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“Sore and thirsty. Very thirsty.”
“I’ll fetch you some water once I’ve checked your vitals and Dr. Bartley has examined you.” She reaches for a blood pressure cuff and wraps it around Ana’s upper arm while I watch. Ana’s eyes stay on me. She frowns.
What is it?
Does she want me to leave?
Grey, you must look a sight.
I sit down on the edge of the bed, out of Nora’s reach. “How are you feeling?” I ask Ana.
“Confused. Achy. Hungry.”
“Hungry?”
She nods.
“What do you want to eat?”
“Anything. Soup.”
“Mr. Grey, you’ll need the doctor’s approval before Mrs. Grey can eat.”
Nora and I are not on the same wavelength. I pull my phone from my pocket and call Taylor.
“Mr. Grey.”
“Ana wants chicken soup.”
“I’m delighted to hear that, sir.” I know he’s smiling. “Gail’s gone to her sister’s, but I’ll call the Olympic Hotel—they’ll still have room service at this time.”
“Good.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“Thank you.” I hang up.
Nora looks grimmer than ever. But I don’t care.
“Taylor?” Ana asks.
I nod.
“Your blood pressure is normal, Mrs. Grey. I’ll fetch the doctor.” Nora removes the cuff and, without so much as another word, stalks out of the room, radiating disapproval at me.
“I think you made Nurse Nora mad.”
“I have that effect on women.” I smirk at Ana, and she laughs, but stops abruptly, her face stricken, as she clutches her side. “Yes, you do,” she says, gently.
“Oh, Ana, I love to hear you laugh.” But not if it pains you.
Nora returns with a pitcher of water and Ana and I fall silent, gazing at each other as she pours a glass. “Small sips now,” Nora warns.
“Yes, ma’am.” Ana takes a sip and closes her eyes for a moment. When she opens them, she looks directly at me. “Mia?”
“She’s safe. Thanks to you.”
“They did have her?”
“Yes.”
“How did they get her?”
“Elizabeth Morgan.”
“No!”
I nod. “She picked her up at Mia’s gym.”
Ana frowns, as if she can’t quite comprehend the magnitude of Morgan’s and Hyde’s treachery.
“I’ll fill you in on the details later. Mia is fine, all things considered. She was drugged. She’s groggy now and shaken up, but by some miracle she wasn’t harmed.” My anger flares once more; Ana put herself and Junior in jeopardy. “What you did”—I drag my fingers through my hair, choosing my words carefully, and trying to hang on to my temper—“was incredibly brave and incredibly stupid. You could have been killed.”
“I didn’t know what else to do,” she whispers, and glances down at her fingers.
“You could have told me!”
“He said he’d kill her if I told anyone. I couldn’t take that risk.”
I close my eyes as I imagine the most awful outcome. No Mia. No Ana. “I have died a thousand deaths since Thursday.” My voice is hoarse.
“What day is it?”
“It’s almost Saturday.” I check my watch. “You’ve been unconscious for more than twenty-four hours.”
“And Jack, and Elizabeth?”
“In police custody. Although Hyde is here under guard. They had to remove the bullet you left in him.” Once more I wish she’d ended him. “I don’t know where in this hospital he is, fortunately, or I’d probably kill him myself.”
Ana’s eyes grow wide, and she shudders, her fear evident as her shoulders tense and tears prick her eyes.
“Hey.” I move forward, taking the glass from her hand, placing it on the nightstand, and gently folding her into my arms. “You’re safe now.”
“Christian, I’m so sorry.” She starts to cry.
No. Ana. You’re safe. “Hush.” I stroke her hair and let her weep.
“What I said. I was never going to leave you.”
“Hush, baby, I know.”
“You do?” She pulls away and studies me through her tears.
“I worked it out. Eventually. Honestly, Ana, what were you thinking?”
She places her head on my shoulder. “You took me by surprise. When we spoke at the bank. Thinking I was leaving you. I thought you knew me better. I’ve said to you over and over I would never leave.”
Slowly, I blow out a breath. “But after the appalling way I’ve behaved—” I tighten my arms around her. “I thought for a short time that I’d lost you.”
“No, Christian. Never. I didn’t want you to interfere and put Mia’s life in danger.”
Interfere!
“How did you work it out?” she asks.
I tuck her hair behind her ear. “I’d just touched down in Seattle when the bank called. Last I’d heard, you were ill and going home.”
“So, you were in Portland when Sawyer called you from the car?”
“We were just about to take off. I was worried about you.”
“You were?”
“Of course I was.” I skim her lower lip with my thumb. “I spend my life worrying about you. You know that.”
This earns me a half smile. That’s something. “Jack called me at the office,” she says, her eyes wide once more. “He gave me two hours to get the money.” She shrugs. “I had to leave, and it just seemed the best excuse.”
