Page 121 of Hook

“Miss, please step back. He’s—”

“Don’t you dare step anywhere,” I murmur, grabbing her hand and holding it as hard as I can. “Do you understand, princess?” I manage to open my eyes then, squinting to see her face.

Tears steak down her cheeks as she nods her head frantically. “You are awake.”

I arch a brow. “Did you ever doubt me?”

“I need to go and get the doctor. Avoid overstimulating him, we don’t know what brain injuries he may have sustained.”

I glare at the nurse with the clipboard. “I’ll tell you who might be sustaining brain injuries in a minute.”

The nurse looks a little concerned as she scurries away to find the doctor.

“Why do you look so pale, princess?”

She swallows hard, her throat bobbing. “It’s been a tough five weeks waiting to find out—”

“Five weeks?”

She nods. “Yes, you slipped into a coma from blood loss before we made it to the hospital.”

I try to sit up, but my body is weak. She places a hand on my chest, pushing me back gently. “Please, Cillian, you need to rest.”

“I’m fine,” I say through gritted teeth as pain shoots through my body. “What about The Rogues?”

Gwendolyne gives me a soft smile. “Don’t worry. Everything is okay with your men. They banded together after what happened. My dad helped too.”

“You dad?” I can’t believe Jovani changed his mind and helped out the opposing outfit in the city.

“Yes, we announced our wedding and the joining of our two families.” She bites the inside of her cheek. “I hope that’s okay. It’s the only way we could have helped bridge the gap while you were…” Her lip wobbles as if she can’t bring herself to say another word.

I grab her hand and squeeze. “It’s fine. Thank you.” When I made the deal with Piero, I never considered what it meant for The Rogues and The Tesoro Mafia. It has to work out since I’m now married to the sole heir of the Tesoro family.

“And Piero?” I question, wondering if that bastard decided to go back on his word.

She shakes her head. “We’ve not heard a word from him. Your men had orchestrated your plan and I think he’s trying to pick up the pieces.”

“I don’t expect him to adhere to the agreement. He will hate his plan being foiled, so we have to be careful. And he’ll be pissed at the damage I did to his reputation.”

“We have taken extra steps to fortify our security. Having The Rogues and the Tesoro Mafia working side by side has made us far stronger.” Her lips purse together. “Maybe the danger he put Tilly in has made him reconsider his actions.”

I think my angel is too gullible. Piero cares for Tilly, that I’m sure of, but I’m not sure it’s enough for him to put aside his thirst for power and money.

A doctor enters the room and clears his throat. “It’s good to see you awake, Mr. Hook.”

I try to sit up, but he shakes his head. “Please don’t move. How are you feeling?”

“Oh, I’m feeling great,” I infuse my tone with sarcasm, as it’s a stupid question. I just woke from a fucking coma.

“Any amnesia?” he asks, as he shines a light into my eyes.

I glare at him. “No, other than being in a shit ton of pain. I feel my normal self.”

“We’ll increase your pain meds. Where are you feeling the pain?”

I take a moment to consider the question, feeling the aches and pains everywhere. “Everywhere, doc. It feels like I got hit by a truck.”

He nods, scribbling something on his notepad. “That’s to be expected. Your injury was severe and the loss of blood would have taken it out of you. But I’m happy to report that your vital signs are stable and initially I don’t notice any signs of brain damage.” His jaw works. “We will do a routine MRI scan to confirm, most likely this afternoon.”

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