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“I . . . I can’t. Can you just tell them I’m all right? I’ll call when Alejandro wakes up.”
Reuben nodded.
“What about Ortega? Dante?”
“I’ve called them both. Ortega is on his way here. And Dante is . . . he’s furious. He’s shoring up his defenses, while talking about retaliation. I’m trying to talk him out of it.” Reuben looked concerned.
Worry flooded her. “What about Mama?”
“I managed to talk Dante into contacting Emiliano’s heir to the kingdom, so to speak, to see if we can ensure that this doesn’t end in complete bloodshed. Dante is also going to find out what he can about your mother, but he doesn’t want her to become a pawn to be used.”
Oh God. She still wasn’t safe? Even with Emiliano dead?
“Wait. His heir? Who inherits with him dead?”
Reuben sighed. “His son.”
Her stomach tightened into a knot and she felt like she might vomit.
“He has a son? I have a brother?”
“Yes. I don’t have any more details. I’m sorry. But I’ll keep in touch with Dante.”
“I just . . . it’s too much. All this time, she’s been alive. And now that I know where she is, I still might not be able to save her? Plus, I have a brother?”
“Dante will do his best. But I don’t know anything about your brother, Little one. He could be like Emiliano.”
Oh God.
Reuben’s gaze moved over her. “You’re exhausted. Have you slept at all?”
She shook her head. “I can’t. I’ll sleep once he’s awake.”
Reuben sighed. “He won’t like that you’re wearing yourself out watching over him.”
“I don’t care,” she said. “He’s been shot. He could’ve died. He promised never to leave me.”
“Fuck, he’s going to kill me if you get sick. Just know that I’m watching you. Got it? I won’t let you harm yourself taking care of him.”
She wasn’t hurting herself, but she had to be here.
“I’m not leaving.” She’d fight him tooth and nail if he tried to move her.
“My job is to keep you safe, Cat. That’s what Alejandro would want. So if there’s a risk to your health, I’ll have Aaron sedate you and carry you out of here myself.”
She scowled at him, swearing quietly in Spanish. “You wouldn’t dare.”
He just eyed her arrogantly. Fuck it. He would. If anyone would do that, it would be Reuben.
“Luckily for you, I’m not here to force you home. Yet,” he added as she’d started to relax. He touched her shoulder.
To her shock, Rafael stepped forward and pushed him back, away from her.
“Don’t touch her.”
Reuben stood up, facing off against Rafael.
Uh-oh.
But to her shock, Reuben just nodded. “Good. She needs a loyal guard. But just remember, I’m not the enemy. I’m here to protect and take care of her too.”
“I can take care of myself.”
They both shot her looks of disbelief, which she ignored. She turned her gaze back to Alejandro. A doctor approached Reuben and started talking quietly to him, while Rafael moved closer to her.
“He’s going to be all right,” she said firmly.
It wasn’t a question, but Rafael nodded.
“He will,” he agreed.
The following morning, Reuben returned.
He didn’t look any more well rested than he had the night before. She understood that.
She didn’t think she’d slept at all. When she’d absolutely had to go to the toilet, she’d made The Scot stand over Alejandro, and she’d run there and back.
The doctors and nurses had tried to make her leave, but Rafael had just glared at them.
Now, no one came near her.
“Morning,” Reuben said quietly. “I brought your handbag for you. I charged your phone as well since it was dead. There are several notifications, but I haven’t looked at them.”
She took her handbag and saw that Roger and Snuggly were sitting in there. She hugged them tightly, nearly crying.
“Thank you,” she told Reuben.
“Of course,” he replied, clearing his throat.
Drawing her phone out, she winced at all the calls and texts from her friends. She felt terrible for ignoring them, but she didn’t have the capacity to deal with anything else right now.
She quickly sent a text to the group chat, telling them she’d call when she had news. And that she was all right. Then she tried calling Nighthawk.
Nothing.
Worry flooded her.
“He hasn’t shown signs of waking?” Reuben asked as she put her phone away.
“I’m sure he squeezed my hand in the night.” Although everything was becoming a blur. Had it really happened, or had she dreamed it?
“That’s good.” He didn’t sound like he truly believed her, though. Had she imagined it? God, she didn’t know.
“I just spoke to his doctor,” Reuben told her. “She’s happy with his vitals so they’re going to move him to a private room.”
What? Really? This was a good thing, right?
“They need us to get out of the way while they get him ready to move.”
“No. No, I’m not leaving his side.” She couldn’t.
