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“You okay?” Daniel asked as he steered me toward an elevator bank and I gave the approximation of a nod. “I don’t like hospitals either.”
The elevator doors opened, and he led me down the hallway; his posture tensing as his eyes flashed around. As we came around a corner and no one was in sight, Daniel caught my arm and pulled me to a stop.
“Look, be careful with what you talk to Weiss about, okay?” Daniel said, and his face was now wiped of expression except for the sharp glint in his eyes. “In exchange for his life, Weiss told the cops that night had been an interrupted burglary.”
“I know that,” I said. Ty told me as much when I’d asked a week ago.
“Yeah, still. Even though no one should connect Ty to being there that night, given his supposed alibi, we don’t want people asking questions.”
“I understand,” I said in a low voice. “The last thing I want to do is implicate Ty.”
“Good,” Daniel said and began walking again. When we got to the end of the hall, he nodded at a cracked-open door. “Weiss just got out of ICU a few days ago, so he’s still pretty weak. Probably asleep. Take a peek, say a quick ‘Hi’ if he’s up, and then we’ll go.”
“No,” I said and put a hand on Daniel’s shoulder, causing him to jump. “Sorry.” I snatched my hand back and made a mental note not to do that in the future without his explicit permission. “I need to apologize — alone.” Daniel raised an eyebrow. “Please, Daniel.”
Daniel hissed out a sigh between his teeth. “Fine. But we can’t wait all day for him to wake up.”
“I thought there was no rush.”
A grin flitted over Daniel’s face. “No wonder my cousin has lost his shit about you. Go ahead, sassy. You’ve got an hour.”
“Thanks,” I said and slipped into the room; easing the door shut behind me. I thought Daniel might open it or come barging in but a quick look through the door’s window showed that he’d sat down on a bench across the hall.
Turning around, it took me a few moments to summon the courage to walk around the pale blue curtain hiding the bed from the door, and I blinked at the bright light coming from the windows.
To my surprise, Mickey wasn’t asleep but gazing out of the window. My heart twisted in my chest at how broken and bruised he still looked. He’d lost weight, his cheeks were sunken in and his skin was pale. His hair was lank and there was an odd bruising around his mouth and his eyes while his hands were bandaged and folded over his chest.
My eyes narrowed at those bandages and bruising. They looked like new injuries. Had something else happened?
Swallowing hard, I attempted to speak and found I couldn't think of anything to say. Then Mickey stiffened and winced before his eyes slowly found me. There was no flicker of recognition, only a dazed confusion, and I tried to smile.
“You lost?” he rasped.
“No,” I said and walked to the bottom of his bed. “You don’t know me?” Mickey squinted and went to shake his head, then his eyes went wide as I blurted out. “Lia Goldin.”
“Lia Fioreno, you mean,” Mickey said and blew out a breath. “Just like your goddamn mother. Jesus...”
“I think you’re the only one who has ever said that to me,” I said and fiddled with my blonde hair. “I take after the Goldin side.”
Mickey snorted. “Only because people don’t look hard enough. Marina was my partner for over a decade. You might be blonde but you’ve got her face, kid, and her heart.” He frowned deeper. “And her hero complex, apparently. You’ll throw yourself right on the goddamn flames without second thought, huh?”
I didn’t know what to say to that, and my fingers gripped the fake wood of the bottom of the bed while Mickey breathed a little too hard, as though that much talking had winded him.
“I’m so sorry for what happened to you,” I heard myself say, and I looked down, squeezing my eyes shut. “I don’t know how much you know or remember.”
“All of it,” Mickey said, and my head snapped up. “What? It might’ve taken me a moment to place you but I’m on a lot of painkillers. You’re the last person I’d think ourfriendwould allow here; seeing as Michaelson made a point of telling me just how much I owe you.” Mickey’s face softened. “So, please don’t apologize.”
“No, I have to,” I said and moved around the bed – all but falling into the chair by his bedside. “It’s my fault that you’re here.”
“I don’t remember you pulling the trigger,” Mickey drawled.
“But, I…” I swallowed hard as tears began to pool in my eyes. “I broke in, I deleted that data off your laptop, and then when you were in trouble, I didn’t… I should’ve done something sooner.”
“Kid, I’m alive because ofyou,” Mickey said. “And none of this is your fault.” He heaved a sigh. “Honestly, a good chunk of it is mine. And the rest belongs to the mob.”
There were several seconds of silence as I struggled against tears, not understanding how this man didn’t hate me, and wondering if he knew I was with Ty.
“I wanted to say thank you,” Mickey said. “Michaelson told me how you’re the only reason I’m still here.” Then Mickey sighed.“I should also apologize to you for something I did over a year ago. I couldn’t bring myself to go to Marina’s funeral.”
