Page 194 of Stolen Voices
“Doesn’t feel good to receive them either.” Cam rubs his chin.
“Got experience in that department?” I ask.
“You could say that.” He grins mischievously at me and wraps his arm around my shoulders. “I’ll show you a video on our way to the hospital.”
“Where you will get your hand X-rayed,” Jace adds.
“Eli is going to kill us,” Mason grumbles.
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you from Eli’s wrath, but I can’t guarantee he won’t lord this over you and ask for a hundred favors.”
They all burst out laughing in full agreement.
“I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your help. For having my back.”
“And we always will,” Mason states.
“You’re a Miller now,” Jace adds.
“And you’re stuck with us. Fair warning: we are loud, nosy, and will probably hear you and Eli doing something inappropriate at some point,” Cameron says.
“Um...” I can’t stop myself from glancing over at Mason, whose ears turn pink.
“Oh shit. It’s already happened. Please don’t be a prude and tell me all the dirty details so I can annoy Eli endlessly,” Cameron pleads.
We get on the elevator, laughing, and because I owe him for the help, I spill some tea and—in Cameron’s words—seal the deal as another one of his little sisters.
Even after the intensity of what just went down with Silla, I feel lighthearted. While it should have been shocking to hear her confess to all the horrible things she’s done to me and my family, I already knew the truth. I knew it when I saw the picture of the man who killed my dad.
All I want now is to put it all behind me and start the next phase of my life—with Eli and his crazy, wonderful family.
forty-three
Eli
DarknesssurroundsmeasI swim towards Callie’s somber voice. “I love you.”
Why is she crying?
The glow of her blonde hair catches my eye as I tread through the murky waters. Pushing harder, I reach for her, but she slips out of reach. I shout her name as the water pulls me under, and I slip into the depths of sleep once again.
My throat feels tight and dry, like I’m breathing fire, as the whir of machines pulls me from sleep.
Callie?
My eyes bounce around the room, looking for my girl.
The beep of the machine near my head matches my accelerating heart rate as panic grips me and the pressure in my throat increases. I reach for my mouth, searching for the reason I feel like gagging.
My dad’s head appears above me. “Eli, please calm down, son. It’s the breathing tube.” He lays a hand on my wrist to prevent me from pulling the plastic tubing out of my mouth. “Let the nurse remove it so you don’t get hurt.” I push his hand away, but he grips my wrist. “The nurse will sedate you if she thinks you’re panicking. I know you don’t want that, so calm your ass down.”
Nodding, I try to do what he said and relax, taking slow breaths.
“That’s good, E. Just breathe. Thank fuck you’re okay. You scared the shit out of us.”
“Cah-hee,” I mumble around the tube. I need to know where Callie’s at and if she’s okay. She should be here. Did something happen to her?
Hudson steps behind my dad. “Callie’s fine.”
