Page 9 of Inside the Maelstrom: Part Two
Aviva walked over to Sampson, and he watched her warily. She looked up at him, her eyes wide and shiny.
“How are you doing, Good Girl?”
I nearly missed her sucker-punching him in the gut. “How could you be so fucking stupid, Sampson Rubio? How could you not call me the moment they picked you up from the airport and charged you with my goddamn abduction? Are you insane?”
“Obviously,” he grunted, his body curled over.
“If Tobias hadn’t reached out, would you even have called? Either of you?”
I dropped my eyes, heat flooding my cheeks. I would have, I knew, but probably not until shit got dire. I wanted to keep her out of this insanity. We all did. But I wasn’t mad that she was back now either.
She grabbed Sampson’s chin and kissed him, hard. It was a punishing kiss filled with anger and sadness, and as their bodies curled together, their connection was undeniable. It was like watching light and darkness smashing together.
I looked over my shoulder at Evan, and his face was oddly serene. Surely, he couldn’t be okay with this? Could he?
Tobias Lecter raised his eyebrows. “Okay, I get it now. I stand corrected, Miss Robinson.”
I watched her mouth curl into a smile, even as she kissed Sampson, until she finally pulled away. “Stop being an idiot, Sampson. Tell me this doesn’t feel right.”
I held my breath as Sampson straightened, his gaze going from Evan to Aviva, and back again. His hand rested on her spine, and he didn’t move it as he said, “Hendrick is asleep in the guest room. He’s had a rough couple of days. I think he’d like a visit from a dream.”
Aviva smiled at him, then kissed his cheek. “I’m not that easily distracted, but I’ll give you a reprieve for now.” They stared at each other for a long moment.
Just then, Hendrick stumbled in the room. He looked sad, but the second his eyes fell on Aviva, they went comically wide. The expression on his face made my heart feel full.
“Viva?”
Sampson straightened. “For fuck’s sake, Drix. You’re worse than Otto. She’s only been gone for a week.”
Hendrick gave Aviva a sad smile. “But I thought it would be forever.”
Aviva’s face crumpled, and suddenly she was running toward him, throwing herself into his arms. He just held her at first, holding her so tightly I wasn’t sure she could breathe. I could see him whispering apologies against her cheeks as he kissed every inch of her face.
Aside from being sad, his meds had evened him out, like I knew they would. But there was no reasoning with the darkness that lurked in his brain, waiting for the right moment to pounce.
I walked toward Evan, and as I got closer, I patted his back. “It’s good to see you too, Evan.”
He gave me a half-smile. “As long as you don’t try and French kiss me, Otto, it’s good to see you as well.”
I laughed. “Damn, there goes my next move.” I went back to watching Aviva, because now that she was back in my sight, it was hard to look away. “How has she been?”
Evan shrugged. “Sad. Stubborn. Determined.”
“And Nemo?”
He shook his head. “Still lost.” Frowning, he looked around the room, at the boxes and suitcases stacked everywhere. “What the hell is happening?”
I slapped him on the back again. “I’m glad you’re home, Evan. That’s all I can say.”
I walked toward my lovers, so I could have the two people I loved the most in all the world back in my arms again.
Chapter6
Hendrick
I’d never been so conflicted in my entire life. Everything had always been reasonably simple to me—well, as simple as it could be, considering my bipolar. Historically speaking, things were either good or bad. I was either all up in my head and fighting the demons every day, or drowning in the darkness.
But suddenly seeing Aviva in Sampson’s hotel room was like getting sliced in two. I was overwhelmingly happy to see her, but also fucking petrified she was here. There was a reason I hadn’t called her when everything had gone to shit; I wanted her as far from US soil as possible.
