“Um, I’m not sure,” she says so fucking un-reassuringly, it’s not even funny. I think I snarl, and she quickly snatches his chart from the foot of his bed. “I apologize,” she murmurs, swallowing thickly, her eyes flicking from mine to Hunter to the chart. “I’m just a little surprised to finally be meeting you, is all.”
“What is—” Hunter starts, his words trailing off. I give him a look, and his mouth snaps shut, but I don’t miss the threatening glare he shoots me while she’s distracted.
With a huff, I look back at the doctor and wave her off with a coy smile. “I’m here sooner than planned.” Because I’d never planned to be here.
Ever.
I don’t even know wherehereis. Underground, apparently. I suck in a slow breath, suppressing a shiver. I hate being underground.
She nods, her eyes skimming his chart before dropping it back down and rounding the bed opposite me. With a smile, she slides her stethoscope from her neck. “I’m just going to check a few things, then I’ll give you both the full rundown.”
Hunter grimaces as she guides him to sit up and breathe deeply. My heart contracts painfully in my chest, but I never release his hand. I still can’t believe he almost died. I almost lost him before I even had the chance to tell him how much I love him, want him,need him.
Never again.
I watch as the doctor checks over the stitched-up incision on his upper left chest, near his shoulder. He grits his teeth and looks away, avoiding both our eyes. Leaning forward, I smooth his long, messy hair from his handsome face, drawing his gaze to mine. The doctor presses on a particularly sensitive spot, and I shoot her a glare before kissing his forehead.
Hunter chuckles softly, and not for the first time, I’m shocked at how easy this is. Being with him, the transition from best friends to…more. It feels right. It feels perfect.
Except for the fact that everything around us is imploding.
Literally.
I bite my cheek and inhale slowly.
One thing at a time.
“Well, Mr. Morris,” she chimes, taking a step back.
“Just Hunter,” he cuts in, running a hand across the blankets, his face a mask of discomfort. My brows pinch, but I don’t say anything. “You can call me Hunter.”
She nods. “The gunshot wound was in your upper left chest, and it was a close call, but thankfully, it just missed your right ventricle. You did lose a significant amount of blood because the wound was through and through, but we got you into surgery quickly. During the procedure, we carefully repaired the damage and stopped the bleeding. You’ll be in recovery for the next few days, and as long as you continue responding well to treatment, I don’t see any reason why you can’t go home within the week. We’ll continue to monitor your progress, but the outlook is positive.” She pats his shin, and I finally take a breath. “You were very,verylucky.”
“A week?” I gasp, clapping a hand over my mouth to stifle a sob. I squeeze my eyes shut, berating myself for already looking weak when I meant to fake the hell out of this interaction. But…a week? Seriously? I thought…
“I know,” Hunter murmurs, tugging me into his side. “I know what you thought. Me too.”
I blink my eyes open, my hand falling to my side as I glance down at him. “I said that out loud?”
He smirks and shakes his head, brushing my hair from my face. “No. I just know my girl.”
His girl.
Fuck.
I soften and turn back to the doctor, who’s eyeing us skeptically. My smile drops, and I cock a brow. God, I probably look insane.
She clears her throat and moves toward the door. “We’re not equipped for long-term recovery. As I said, as long as he continues to improve, I’ll feel comfortable sending him home. If not, we may need to discuss sending him to a larger facility.”
I want to ask about this facility. How it exists. Where it exists.Why it exists.
I say nothing but nod and murmur my thanks. I move to turn back to Hunter, but she pauses, her hand wrapped around the door handle. “Also, Ms. Moreau,” she says, her voice taking on a sharper quality once more. I flick my gaze to hers. “Your mother said it’s time for the debriefing and to please meet her in The Chamber.”
And then she leaves without another word.
My mouth falls open, and my brows crash together as I stare after her, my heart in my throat.
“What the fuck is The Chamber,Ms. Moreau?” Hunter snaps. “And where the hell are we?”
