Page 103 of Vengeful King

We arrange the details—when we’ll meet, when we can talk about the situation. This isn’t the place to discuss something so delicate, so after a few more minutes of discussion, Ezra leaves.

I’m left with my brothers, hoping the favor Ezra wants isn’t too big. The meeting is done, though, and we’re all still alive. My mind is already turning back home.

I know my brothers notice. I can see Aiden smiling a little, almost amused, like he can read my mind. But it’s Connor that finally says something, grinning.

“Go back to your woman, Lachlan.”

“I’m sure she’s missing you,” Finn adds, his voice full of innuendo.

I just grin back at them and say, “I plan to.”

CHAPTER37

Katrina

I don’t enjoy going to the doctor. I’ve spent too much time in hospitals, too much time waiting to mourn. But I’m torn between those memories and the fear that if I don’t go, I’ll miss something until it’s too late.

So as much as I hate it, I make an appointment and keep it.

Plus, this time, I have Lachlan.

He’s a rock to me, solid and reassuring. I’m more nervous than I thought I would be; I can barely concentrate on anything but my mounting fears.

When I first thought that my cancer might be recurring, I was in such a rough place that I didn’t care if I lived or died. I went after Yuri on a spur of the moment, convinced that it didn’t matter what happened in the end. I couldn’t see a reason to be hopeful, or for things to go right.

Now, I have so much to live for.

I can tell Lachlan is anxious the entire drive. He’s stoic, but there’s a hardness in his eyes. He hovers close to me when we get to the office, shadowing me protectively when I’m ushered into different rooms. By the time I finally meet the doctor, I feel like Lachlan is ready to snap the man’s neck if he needs to.

And somehow, just like always, it makes me feel better.

“We’re going to run a few tests.”

I nod, biting my lip. “Okay.”

Dr. Ames smiles at me, and despite myself, I find it easy to talk to him. He’s not like the other doctors I’ve had. There’s no grim warning in his face, no weary expression that says he’s seen people die today. He just rolls his chair closer and starts to talk.

I don’t pay too much attention through the tests, the samples, everything else. I just focus on getting through it. By the time Dr. Ames steps away, I feel a little more prepared.

But I’m still scared. Nothing can stop that; nothing can stop me from being afraid of having to leave Lachlan.

He knows I’m worried. I can tell when he steps into my space after Dr. Ames leaves, crowding close to me, reassuring. He holds my face in his hands and looks down at me with intensity and honesty.

“No matter what, I’ll fight for you. I’ll take care of you.”

I believe him. I trust him, and I know that he won’t leave no matter what happens right now. I know all of this so deeply that it makes everything else unimportant for a few minutes. The tests, the results—all of it fades away. All I know is that Lachlan loves me, and he’ll fight for me to the ends of the earth.

I kiss him without hesitating. He kisses me back, firm, and it feels like a promise. He’s not going to back down from this fight.

It takes a while for the doctor to return. I find myself doing the same things I used to do—trying to analyze Dr. Ames’ face, his movements, the way he prepares himself before he talks to me.Is it bad news? Good? Or more tests?

When he finally sits, I almost want to shake the man and demand an answer immediately. I can’t stand waiting.

“Well, we have good news,” he says.

I don’t jump out of my seat just yet.Does ‘well’ mean that there’s bad news, too?I can’t stop my head from spinning. I try to empty my mind, reminding myself to just let him tell me.

“There’s no recurrence of cancer,” Dr. Ames finally says. “No sign of it from what we can see. You do have a stomach ulcer that probably caused the blood; those can happen because of stress.”

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