“Sinus brady at thirty-two. It’s thready and won’t last. We have to move. She ingested too much of the toxin. Her vitals are fading. She doesn’t have long before the antidote completely wears off.”
The gurney lifts, then they’re wheeling her from the room, running her through the house.
“I’m going with you.”
One of the paramedics shakes his head. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, we can’t allow anyone else in the helicopter.”
Then they’re gone. Just like that, they’re taking her from me. I follow them out of the house and watch as they load her up into the helicopter. A moment later, they take off, and that’s it. I don’t even know where they’re taking her.
“The closest trauma center is Mercy West in Catalia. They’ll do everything they can to save her.”
I swallow my grief. It’s a big hospital in a big city. But I already know there’s a very strong chance she doesn’t make it. Even if they get her heart beating again, she might never wake up.
44
MARCELLA
“Marcella? Marcella, can you hear me, baby?” The voice is soft and sweet and a little rough. It also sounds distant, but it’s growing closer. And I’m warm. Something brushes one cheek, then the other. “You moved. Are you awake?”
My arms are heavy and so are my eyes, but I’m awake. I know I’m awake. I force my eyes open, blinking slowly. Blurry amorphic shapes obscure my vision before they slowly solidify and come into focus. Blue eyes hold mine, and my heart flutters. Rowan.
“Hi,” he whispers.
“Hi,” I rasp, my voice sounding like I swallowed sand and chased it with burned cotton.
He smiles as he glances up in the direction of a beeping sound. “I knew I made your heart beat faster. Now I have the proof.”
I try to clear my throat, but it’s raw, and I wince. My chest hurts like hell, and I’m already exhausted and want to go back to sleep, but I force myself to keep my eyes open. It’s dark everywhere. The room, out the window, everythingis dark.
“Where am I?”
His fingers drag along my forehead and across my cheek. “The hospital, because the doctors wouldn’t let me move you to the palace. It seems since you’re not my fiancée or wife yet, I don’t get to make medical decisions for you.”
There is so much in there for me to focus on, but I’m stuck on that one tiny word. Yet. Is he crazy?
“What…” I trail off as visions and memories fill my head. I’m foggy, and it’s a struggle to hold them but… “She’s dead. Signoria is dead.”
“Yes. You killed her in self-defense.”
My brows tighten. It wasn’t self-defense. She was going to kill him, and I had to stop her. Hell, I was going to kill her regardless. I should have. I should have shot her immediately after I shot Cristo, but I didn’t know where Antonia was, and I wanted to learn what else was up Signoria’s sleeve before I did that. She always has something, a plan B, and now I’ll never know what it was.
“Jaqueline?”
“She’s at the palace getting spoiled by everyone. Incidentally, she makes a great babysitter, and the kids love her.”
A cracked smile attempts to tug at my lips but quickly gives up. My chest shakes with tears that won’t fall. “I’m sorry.”
His hand brushes hair back from my face. “Don’t be sorry. You saved my life. Twice.”
“And put you in danger.”
“I did that. I tracked you, knowing it would be dangerous. If she had come closer with that bottle, Gabe was going to blow her head off.”
“Now you tell me.” My eyes close.
“Marcella, you saved a lot of people. You went against everything you’ve been trained and raised to do. Then you selflessly threw yourself at her. Give yourself some credit.”
“Not so easy.”
