Page 109 of Barinov

“Poor thing finally drifted off not long ago. He’s stayed the entire time. Waiting and pesterin’ every nurse and doctor who stepped foot through that door.”

“How long?”

She tilts back into my line of sight. “A few days.”

“Days?!” I sputter. The word lodges in my throat, forcing a jagged cough that sends another sharp and searing flame through my shoulder.

Sabine nods, her expression softening as she reaches out and brushes a stray hair off my forehead. “Took you straight into surgery, they did. Had to stitch up that heavy muscle and a couple o’ nerves fizzin’ through your soul the second you arrived, but you were strong.”

She lets out a slow, relieved breath. “A true fighter.”

I grunt, gazing down at the high-tech straight jacket locking my shoulder and arm at a rigid and uncomfortable as fuck angle. I flex my hand and a burst of electricity shoots through my forearm damn near causing me to scream.

“Don’t feel all that strong right now.”

“Save your strength,” she says, giving my hand the faintest squeeze. “You’re safe now.”

♥♥♥

A few hours later.

“No, they came in earlier and took some more vitals. The doc said surgery wasn’t as invasive as they originally thought he needed,” Cade says from somewhere nearby. “He’s pretty doped up. They’ve got him in a monster of a sling, so I’m sure he’ll be thrilled about that when he wakes up.”

My lashes flutter open. The light’s not so bright this time, not blinding my eyes to hell anymore. I shift slightly and catch him sitting beside me talking to someone on his phone. His free hand rests on the bed near mine, pinky just brushing my wrist. He jerks when my hand grazes his.

“Lex?!” Cade says quickly, standing so fast he drops his phone on the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“Been better.” I try to sit up like a dumbass and immediately regret it. My whole body screams in pain.

“Don’t,” he orders, catching me fast. “Don’t try and get up, babe.”

I sink back onto the pillow. His hand steadies me as I try to fucking breathe through the hell of barely moving my body.

“UM… HELLO?!” Ellie’s voice shrieks from Cade’s phone.

“Shit,” Cade mumbles. “Hold on.” He grabs his phone, thumb stabbing at the screen. “El, You’re on speaker. He’s awake and—”

“Lex!” she sobs. “Are you… oh my God, are you really okay?”

I tilt against the pillow with another grunt. “Still kickin’ Little Whitmore,” I say, clearing my throat. “You should see the other guy.”

“I see you’re still a smartass. That’s promising,” she says jokingly, but I can hear the tears she’s trying to hide in her voice.

There’s a shuffle on the other end.

“You sound like shit,” Haley’s voice comes through, laced with a hint of her signature snark. “Absolute shit, babe.”

“Thanks for the support, Hales.”

“Anytime,” she laughs. “But, seriously. You scared the hell out of us.”

Knock. Knock.

Cade straightens. “That’s probably the doc. Girls, we’ll call you back.”

“Absolutely not!” Ellie snaps. “Cade James Whitmore, don’t you dare hang up on us. We want to hear!”

“Woah,” I rasp with a half-laugh and then immediately wince. “Calling out the middle name and everything, goddamn.”