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I kept the fucking grippy socks because I didn’t even want to try with my boots. I pulled on the sweatshirt Roan tossed me with a groan. Yeah, definitely felt like utter fucking crap. The look on Declan’s face as he watched me wasn’t helpful at all.
“Don’t fucking give me that look,” I mumbled.
“Is it really going to help?” Declan asked as he walked me into the ICU. He didn’t pause as he nodded tightly to a nurse, who didn’t even think twice about us walking in.
“It’s called a life-pak,” I whispered. In the silence, even my quiet voice felt loud as hell. “All of us who… chase down the you-know-whats… we all have one in a special pocket in our uniforms for trips that go fucking south. It wouldn’t have worked when he had the… spikes in him. It won’t fix his eye or kidney, but it’ll get him stable again so that he can heal. It might… I don’t know what it’ll do with his bones, but I don’t give a fuck. I’d rather he be a medical miracle than…”
“Yeah,” he agreed solemnly.
“Where’s Genevieve?” Because I had to at least know.
“Raven got a block of hotel rooms across the street. She’s there with Gabby,” he said. “She has shoulder damage, and they want her to see a specialist to determine if she needs surgery.”
Fuck, I’d been afraid of something like that.
“And with her history, the doctor wants her on bed rest for at least a week. The baby is okay, but she had a full-blown panic attack during the exam. It took both Gabby and Raven to calm her down enough to continue,” Declan explained. I stopped in the hallway to stare at him. It shouldn’t have surprised me that he knew—that any of them knew—but a part of me expected her to hide it all over again. “I think it was all too much… being kidnapped, Nolan, you, her injuries, lying to the police—”
“Lying to the police?” I repeated with a frown.
“Lane had to tell them something when he showed up in the ER with Nolan,” he replied. “Especially when the police got involved. He told them that Nolan and her were kidnapped and that we hired private security to find them when our police force was too small to handle it. Ginny confirmed everything. Gabby’s watching her like a hawk at the hotel, Raven has been texting updates every hour, and I’m fairly certain Gabby’s going home with you two.”
“Great.” Gabby wasn’t my first choice ever for a house guest. “Are you okay?”
“None of us are okay. How can we be?” Declan told me honestly. He opened the sliding door to Nolan’s room and ushered me inside.
“Oh,” Mom whispered at our entrance. She rushed to wipe the tears from her face and smoothed her hands on her thighs as she stood. “You boys can’t be in here. They said only one at a time. And, baby boy, you shouldn’t be out of bed. You look awful.”
The last sentence was said as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders and hugged me tight—too tight, but I bit back the painful moan that built in my throat. Instead, I let her because she needed this.
“I can help him,” I said into her neck. She gave me a brief squeeze before letting go.
“It’s a waiting game right now, Killian. He just needs…” She faltered, pressing her lips together. I’d never seen her so vulnerable. Her attention drifted back to Nolan while she struggled to find the words, and I followed her gaze. The kid looked so small in the hospital bed, his lanky frame swallowed by stark white sheets and tubes everywhere. Her voice cracked as she continued, “I don’t know what he needs. I don’t know how to help.”
Instead of arguing with her, I went to Nolan’s bedside. I didn’t know where to touch the kid. Up close, he looked worse—a mess of stitches, bandages, tubes, and ashy skin. The unsteady beating of his heart over the monitor worried me. How long had he been teetering between alive and dead?
I uncorked the vial and swirled the contents. The vivid blue color glowed brighter—a good sign. Careful not to hurt him, I took hold of his face and opened his mouth. There was no easy place to touch him with all the bandages. Saying a silent prayer, I tipped the contents down his throat.
His skin glowed faintly, and it spread over every inch of his body. The thrumming of magic in the room vibrated against my skin as it went to work. His heart evened out, growing stronger with each passing minute. Mom’s soft gasp echoed in the room. She sat down on the other side of the bed, taking his hand gently, while Declan gripped the foot of the bed.
Nolan’s fingers twitched, and Mom held on tighter. I swore I forgot how to breathe as we waited. When his eye fluttered open, my knees damn near gave out. Thank fuck.
None of us said a fucking word. We waited with bated breath as he floated in and out of it, his gaze unfocused. His head rolled in my direction.
“Are they…” Nolan exhaled heavily, the words falling short. “Are they…”
“Yeah, kid,” I whispered. “They’re okay thanks to you.”
“I couldn’t… I couldn’t let that happen to her again,” he murmured.
“You saved them, Nolan. You’re my hero, kid” I told him, choking up while my nose burned with unshed tears. He nodded slowly, his eye drifting shut. I said nothing and just held his hand as he passed back out. He was alive.
Nolan was alive.
Chapter 130
Genevieve
RAVEN: He’s awake.
