by Raven Dark
Eyes glazed with pain, he rolled his head toward me. Sweat covered his tanned face and silvery hair. His body shook as if he’d been pulled out of a lake of ice. Shock. His eyes fluttered closed until I took his face.
“No, Oliver, don’t close your eyes. Stay with me.”
“Please…fuck, it hurts…”
“I know, but you can’t go to sleep. Stay with me.”
Kane came back in.
“Kane, I need you. He’s passing out. Gala, rags.”
Gala rushed in and set the rags on the table for me. Kane knelt by his brother’s side.
“Kane, he’s passing out from shock. Keep him talking. Gala, I want you to tear those rags into strips for me.” She nodded and I bent over, assessing the wound while Kane distracted Oliver.
“Oliver, open your eyes, man.”
“Look at it this way,” Oliver said through chattering teeth. “I’ll have one hell of a scar.”
“I have bigger ones.” Kane’s smile shook.
“Kiss my ass.”
“Shouldn’t you pull the knife out now?” Gala asked, ripping a thick towel into long strips.
“Yes, but not yet. I pull it out now, and he’ll bleed out.” I leaned over, assessing the placement of the knife. “I will say this for your father, Kane, he’s got good aim. It looks clean. The knife went between the bones. If we get him taken care of fast, he won’t lose the use of his hand.”
“Good to know.” Oliver gave a weak smile. Kane looked relieved.
“Ok, so, here’s what I need you to do. Kane, I want David at the ready with the limo at the door, because we’re going to have to move him fast.”
“Move him, where? I said no hospitals—”
“I know. Just trust me.”
He nodded and took out his phone again, spoke quickly to David and hung up.
“Now, I want you to pull out the knife, as fast and as clean as you can. As soon as it’s out, I’m going to apply pressure to the wound with the rags. I have to act fast so he doesn’t lose too much blood, so you need to get clear, you understand?”
He nodded and slipped his hand around the hilt of the knife in a careful, firm grip.
Oliver’s eyes rolled, and his face turned a sickly green.
“Oliver, stay with me. You ready?”
“Sure,” he chattered. “Piece of fucking cake, right?”
“Good. Kane, pull straight up, fast and hard, on three.”
“Fast and hard, huh?” Kane said.
I allowed a faint smile. Opened my mouth to count, but Oliver stopped me with his other hand on my arm. Behind his pain, respect shone.
“You aren’t a slave, are you?”
I opened my mouth, glancing at Kane, alarm racing through me.
“No, it’s okay, I won’t say anything.” Gratitude softened Oliver’s eyes.
At once, I liked him, and I couldn’t help wondering if he was really a Davros. I nodded, squeezing his other hand. “Ready?”
“Sure.”
I looked at Kane. “One.”
Kane tightened his grip.
“Two.”
He looked at his brother. Oliver nodded.
“Three.”
Kane yanked the knife up and tossed it aside. Oliver made a gut-wrenching sound, like a bear breaking his leg in a trap. I was already pressing thick clothes to the front and back of his hand when his head lulled and he passed out from pain.
“Is he okay?”
I looked up. Danica had come into the room and now knelt beside her fiancé.
“He’s fine. He’s just unconscious.” I kept the pressure constant on his hand and stood carefully while Kane helped his brother to his feet and held him up with an arm around his waist.
“Where are we taking him?”
“I don’t know, but I can’t fix him here. I need proper facilities, where I can freeze and stitch his hand.”
To be honest, I hadn’t really thought about where we’d need to go, only that I’d need the proper work environment if I wanted to help him.
Outside, David waited with the limo door open, and Kane and I helped Oliver carefully into the car. Danica and Gala wanted to come, so I let them slide into one of the back seats, while Kane and I took the other with Oliver in the middle.
“Where are we taking him, Mr. Davros?” David asked once he was in the front seat. Kane and I looked at each other.
“There’s no way I’m going to win this, is there?” I asked.
“No.”
