds her arms across her chest. “I’ve probably lost my spot in the program.
Lord knows Dr. Grieves has been vying for a reason to get me dismissed.
I’m hoping to convince them to let me repeat the year.
It’ll suck, but I didn’t work this hard to let it fall apart all because some arsehole used me as a pawn in his game.
She exhales, then continues, more measured. “If that doesn’t work, I’ll return to Hermosa Islas and apply there. It’ll suck more, but at least I’ll be a certified physician, just not as soon as I’d hoped.”
Reaching across the aisle between us, I take her hands in mine and give them a firm squeeze. “After what I saw in there, they’d be fools to let you go. I’m sure the board at Oxford will make an exception.”
Her three brothers nod, all of them suddenly in agreement with me.
“As long as no one interferes.” Isabel’s glare sweeps across us, sharp and unyielding. “I don’t need handouts.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I lie and almost feel guilty about it.
If the board tries to dismiss her, there’s no way I’ll sit back and let that happen. I’ll make sure Trent is aware and let him use his talents to make them understand.
Lane’s phone rings, pulling all attention his way. He answers quickly, raising a hand to call for silence. “You found her? Where?”
Isabel sits up, and leans forward, her eyes pleading for Lane to put the phone on speaker. He pulls it back and does so without missing a beat.
“She was hiding.” Kimber’s voice comes over the line. “It’s hard to understand what she’s saying. She’s confused.”
Isabel cuts in. “Let me talk to her.”
“That’s why I called. Misty thought hearing a familiar voice might help.”
Misty’s voice comes over the line next. “Hey. Alma’s fine. Shaken. Confused. She’s saying things we can’t quite piece together, but maybe you can.”
“Okay. I’ve done this before. Please put her on, and I’ll see if I can calm her down.”
“Alma, your granddaughter wants to talk with you,” Misty says in a calm, level voice.
“My granddaughter?” Alma’s voice comes through thin and unsteady. “She’s here? Oh no… he’ll hurt her.”
“Grams, it’s me. No one’s going to hurt me. Aiden’s with me. You remember him, right?”
“Oh good. Yes, I remember him.” There’s a faint lift in her voice. “He’s the handsome fellow who dragged you into the closet at the gallery opening.”
A soft laugh follows, knowing—to knowing. “You came back with the perfect amount of color in your cheeks. Only a man who knows what he’s doing can make a woman glow like that.”
Lane’s grin is immediate. Bastard.
The other three men don’t share his amusement about me defiling their sister in a public place.
Tough. They can fuck right off. I’ll do it again when the chance arises. Even if they’re around to catch us.
Isabel closes her eyes, the color in her cheeks blooming again, and I have to shift slightly in my seat to keep my focus where it belongs and not on my swelling cock.
“Yes, him,” she says, pushing through it. “So, as you can see, I’m perfectly safe. Can you tell me why you were hiding?”
Alma’s voice lowers, forcing us to lean in to catch her words over the hum of the tires against the road. “The man who was here… he tried to steal my paintings. I hid them before he could. I hid them… and the gun he used to shoot Rico.”