“Everything is fine. Avion’s fine, but I got a tip that I need to go look into. Should I just go?” Milli asked.
“No. Don’t leave Avion alone,” I said.
He signed. “It’s kind of time sensitive.”
I frowned and knew that he was just trying to get to the bottom of who attempted to kill Avion, which I appreciated, but I couldn’t have her at the hospital alone, and still knowing that there were traitors in my ranks that let the Narzand Brothers in without stopping them, I couldn’t trust many people outside of Milli. There were only two other people that I could see leaving with Avion without fear.
My parents.
And with my mother unprepared for the task without some advance warning, I only had one other option, and damn was it a bad idea.
“I’ll call Merrick,” I said.
Milli snorted. “Merrick? He’s not Avion’s number one fan.”
“I know, but he won’t hurt her, and I trust him. It’s the only thing I can think of to do if you have to leave,” I said.
“Oddly enough, it’s not Merrick killing Avion that I’m worried about,” Milli laughed and I smiled.
“Yeah.” I imagined the spitfire barking at me that she was only my sub in the bedroom, but outside of it, things needed to be her way. My dad had a nasty attitude and had gotten vile with Avion before. She probably wouldn’t stand for it a second time. “Well, it’s not like either of them is going anywhere. No time like the present for them to figure out how to bond.”
33
AVION
What was healing when the longer I spent in the hospital, it only felt like I was getting worse? The doctors seemed to be trying to convince me that it was just the effect of my pain meds wearing on and off, but I was becoming increasingly more convinced that they were actually plotting to murder me and forcing me to suffer more on purpose. Even small movements felt hard, and all of it was focused right at my core, making both the place where I’d been shot, and my back, hurt like crazy. To make matters worse, Gio had been gone much longer than I anticipated, and though I didn’t want to be a baby and whine for him to come back, it would help if he were close.
“I’ve gotta go,” Milli said. “Your doctor said you can have more pain medication in about an hour, so I know you’re uncomfortable, but just hang in there. Help is coming soon.”
“You’re leaving?” I asked, frowning as he stood up and started to gather himself to leave. “Is Gio back.”
“He will be, but probably not for another hour or so. He’s making arrangements due to your brothers’ threat. He needs a little more time, but has told me he’ll come straight here after that.”
“Oh.” I tried to shift in a way that would make me more comfortable, but it only strained my wound and sent a shockwave of pain clattering over me. “Just me then?”
“No.” Milli crossed his arms. “Gio doesn’t want you to be left alone, so he’s called someone else to come and sit with you.”
I furrowed my brow, knowing that Gio still didn’t have a ton of confidence in anyone outside of Milli. “Who?”
Almost as if he’d been waiting for a perfect time to make his grand entrance, Merrick came striding into the room. He was already guffawing, like he’d been asked to babysit a child that he hated, but he walked in and sat down on the couch across from my bed nonetheless.
I threw Milli a shocked glance with my jaw slightly agape. Merrick and I had only had one interaction prior to this, and it ended with his hand around my throat. From what I’d heard, any additional times he’d discussed me, it had been with nothing but ire. They were going to leave me in a hospital alone with him?
Were they insane?
My heart pounded as I looked at Milli. “Um…”
He just threw me a smile, reminding me how much Milli loved chaos. “Have fun you two.”
With that, he walked out of the room, leaving me and the man who I imagined hated me most in the world, alone.
And I still didn’t get more drugs for another hour.
“Uh, thank you,” I said timidly. “I know that keeping an eye on me is probably not what you wanted to do with your day. I know it may not seem like it, but I usually don’t cause this much trouble.”
I waited in silence for a long time, but Merrick never responded. In fact, he had his phone out and was staring down at it like it was going to give him the cure to cancer. It honestly didn’t bother me, if his plan was to just ignore me until Gio arrived, that was actually better for me. I’d entertain myself until I got more pain meds, and then hopefully I’d sleep until Gio got back.
Milli had given me my phone and set it up with a charger while he was there so I could call and text with Lorie, keeping her as updated as possible without straight up telling her that my brothers may have tried to kill me. She was one of the few people that were still entranced by their charm, and I didn’t want to disillusion her of that until she could see proof of it for herself, and for the time being, she couldn’t. Her father was the police chief, and though she didn’t really have any plans of her own to be, she did have a sense of justice that made my involvement with Gio problematic. She was my best friend and I needed her, though, so I was giving her info on a need-to-know basis for the time being.