The only other solution made my stomach drop. If we were caught, it would cost me my job, and everyone here would end up in jail, but what other choice did we have? I knew too much about what Kane meant about his father to argue. If the hospital asked the wrong questions and Victor Davros was investigated, he’d make sure we all paid.
“Fine. There’s a small, private medical facility not far from here. Take us there, please, David.” I gave the name.
“Right away, Miss Anika.”
“No, Anika, I said no doctors.”
“Don’t worry,” I leaned over looking past Oliver to him. “We’re not going to see a doctor.”
“Then how are you planning to get the supplies you need?”
“The only other way we can. We’re breaking in.”
It wasn’t lost on me what our actions would cost Anika if we were caught. Aside from jail time, she’d never practice medicine again. I’d wanted to keep her out of the break-in, leaving she and the other women behind while David and I got into the facility, but as she’d soon pointed out, I wouldn’t know what she needed. It was faster for her to just come with us and get the supplies herself.
Luckily, we were in and out in minutes. The facility was a tiny private practice belonging to a doctor, fully stocked, locked up, and deserted for the night. While Gala and Danica stayed with Ollie, I’d smashed a window, we climbed in, Anika grabbed what she needed, and we returned to The Lion’s Head, the safest place to stitch Oliver up.
Watching her flit about the doctor’s office, swiping gauze pads, wraps, disinfectant and anesthetic, that unfamiliar wave of something intense for her, something I still didn’t dare name, washed over me. Like before, it tried to pull me into its undertow, but I resisted its lure, letting the guilt at what my life was doing to her keep me from getting swept up into a place I didn’t dare go. When her contract was over, I had to let her go, and if this thing that made my heart ache for her kept growing, I’d never be able to. Instead, I buried it deep and let my hatred for my dad burn it away to nothing.
David had assured us he’d put a security guard he knew on Agent Hadler, and the guard would watch him until David and I were able to resume our interrogation. When we arrived at the hotel, it was almost eight. We had just over four hours to make him crack and blackmail Dominic before the kingpin would make good on his promise. As soon as he dropped us off, David went back to the meat factory where Hadler was being held. I wished I could help him, especially when I saw how exhausted he was, but Ollie had to come first.
No one wanted to leave Ollie, so everyone gathered in my large bedroom while Anika tended to him. Laid out across my bed, he’d come to when we’d brought him in.
Anika froze his hand and worked quickly, stitching him up. It seemed to take forever, though my watch said it was less than an hour before she tossed her surgical tools on my nightstand.
Pulling off her latex gloves, she squeezed Ollie’s shoulder, then made her way toward Danica and I. We stood up.
“How is he?” I asked.
“He’ll be fine. I gave him something for the pain. His hand should be fine in a couple of weeks.”
“So, he’ll have full use of his hand?” Danica looked relieved.
“He will, eventually, but he has to take it easy. No using the hand at all for at least a week, and he’ll need to take a course of antibiotics to prevent infection. I’ll need to see him at that time to assess how well he’s healing. I might be able to take the stitches out after the first we
ek, but likely he’ll need another week to fully heal. The knife didn’t damage bone or break off. He got lucky.”
I didn’t miss the pointed look she gave me, covert as it was. I could hear it in her voice, the warning as to how close my father had come to doing a lot more damage. Pure hatred, unlike I hadn’t felt for him in years, grew like a poison in my chest and I nodded, squeezing her shoulder, even though I would rather have pulled her close.
Danica looked anywhere but at Anika, even while she shook her hand and then leaned in and hugged her. Anika gave an awkward hug back with an uncomfortable smile at me. “You were awesome. Thank you so much, Anika. If I can ever repay... Yeah.”
Ollie pealed himself off the bed and came over to us, squeezing Danica’s hand and nodding to Anika. “Seriously, you’re a hell of a nurse. Thanks.”
“It’s my pleasure. I just wish we could have met under better circumstances.”
“Since my brother is a doofus and won’t say it, I’m sorry for my step monster’s behavior tonight. I meant what I said. I won’t say anything. You know, about what you really are.”
