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What have I done?
I should’ve never come here.
I should’ve stayed in Asheville. Letting them kill me is preferable to this.
No one else should die for me. I’ve already exceeded my life expectancy.
But no, I had to follow Sam’s direction. But Sam couldn’t have known what I would bring to his friend’s doorstep. He couldn’t have known what would happen. The tragedy I would inflict on others.
The cracked bedroom door opens wider.
Ava Sullivan, a dark-haired woman with shoulder length hair and thick bangs that frame enchanting, concerned eyes, enters with a tray.
I wanted to go to the hospital to be with Maria, but they didn’t let me. I’d been ready to argue, but Ryan snapped, “It’s not safe.”
He didn’t shout, but I cowered in response to his stern command and glaring ice-blue eyes.
Pandemonium surrounded us. Paramedics. Police. The local news van parked on the street.
One officer asked me questions. Stella wrapped a blanket around my shoulders. The temperature must have dropped fifty degrees. I couldn’t stop shivering. Still can’t.
They put me in the back of an SUV with tinted windows and delivered me to an awaiting helicopter.
“We don’t know how they found you, but they won’t be able to follow a helicopter. Is there anything you needed from the condo?”
“No.” Ryan had to hate me. His company spent so much on my protection, and then his friend…
“Sage, I know it’s hard, but you need to drink something warm, okay? I added honey to the tea. And…” Ava kneels on the plush carpet and adjusts the blankets over my legs, “You’re safe here. You don’t need to be scared.”
Ava has been incredibly sweet to me. Her husband, Jack Sullivan, isn’t home. She insisted I stay in their daughter’s room. Ryan told her to put me in the guest room, but Ava wouldn’t have it. I probably should’ve spoken up, but when Ryan is around, I lose my ability to speak.
Ava said she wanted me to have a view of the ocean, and she thought I’d feel safest in this room. There’s no balcony, and it’s not on the ground floor. She admonished Ryan, saying Sophia would want me to stay in her room. I take it Sophia is her daughter.
Given there’s nothing in the room to indicate a young girl lives in it, I wonder why Ryan argued against me staying here. Sophia has to be an adult. The room is essentially a guest room, and it’s nicer than any bedroom I’ve ever been in. But I suppose if I were in Ryan’s shoes, I probably would’ve sent me on my way. Told me to get in my car and drive far away. I too wouldn’t have wanted me to stay in a close friend’s child’s bedroom.
But I’m sitting in a stunning mansion overlooking the vast Pacific. I might feel intimidated by the grandeur, except Ava’s torn jeans and tattoos remind me of Asheville. Maybe I’m asleep. Trapped in a nightmare.
“Here. Drink this, sweetie.” She lifts the saucer to me. “Drink it. Then I’d like to get you under the covers. You’re in shock, and sleep will be good for you.”
“Have you heard from the hospital?”
“He’s still in surgery.”
It’s a cloudy night with limited visibility, but the distant sound of crashing waves infiltrates the room.
“Come on. You’ve had a full day. If I can’t get you to drink, let me get you beneath the covers.”
“Why are you being so nice to me?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” She stands and places pressure on my shoulders, urging me out of the armchair. “Do you think this is your fault? It’s not. No one blames you.”
Ryan seemed to. And Maria…and her son…please let Felix pull through.
My eyes burn, but there are no tears. A shivery apprehension coats my skin.
“Do they have good surgeons?”
“Yes.” She sounds confident, but people don’t know.
