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I shake my head slowly, then hold up a hand. Impatiently wiping my eyes, I meet his gaze. “I’m fine. I just dreamt… that I rescued Irelynn.”
Darin leans over and grabs my hand, squeezing. “We will, man. I fucking promise you.” An intense look is in his eyes, and he leans closer, as though he wants to ensure no one else can hear him, even though we are the only two in my room. “As soon as we get the slightest lead on her, we are going. Even if I have to steal a wheelchair and bust you outta here.”
My eyebrows raise and I stare at him, perplexed. “I thought you were all, ‘Listen to the doctors and get better’? What happened to that guy?”
He chuckles. “Seeing you, right now. The only way I’m going to get you better is to get her back.” Darin releases my hand, pulling a chair closer to my bed. “I sent Vanessa to meet that friend. She is still digging for info and Vanessa is too worried she won’t tell her anything via text or phone.” He pulls his cell phone out, looking at the screen.
He’s silent for a few moments before he says, “They’ve chosen a halfway point where her friend feels safe. Her friend apparently is great at hacking, so Vanessa is going to see if she can possibly infiltrate any of William’s computers.”
“Isn’t that risky?”
He nods. “But what choice do we have?”
I lay my head back against the pillows. “As long as he doesn’t hurt her if we get caught.” I slowly turn my head to Darin’s. “I’ll fucking kill him if he does.”
Darin raises his eyes from his phone. “I know you will, Max.” He leans forward, grabbing Irelynn’s cell phone from his pocket. “The nurse laid it on your table beside the bed. I swiped it to make sure nothing happened to it.”
My fingers close around it and I press it against my heart. “Thanks, Darin. I appreciate you.”
He pats my hand. “I know you do, asshole.”
I can’t help but grin. “All this kindness between us is killing me too, fucker.”
He chuckles. “You are making progress, man. That’s more like the jackass I know.”
“Thanks, shithead.”
We both chuckle. “Why don’t you get some rest? I’ll stay here and I promise I’ll wake you as soon as I get any updates.”
I nod and fist bump his hand. “Thanks, asshole.”
He grins. “Anytime, motherfucker.” His eyes rove over my face. “You need your beauty rest so you can try to look as good as I do.”
My face splits into a huge smile and I release the first real laugh in days. “I don’t need a mirror to tell me I still look better than you.”
“In your dreams.” He laughs. “Now go to dreamland so you can try to look as handsome as me.”
A huge yawn comes from me as I chuckle.
I shake my head, not saying anything.
I’m ready to go back to sleep, but only so I can see Irelynn in my dreams.
Chapter fifteen
Irelynn
October9,2018,1:30pm
I sit alone in the bedroom, too distraught to do much of anything. Bryan’s news deflated any sense of hope I had that he’d tell me Max was alive and in the hospital. Combined with my nervousness about Damian, I wasn’t even in the mood to run on the treadmill with William.
The sound of the key in my door causes me to look up. Emma walks into the room, a smile on her motherly face. It falters when her eyes go to my half-eaten tray of food. She closes the door softly behind her and surprises me by coming over to the bed, sinking onto the mattress beside me, her hands in her lap. “Miss Irelynn. I hope I’m not out of line in asking this.” She pauses for a beat, then asks, “Do you need a hug?”
I nod, the tears I’d been holding back streaming down my face as I wrap my arms around her, squeezing her to me. She holds me, rocking me back and forth, whispering that everything will be okay.
Finally, I pull back, wiping at my face. She stands, grabbing the box of tissues from the nightstand, then sits beside me, holding them out to me. “Not to sound rude and unappreciative, but how, Emma?” A level of hysteria hits me hard in the center of my chest, causing my voice to rise. “I don’t know if Max is dead or alive. But from the look on Bryan and William’s face when they were discussing the explosion, it seems hopeless to believe he’s alive.” My voice cracks on the last two words and I’m barely able to get them out. “What if he’s dead, Emma? I don’t…” I turn my head away for a few beats, taking deep breaths, trying to gain control over my emotions. “I don’t wanna live without him.” Lowering my head, I sob into the already soaked tissue in my hand.
“Miss Irelynn.” Emma’s tone is sharper than I’ve ever heard it. I raise my tear-stained face to hers. “You can’t give up hope.” Her voice softens, and she gently pushes a lock of hair behind my ear. “They may not know… but you’ll find out. You’ve told me about the connection you share with him.” She pauses. “Do you think it’s a possibility that you can’t reach him because he’s unconscious? Have you tried seeing if you can reach him in your dreams lately?”
