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Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
But her hands shook as she reached out to cover his hand with hers.
God. It could have been so much worse.
“Sit.”
She glanced behind her to find that Victor had pulled a chair over for her. “Uh, thank you.” Then she looked to Regent to find he was giving Victor a strange look.
“Doctor, could you give us a moment?” Regent asked. “I’m sure Gerald has some coffee on.”
The doctor nodded, and Regent showed him out. She took hold of Maxim’s hand, hating how cold it felt.
“He’s going to be fine,” Victor told her gruffly.
She nodded. Of course he would. “Do you live here as well?”
Victor nodded. “Yep. We built a house outside the city, but we live here most of the time.”
“Oh, that’s nice.” She didn’t know why she was trying to make small talk with this man. Aston guessed she just needed some noise to fill the room so that she didn’t focus on the fact that Maxim was lying unconscious in the bed.
“He’ll be okay, right?”
“Course he will.”
The words settled her nerves. Of course he would be. Because she couldn’t stomach the idea of him being anything but all right.
The door opened once again, and she glanced over as Regent walked in. He wasn’t as big as Victor, but there was something even more intimidating about him. It was in the way he held himself.
This man wasn’t used to losing. Or hearing the word no.
She remembered Maxim telling her that there were things she didn’t know about his family. Things he needed to tell her.
Yeah, she was wishing now that he’d gotten around to telling her those things.
Licking her dry lips, she forced herself to keep her gaze on Regent, even though she wanted to look away.
“We need to talk,” Regent told her. “I need to know everything that happened tonight.”
She nodded. A shiver ran through her. A sense of foreboding.
Regent’s eyes narrowed. “Are you injured?”
“I’m fine.”
“I think the doctor should look you over to make sure,” Regent decreed.
She shook her head. “I’m fine.”
“Let’s go to my office so we don’t disturb Maxim,” Regent suggested.
She tightened her hold around his hand. “I don’t want to leave him.” What if something happened to him while she wasn’t here to look after him?
“The doctor will be back soon,” Regent said.
“You trust him?” she asked.
Regent’s eyes flared open. “Yes, of course. I wouldn’t have him work on Maxim if I didn’t.”
She nodded, but she still didn’t want to leave him.
The door suddenly flew open and a petite woman wearing a dark blue robe walked into the room. She gasped in horror as she saw Maxim.
“Oh my God! Why did no one wake me up?”
“Baby, he’s fine.”
She turned to look at Victor who moved toward the blonde woman.
“Victor! He’s not fine! Gerald just told me that he was stabbed!” She glared at Victor.
“Gerald is a dead man.”
She poked a finger at Victor. “No. Gerald is the only one around here who tells me anything. Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“You were sleeping.”
“Victor Malone, if something happens to one of our family, you wake me up.”
Wow. This woman was tough. She couldn’t imagine ever scolding a man like Victor.
“Little one, you need your sleep.” His hand came to rest on her shoulder and the woman’s face softened. Then her gaze moved to Aston.
“Hello. Who are you?”
“Um. I’m Aston.”
The woman came toward her, holding out her hand. “Hi, I’m Gracen. I’m that big lug’s fiancée.” She pointed at Victor.
“That’s brave of you,” Aston commented without thinking.
Gracen grinned. “Don’t let the outside package fool you. He’s a marshmallow on the inside.”
“Little one,” Victor growled.
He might be a marshmallow for her, but Aston was willing to bet he wasn’t like that with everyone.
“You’re here with Maxim?” Gracen asked.
She nodded.
“She helped him when he was attacked, then drove him here,” Regent explained in a surprisingly gentle voice.
To her shock, Gracen reached out and hugged her. “Thank you. We’d all be lost if something happened to Maxim.”
“You’re welcome.” She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been hugged. Well, by anyone other than Maxim. And while this wasn’t the same as one of his hugs, it did help.
“You’re freezing and you’re in your pajamas! Why haven’t you gotten her a blanket or something to wear?” Gracen demanded of the two men, pulling back with her hands on her hips. “Have they even offered you a drink? I baked blueberry muffins yesterday. Would you like one?”
“I, uh, um.”
“I’ll find you something to wear. Here, do you want my robe?” She reached for the tie as Victor growled in disapproval.
“No, no, I’m fine,” she said hastily, not wanting to get offside with the big guy who was looking at his fiancée like the sun rose and fell on her.
“Gracen, we need to talk to Aston. Will you stay with Maxim?” Regent asked.
