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“Of course I did, you buffoon.”
Unable to respond, he’s still staring at her, slack-jawed, when another nurse—an older, matronly lady this time—comes in. "Oh, you’re looking better already," she says kindly, smiling at Wilder. "I just need to get a blood sample so we can see if you need another transfusion," she explains, fussing about as she gathers her equipment.
“And if I don’t?” Wilder asks.
"Then we’ll keep you overnight for observation, and the doctor will see you in the morning, but assuming you have no adverse reactions, you should be free to go home. But," she says sternly, her eyes firmly on Wilder. "You’re to rest and take it easy for the next few days."
"Yes, ma’am," Wilder agrees, a playful smirk on his lips that confirms he has no intention of doing as directed.
Either ignoring him or not noticing, the nurse nods, seeming satisfied, before her eyes scour over the three of us crowded around Wilder’s bed. "Your friends will have to leave when visiting hours are over."
Hawk acknowledges her words, and she gets to work, drawing Wilder’s blood before sticking a cotton pad to the needle site and exiting the room.
"What happened to Mel?" Wilder enquires when we’re alone.
“She got away,” I tell him, drawing his gaze my way.
“What are we going to do now?” Emilia asks, wringing her hands nervously. “All of us are in danger.”
“I think we should go to a safe house for a few days. Lie low and let Wilder recover while we regroup,” I ponder aloud.
“You mean run?” Emilia asks, worrying her bottom lip.
"No, not run, but we need a plan. It’s no longer safe for you to be out alone." I shift my attention to Wilder and Hawk. "For any of us to be out alone. The only reason she hasn’t targeted me, Hawk, or Wilder is because she knew we would be difficult to lure in. We knew what she looked like and what she was capable of. She couldn’t manipulate or fool her way beneath our defenses."
"Plus, it would have interfered with her plan to get to Emilia," Hawk tacks on.
"Agreed, but now she’s got nothing to lose. She knows Emilia doesn’t reciprocate her feelings, and she’s fucking pissed. All bets are off. Nothing is stopping her from coming after any one of us, and we know how violent this woman can be."
"Okay, so we lay low at one of the safe houses for a few days," Emilia says on board.
Hawk nods his agreement, and the three of us look at Wilder. "Fine," he sighs, "but I better get to introduce her to Marie before this is all over."
Hawk frowns at Wilder in confusion for a second before he bursts out laughing, while Emilia and I just continue to look at him, bewildered.
“Ehh, who is Marie?” Emilia asks him.
Wilder grins this wide, broad, completely unhinged smile.
“Only the most beautiful, most deadly weapon there is,” Wilder says with a sigh, looking completely besotted.
“She’s the most ridiculous knife one can purchase over the internet,” Hawk explains when it becomes clear Wilder isn’t going to. “It’s only a matter of time until Wilder kills himself, or one of us, with it.”
Rolling my eyes, I snark, “Oh great, now we have two crazies we need to watch our backs for.”
* * *
Once the nurseinforms us that Wilder doesn’t need another transfusion and will be discharged first thing in the morning, Emilia and Hawk leave to head back to the brownstone. We decided that none of us should be alone, so they will grab supplies for all of us while I babysit Wilder, and the four of us will meet at Nocturnal Enterprises as soon as Wilder is discharged.
If it weren’t for the fact that Wilder was half asleep by the time the nurse kicked the three of us out of his room, he would have insisted on leaving against medical advice tonight, but he needs to rest and recuperate. He’s only a liability in his current state.
I’m sure as soon as he wakes up in the morning, he’ll be blowing up a storm until they let him out of here. The three of us are hedging bets on what time we’ll be at Nocturnal Enterprises. I think six a.m. No way Wilder will be content to sit around here on his ass for much longer.
Hawk thinks he’ll be demanding release before the night is over and has put his money on three a.m. Emilia went the other way and fully believes Wilder will conk out and sleep through until the doctor arrives in the morning, so she’s going with nine a.m.
She’s going to lose.
There’s no way Wilder will content himself for that long. He’s sleeping now, sure, but only because his body demanded the rest. As soon as he wakes, his priority is going to be her. Just like it’s mine. And Hawk’s. None of us will rest easy until we’re at the safe house, and even then, it will only be a temporary respite. True peace of mind will only be achieved when Mel can no longer stalk our every move. When we aren’t constantly looking over our shoulders, staring out of windows, wondering if she’s lurking nearby. Only when this is nothing but a distant memory will I be happy.
