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I flipped on the light in the kitchen. Papers were scattered on the floor. I picked one up. The contract.
Shit. Now the silence made sense.
“You’re going to have to do better than ignoring me, Wicked. I’m not going anywhere.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Marlow
“I missed you last week, doll.”
“I don’t believe you, handsome.”
“You call all the boys that.”
“Just you, Aaron.”
I stepped into the room. A monitor whooshed softly. The sterile scent invaded my nostrils in a fresh wave.
“Who’s that soldier?” He pointed his chin at Blake, who buried his face in my chest.
“This is Blake. Apparently, he’s developed a shy streak.”
“I’m pretty scary.” Only one side of his face lifted in a smile. The other had been melted off in an explosion. He’d had several surgeries to repair it, but was a long way from recovery. His legs had been blown to pieces in the explosion. He was fortunate to be alive, but there was hardly an inch of him that wasn’t scarred.
“If you don’t want to find out what happens in our book, I’ll go,” I said, even as I dropped into the chair positioned beside him.
“I’ve been waiting two weeks for the end,” he huffed.
I reached for the book on the bedside table. He put a hand over mine and winced as if the movement pained him.
“You look pale,” he said.
“Well, thanks a lot.” I lifted my chin even as a smile threatened to appear.
He nodded once. If anybody understood not wanting to talk about it, Aaron did.
“Let’s see how this ends.”
“Sweetheart, do you want to sit with Aaron?” Blake didn’t respond to my question, which he probably didn’t understand. “Mind holding him?”
Aaron blinked at me. “No.”
I nestled Blake beside him on the bed. Aaron awkwardly put an arm around him. My son snuggled against him, resting his head on his chest. Aaron stared down at him. I doubted he’d been that close to another person since his accident.
“Skip the curse words,” he said, flicking his eyes to Blake.
“I always do, don’t I?” I winked and began to read.
“See you next Tuesday?”
“Of course.” I waved at the nurse before I made my way out of the VA hospital.
Blake was already asleep in his stroller, worn out from the long day. But the guys had loved him. I shouldn’t have waited so long to bring him by, but I hadn’t been sure how he would react. He’d been the star.
I checked my phone. Patrick was unnervingly silent. My blood boiled thinking about that contract again as I checked my voicemail.
A lawyer. Daniel had come through for me.
