Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Hannibal
“ S he’s out cold.” I lean over her and press a kiss to the tip of her nose.
Not much gets to me.
But for a minute there tonight, I thought I was going to lose her, and it scared the fuck out of me.
Gunter breaks the silence.
“She’ll be okay, Prez. She’s strong as hell.”
“She’s strong because she has to be, but I’m so fucking tired of her having to be strong. When can she just be happy?”
“She’s happy. She just went to hell, Hannibal, but you know what she didn’t do? She didn’t break. She felt comfortable enough to fall asleep with us all in her room. And that’s because she trusts you to keep her safe.”
“She trusts you all, too.”
“No, she doesn’t. We haven’t earned that back yet. But that’s alright. We will. There's only one person she trusts right now, and it’s you.” Gunther shakes his head. “It’s fucked-up that the shitty life she led is what saved her. It made her paranoid and cautious, and that’s the only reason why Manny is dead now.”
“When the fuck did Gunther get so wise?” Ferris jokes.
“Fuck you, I was always wise. I just hid it well.”
“Really fucking well,” Ferris mutters, earning a middle finger in response.
My phone chimes, so I pull it out and read the text. “Byte’s here with the kids. I need to go see them.” I run my hand through my hair.
“Go. I’ll stay with Lola. Nothing will happen to her on my watch. Never again, Hannibal, I swear.”
I hesitate for a beat. I either trust these guys or I don’t. And I can see in Gunther’s eyes that he means it. He’s been questioning Driller’s actions longer than most. I can see the man is gonna work for his redemption, whether Lola forgives him or not.
“Okay. I won’t be long.”
“No matter. I’m not going anywhere.”
I squeeze his shoulder in thanks and head toward the door with Elmo and Ferris behind me. I walk toward the waiting room, stopping at the nurse’s station to let them know that Lola woke up briefly before falling asleep once more. The nurse tsks at me for not letting her know sooner, but I shrug and walk toward the elevator. I’m a few feet from it when it dings. The doors slide open to reveal Byte, Germ, and Jolene with Evan in her arms. Standing just in front of them with her head down and her hands fisted at her sides, looking pale and tired, is Millie.
As she steps out of the elevator, she looks up, her eyes locking with mine for a moment before she pauses. “Dad?” Her voice breaks, and the sound, along with the word “dad” slipping so effortlessly from her lips, cracks something in my chest.
Before I can say anything, she runs toward me and flings herself into my arms. I catch her and wrap my arms tightly around her as she sobs into my shoulder.
Byte walks up and gives me a nod. “Kid’s been beside herself. If I didn’t bring her now, she’d have found a way to sneak out and walk here herself.”
“It’s alright. I needed to see them, too.” I didn’t realize how true that was until just now.
As Millie pulls back and looks up at me with eyes so like mine, I feel something I’m not sure I can put into words. I wipe my thumb across her cheek before sliding a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“I’m sorry. I should have made her get in the tunnel with us. Or stayed and helped her somehow. She’s hurt because of me, because?—”
“No.” I shake my head, cutting her off. “You did exactly what you were supposed to do. You protected your brother. You protected yourself. You did everything right. If you had stayed, you’d have been used as a means to make Lola comply. Without you there, she fought like a wildcat. None of this is your fault. Do not take that on.”
She takes a deep, shuddering breath before nodding. “How is she?” She bites her lip.
There’s a kinship between Lola and Millie that surprised me. Not in a bad way, but just in a way I found unexpected. I’d forced Lola into the role of stepmother. And Millie, for all intents and purposes, should have hated her for taking her mother’s place. Sure, there might have been some hiccups, but neither of them acted the way I expected them to. Somehow, amid all the uncertainty, they recognized something in each other. Instead of letting it drive a wedge between them, it pulled them together.
“She woke up for a little while. She was lucid and told me off for being an idiot, so I’d say she’s on the mend.”
Millie giggles, and the sound helps bleed some of the tension out of not just her, but the rest of the circle standing watch.
I look over at Evan, who’s fast asleep, before addressing Jolene. “How’s he been?”
