Page 45 of Under His Watch

The doctor nodded, but the nurse rolled her eyes as she draped her stethoscope around her neck.

After they walked out, Franco entered. “Ready to go?” He grinned, looking from me to my father. “I’m guessing from the way the doc and nurse were smirking that you told them you wanted the express ticket outta here.”

“Correct,” I said as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. Wincing and testing my range of motion, I sat up and stretched the best I could. Perhaps leaving wasn’t what the doctor preferred, but it wasn’t like I was a usual patient. I had security issues to deal with. A woman to check out.

Tess had to have been so scared, seeing me kill a man. I hoped she hadn’t been within view of my shooting up and torturing that second man. While she was aware that I was a killer, I didn’t want to demonstrate it in real time.

“She compressed your wounds as soon as you passed out on her,” Franco said when I asked what happened to bring me to the hospital. My father assisted me in getting dressed and clearing out the room, and I was humbled with how weak and fragile the human body could be when it was pushed too far and shot.

“I happened to call you, and she answered, telling me that you needed help.”

Good girl, Tess. Good girl.But I already knew she was made of stronger stuff. She wasn’t a woman prone to hysterics and freaking out without acting on a threat.

“We brought you here, and she stayed the whole time, no matter how much any of us tried to talk her into going and cleaning up.”

I frowned, glancing at the window. “How long have I been here?”

“Hmm, last night and into the morning,” Franco said. “They sewed you up last night but let your body rest.”

Hazy memories were there. I recalled coming awake after the surgery, but nothing past it.

“Here you go,” the nurse said as she returned. Her tone was flippant and sassy as she handed my discharge papers to my father.

He didn’t bat a lid at her attitude. He simply took the papers and tucked them into the inner pocket of his jacket.

Danicia would make sure I followed the instructions to the final detail.

“A little through and through won’t keep a Constella down, huh?” Franco joked as he held the door open for me.

“Not at all,” I replied as I exited the room.

We came to a stop as I spotted Tessa. Just seeing her blonde head and her slim body soothed an anxious part of my soul. She’d become such an important feature in my life. Knowing she was near calmed me.

But she wasn’t feeling the same. Facing off with an older woman, she set her hands on her hips and shouted back.

I didn’t know what the hell they were arguing about in the hallway of a hospital, but I strode toward her, more than ready to stand up for her in whatever this situation was.

18

TESSA

“I’ve never been more disappointed in you!” my mother shouted.

She was usually a quiet woman, preferring to not make waves in order to do the least amount of work possible. Her existence was one of complaints and misery as she wished for a different life of luxury that she’d never obtain on her low income.

“Running off like that! How dare you?”

“Oh.” I huffed and crossed my arms. “I imagine it’s been torture.”

She fumed, baring her teeth at the audacity I had to sass back. “It has, you ungrateful, spoiled, selfish, and good-for-nothing little bit?—”

“Excuse me?” Romeo strode forward, cutting between us. His bandaged arm was still supported in a sling, wrapped with numerous bandages.

I smiled at him, so glad that he was awake and moving so well. The doctors had told us that he’d recover well, that the through-and-through wound bled a lot but missed main blood vessels and bones. His muscles would need support to rebuild, but his prognosis was very optimistic.

I intended to help him through it every step of the way. I’d never be able to repay him for all I’d done, but I wanted to try.

Gazing at him with lovestruck eyes, I sighed and took in how strong and healthy he looked after being shot and bleeding out like that. After the fear of losing him, I was overjoyed to see him hale and hearty.

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