Page 86 of Heartless
I fucking might as well have, I realized with despair. How could I not have seen this happening? Jandro had gotten dozens of black eyes and split lips from trying to subdue Shadow during his nightmares. We all should have known Mari wouldn’t have been able to tame him completely. He was too much of a loose cannon, but Mari seemed to be doing so well with him that we got careless.
Now he hurt what was most precious to me. And I fucking let it happen.
“You’re right about one thing, Dr. Brooks,” I said, turning back to face him. He was still there, arms crossed and eyebrows raised at my concession. “I didn’t lay a hand on her, but I also didn’t protect her from the man that did this. And for that, I’m a shitty husband.”
Dr. Brooks dipped his chin in a small nod of acknowledgment, the wrinkles smoothing out in his forehead.
“But I can promise you one thing, doctor.” My hand drifted down to skim my fingertips along Hades’ back. “I’m never allowing this to happen again.”
Twenty-Five
MARIPOSA
Ow.
Oh fuckingow. Everything hurt. And I was so thirsty.
My eyelids weighed down like bricks as I tried to force them open. The first peek of light hurt too, sending a stabbing pain that ricocheted through my whole skull.
“Ah, Sleeping Beauty’s waking up.” Rhonda’s voice was like a hug to my ears. “Take it easy, sweetheart. I know it hurts, I’m giving you a little something.”
“Uh, wha…” I could barely get a whisper out, my throat was so dry.
“I got it for you, hon. Give me a sec.”
I tried to look down at my hand, but the movement was stopped by something hard underneath my chin. Attempting to look to either side was also stopped. My sore fingertips flew up to my neck, touching the stiff piece of plastic holding me still. A dull ache ran from my fingertips down my arm, and I raised my hands to find bruised fingers and broken, jagged nails. A jolting reminder of what happened.
“How…” My whispery voice shook, as did my hands. “How did I…?”
“Survive? By a miracle. Drink up, sweetheart. I know you’re parched.”
Rhonda held the glass out in front of me, which thankfully had a straw. The sweet ache of cool water running down my throat awoke new pains, memories of being unable to breathe and feeling certain I would die.
Rhonda watched me shrewdly as I drank, her eyes like a hawk’s. “I know you’re in shock and in pain, but is there anything I need to know, Mariposa?”
“I..I…”can’t believe Shadow wouldn’t recognize me, that he wouldn’t stop.
His face hovered with startling clarity in my mind, the mismatched eyes so full of hatred they were unrecognizable. Fresh pain sliced through my chest at the memories from earlier in the evening, when he made me feel so good, contrasted with when he hurt me so badly.
“Here’s an easier question.” Rhonda gripped the foot of my bed. “Do your injuries have anything to do with the biker president that won’t leave the waiting room?”
Reaper! Reaper was here, which meant he had managed to get me out.
“No.” I tried to clear my throat, wincing at how much it hurt to talk. “No, h-he didn’t do this.”
Rhonda nodded, accepting that answer. “He’s been wanting to see you. Are you up for visitors?”
I tried to pull my head down in a nod, before remembering the neck brace holding me immobile. “Y-yes. You can let him in.”
“Ten minutes, max,” she told me sternly as she turned to leave. “You need to rest.”
The moment I saw Reaper, all my frozen shock melted away. Fat tears rolled down my cheeks as he entered my room. By the time he reached my bedside and put his arms around me, I was full-on sobbing.
“Mari,” he choked, his breaths ragged and green eyes filled with unspilled tears. “Fuck, baby, I—”
“You saved me,” I rasped, cupping his face. “Thank all the gods you were there.”
“I almost wasn’t.” He pressed his hand over mine, blinking and making a single tear track down his cheek. “If I had been even a minute late, he could’ve—”