Danica nodded her agreement, and Anika’s relief was palpable.
“If you ever need help, you come to me,” my brother added.
“Thanks.”
Gala chose that moment to step forward, a knowing smile on her lips. “I knew there was more to you. It was a pleasure meeting you, Anika.”
Looking like she wasn’t sure what to say, Anika turned and busied herself cleaning up the medical supplies as if Gala wasn’t there. I shot her a questioning look, but she ignored it. They’d been fine toward one another moments ago, and now it was like the Arctic, at least on Anika’s end.
Gala gave a shrug and took my hand.
“You want a ride home, Gala?” I offered.
“No thanks. I’ll get one with Ollie and Danica.” I didn’t like the amused smile she gave me. “Besides, Anika will need you more than me.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I had a feeling she didn’t mean because of what had happened with my brother.
“Oh, nothing. Listen, Daddy and I are going back to Cali tomorrow, so I’ll see you there in a couple of days.” She pecked me on the cheek again and then turned and left with my brother and his fiancée before I could reply.
Now that Anika and I were alone in the suite, I turned my attention to her. She went between the bedroom and the bath, throwing medical supplies out, cleaning up. Shoulders too tight, virtually ignoring me.
Shit, Gala, what did you do?
As soon as everyone left and Kane and I were alone, the craziness of the night began to set in on me. I tried to keep my mind busy by cleaning the room. Even after the medical supplies were put away, I found a rag and started dusting the night tables and straightening the bedding the way I would have at Dad’s. Not that they needed it; the maids kept the place spotless, but I needed something to keep myself from thinking too much.
My mind raced, a tangle of dark thoughts. On nights assigned to the emergency department, I’d seen worse than a knife through a hand, but most accidents involving sharp objects were just that, accidents. Bad falls in the wrong place, kids running with scissors, college boys playing pranks that went bad. In the rare instances when they were on purpose, injuries happened as a result of gang fights or initiations, the occasional domestic dispute that got violent. I’d never seen anything like what had happened tonight, and this was the first time I’d seen the actual incident itself.
To say nothing of what I’d done tonight. I’d broken into a medical facility. What the hell was Kane’s life turning me into? Since agreeing to his deal, I’d killed someone, I’d helped get rid of a body, my dad had been shot, and now I’d committed B and E. What other crimes would Kane’s crazy life push me to before this contract was over?
It wasn’t only Victor’s actions with Oliver that scared the hell out of me though. What he’d said to me in the art room repeated itself over and over in my mind, relentless.
He’d made one thing clear. Victor had plans for Kane, ones that didn’t involve me. He’d do whatever he had to in order to make sure his son married Gala, then took his place as Don of the Rossi family. He’d do what he had to make sure I stayed out of the way.
Part of me wanted to ask Kane what disturbing past his family had with slavery, but I had no idea how. Victor was probably just trying to scare me, but I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling there was more to it. A lot more.
It sunk in now just how insane Kane’s father was. Protectiveness for him tried to take root in me, but I pushed it down. I couldn’t allow myself to get close to him. Not when I knew what it was turning me into, and now, not with what I now knew about him and Gala.
Thinking of her only made things worse, as my thoughts settled on what I’d seen on her phone. I’d heard stories about this sort of thing before. If I told him what Gala was doing, would he think I was just being petty, trying to get revenge? The worst part was, I wasn’t entirely sure he wouldn’t be right.
I almost slammed the door to the cupboard in the bathroom. Kane appeared in the doorway.
“Anika, what are you doing?” He took the rag I’ve been using to clean the sink out of my hand and tossed it aside. “That’s what the maids are for. Come here, we need to talk.”
“Not now, Kane. I’m exhausted.” I swiped my hair out of my eyes. It wasn’t a lie. Everything that had happened tonight left me worn out. I felt like I could have slept for a week.
“Which is why you’re cleaning my already spotless sink instead of sleeping? Come.” He took my hand, leading me into the bedroom.