“He’s been an angel. He’s been fed, and he’s enjoying being the center of attention. The little guy has just tired himself out.”
She walks closer so I can see him better. I drag my finger down the slope of his nose and watch as his eyelashes flutter briefly before he settles again.
“Thank you for bringing him here.”
“I get it. It doesn’t matter how many people tell you they’re fine. Sometimes you just gotta see them with your own eyes.”
I nod because that’s exactly it. “You okay with keeping him for a little longer? They’re going to keep Lola in for a few days, and I need to figure shit out.”
“You don’t even need to ask. Can I get some of his things?”
I look at Germ, who nods. “I’ll get him everything he needs. You don’t need to worry about your boy, Hannibal.”
“Appreciate it.”
“What about you, Millie? You’re welcome to stay with us, too.”
“I wanna stay with Lola. I don’t want her to wake up scared.”
I tug her toward me and press a kiss to her temple. Perhaps the smart thing to do would be to send her home with Jolene, but fuck it. I wasn’t going for the parent of the year anyway, and if she needs this, then so be it.
“You can stay, but I’ll have a brother here too. You don’t leave this hospital without protection.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
“Good. Byte, see if you can grease some palms. Hell, I’ll make a donation if I have to, but I want a bed for Millie. And I do not give a fuck about visiting hours.”
“Leave it with me.” He looks from me to Millie.
Getting the hint, Jolene jumps in. “Hey, Millie. Do you want to come down to the gift shop so we can pick something up for Lola? You can also tell me what you think she might need, and we’ll pack a bag for her. I dread to think what she’d end up with if we left it up to Germ.”
Millie looks at me, waiting for my response.
“Go with Jolene. I’ll still be here when you get back. I promise.”
She gives me a small nod before leaving with Jolene, Germ trailing behind them, keeping careful watch.
I turn back to Byte.
“How you doing? I half expected to get here and find the hospital on fire.”
“I don’t start fires when people piss me off. I kill people.”
He snorts. “Right, my bad.”
“You gonna give me an update on Driller, or what?”
“Got him locked down in the pit. Fucker ain’t going nowhere.”
“Good. He’ gonna die before I get to him?”
“Nah. He’s in a lot of pain, but as far as I can tell, none of his injuries are life-threatening. Though, just saying, remind me never to piss off your old lady. She fucked up his Achilles on both legs. The prick can’t stand up unaided. Gotta love the beauty of seeing the man brought to his knees by the woman he shoved to hers. That’s poetic justice at its finest.”
I smirk, just thinking about it.
“You guys are made for each other.”
“Damn fucking straight. Come on, I want to check on her before Millie comes back.”
I lead him to Lola’s room and open the door. Gunther looks up, relaxing when he sees me and Byte.
“Did she wake up at all?”
“No. She’s still resting, which is good. She needs it. She’s going to be sore as hell for a few days.”
A few days seems a little too optimistic for me, but I don’t say anything as I walk to the bed and take her hand in mine.
“Jesus, she looks rough. I mean, I saw it before, but seeing her in the hospital looking so tiny, I don’t know how she survived. Driller's not a small man.”
I grit my teeth at the reminder.
Byte’s cell rings. He pulls it out and answers without looking to see who it is.
“Okay, I’ll pass it along.”
“Got a prospect out front keeping watch. Said cops are here. Course, they could be here to see someone else, but it’s best to be ready just in case.”
“Can you go down and keep Millie distracted? I don’t want her anywhere near the cops.”
“Will do. Let me know when the coast is clear.”
I nod and take the empty seat next to the bed. I take in the now-cold coffees left from before and groan.
Gunther chuckles. “I’ll go and get some fresh drinks. I’ll find some magazines or something for when Lola wakes up. I give her a day before she’s climbing the walls.”
I chuckle. “I’ll be surprised if she lasts that long.”
He leaves the room, closing the door quietly behind him.
A couple of minutes later, there's a knock on the door. Lola stirs, groaning as she moves. I grit my teeth, pissed she’s being disturbed. But the sooner we can get this done, the better.
