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Haven smirks and plops down in the chair Gage was using earlier. She’s wearing one of her typical oversexed gothic getups and about three pounds of makeup. But her face softens when she gazes at Tess.
She sighs. “Sorry, this sucks.”
I take a pointed look at my stump. “No kidding. What are you doing here? How did you even get in?”
“I slipped the head nurse a twenty.”
“Really?”
“No.” Haven taps her ringed finger on the metal arm of the chair. “I’m here as the family ambassador. My father is pissed. My uncle is even more pissed. Somebody spilled blood all over his brand new investment tonight and never asked for permission. You simply can’t slice off limbs on the east side without asking for permission from the Marchenkos. It’s just not acceptable.”
“What do you need from me?”
She leans closer. “Whatever information might be useful. We already know that one of those fuckers got away. He won’t last. The cops will never find answers before we do. We’re going to track down anyone else that had a role in this shit and make a very gory example of them.”
“Fine by me.”
Haven is pleased. “I knew you’d say that.” Then she looks at Tess once more and her smile vanishes. “I should leave and let her sleep. I saw Gage wandering around. I’ll go interrogate him instead.”
She rises from her chair but instead of stalking to the door she looks around, searching for something. When she spots a hospital blanket folded at the foot of the bed she snatches it up. I’m kind of stunned to watch her cover Tess with the blanket, as gently as a mother tucking in her child.
Haven Marchenko meets my eye again. “You take good care of our princess, Micah.”
She exits quietly. I resume staring at the clock.
Three hours gone.
And counting.
Chapter32
Tess
When Dani arrives she insists on taking me for a walk to get coffee.
My muscles are stiff and sore after hours of tension. Stretching them is probably not the worst idea.
The hospital windows are still black with the cover of night. They need to stay that way until Micah’s hand is found. Every minute that passes lessens the chances that his hand can be reattached at all. When the night’s over it will be too late.
I’m walking like an old woman in pain. Dani slips an arm around me for support.
“Do you need the bathroom?” she asks softly.
My stomach pitches and rolls. No telling if the surge of nausea is from tonight’s ordeal or from the pregnancy. I nod and cover my mouth.
She steers me to the nearest restroom and waits just outside the stall as I dry heave into the toilet. When I stagger out she’s ready with cool paper towels to mop up my sweating face.
“Sit down.” Dani deposits me on a cushioned bench.
Hugging my belly, I lean forward and try to breathe through the waves of nausea. Dani hands me a stick of gum and I shake my head.
She moves my hair out of my face. “What can I do?”
“I don’t want him to see me crying.”
Dani rubs a comforting hand up and down my back. “There’s nothing wrong with crying, Tessie.”
I chew my lip to try and stave off the tears. I lose that battle and allow them to fall. “Tonight I almost lost him forever.”
