Chapter 45 #2
The familiar sound of the hospital—beeping, soft voices—filled his ears as the elevator doors closed behind him.
Striding down the hall, Zeus felt his anticipation rise as he approached Yas’ room.
Passing by the nurses’ desk, he gave a wave to them on his way.
Two out of the three smiled at him, acknowledging his passage.
The other was hunched over a computer, earbuds in his ears, totally focused on whatever he was looking at.
Everything was calm. Normal.
Which was soothing after the series of events from the news report on the attack on Macleod to his parents calling in the parking lot. Zeus needed more normal and calm today.
Which was why, when he almost ran into a tall man coming out of Yas’ room, he immediately tensed.
“Sorry, excuse me.” The man smiled, nodding his head. Something about the way he held himself, not to mention the clothing, reminded Zeus of Mason. The other man moved around Zeus, and he got the odd feeling that he was being studied and judged for some reason.
Pressing his lips together, Zeus stepped into Yas’ room and crossed his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow at her. She was already wide-eyed and a little wary.
“Hey Z. Um…” Her voice trailed off. So he decided to give her a better opening.
“Who was that?” he asked, striding over to her bed.
Despite the fact that she looked like a kid caught with her hand in the candy jar, her whole face lit up when he walked toward her.
She brightened from the inside out, eyes widening, smile blooming on her lips.
There was nothing better than seeing her whole expression change, her body language shifting, the moment she saw him.
The amount of warmth it spread through him washed away the last vestiges of tension from his parents’ phone call, as well as the rising nerves from almost running into a strange man who had been in her room.
“Um, that was Payam. My mom’s friend’s son.”
“Ah ha.” Damn. He’d thought her parents liked him. “I take it they’re still trying to find you a good husband?”
“No.” Yas reached out to take his hand in hers. “They introduced me to Payam, before they knew about you. He was just coming to see me because he’d heard I’d been shot. He’s a good guy… just not the guy for me.”
The warmth was back, spreading from her fingers in his through the rest of his body. Yas’ parents did like him. So did she. Still though.
“Any other men you’re keeping a secret from me, naughty girl?” he raised his eyebrow at her. “First Mason, then Payam…”
“Nope, no more secrets, I promise.” She crossed her fingers over her chest. “And you’re not allowed to be mad at me. I got shot.”
Zeus couldn’t help it, he laughed. “How long are you going to play that card?”
“As long as it works.” She gave him a sidelong look. “Though, I wouldn’t mind being your naughty girl once my shoulder heals up.”
“Oh trust me, princess, I’ll be keeping a tally of how naughty you are while you’re recovering.”
“Well, that’s no fun.” She pouted at him and Zeus booped her nose with the tip of his finger.
“Where are your parents?”
“Taking longer than I’d thought to get a bag together for me,” Yas said, holding up one hand to reach for his face as he bent over her to give her a kiss. Her fingers rubbed along his beard, and she sighed happily against his lips. “I cannot wait to get out of here. How is your day going?”
His chuckle had no real amusement to it as he straightened up.
Looking over his shoulder, he hooked his foot around the chair to pull it closer.
Close enough, he could sit down facing her and hold her hand.
The soft warmth of her palm in his was a better calming mechanism than any breathing exercise.
“You mean other than finding out you were hiding another secret boyfriend? It has been a day already. Have you turned on the news at all?”
“No way, too depressing. Only happy thoughts today.” She cocked her head at him. Apparently, she was going to ignore the ‘secret boyfriend’ jab. “Although if there’s something major going on, please do tell me.”
“Well, depends on what you mean by major.” He quickly updated her on the attempted shooting of MacLeod, making her jaw drop open. “At least no one was injured this time.”
“That is good… but holy crap. What are the odds?” She shook her head. “At least we know it wasn’t Pete James that did it. So, it must be a different shooter. But wow.”
The urge to tell her about the sniper was there, but Zeus suppressed it. Lincoln had been explicit—no telling anyone outside of the team. Some things were need-to-know. Even though Yas deserved to know, considering she’d been the one to get shot. Eventually, he would be able to tell her.
“Anything else momentous happen?”
“Well…”
“I was kidding! There’s more?”
“My parents called again. I answered this time to tell them that I wasn’t going to come home, and they could write me out of their wills.
” Zeus rolled his head around his neck. “I also told them I’m not willing to pretend my dad isn’t abusive anymore and that the only reason I’d want to hear from either of them is if my mom needs help leaving him. ”
“Wow…” Yas’ mouth was hanging open, and she closed it, shaking her head before speaking again. “Wow. You have already had a day, while I’ve been just lying here in a hospital bed.”
“Yeah, well.” Zeus shrugged one shoulder. “When it rains, it pours. But you’re getting released today, and that’s all I need to keep me happy.”
“You’re sure about me coming to stay with you?” There was a pleading look in her eyes, though she kept her voice even. “Because I can go to my parents. I know it’s kinda soon…”
“You were already staying with me before.”
“Yeah, but that’s when Pete James kept showing up at my house. Which is not something I have to worry about now.” The relief she felt at that was clear in her voice.
“Are you sure you want to stay with me, now that you don’t need my protection?” He raised his eyebrows at her.
“Yes.”
“Then I’m sure I want you to stay.” He lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “I’d rather you were with me than anywhere else.”
Yas relaxed, her expression softening. “Me, too.”
The urge to say something, to tell her something about how he felt about her, was growing stronger as they looked at each other, drinking each other in with their eyes. Just when he thought he might gather his courage and take the leap, he heard her parents’ voices in the hallway, coming closer.
Yas heard them, too, turning her head toward the door, her fingers squeezing his as her parents came in.
“Oh, Zeus, you’re here! So good to see you again.” Bustling around the side of the bed, Yas’ mother came to bend over and press a kiss against his cheek. “I am so excited our girl is getting out today!”
“Yes,” he replied, sending a glance at Yas, who seemed both embarrassed and pleased by her mother referring to her as ‘our girl’ and including Zeus in the statement. “Me, too.”
He couldn’t wait to take her home.