Page 94 of Heir of Darkness

Luna pushed him out of the room, moving quickly so they weren’t seen. Luckily, they were right. The floor seemed deserted as well as the elevator.

But once they got to the ground floor, everyone seemed to be on high alert all over again. They traveled through the hospital staff-only halls, following Allister out to one of the back entrances.

To his surprise, Finn was out back waiting for them with a cigarette hanging from his lips.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Valerio asked, his eyes narrowed in confusion. He was out for six days. What happened in that time that Finn was suddenly his personal chauffeur?

“Glad to see that you’re alive and well,” Finn said, his voice full of sarcasm. He threw the cigarette on the ground, opening the car door for them. “Get in.”

Luna and Dante helped him up, trying to get him into the car with the least amount of damage they could manage. Only once he was situated were they driving home. Valerio barked out curse words whenever Finn hit every single pothole that existed.

“They should really invest in fixing these roads.” Finn smirked.

Luna slapped his shoulder. “Knock it off.”

Valerio didn’t want to admit it, but it was satisfying to see her sticking up for him.

When they pulled up to the house, he was shocked to see how much of it was a ghost town. The usual guards were gone; no one stood by the gates to let them in. What the hell happened?

Allister opened the fence for them through his phone.

They drove up the paved pathway, parking in front of the entrance to the house. Instead of any of his usual house staff greeting him like they usually would, Augustus came out with a machine gun strapped to his back, looking like someone who was going to war.

“What the hell are you wearing?” Allister asked.

“Just staying protected,” he answered, a cocky smile on his face. “I got my girl in there; I’m not risking shit.”

When they managed to get Valerio out of the car and into the house, they came across another hurdle.

“How did we not remember there were fucking stairs in this house?” Dante asked, throwing his arms up.

“I can set up a spot on the couch for you?” Luna asked Valerio.

“No, I want our bed,” he told them. “Just help me up. I’ll manage.”

“That’s a lot of steps.”

“I can carry you up,” Dante suggested.

“I can fucking kill you,” he rebutted.

She and Dante helped him out of the wheelchair, supporting both sides of him while they slowly walked up the stairs. With every step, he could feel his back stretching and pulling uncomfortably. The medicine had to be completely out of his system because it did nothing to ease the pain. Instead, everything felt intensified. From his toes to his head, he felt like his body was on fire. By the time they reached the top, Valerio thought he was going to pass out from the dangerously intense pressure in his back.

Allister brought the wheelchair up with him, letting Valerio throw himself onto it. He gasped for air, desperately trying to soothe the pain away but there was no use. The only thing that brought some relief was seeing the doctor waiting in their bedroom.

“Give me a fucking IV,” he growled, forcing the doctor into action. That seemed to have done it because soon the needle was going through his vein, sending the morphine into his body and soothing the pain immediately.

He finally laid on the bed, breathing in deeply. They talked about some pills for him to take for additional pain relief and to help avoid infection, but he didn’t listen to any of it. He could care less. He wanted everyone out of his room and Luna in the bed right beside him.

Luna kicked everyone out, finally giving him the peace he craved. “Thank you,” he said, opening his eyes. The bed dipped beside him when Luna curled up at his side.

“Anything you need, just let me know,” she told him, pressing a kiss to his jaw.

“I want to know what you’re all keeping secret from me,” Valerio said, but his voice was far too groggy. “What happened while I was out?”

She took a deep breath, running her fingers through his hair. It only lulled him further into peace, forcing his eyes closed oncemore. Her entire presence always did that. The softness in her voice, her gentle touch, her smell, just her. It made him feel like going to sleep again was okay.

“While you were out, we decided on a couple of things. We’re tired of the violence, of the uncertainty and the control our parents hold in our lives,” Luna said. “I don’t know if you’ll agree with this or not, but we’re taking down my father and yours.”

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