PaigeI stood in the middle of a sea of women, nearly as many as we’d found in the basement of the Mansion. All of them were overwhelmed with emotion, dirty, sobbing, bleeding, and laughing with delight.“What did it feel like?” someone asked.“Are you sure he’s dead?” another yelled.“Why did you wait so long?” a third demanded.I didn’t bother trying to answer their questions. Yet another van of women pulled up, this time from the ambush planned on Rahim’s warehouse. Those women were in rougher shape because the suitcase of supplies got taken to Zahur’s house. I watched as the team of doctors swarmed over and began tending to the women there. Through all of the chaos, I just kept looking for Killian. In the middle of the drive, he’d gotten a call I couldn’t really overhear, then pulled off to the side of the road, switched one of the other men into the driver’s seat, and called himself a taxi. When I demanded answers, all he’d said was, “Tommaso,” before sending us to the airstrip.
TommasoRhythmic Arabic bounced off the walls of my brain. Everything hurt, my chest worst of all. The last thing I truly remembered was the monster dragging me down, but somewhere in my mind, I knew I’d been hearing rushed, frantic Arabic for some time.I opened my eyes. Bright, white light poured in, and I shut them again with a groan. Someone said something with a cadence that sounded like I should be able to understand it. I peeked one eye open, barely made out the face of someone with long hair, and realized I still couldn’t make sense of anything. The monster opened its arms for me, welcoming me down, and I dipped into darkness once more.The next thing I heard was beeping. Infrequent, but constant. Remembering the blare of light last time, I eased one eye the slightest bit open. Brilliant white, but I could just make out a few details. Angular lines on the white, like ceiling tiles.“Thank you,” a woman said next to me. “I can keep an eye on him.”Not a woman. Paige. My heart l
PaigeI leaned against the wall in the waiting room and sucked in what felt like my first deep breath since I’d heard Tom was hurt. The doctors here were so talented I could barely keep up with what they were saying, even when they spoke English, but even though they’d promised yesterday that Tom would wake up soon, I hadn’t been able to believe them. I’d fiddled with my phone. I’d texted Sera and Lauren that I was okay, that Tom was hurt but getting care, and I’d been receiving message of support since, but I hadn’t answered any of them. I couldn’t until I knew Tom was really out of the woods. Now, as my adrenaline finally started to taper off, I wanted to hear a friendly voice. I stood and walked to an out-of-the-way hall I’d found then called Lauren. It was midday in Philly, so she’d be at the shelter.She picked up almost instantly. “Paige! I’m in the middle of a session, can I call you back?”I smiled tiredly. The work came first. “Course. But when you do, can you grab Sera? I do
TommasoThe doctor I vaguely remembered from the haze on Zahur’s lawn, Dr. Awad, checked the bandages on my shoulder, then my ribs.“Your healing is progressing nicely,” she said.I offered her a half-smile. “Nicely enough you’ll spring me from this joint?”She chuckled. “I suppose.”“Ha!” I started to punch the air in celebration, but Paige’s hold on my hand kept me anchored. A good thing, too. I’d probably have torn something and gotten another week inside. As nice as the hospital was—and it really was, rivaling some of the more prestigious places I’d seen in Philly—I was more than ready to get out of here. Hospital food could only sustain a man for so long.Dr. Awad smiled indulgently. “That is, with a few conditions.”I groaned and slumped back against my pillow. “What?”She pulled out a sheet of paper covered in, thankfully, English. Paige took it before I could and studied the contents.Dr. Awad addressed her instructions to Paige. “We’re sending you home with two medications, a
PaigeBefore the first hour of the flight passed, Tom fell asleep. Between the last bit of pain medication the doctor had given him before we left and his injuries, I was honestly surprised it took him that long. I dropped my head back against the seat and let the quiet flow over me. In the cluster of four seats across the plane from Tom and me, Killian watched a black-and-white movie using headphones, and Carp and Stan bickered quietly over a card game I didn’t recognize. It was nothing like the rambunctious flight to Egypt, when I’d spent half the time clinging to the arms of my seat to keep from freaking out.Not least because the dragon I came to slay lay dead behind me, just as I’d hoped. Well, not just as I’d hoped. If I could do it all over again, I’d skip the part where Zahur almost got me again. And the one where a scared woman nearly collapsed Tom’s lung. I flexed my fingers and remembered the smell of the bastard’s blood, of Tom’s blood when we landed in Lebanon.“If you’re
TommasoI jolted awake with my heart in my throat as the plane wheels hit tarmac. Only slim fingers surrounding mine kept me from freaking the fuck out. Paige. Holding my hand like she always did. I rubbed sleep from my eyes with my free hand and found her smiling at me.“I was wondering if we were going to have to get one of those wheelchairs to drag you to the car,” she said.My smile felt strained as the plane taxied to a stop. “I’m not that hurt.”As if to prove me wrong, a slow burn seared across my side. Shit! Maybe I was that hurt, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from enjoying my success, my life with this beautiful woman. Just as soon as we got off this godforsaken plane.“I told her none of us could move your sorry ass,” Stan said.I shot him the bird as the plane finally stopped moving. Thank God. After a few minutes of shuffling outside, they got the stairs lined up, and I leapt to my feet.The walls spun around me, my chest ached, and I caught the back of the seat f
PaigeAfter a full night’s—and afternoon’s—sleep, I managed to get up to go check in at the shelter the next day. I’d kissed Tom before leaving, reminded him to rest, and told Miranda to stop him if he tried to get up for anything more than a bathroom break, but I didn’t really believe he’d last long. Honestly, I’d be stunned if he was in bed when I got home. Part of me understood the impulse. I’d woken this morning itching to get back to my life. But I didn’t have a pneumo-whatever-the-fuck that could kill me if I wasn’t careful.I parked in front of the shelter, shook out my shoulders, and put Tom’s inability to sit still behind me. I loved him, but I couldn’t live my whole life doting on him. Other people needed my doting.I strode up the stairs of the shelter and blew a kiss to the picture of Dad on the wall. For the first time, I understood why he’d gotten out of the mafia and why he’d gotten in in the first place. But before I could even finish putting my keys in my pocket, Laur
Tommaso“You know that I’m an adult, right?” I demanded.Miranda crossed her arms, standing between me and the freedom of the rest of the house. “Paige was very clear. You stay in the room, if you won’t stay in bed.”I scraped a hand through my hair. “I pay you, not her.”She smirked. “She told me you are both on the accounts.”I barely resisted the urge to stomp my foot like a toddler. I’d lain in bed all morning, very reasonably. I’d watched an episode of a shitty crime drama. I’d read at least three pages of a book. I had a syndicate to run, and I couldn’t very well do that from my goddamn bedroom!Or could I?I smiled sweetly. “I understand. Can you just bring me my laptop? I want to watch something I can’t get on the TV.”She eyed me suspiciously. I focused all my energy on looking angelically innocent.“Fine,” she said. “But I’m telling Paige it was your idea.”“Deal.” I closed the door between us and hobbled back to bed to catch my breath. I might not be in the best shape of my