Page 36 of The Library on Plum Island
“What’s happening?” Daniella asked, her eyes narrowing as she glanced around the room.
“Dawn was just telling everyone that I’m recovering,” Alex did that, skirting around the truth thing Dawn just accused him of.
“Well, I’ll be the judge of that,” Daniella said with a smile, sitting beside Alex.
In more ways than you realize! Guilt surged through Alex. “I do feel a lot better.”
“If you sit still for a few minutes, I can examine you.” Daniella fiddled with her tablet before looking up and making his pulse quicken when she took his splinted hand. “How is the pain?”
“My hand no longer feels like a balloon that’s on fire and about to burst. It’s more of a bearable ache now,” Alex answered honestly.
“That’s good,” Daniella told him. “It means it’s healing. Take ibuprofen for the pain if it gets too much.”
“It’s fine,” Alex shrugged. “But I’ll take it if I need to.”That’s good, right? Show some vulnerability!
Alex watched as Daniella pulled a temperature scanner from her bag and aimed it at Alex.
“I’m happy that your temperature is back within normal limits,” Daniella told him, slipping the device back into the bag and jotting down the results on her tablet. “I’m going to examine your hand.”
Alex watched Daniella work with his heart in his throat and using all his will to stop himself from reaching out and pulling her into his arms.
You are in deep here, Alex!He warned himself.
“You mentioned that Emily was safe with Harriet because of her invisible bodyguards,” Daniella said as she unraveled the bandage around Alex’s hand.
“Yeah, I think her parents must’ve commissioned them after the incident with Jennifer and Harley.” Alex frowned, trying to remember where he’d heard that.
Daniella’s eyes widened, and she turned to Sam, who was just finishing a phone call. “Did you know about this?” Her uncle usually knew when there were any new security teams on the island.
Sam nodded. “Yes, I did. Ethan discussed it with me after Harriet’s and Dawn’s family contacted him when they heard about Harley and Jennifer’s ordeal.”
“Excuse me?” Dawn blanched and turned a scathing look at Ethan. “My parents contacted you about my safety, and you didn’t think to mention this to me?”
“They asked me not to,” Ethan told her honestly. “They said you’d react this way.”
“What way?” Dawn’s shoulders stiffened.
Alex braced himself for the Dawnadoe that was brewing and about to blow Ethan’s way. He’d have thought his brother would know better by now not to anger Dawn. She may be tiny, but when she blew, she was like a F5 tornado. Alex had numerous scars from their many fights when they were growing up.
“That you’d reject them wanting you to have around-the-clock bodyguards,” Ethan told her. “They just wanted you protected after what happened to Jennifer.” He held up a hand, stopping her tirade that was about to break loose as he continued. “But I told them you were fine. My security team was here, so they left it.”
“Then Carly, Shay, and myself were kidnapped and nearly became kebabs on a chair,” Alex said, giving his brother a smug smile when Ethan glared at him. “So they contacted my brother again and were adamant that he get tighter security.”
“You knew about this and failed to tell me?” Dawn’s glare turned on Alex.
Uh-oh! This must be one of the ‘I should’ve thought before I spoke’ times,Alex noted. “Hey!” He held up his good hand. “I only knew about this…” he frowned. “How did I know about this?”
“I told you he was awake!” Ethan turned to Harley, who’d been standing aside with Sam, listening to Sam’s call.
“He seemed really out of it to me when he came around while we were discussing Dawn and Harriet’s security detail,” Harley answered Ethan with a shrug. “I didn’t think he’d remember it.” He grinned. “He was slurring a whole lot of nonsense.”
“Hey, I’m right here!” Alex stated frustratedly.
“Even in a delirious state, people can remember events or conversations that are happening around them,” Daniella informed him.
“That photographic memory of yours probably snapshotted it all,” Dawn pointed out.
“Oh!” Daniella looked at him wide-eyed. “You have an eidetic memory?”
