My ears perk up. Is the coldblooded prince of Redwood actually worried about me?
“She’ll wake up. That’s not the part that concerns me. What happened tonight?”
“What do you mean?”
My nose starts itching, but I want to hear more, so I try not to scratch it.
“Patients reported two men in suits dragging out three unconscious men from the elevator.”
Silence swirls for a long moment, and then Finn says, “Sounds like a wild story.”
The itching won’t stop, so I wiggle my nose the tiniest bit to get to it.
“Security checked the tapes, but that timeframe had been wiped.”
“Huh.”
“That was your doing?”
Silence is Finn’s response.
“I told you.” Dr. Kenji speaks in a desperate tone. “This world will destroy her. Youcannotbegin to comprehend the fragility of her condition. If something like this were to happen again?—”
“J, stop wiggling your nose. I know you’re awake,” Finn grunts.
My eyes burst open.
Dr. Kenji adjusts his glasses and looks away like a child caught cheating on a test.
Finn, as normal, is expressionless. His hair is brushed over his forehead, giving his smooth, regal face a boyishness that I haven’t seen before.
“Careful, careful.” Dr. Kenji rushes to my side and helps me when I sit up. “How are you feeling?”
“Sore.” I rub my chest as the room comes into focus.
A golden framed poster of Jet Li hangs on a wall painted a dark blue. A large walk-in closet is open to my left, and a row of brilliantly colored sneakers are lined up like trophies. A bathroom is next to the closet.
Right across from me is a large computer desk with a monitor and a CPU glowing red. Next to that is a small speaker and a shiny bass guitar. Glass doors covered by heavy black-out curtains lead to a wide balcony bordered by clear-pane railings.
I gasp. “Where am I?”
“You’re…” Dr. Kenji clears his throat. “At the Cross residence.”
My jaw drops. “Why?”
Finn frowns at me. “You can’t stay in the hospital. The Grave City Crew know who you are and where you stay now.”
I’m still stuck at the part where I’minsidethe Cross villa.
This is where Cadence and Dutch lived as newlyweds.
It’s where Grey and Zane flirted while they were still step-brother and step-sister.
I smack a hand over my mouth to hide my astonishment. Even in a million years, I never thought I’d be inside these walls.
“J, I know you’re scared and confused,” Dr. Kenji says, looking down at my protesting watch. “But remember, you’re here to recuperate. Your new…friends”—he gives Finn the side eye—“are under strict instructions to avoid any adrenaline-inducing activities.”
Finn barely acknowledges him. He just stares me down with those dark, cold eyes.