“Shouldn’t you be relieving David with Agent Hadler? He looked about to fall over the last time he was here.”
“I will, after we settle a few things.”
“I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Too bad.” His face hardened when I tugged to get my hand out of his. “Look, Anika if you’re avoiding me because of what you heard between Gala and I, let’s set that straight now. It wasn’t what it sounded like.”
That again? I rolled my eyes and jerked my hand free, though he had to have let me go, or I wouldn’t have managed it. “Is that the best you can do, Davros? That’s not good enough to shut me up anymore.”
Davros. I hadn’t called him that in a long time, unless I’d been teasing. But then, he hadn’t made me mistrust him this much on a long time, either. Questions raced through my head, suspicions burning a hole through my thoughts like acid.
“Well, it’s going to have to be good enough.” He raked a hand through his hair. “I can’t tell you more than that.”
The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. “Kane, there’s something you need to know about Gala.”
“What?” He gave me a puzzled look, but was it just me, or did it take a fraction of a second too long to settle over his face? No. It couldn’t have. That wouldn’t make any sense. No way would a man as possessive as Kane allow her to be with someone else.
I sighed and went over to the bed, sitting on the side of it. Now that I’d opened the door, I had to see it through. I licked my lips, trying to figure out how to break the news.
“Here, sit down.”
“What? Anika, just tell me what’s going on.” The first flash of alarm entered his eyes.
Another sigh. I looked up at him. “Kane, Gala’s cheating on you.”
13
He narrowed his eyes in confusion. “Anika, what are you talking about?”
Here we go. “I saw it on her phone. She left it in the bathroom at your dad’s. There were messages. Sexy ones, from some guy named Holden. Kane, he was calling her while we were at dinner.”
What exactly I expected Kane to do once I said this, I didn’t know, but his reaction wasn’t remotely in the realm of my imaginings. First, he looked up at the ceiling and a half smirk toyed with his lips. “Shit.” Then he laughed, a low, familiarly pleasant chuckle.
I stared at him. He was l
aughing? “Okay, what the hell did I miss?”
He turned toward the window, shaking his head. “I don’t believe this. What am I gonna do with her?”
I stood from the bed, hand on my hip. Being in the dark when it came to him and Gala always pissed me off, but this? “I just told you your fiancée is cheating on you, and you’re laughing like it’s a joke. Kane, tell me what the hell is going on here, right now!”
He drew a deep breath, turned to me, and let the breath out. “All right, look. Anika, what you hear now, you can’t ever tell anyone. Do you understand? Not your dad, not Fran, no one.”
My eyes widened. “I…okay. Yes. I wouldn’t do that. I don’t understand.”
“If the wrong person found out, Gala could be killed.”
Okay, he was scaring me now.
Kane came back to the bed and lowered himself onto it. I’d never seen his face look so gentle. He took my hands in his. “Anika, Gala isn’t cheating on me. Our relationship is fake. It always has been.”
My thoughts raced, trying to absorb what he said. “What? Why? I don’t…why would you…”
“Gala wanted me to tell you, or I wouldn’t be doing it now. She asked me to, twice. I should have, the first time she asked. Clearly, when I didn’t, she must have decided to take matters into her own hands.”
“Okay, still lost.”
He sighed and nodded. “You remember I told you the relationship wasn’t what it looked like?” When I nodded, he squeezed my hands. “Holden isn’t a guy. She’s a woman.”
“She…You mean they’re? Gala’s…?”
“Yes.”
I opened my mouth once, then closed it. Opened it again, then closed it. He released my hands, letting me turn away from him and massage my temples. Trying to make sense of what was going on here was making my head hurt. I turned back to him with a half smile, hope and warmth blossoming in me. And disbelief.
“So, Gala’s gay?”
“Yes.”
Closing my eyes, I lowered myself down beside him. So many things that hadn’t made sense before now did, pieces clicking into place so fast I could barely keep up with them.