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Hunter grunted.
“The red roses, though, Shelby brought those in herself.”
His gaze latched onto the roses.
“Want to read the card? I could sum it up for you, but you might like—”
“Card,” Hunter bit out.
“Someone woke up pissy.” Declan plucked the card from the roses. He ambled toward the bed. Didn’t hand the small card to Hunter yet. “Detective Jonah Campbell is alive. And not pressing any charges against you for shooting him, so that’s another win.”
“He…fired first.”
“Yeah, he did. Shelby told me all about that.”
Shelby. I need Shelby.
“In his defense, though, the detective did think you’d just killed Rochelle and a gentleman named Jesse Keith.” A pause. “Jesse was the cook. By all accounts, a really nice guy. Crime scene team tried to piece everything together, and they think that Jesse found Kimber killing Rochelle. He tried to help, but…” A shake of his head. “I’m covering his funeral expenses. Rochelle’s, too.”
“Me.”
“Uh, no, I am not covering your funeral expenses.” Declan’s brows wiggled at him. “You’re alive. You might feel like death warmed over, but you are very much in the land of the living.”
“Dick,” Hunter fired back. “I will pay.”
Declan held his gaze. “We’ll pay.” He rolled back his shoulders. “Unfortunately, there will be a lot of funerals in this town. But we can certainly help the victims. And their families.”
Yes.
“The professor lived, by the way. Though you left him quite shaken. Kept saying something about seeing a high-level predator in action…that you wouldn’t stop, and, of course, he wants to interview you.”
Not happening. “Give me the card.”
Declan did not. “Aren’t you going to ask me where she is?”
She wasn’t there. That meant…
She didn’t want to be here. I’m scared that I’ll read this card, and it will just say…
Goodbye.
Because the past was over. She was free. No more monsters coming after her.
“She was here for the first forty-eight hours. Hanging by your bedside like the devoted lover she is,” Declan told him.
The card was still gripped in Declan’s fingers.
“I won’t lie.” Declan’s voice dropped. “You’d lost too much blood. I was worried, and you know how I hate to worry. Gives me frown lines.”
Hunter swallowed.
“But you rallied. Mostly because I think Shelby started yelling at you. Screaming that you had to wake up. If you didn’t wake up, she threatened to kick your ass. She screamed about not losing you, chasing you into heaven or hell or whatever it took and…” A wince. “Unfortunately, she got kicked out. That’s why she’s not here.”
What?
“But I talked to the hospital staff. Offered to pay for a new pediatric wing. Because of my amazing generosity, they said she can come back. She was just taking care of one quick matter—oh, we found out that you were rallying by the way, so maybe her screams worked? Anyway, she is just out taking care of one bit of business, and I’m sure that she’ll be bursting through the door any moment.”
Hunter looked toward the door.
