I grimace, the Frazer family en masse, in full-blown protective mode… I feel sorry for the doctors and nurses.
Gabriel holds up his hands. “In our defence, we’ve all written healthy cheques to the hospital. Apparently, they’re going to rename the family room they moved us to in our honour.”
“What? Pain in the arse relatives’ room?”
“Ha ha,” he says. “But really, how are you feeling?”
“Like I’m floating. Whatever they’ve given me is quite something,” I say truthfully.
Gabriel catches my gaze. “What the hell happened, Kat?”
I shake my head and shrug. My memory is a little fuzzy on the details.
“I remember going back to the apartment,” I say. “I needed somewhere to think, clear my head. I couldn’t do that with all those people in the hotel.”
“You should have come to us.”
I grip the hand he has resting on the bed.
“You know me. When I need to think, I need space. We’re no different, you and I.”
He takes my hand in his and gives it a squeeze.
I drop my head back against the pillow.
“I was trying to work out how to save the company. If selling the chain would work. So many people rely on us for their living. If FHG goes down?—”
“Hey, stop,” he says.
Jax stirs in the corner, and I glare at my brother.
He holds up his hands in surrender before lowering his voice.
“You need to focus on getting better. The rest can wait.”
I shake my head, and the lump that seems to have taken up permanent residence in my throat presses down. My eyes fill. FHG is my second family, as it was my father’s. We’ve let them down.
“I can’t ignore it. I have to update the board and give them a heads-up, at least. I need my laptop. I can video call in, warn them of the shit show that’s about to descend.”
“There’ll be no video calls,” he says. “According to Pen, the discovery of the files is currently on a need-to-know basis. The boarddon’t need to know.”
I open my mouth, but Gabriel interrupts. “Nothing is going to happen yet. If that changes, Mum will arrange a board meeting with Cal and update them if you’re still recovering. Until then, everyone has been told to forget what we know.”
I struggle to sit up, but groan as pain radiates from my surgical site.
Clearly, everyone in the family isin the know.
“Will you stop!” Gabriel hisses, pressing a hand down on my shoulder. “Pen and Elijah filled us in on everything. It’s all being taken care of. Concentrate on recovering, will you?”
I drop back, panting against the pain.
“Bloody hell, Kat, I thought I was a workaholic, but you win hands down.” He runs a hand through his hair. “You nearlyfuckingdied, sis. If Lottie hadn’t mentioned your apartment, no one would have thought to look there.”
“Lottie?”
“She overheard Pen and Jax talking about the last place you would go. Lottie said your old apartment.”
I grimace and offer a weak smile. “It is the perfect place to wallow. Remind me to take her shopping when I’m back on my feet. I’m sure there are some additional art supplies she’d like, or maybe even a new wardrobe. She is a teenager after all.”
