floor. An obviously irritated doctor scowled at him.
“Get me out of this curtained tent and put me in a real goddamn room before I find some other
hospital to support. And someone contact Dr. Sheffield and get her here. Now!”
A nurse produced a wheelchair, but looked none too happy at assisting Lucian. Evelyn gripped the
hand that didn’t seem to be bothering him as they raced down the long hall and entered an elevator.
They rode in silence, Lucian appearing to have depleted his strength, but he never let go of her hand.
They traveled down one long corridor after another until they finally entered a room. It was nothing
like she expected. The walls were creamy butter yellow and paneled in dark cherrywood. The bed was
made in soft linens and the windows were draped with thick valances. A couch sat along one wall and
a large sink adorned the other. Aside from the railing on the bed, it looked more like a hotel room than a hospital room.
The nurse grumbled a few words about the doctor and helped Lucian get settled. Evelyn once again
felt pushed away, so she went the couch and waited for the doctors to tell her he would be okay. She
needed someone to confirm that he would be okay. By the time the nurse shut the door, his eyes were
closed.
She backed up to the couch and lowered her weight.
Pearl’s dead.
“Hey.” He sounded like he swallowed a handful of gravel. His eyes were mere slits.
She needed to be strong. “Hey.”
“I’m so sorry about your mother.”
Her vision blurred and she nodded. “I always knew I’d find her that way.”
“I’m still sorry. I wanted to help her. I wanted to save her for you and I couldn’t.”
For some reason it was easier to talk about Pearl than the fact that he was lying in a hospital bed.
“No one could. She was her own worst enemy.”
Silent moments passed. He drifted off as she wept. Her fingers were filthy and bloody.
“Why are you all the way over there?”
Startled by his voice, she sniffled. “What?”
“Come over here.”
“You’re hurt,” she protested.
“I’m fine. Come here.”
Slowly Evelyn stood and moved beside the bed. He sighed and grabbed her wrist. “Here. Come
here. Lay with me.”
“I can’t. I’ll hurt you—”
“Will you knock it off?” He tugged her and she climbed onto the bed, curling into his side, careful
not to put any weight on him. He hugged her close. “It’ll be okay, Evelyn. I’ll be out of here soon and we’ll work everything out.”
She nodded and pressed her face into his shoulder. “I was so scared when you didn’t wake up. If
anything bad happened to you I don’t think I’d ever be able to forgive her. All the things she’s ever
done to me, put me through . . . watching you fall through that floor trying to get to her—” Her words
cut off with a sob. “It’s her fault you got hurt.”
“Shh. I’ll be fine.” He rubbed her arm, soothing swirls of fingers leaving goose bumps in their
wake, and after several minutes he asked. “Did Parker get out okay?”
“What? Parker’s fine.”
“I didn’t know if I got there in time. I saw him going down and I just reacted. I couldn’t watch you
lose your mother and friend all in one day.”
The entire event rolled through her head, unfolding moments she’d been too upset to see before.
“You saved him.”
“I couldn’t let him fall.”
“Oh, God, Lucian.” She was grateful he didn’t let Parker get hurt, but angry he did so at the cost of
his own safety. She needed to tell him. “Parker’s the one who’s stealing that company from you.”
“I know. I put it together when I got Dugan’s messages saying you made him drive you there. I
heard what you told him. When will you stop trying to protect me and let me do the protecting?”
She swallowed. “I was so angry with him, but then, today, after . . . after they took you . . . he forced me to get up. Made me keep moving. He told me you needed me. I was so scared, but he wouldn’t let
me quit on you.”
His lips pressed to her temple. “Well, I’m glad you’re here. Are you hurt?”
There was a knock on the door and Dr. Sheffield came in. Her slight figure showing under a white
lab coat, hair and makeup perfect, posture impeccable in those tall heels. She held a clipboard and
shook her head. “This looks about right. I get a call saying there’s some problematic patient
demanding all sorts of special treatment and my presence yesterday. I should have known it was you.
What happened?”
Evelyn tried to sit up, but Lucian tightened his grip.
“Stay there, Evelyn. The scared ones need their security blankets,” the doctor said as she moved to
the foot of the bed. “It’s nice to see you again, by the way.”
“Very funny, Vivian. I fell through a floor.”