I assume it’s the cops. The door opens before I can say anything and a doctor walks in with a serious expression on his face. He eyes me with distaste as Lola gasps, her eyes springing open.
“Hey, you’re alright. I’m here.”
She blows out a few shallow breaths before focusing on me. “I’m okay,” she whispers, her eyes flitting from mine to the doctor at the foot of the bed.
“Good to see you awake, Miss Williams. How you feeling?”
“I’ve been better,” she offers him a shaky smile.
“How’s your pain on a scale of one to ten?”
“Maybe a five or a six.”
“So it’s probably more like a seven or an eight,” I warn him.
He makes a note on his tablet. “I’ll have one of the nurses come in and give you some more pain relief.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I don’t know if anyone has spoken to you about your injuries yet?—”
“Hannibal ran through most of it with me.”
“Did he now?” Condemnation drips from his voice, making Lola tense.
“I’m sorry. I asked him to tell me, and I knew he’d explain it in a way I’d understand.”
“And Mr. Hannibal's a doctor, is he?” he huffs. Before I can say anything, Lola glares at him. I won’t mention that her swollen eyes kind of negate the whole looking fierce thing.
“He was a medic in the army, so he knows what he’s talking about. If him being here with me is offensive to you somehow, you can leave. I’ve had it up to here with men who have God complexes.”
I bite my lip at her defense of me. It feels like a terrier protecting a Rottweiler—not that I’d tell her that.
“I apologize, Miss Williams. That was unprofessional of me.” He blows out a deep breath. “May I speak to you alone?”
“Anything you need to say, you can say in front of Hannibal. I’d only tell him anyway.”
“As you wish.”
He gives her the same run down of injuries that I did, adding his expectations regarding her healing prognosis and possible complications to watch out for. Once he’s finished, he hesitates for a moment.
“Your x-rays show a lot of…previous injuries. I assume you’re not into extreme sports, Miss Williams?”
It clicks then, the open hostility toward me. It has nothing to do with the cut per se and everything to do with the possibility that I’m an abuser. As much as it pisses me off that he thinks that, I can’t fault him for being pissed. He must see many women pass through these doors with a multitude of injuries born from domestic violence, only for him to patch them up and send them back home with their abusers.
“I never laid a hand on her, doc. I know what you found. But it wasn’t me.”
Lola looks at me before turning her gaze to the doctor. I see the moment it dawns on her. Her cheeks flush as she dips her head.
“It wasn’t Hannibal. He saved me. My…hell, I won’t call him my ex because that implies some sort of relationship. I was more like a prisoner than a partner.”
The doctor puts his tablet down on the little table at the end of the bed, focusing on Lola. If his expression was anything other than professional compassion, I’d break his neck.
“I won’t give you the details about the hows or whys. They don’t matter anymore. But yes, to answer your question, there were a lot of injuries. Some that healed fast, some that didn’t. That’s how I know I’ll be okay this time around.”
“Because you’ve already recovered from worse, and broken bones take longer to heal than bruises do,” the doctor says with a frown.
“Exactly.”
“I’m truly sorry for what happened to you, but I’m happy you got out. So many people don’t.”
“Most people don’t have a man like Hannibal on their side.”
The doctor’s lips twitch. “Indeed. Well, I have more rounds to make. I’ll send the nurse in. You just focus on resting. I’ll?—”
He’s interrupted by a knock on the door. Picking up his tablet, he takes it with him to open the door, showing a couple of police officers.
The doctor turns to look at Lola. “You up for talking to the police yet? I don’t want them tiring you out.”
“I’m okay. I want to get this over with. But I’m not sure I’ll be much help.”
I squeeze her hand in solidarity as the doctor nods.
“Alright, I’ll leave you in peace. Officers, do not upset my patient. She needs rest.”
“We’re just here to take her statement, that’s all.”
The doctor nods and steps aside so the cops can walk in. When he leaves, he tugs the door closed behind him, leaving the room blanketed in silence as they take me and my cut in, and their faces harden.
I sigh and lean back.
“Officers.”