CHLOE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
NOW
It’s been hours since we came back to the estate, but Ryker hasn’t let me out of his sight. His worried eyes track my every move, and every time I start to think about packing, he promptly puts the suitcase back where it lives on the shelf in my closet.
He’s just delaying the inevitable.
I have to leave. It’s just a question of when.
Making sure Camilla and Crew are safe is my first priority, but after that, I’ll have to get out of town as quickly as possible.
It could be too late by then, but I can’t bring myself to get out of New York until the girl that pulled me from the deepest depression of my life is safe with her men.
Maybe I can ask the Legion to smuggle me out of the state. If what Bishop said today is true, they’ll do anything to protect me, and getting me as far away from the Lombardi brothers as possible is of the utmost importance.
By now they’ve probably told Salvatore they know my location, and if they don’t bring me back to Miami themselves, more Lombardi men will descend on the estate, putting the people I care about at risk.
“Siren,” Ryker says softly, dragging me out of my thoughts.
He’s standing across the room with his phone in his hand, his eyes flicking from me to the device and then back again.
“Hmm?” I should ask about the nickname, especially now that he’s used it a few times, but I can’t find it in me. There’s something calming about his presence that I’m not ready to lose just yet.
“They found Camilla and Crew.”
“Are they okay?” I push myself to my feet too quickly, causing stars to burst into my vision. When was the last time I ate?
He hesitates for a beat, causing my stomach to roll uncomfortably. “They’ve just arrived at the hospital. Camilla is in a critical condition. She’s lost a lot of blood, and they’re not sure if she’s going to make it.”
A ragged sob tears from my throat, my knees giving way beneath me, but I don’t get a chance to hit the floor before tattooed arms are wrapped around me, holding me against his hard chest.
“I’ve got you,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my hair before carefully placing me on the edge of the bed.
Once he has me settled, he crouches in front of me until our eyes are level and I have no choice but to hold his gaze.
“Camilla is strong, and she’s stubborn as hell.
You think she’s going to let a little blood loss take her out? ”
I shake my head slowly, because he’s right. My girl is the strongest woman I’ve ever met. If anyone can survive this, it’s her.
“Exactly. She’s a fighter, and she’s not about to let those men of hers live life without her.” His confidence washes over me, and I can’t help but lean into it.
“What about Crew? Is he okay?”
He nods. “Mostly just dehydration and some cuts and bruises, but nothing to be worried about. He’ll be fine after some fluids and a whole lot of sleep.”
They’re both alive.
I could leave now.
I could pack up my things and get out of here before the brothers have had a chance to track me down. But even as I think it I know I won’t be able to leave until I’ve seen Camilla for myself.
I won’t leave her without saying goodbye.
He drops a hand to my thigh and gives it a gentle squeeze. “Change into something warm and comfortable. We’ll head out in ten.”
The waiting room has been quiet since I stepped through the door with Ryker on my heels. I took a seat across from Bishop, giving him a reassuring smile as I got myself settled.
The hard plastic only gets more uncomfortable the longer we sit here, but I can’t bring myself to stand and stretch my legs.
We could get an update at any moment, and I don’t want to miss it.
Every alarm that sounds down the hallway sends a fresh wave of panic through my chest, but Ryker’s steady presence gives me a sense of calm that feels unfamiliar.
It’s strange. We haven’t spent much, if any, time one-on-one, and yet today he’s my rock. He’s the only thing stopping me from spiraling into complete despair.
Kovu paces up and down the waiting room like a caged animal.
Every move he makes is the definition of predatory, but whenever someone convinces him to sit down, it lasts barely a few minutes.
He needs to be on the move so his mind won’t wander to the possibilities.
I can relate because the stillness is beginning to get to me, the way my skin crawls with each second that ticks by on the too-loud clock above the door.
I drop my elbows to my knees and sigh. These chairs are brutal, and no matter how much I move, I can’t seem to find a comfortable position to sit in.
“You okay, Siren?”
The nickname rolls off his tongue like it’s the most natural thing in the world, but how can that be? We barely know each other. Up until today, he’s been nothing more than a shadow in my life, keeping me safe from a distance and rarely engaging with me on a personal level.
I nod. “I think I just need to stretch my legs.” I push myself to my feet and stretch out my aching muscles.
“I’ll come with you,” he says quietly, but I’m already shaking my head.
“I need a few minutes by myself. I won’t be long, and I have my phone on me.”
He hesitates for a moment before giving me a slow nod.
Before he can change his mind, I step out of the room and into the sterile hallway.
I fucking hate hospitals, but then again, doesn’t everyone?
Almost everyone I know has a memory of one they would rather forget. Dying family members, injuries, and illness. And in my case, the worst days of my life.
I force the thought to the back of my mind. The emotions in my chest are already warring a little too loudly, and I don’t need to allow myself to fall any further into the past.
There’s a crossroad in front of me, and I make the last-minute decision to turn to the left.
I’ve never been to this particular hospital, so there’s a very real chance I’m going to get lost, but that wouldn’t be any different to every other day of my life.
Lost is just my permanent place in the world, and I don’t remember what it feels like to be anything else.
My tennis shoes tap against the fading linoleum floors with each step I take, and I allow the rhythmic sound to settle my racing thoughts for the first time since I heard Damon’s voice this morning.
The next time I come to the end of a hall, I take the right, my feet taking me further from the waiting room.
I’ll head back soon. I want to be there when the doctor comes to update the guys about Camilla, but I can’t bring myself to turn back just yet.
A restroom sign catches my attention up ahead, and I head inside, stepping up to the sink and flicking the cold water on. I allow it to run for a moment while I shove the sleeves of my sweatshirt up my arms, and then I hold my wrists beneath the ice-cold stream.
My eyes slip closed as I drag steady breaths into my lungs, reminding my nervous system that we’re safe, that nothing is going to happen to us, but I’m so focused on my breathing that I don’t hear the door open or the heavy footsteps as someone walks toward me.
No, it’s not until a hand covers my mouth and cuts off my scream that my eyes flash open, meeting dark green ones that used to stare at me with nothing but adoration.
Now though? Now they’re full of pure hatred.