Page 149 of Dirty Grovel

I grip her hand tightly. “I hate seeing you like this… but… you do need to get help, Syd.”

Sydney sighs, her eyes skating across the groomed lawn. “It really is peaceful here. I didn’t expect it to be so nice. Whenyou hear ‘psychiatric institute,’ you think more, like,Girl Interruptedtype accommodation.”

She’s right about that. No one had been more pleasantly surprised than I was when Artem pulled up in front of Alice Matlin.

The white building is nestled amongst lush gardens and winding walking paths that lead to serene ponds dotted around the grounds. Ducks come and go as they please.

“How long do you have to stay?”

“A minimum of three months, according to Oleg.”

My head twists in Sydney’s direction. “You mean you talked to him?”

“He was the one that picked me up from the station and brought me here,” she says with a confused shrug. “He filled out all the paperwork, spoke to the nurses, and showed me to my room. He got me a suite, too. I’ve got a kitchenette, a small living room, and a little patio that opens into one of the smaller gardens.”

My stomach twists with unease. “Oh…”

Sydney arches an eyebrow at me. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“I have to see a therapist every day,” she divulges, her nose scrunching up. “And I have group therapy twice a week. I’ve got to admit, the therapy isn’t very comfortable. But the rest of this experience has been.”

I swallow the bitter regret that’s starting to become more and more prominent. “That’s good to hear.”

Sydney grabs my arm and squeezes. “I didn’t get a chance to thank Oleg properly for everything he’s done for me. You will let him know how much I appreciate his help, right, Sut?”

“Of course,” I murmur.

“I never thought I’d say this about any rich, powerful mafia man but… he’s a good one.”

“Yes,” I say. “He is.”

“You’re lucky, Sutton. Somehow, against all odds, you found the unicorn. You might have even broken the Palmer women curse.”

I don’t bother disagreeing with her. She doesn’t need to be concerned for me right now, not when she’s fighting for her mental health.

“Ah, there’s Nurse Tawny. She’s been personally assigned to me.”

“Is she nice?” I ask, glancing over my shoulder at the large, curly-haired woman.

“She’s nice,” Sydney agrees. “She can be scary, too. But last night, I woke up from a nightmare and she was right there to hold me through the worst of it.”

I can’t help but cringe. “That should be my job.”

Sydney shakes her head adamantly. “Your only job is to keep this baby safe,” she says, placing her hand on my belly. “The rest, you should leave up to your man.”

My man.

The same man I’ve been ignoring for the last three days.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” Nurse Tawny interrupts with a polite smile. “But I must take Sydney back to her room. She should rest before her evening therapy session.”

“Of course.” I rise to my feet. “Thank you.” I turn to my sister, gripping her by the shoulders. “I know you find therapy hard, but I think if you give it a real shot, it has a chance of working.”

Sydney shrugs. “Well, I’ve got nothing else to do here.” She winks. “I’m going to miss you, Sutton.”

“Don’t talk as though we’ll never see each other,” I insist. “I’ll come and visit soon.”

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