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That’s where I go. Nobody will bother us. It’s a consciously maintained piece of property, the forest left to grow relatively wild and the boundaries kept neat and clean for the neighborhood.
Catherine looks out the window at the designated parking. At the path leading into the woods. I park the Range Rover, but she still doesn’t look at me.
“Catherine. Are you okay?” No answer. “Do you need medical attention?”
A moment of stillness.
Then she opens the passenger door, jumps out of the vehicle, and runs.
6
ELISE
The ideaof leaving Gabriel at the hospital feels…bad. Wrong. It feels like leaving him unprotected. I want to sit by his bed and hold his hand all night.
Especially now that he’s sleeping, his other hand splayed out over his stomach.
He looks young like this. Defenseless. In a way, that’s true. That’s the price, though. Painkillers make it tough to stay awake. And hedoesneed to sleep.
Ugh. I wish I wasn’t justified in thinking something could go wrong at any second. That feeling won’t go away until I’ve dealt with my dad. How I’m going to do that is another question.
“Hey.” Lydia tiptoes to my side. “I’m back.”
“Hi.” I put an arm around her waist and give her a hug. “How are you?”
“Tired.” Even her whisper sounds exhausted.
That’s what makes up my mind. It’s time to go, as much as I want to stay.
I kiss Gabriel’s knuckles and smooth out his blankets. He’s asleep, the machines around him silenced, and from what the nurses say he’ll probably be out until morning.
“I’ll be back tomorrow.” The promise feels important, even if heisout cold. “I love you.”
Tomorrow, I won’t sit in one place for so long. Gabriel’s in the VIP wing now. It’s a peaceful floor. Everything about it is less harsh than the ER. I’m just not used to sitting so still, and watching a person like a hawk to make sure they’re okay. Or…that they’re going to be okay, as soon as he has a chance to heal up.
I check my purse. My phone. Jameson confers with Mason in a corner of the room, but he stops when he sees us getting ready to leave.
“Headed out?” Mason asks, stepping into the hall with us. “Charlotte’s ready to go over.”
She left a while ago, promising to come to the brownstone if I could bring myself to leave Gabriel’s side. “It’s after ten. And I need to check on Nate. He shouldn’t be by himself any longer.”
“You don’t have to worry about Gabriel,” Jameson says from the door. “Mason’s going to stand guard.”
“All night?” I should be the one doing that…but I’m not by myself anymore. I have Lydia. Nate’s back at Gabriel’s place.
“All night.” Mason crosses his arms over his chest. “I’ll probably step out once or twice for coffee.”
“Okay.” My nod is less confident than I wanted it to be. “Okay. That’s great. Thank you for doing that.”
“Elise.” I meet Mason’s eyes. “He’s not going to wake up by himself. I’ll make sure nothing happens while you’re gone.”
Warm relief washes across my chest, but regret is a heavy pull at my stomach. I can’t be with Gabriel for the rest of his hospital stay. Not if I have the chance to fix things.
“Thanks.” My throat closes up, but I shake off the feeling. “Let’s get home and get to bed, Lyd.”
Jameson and Mason’s voices follow us until we’re at the elevators, where a member of Mason’s security team waits to escort us down to the SUV. She climbs into the front passenger seat, Lydia and I take the back, and we’re spirited back to the brownstone by a professional driver.
At Gabriel’s brownstone, the agent gets out to open the door for us. We’re not unprotected for a single instant on the walk to the front door. She confirms the handoff with her partner, wishes us a good night, and we’re home.
