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I lean forward. “Listen, Dr. Tung said that the paralysis could be?—”
“How many people have been in to see me?” Nik interrupts. “Was I the most popular patient in the ICU?”
“Do you remember anyone coming in to talk to you? Dr. Tung wasn’t sure if you’d be able to hear us or not.”
He shrugs. “Maybe it will all come back to me later. Then I’ll find out you all left me in here to rot. I probably didn’t have a single visitor.”
I didn’t come see him as much as I should have. Not with Luna pregnant and Pavel on the loose.
“The guards I had posted outside your room day and night were probably great company.”
He nods, his eyes fixed on the ceiling again.
“Am I supposed to bullshit and avoid talking about the paralyzed elephant in the room?”
“That would be preferable, yeah.”
“Okay.” I sit back in my chair. “I can do that. For now.”
And for the next couple hours, I do. We talk about nothing. Nik falls in and out of sleep. In between naps, he asks about the scores to playoff games he missed and laughs when he finds out I assigned one of the recruits to take care of his beta fish.
“I’m sure he took good care of the stupid thing,” I tell him. “I told him that if that fish is dead when you get home, so is he.”
Nik laughs again and it’s a welcome sound. I wasn’t sure I’d ever hear it again.
After eating half of a red Jell-O cup and watching some game show rerun, Nik sighs. “Well, I’ve been conscious for five hours now and Mariya isn’t banging down the door yet. I guess that means you haven’t told her?”
“I haven’t told anyone.” I pat my pockets and realize I don’t even have my burner phone. “Shit. I was in such a hurry to get out of the house when Dr. Tung called that I didn’t even bring my phone.”
He points to the bedside table. “Your phone is right there.”
“I need the burner.”
“Why do you need a burner phone to talk to our sister?”
I shake my head. “No. If we’re gonna talk about real shit, it’s going to be about you getting into physical therapy and learning how to walk again. It’s not going to be about… this.”
“Fuck physical therapy.” His voice breaks over the curse word, still rusty from disuse. “Fuck being in denial. I want to know what in the hell is going on. Akim shot me. He almost fucking killed me. If you have to call Mariya with a burner, does that mean he’s still alive?”
Nik hasn’t even been awake for a day and I’m about to dump Bratva business on his lap. He shouldn’t be dealing with this. It’s my responsibility. I’m the reason he’s here in the first place.
But Nik’s brow creases.. “Come on, Yakov.”
I drag a hand through my hair. “Akim is dead. But Pavel isn’t.”
“Pavel?” His brows shoot up. “That little punk is the leader now?”
I nod. “And he’s taking shots at Luna. He left a present for her at the foot of our bed and had photographs of her sleeping delivered to the house.”
Nik holds up a hand. “You and Luna are sharing a bed again? Looks like Mom and Dad made up. How sweet.”
I snort. “You have no fucking idea how right you are.”
“What does that mean?”
I have to fight back a smile. “Luna is pregnant.”
“No shit!” Nik jolts forward like he was going to stand up. When his legs don’t move, he holds his arms out awkwardly instead. “Don’t make the cripple beg for a hug.”
