Page 93 of Heir of Darkness

She sighed, sitting up. “It means that not a single person knows you’ve been in the hospital. Not even your father.”

“Why would it matter if he knew or not?” Valerio asked. “What do you know, my little moon?”

Luna stood, walking to the end of the bed. “Can you feel your feet, wiggle your toes?”

Valerio did just that. They felt sore, but he felt every little movement. “Yes, why?”

She ignored him, grabbing her phone out of her pocket and typing something out before she put it back in her pocket. “I swear I will answer all of your questions once we get you home.”

The door opened again, and this time it was Dante and Allister pushing their way into the room. Luna took her spot beside him once again, grabbing his hand.

“Good to see you again, brother,” Dante muttered, pulling him in a small hug. Allister did the same, and it was clear there was balance brought back to the group with all of them reunited once again.

But it was also clear that they were keeping something from Valerio, and it was driving him insane to be kept out of the loop. He wasn’t ever kept out of the loop. Usually, he was the one who was doing the planning and scheming of everything.

“Everything is ready for us to go,” Allister told Luna. “I have the discharge paperwork, and all of the hospital staff have signed NDAs. A nurse will come in here to get him unwrapped and the doctor is waiting at home.”

Luna nodded. She opened her mouth to say something, but a nurse coming in with gauze and other equipment had her shutting up. Valerio took it as his cue to also not ask any questions until they were alone. He picked up on the stiffness in the room. Something had definitely changed, and he wasn’t just talking about the dynamic in the three people he trusted more than anything in the world.

The nurse moved quickly, taking out the IV and making sure the wound on his back was properly wrapped. Sitting up caused another sharp stab of pain to travel throughout his back, forcing out a groan.

Luna squeezed his hand tightly and it gave him comfort. Being around her always did.

The nurse left without a word, not looking at anyone as she left. Probably smart not to remember any of their faces.

“Do I get any answers now?” Valerio asked, throwing the blanket off himself. Luna helped him sit up, pulling his legs so they hung over the edge of the bed.

“It’s just safer if we get you home first,” Dante told him. “You were shot, remember?”

“Of course I remember, dumbass, but you guys aren’t telling me something,” he said. He slid the hospital gown off his shoulders, lifting his arms so that Luna could help him slide a T-shirt on.

When he let out a particularly painful groan, she stopped completely. “Maybe we should just leave him at the hospital to heal? We’ll secure it and have guards standing at every entrance.”

“We can’t. He’s already been here far longer than he should have been,” Allister said, rolling a wheelchair over by the bed.

Luna’s face was drawn into a look of worry and frustration. Valerio grabbed her hands, placing tender kisses on the backs of them. “Do you think it’s dangerous for me to stay here?” he asked.

She slowly nodded her head. “I know it is.”

“Then let’s get me home and you can be my personal nurse in the comfort of our bedroom,” he said, giving her a small smile. “I can push through a little bit of pain.”

That seemed to give her the confidence she needed. It also raised every single alarm in his body. How much did Luna know that now she was able to weigh in on these types of matters?

With Allister’s and Dante’s help, they were able to get him standing. Luna helped slide the sweatpants up his legs.

Walking to the wheelchair was hell. His legs were like lead, heavy and unwilling to move after being stuck in bed for the past week. Sitting back down was even worse, putting more pressure on his back than was necessary. His body heated up from the pain.

“We have pain meds at home,” Luna said quickly. “As soon as we’re there we’ll get another IV started.”

“I’ll be okay,” he groaned, taking deep breaths. He had a higher pain tolerance than most, which meant he could handle being beat and bruised with no problem. But this was worse than anything he had experienced before.

The worry on her face was enough for him to pretend that he wasn’t in pain. He hated seeing her so concerned and distraught. He could only imagine the hell she had been in the past week, so if he could ease her mind now, he would do so.

After checking the room to make sure nothing else was left behind, they forced him into a pair of sunglasses and a hat that managed to cover his face enough.

“Now no one will know who I am,” he said sarcastically. “Great distraction.”

“It’s just a precaution. This wing of the hospital should be empty by now, so we’ll be able to get into the utility elevators without being seen,” Allister told him. “Camera feed has been cut as well, and all documents have been seized. Your stay here no longer exists.”

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