“Then take more,” Hayden says, even though he looks one second away from passing out.
“You need a break.”
“I don’t need a fucking break,” he counters and shoots to his feet, wobbling.
“My point exactly.”
She storms away. I tell him, “You have some explaining to do.”
“I don’t have to explain shit to either of you, brother.”
I jerk my head to Hayden who stares arrogantly back at me.
“I am not your fucking brother,” I spat back through my clenched jaw.
“If your father is not your biological father, then you’re right, we aren’t.”
I study him, and if I weren’t this physically and mentally exhausted, I would have launched myself at him.
“Why didn’t you say that sooner?” Cato approaches and stares him down.
“All I wanted was for my sister to be fine.”
“You know you have another one?” I ask just to see his reaction.
“Yes, and you and your mother love Leonie enough for me to not intervene.”
Through gritted teeth, I snarl, “My wife is not your concern either. She wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.”
“No, she wouldn’t be here if she wasn’t born into our world.”
“This talk is not over,” I say turning back to her small frame. Some color returns to her cheeks and I clasp her hands in mine, kissing them.
Cameron slips through the curtains and he squeezes my shoulder. “Aurora will pull through this. She’s strong.”
Yes, she is. Strong, good, and loving. I’ve been a complete idiot. My accusation will haunt me from now on. I’ll never doubt her again. I will give her everything she wants, even if that means she wants me out of her life.
Alessandra steps inside and checks on her.
“Her pulse is stable.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s my job—or it was.” Her eyes burn with accusation as she looks outside and finds Hayden. “I guess even monsters have hearts.” She shakes herself off and says, “She should rest for a while.”
“She will.”
Alessandra rolls her eyes at me and says, “And take her to a proper hospital too.”
“Can she fly?”
“Not for a few days.”
Chiara stumbles inside and covers her mouth as she takes my wife’s battered body in.
“I’m so sorry, Aurora.”
I grit my teeth. “Take her from my sight. Now.”