“You’re in the hospital!” Bella says, coming to the other side of the bed. For the first time in a while, her tone is brimmed with more fear than sass, and it makes my heart clench in my chest.
“I just had a little scare, that’s all.”
“What kind of scare?” Eliza asks with tears in her eyes. “Is the baby okay?”
I nod and take her hand in mine. “Yes. The baby is fine. I am too. I just fainted, that’s all.”
“Fainted?!” both girls cry out.
I look at Gianni. He’s standing tall, but his eyes are shifting around the room from the IV tube to the buzzing machines.
“Yes. After work. It was a blood sugar issue,” I lie. “But I’m fine now.”
“So why don’t they unhook you and let you go home?” Gianni asks. He’s trying to be strong, but he’s always hated hospitals.
“They wanted to hold me overnight to run some tests just to be safe. But I’m sure they’re working on the discharge papers as we speak,” I say just as the door opens again.
Jesus Christ.
It’s the nurse. “Miss Parker, the test results are in the lab. We should know the news soon.”
Fuck.
All three of my siblings look at her, and then turn to me before the whirlwind of questions breaks loose.
“What test results?” Eliza asks.
“Are you sick?” Bella asks. “Is the baby sick?”
“What is actually going on?” Gianni demands.
I take a deep breath, trying to decide how I am going to go about this. Obviously the truth is going to cause an explosion. But I can’t really lie to them, not after everything we have been through. Everything I have put them through.
Also, there’s the glaring fact that Ransome is most likely still out there somewhere, lurking in the shadows waiting for the results of that test.
“So…” I take a deep breath and rip off the Band-Aid. “For the past week or so, someone’s been following me.”
“You’re beingstalked?” Eliza’s eyes go wide. “Is it someone from…” she trails off, knowing we aren’t supposed to say anything out loud.
“Who?” Gianni asks. “Because if it’s Tristan, I’ll fuck him up.”
“No.” I shake my head. “It’s not Tristan.”
“What do you mean by followed, then?” Eliza asks. Meanwhile, Bella is leaning over, her head on my chest, crying softly.
“I thought I was just imagining it. Being paranoid, you know? But then I realized it was real.”
“What was real?” Gianni demands.
“A dark car.”
“And it wasn’t Tristan,” Gianni repeats. “Yury, maybe? Or Daniil.”
“No,” I answer.
“Are you sure?” Gianni asks.
“Yes.” I wish they’d shut up long enough for me to talk. Because it’s only a matter of time before the story tells itself in the form of someone else walking through the door. And for safety purposes, it’s best if I am able to give them the run down before Gianni tries to kill Ransome in a hospital room that is already going to cost me a fortune.
