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“Oh, okay.” I try to remember what it was like during my gunshot wound recovery but that period of my life is fuzzy. Maybe I was asleep the whole fucking time, too.
“I would use this opportunity to go home and get yourself cleaned up. He’s in good hands here.”
I know she’s just trying to help but her condescending tone isn’t doing her any favors. I’m well aware that despite having new clothes on, I’m still caked with fucking blood. How I haven’t been questioned about the shooting is beyond me, but I assume it has something to do with the fact that Dominic still holds so much power.
Claire and I murdered one of the council heads of a massive criminal organization. Is that just going to be swept under the rug? Will there be consequences to my actions? Or will we be able to prove that she was out to get us from the start and take control of the narrative? Has Dom already started taking care of this all? Not like he would tell me anyway, since he likes to keep me in the fucking dark.
I guess I’ll leave that problem for him to solve since he insists on handling fucking everything.
“Okay, yeah,” I finally say to the nurse because honestly, I could use a hot shower and a fresh set of clothes that aren’t immediately soiled by my disgusting body.
I lean down and press my lips to Coen's forehead and whisper in his ear, "I love you more." I follow the nurse out of the room and make my way down the corridor to the waiting room we spent countless hours waiting to hear if Coen had made it through surgery.
Magnus and Simon sit in the corner, both of them asleep. Magnus's head rests on Simon's shoulder and the two of them use each other's weight to support themselves. If I had my phone I would take a picture but instead, I'll have to settle for this mental image.
Simon blinks a few times and steadies his sights on me. He slaps Magnus in the chest and Magnus nearly jumps out of his seat.
"What? Huh?" Magnus steadies himself. "Oh shit, princess. Hey." He rubs his eyes. "I wasn't sleeping." He rises to his feet. "Totally wasn't sleeping."
Simon stands, too, and dusts off his shoulder. “I think you drooled on me, man.”
I approach them both, my arms folded over my chest. “Just admit it, you two were cuddling.”
Magnus drags me toward him and suffocates me with his embrace. “Would rather be snuggling with you, princess.” He sniffs the top of my head. “You could use a shower though.” He hugs me tighter. “I still love you when you’re dirty, but I don’t know whose blood that is.”
“Is there like…a hotel around here or something?” I lean into Magnus. “I don’t really want to go back to the house. Not if Dom’s there.”
“You can shower at my place, love,” Simon tells me. “And you can stay there as long as you need to.”
“I can, uh, I can stop by the house and get you some stuff,” Magnus offers.
“Yeah. That would be good.”
I haven’t heard from Dom since he walked out of the hospital, and I don’t have the energy or mental capacity to deal with him. Eventually, we’re going to have to speak, but for now, I’d rather give him a taste of his own medicine and ignore him for a change. Maybe then he’ll come to his senses and realize how badly he fucked up.
He’s lucky Coen is alive. Because I would have never forgiven Dominic if he had died.
There’s only so much I can take, and that would be more than I could bear.
“Although…” Simon rubs his neck. “I sort of totaled my car so I’ll have to call a driver.”
“Nah, dude.” Magnus tugs his keys out of his pocket. “I’ll drop you guys off at your place and circle back to the house. No worries.”
* * *
Simon sits in the back seat with me as Magnus escorts us to Simon’s place. He doesn’t take his hand off of me, not even when we exit the car and walk up to his building. We take a private elevator to his penthouse and the doors open right into the front of his unit.
Floor-to-ceiling windows cover two of the walls in the far corner, the view overlooking the city below. A massive skylight opens up above it to add even more natural light to this spacious area. Everything is tidy and minimalistic, but with a modern vibe to it. Dark wood floors span the entire length of the place with deep grey furniture and lavish green plants strategically placed about. A charcoal metal staircase leads to another level and various doors line the walls.
“This way, love.” Simon walks me up the stairs and leads me into a room that smells just like him. “You can shower in here.” He takes me through to the attached bathroom and finally releases his hold on me. “Towels.” He points to a stack sitting neatly on the vanity. “Um, you should be okay with the shampoo and conditioner in there.” He nods toward the large open shower. “What else?” He snaps his fingers. “Clothes, you need clothes. I’ll get you something to wear in the meantime.”
I stand there as Simon leaves the room, goes into the other one, and returns a moment later.
"I hope this is okay." He sets a pair of grey sweatpants and a white tee on the counter next to the towels. "And…" Simon strolls over to the shower and turns on the faucet. "This is pretty self-explanatory." He goes to leave but I catch his arm.
“Simon.”
“Yes, love?” He turns toward me.
