Page 101 of The Arrangement

Ivan’s gaze traveled to the door of her room that was only opened a crack. “As far as they know, they’ve been missing him on and off all day. He’s come and gone. There isn’t a sign-in sheet for your room, the security cameras are horribly placed and could have missed him easily. You’ve slept most of the day now, and otherwise you’ve been medicated, so you couldn’t possibly be a reliable witness to his presence.”

“Has he?”

Ivan wouldn’t answer.

“Has he called again?”

“No.”

Viviana swallowed the emotions rising up. Crying only served to hurt. Everything made her hurt, really. Unfortunately, holding it back caused painful sobs to catch in her throat.

Then something else pricked at the back of her mind.

Like a memory trying to form. One she couldn’t bring up but knew was there.

A simple glance down at her wrist had the memory bubbling up. Suddenly, she was almost feeling Rocco’s jaw clamping down on her bones as sharp canine teeth tore into skin.

“Oh, Rocco …”

Ivan made a noise that fell somewhere between pain and concern. “Viviana?”

“Is he gone?”

“Rocco?”

“Yeah,” she whispered, taking slow measured movements to turn on the bed.

“No, he’s alive, but hurt awfully bad. The vet said he was doing all right, given everything. It’s certainly not going to be easy, and I think … Well, Anton is seriously considering having him put down.”

Anguished was an understatement.

Instead, it was more like a knife had stabbed into her heart. It had been vaguely explained of Rocco’s involvement of getting her out of the way of the blast, and taking a great deal of the shrapnel and damage himself. Even so, Viviana hadn’t really remembered, let alone felt what that meant to her until now.

Yours, Anton had once said. Like me, he’s waited a long time to have you with him.

“But-but … he can’t. Ivan, he just can’t do that.”

“Vine, listen to me and think. Rocco isn’t going to be the same animal. He’s going to need specialized care for the next long while …”

“I don’t care! I’m his. He’s mine. Anton can’t do that!”

“He’s going to be in a lot of agony. I know you care a great deal for him—”

“Stop trying to convince me otherwise,” Viviana snapped, surprised at her own vehemence. She didn’t even care if she sounded like a brat, not when it came to poor Rocco. “Call him. Call him and tell him I said no, Ivan.”

“But—”

“Do it.”

His hands flew up, a signal of surrender. The trembling in Viviana’s body barely began to subside at the sight. She was quiet as he picked up his cell phone and waved it between them with a soft expression.

“Okay. I’ll try to call him, but there’s no saying he’ll answer right now.”

The black darkness outside the windows caught her eye.

Where was he?

“Then leave a fucking message.”