“Let me call for one of the aids,” she panted. “How did this happen?”
Ignoring the question, he focused past her shoulder. “What is that?”
A plush teddy bear dressed in a black thong, matching assless chaps, his mouth plugged with a ball gag and his chest crisscrossed with studded leather strips, clutched a fistful of colorful balloons emblazoned with a variety of mundane get-well wishes. His other paw clutched a pale blue envelope with squiggles that resembled water doodled across the flap. The contrast was… jarring.
“Oh.” The nurse appeared to recall the purpose of her visit and flushed fire engine red. “You got a delivery.”
A frown gathered between his brows. “Those aren’t allowed at this facility.”
“The sender was given special dispensation,” she explained. “This was one of two arrangements that arrived. I would have come sooner so as not to disturb your rest, but security held them for testing. The balloons are starting to droop, so I brought yours the second it was deemed safe.”
“Pass me the card.” His hand shot out, and the nurse flinched as if expecting a blow to land. “I won’t hurt you.” He forced calm into his voice. “Just give me the card, please.”
Scurrying over to the plush bear, she lifted the card and placed it on his palm. “Do you want me to open it for you?”
His flat stare told her his body might be flagging, but his mental facilities were humming along just fine. “I can take things from here.”
“Yes. Of course.” Her gaze touched on the door. “If you’re sure you’re okay…?”
The envelope held his complete attention, but he assumed by the squeak of her Crocs that she had let herself out. Jabbing his thumb under the flap, he ripped it open and tugged out a white card inked with calligraphic loops and whirls that read “Feeling yucky and not so ducky?” Smiling, he cracked it open and kept reading. “Listen to the rubber ducky, and ignore your quack doctor. I’m cleared to visit Dad tomorrow. I arranged to see you while I’m there. Be a good patient, and I’ll bring ice cream. The good stuff.”
Adam lowered the card until he made eye contact with the BDSM bear who was not the promised rubber ducky.
Clearly something had been lost in translation when Luce placed her order.
Standing under his own power wasn’t going to happen. His lower legs had gone numb while he knelt, and the color in his feet was off thanks to poor circulation from the neurotoxin. His wings were out of commission for the same reason, not that they would be much help in an enclosed space.
Forced to grip the metal railing and hoist himself up onto the bed, he panted through the effort as he settled in on his back. The IV was a tangle under his hip, as were the other tubes and cords. Once he caught his breath, he tucked the card under his pillowcase and mashed the call button.
“How can I be of assistance?” a chirpy woman answered.
“My IV seems to have fallen out,” he said flatly. “Can you send someone to restart it?”
“Oh, Mr. Wu.” A keyboard clacked in the background. “Mr. Kapoor told us you —”
“He misunderstood.” Adam settled against his pillows, eyes fixed on the drooping balloons, fingers twitching with curiosity over the plush bear’s texture. He battled the impulse to position it in bed next to him, covers pooled around its pudgy waist, when Luce came for her visit. He imagined the rush of blood heating her cheeks when she beheld her gift and mortification set in. Such a human emotion. On her, it pleased him. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Not until she visited him. After that…
Word of Famine’s capture would reach his father’s ears all too soon, and his interest heralded deadly consequences for them both. Adam had come too far, risked too much, to lose her now.
Especially to her precious Ezra.
The adventure continues in the next book in Hailey Edwards’ bestselling The Foundling series…
Don’t miss out, click here to pre-order the powerfully addictive Death Knell today!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I owe so many people thanks for helping with this book. It was a beast.
Ella Drake, in particular, didn’t bat an eye when I pitched ideas about how to “realistically” make a dragon invisible. Because, you know, they’re so realistic to start with. She also helped with many of the tech aspects that make Santiago a more believable computer nerd. I’m sure I messed up things even after she broke them down into bite-sized morsels, but she tried!
Sasha Devlin, my otter half, is like this rainbow I keep in my pocket to unleash on gloomy days. She keeps me smiling and motivated, and she’s a wizard with a blurb. She gets me, and that’s such a rare thing. I wish I was half the friend to her that she is to me.
Nikki Doherty, my (much, much older) sister (by like four years, which makes her ancient), is always quick to volunteer her help when I need to murder someone. She’s also quick to put on her nurse’s hat to help me save people. She’s used to me DMing her questions that begin with “So, I need to transfuse this guy on the kitchen floor…” or “Do tampons really plug up bullet holes?”
Thanks to Megan Prescott at the Oxford Police Department and Assistant Chief Frank Misenhelter at the Hattiesburg Police Department for answering my certification and arson questions.
And finally, thank you to my husband and daughter. They kidnap me from the office, drag me into this bright stuff called sunlight, and generally force me to be present when the work would otherwise consume me.
Okay, so there are three more thanks I owe for helping with this book. Cookie, Lex, and Ollie, you guys are happiness packaged in fur suits. What good is being a writer without office dogs?
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