Page 92 of Deceptive Vows
“And you can have me… but not until you’ve had some water.” She pulled away despite the reluctance in her eyes. “You lost a lot of blood.”
She left the room but not without a glance over her shoulder. When she returned with a cup of ice and a plastic spoon, I took note of the careful way she moved.
As she reached me, I caught her wrist. “You’re hurt too.”
Thea shrugged, but I didn’t miss the slight wince that accompanied the movement. Shescooped some of the ice onto the spoon, and it hovered in front of my mouth. “Nothing serious. Just some bruising.” Her eyes lifted to mine. “Unlike you, who decided to catch a bullet with your body.”
“Better me than you.” I accepted the offered bite of ice and exhaled in relief, almost like flavorless chips were a frozen treat.
Her expression softened, something vulnerable flickering in her eyes before she masked it with her usual sharp humor. “Next time, maybe we both dodge.”
I chuckled, then immediately regretted it as pain lanced through my ribs. “Agreed.”
She sat facing me, offering a few more bites of ice while silence filled the room. In this moment, I was just grateful we were both alive. That she was next to me.
The door opened, and Pasha entered, his face haggard but relieved when he saw me awake. Lucas followed close behind, his usual stoic expression firmly in place.
“Good to see you conscious.” Pasha stood at the foot of the bed. “The doctors weren’t sure when you’d wake up. You’ve been out for almost twenty hours.”
“Twenty hours?” I glanced at Thea, who nodded in confirmation.
“Blood loss, exhaustion, trauma.” She listed them like she was trying to stay detached, but her hand never let go of mine. “Your body needed rest.”
“The women?” I asked, remembering the nine we’d rescued from that hellhole.
“Safe,” Lucas answered. “Elena’s helping identify the others. Dimi has reunited four of them with their families already. The younger ones...” He hesitated, his jaw tightening. “Ari is making sure they’re getting specialized care.”
I nodded, relief mixing with lingering rage at what they’d endured. A hazy memory returned. “And Marco? Is he confirmed dead?” I was almost certain of the answer but needed it verbally confirmed.
“Very,” Thea said, a cold satisfaction in her voice. “I made sure of it.”
Lucas eyed his sister with a mixture of pride and concern. “The cleanup team recovered his body. The official story is a deal gone wrong. The police aren’t asking too many questions. They were happy enough to findthose women alive.”
With Marco eliminated, my mind immediately turned to the other half of the Moretti deception. One threat was neutralized, one still at large.
“Gabriele?” I asked, already anticipating the answer.
A shadow passed over Lucas’s face. “He’s still playing like he and Marco were on opposite sides. Lex and I are working on a plan.”
I forced myself to sit up straighter, ignoring the protest from my wounds.
“Sergei doesn’t take kindly to failure.” My eyes met Pasha’s. “Gabriele will likely have to pay restitution for any loss of income.”
“Do you think they’ll continue working with the Moretti’s?” Ari asked.
Pasha crossed his arms over his chest. “Marco allowed a woman to destroy an entire operation.” Pride shined in his eyes as he looked at Thea. “Gabriele is lucky his body hasn’t already been found.”
“We need to prepare for retaliation.” Lucas’s tone was practical. “They’ll likely blame us as well.”
“Let them,” Thea’s voice was calm, but I caught the edge beneath—a readiness that hadnothing to do with fear and everything to do with determination. “We’ll be ready.”
Pasha nodded in approval, then turned to me. “The doctors say you can be discharged tomorrow morning if your vitals remain stable.”
“I’m leaving tonight.” It wasn’t a request but a declaration.
“Nazar.” Thea’s tone held a warning.
“I’ve had enough of hospital beds,” I said firmly. “I can recover just as well at home, with proper security.”
