The way she says my name makes my skin tingle in a new kind of way. “Yes?”
“Thank you.”
I nod. And without another word, I move carefully past the nurse and catch up with the doctor in the corridor. “Doc!”
He turns around. “Yes?”
“Did you run full tests on her? Full-body CT scan, MRI, complete blood count, electrolytes and metabolic panel, blood type and crossmatch—in case a transfusion is needed, coagulation tests, arterial blood gas, and an ECG.”
“I can assure you that those aren’t at all necessary in Ms. Nosova’s case?—”
“Do them anyway!” I bark.
He scowls at me. “She has no health insurance. She said it stopped when she lost her job. We’re only required to stabilize her and treat any life-threatening conditions or serious injuries, of which she has neither.”
“I don’t give a flying fuck about health insurance or the cost. Do the tests and bill it all to me.” I flash the gun in my holster at him.
His eyes run over my tattoos as well as the weapon, and his face pales. Then he spins around and hurries to the nurses’ station where I hear him ordering the full set of tests.
When the doctor finally has all the test results back, he tells Avelina that she is fine to go home. However, I can’t help noticing him frowning over the CT scan. I know he won’t tell me anything if I ask due to patient confidentiality, so I text Matvey and ask him to hack into the hospital database and get me a copy of the results. I’ll run them past our own doctor later—a doctor who’s paid enough to breach confidentiality for us. Because I want to check. Just to be on the safe side…
Back at the compound an hour later, I’m glaring at the four soldiers sitting in the rec room, their faces a mixture of contorted confusion and complete horror.
“We have to…what?” one croaks.
“Watch them.”
“But—”
“It’s a fucking order!”
“Okay, but?—”
I glare, my tongue running over the flat of my teeth.“But?”
The men blanch and look away.
“I’ll be back to check on you in a while. And the kids better still be fucking alive when I come back, or I’m going to cut off your balls and feed them to you until you choke. Understand?”
All four men nod quickly.
“Good,” I huff. I’d be much happier if Babulya was here to help with the kids, but she’s away until tomorrow. She can’t return soon enough as far as I am concerned.
I spin around and stomp back outside to the drive where I’ve left Avelina and the kids in my SUV. My steps are measured and quick as I carry Leon in his car seat and guide Sofia to the house and into the rec room. With one more warning look at the four soldiers, I leave to retrieve Avelina.
“You don’t have to help me. I’m fine,” she says gently.
“You fainted.”
She looks at me, shaking her head, her lips tugging into a small smile.
I carry her bags as she starts to climb the stairs, me behind her. I’m not sure what the plan is here if she falls back or something. It’s not like I want her to touch me. I shake the thought away as she pauses on the landing.
“End of the hall. First door to the left,” I remind her.
I stay behind her until we’re at my door. The room smells like her—a hint of something floral lingers in the air from the night she spent here.
She moves to grab one of the bags, but I shake my head.
