“Who shot you, Vivi?” he asked suddenly.
She pressed her lips together. “I don’t know.”
He sighed. “Right. You know, I find it curious that you haven’t asked to see your father.”
She stiffened.
“Your husband just died. Yet you don’t seem to be mourning him.”
“Maybe I’m a terrible person.”
“Maybe,” he agreed.
She winced.
“How did you find me?” If Wolfe wouldn’t tell her, maybe Aleki would. But he just stared back at her. Shoot.
“Why did you leave me?” he asked.
Crap. He wasn’t giving her a chance to catch her breath, was he?
“I told you why. It wasn’t going to work long-distance.”
He waved a finger in her face. Ooh, the finger. She’d always joked that he was serious when that came out.
“Don’t lie. You can refuse to tell me but don’t ever lie to me. To any of us. Fuck, particularly Wolfe. He can’t take that shit. He’ll likely turn you over his knee and spank you until you can’t sit for a week.”
Her eyes widened as she stared up at him
“Fuck. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You didn’t.”
Aleki was such a sweetheart. He felt everything so strongly. Which is why his indifferent attitude hurt so much.
“I need to go,” he told her abruptly. He stood and left without another word.
Sadness filled her. Loneliness. Every time she woke up, one of them was there. She wasn’t sure whether they had a schedule or what. But it was obvious they didn’t want her alone.
Probably worried you’ll leave.
She should try to sneak out. It was the right thing to do, but she didn’t know if she had the strength to do it.
She lay back, feeling exhausted. It was all too much. It wasn’t just her body that was done in. It was her heart. Her mind.
She was drained. Completely.
So tired of making decisions. Of trying to second guess everything. Of always being on alert.
She wished she could just stop thinking and let someone else take over.
That’s an impossible dream.
She needed to figure out if she was strong enough to move around on her own. And her pressing bladder was as good a reason as any to get up. The catheter had been removed earlier and the nurse had said to buzz her if she needed to use the toilet.
But if she couldn’t go to the bathroom on her own then she certainly couldn’t sneak out of here.
She pushed up so she was sitting, she slid her legs to the side of the bed. Crap. Her ankle was going to be a problem. Could she even walk on it?