Irrevocable (Evan Arden 5)

“They still managed to hit you, sir. If you hadn’t been wearing a vest, I’m not sure you would have made it. You were losing so much blood from your leg. Another wound would have done you in.”

He nods and reaches down to rub his thigh.

“Pain?” I ask.

“Itchy. They still have me pumped up on meds for the pain. Franklyn has a whole pharmacy to send home with me.”

“You’ll feel better once you are out of here.”

“Lele’s driving me crazy enough during visiting hours,” he says with a laugh. “How will I get any sleep at home?”

“The food will be better.” I point over to the plastic cup of applesauce, which still remains untouched.

“That is a good enough reason to go. My stomach can’t deal with this shit.” Rinaldo reaches over to the tray and grabs the cup of applesauce and a spoon. “I probably ought to make an effort, or I’ll never hear the end of it.”

He takes a couple of bites and mumbles something about baby food.

“Sir, may I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“That GPS chip you told me about—who else has one?”

He doesn’t look at me or answer for a while. I have a pretty good suspicion as to why.

“Everyone I consider family,” Rinaldo finally says. “Lele, Lucia, Nick—even I have one.”

I stare at him pointedly.

“Yes, Evan, you have one, too. That’s how I knew you were still alive.”

“How? It seems like I would have noticed something like that.”

“Jonathan arranged it.”

“Of course.” I’m not sure if I’m pleased I’m considered part of the family or ticked off over the violation of privacy. Mostly, I don’t like the idea that it was done without my knowledge. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I’m annoyed that Jonathan had access to my body while holding a needle. “When?”

“While you were in the prison hospital,” he says. “After your public shooting rampage, I thought it was best to keep track of you.”

“Is that supposed to make me all right with it?”

“You want it gone, Evan?” Rinaldo gives me a hard look. “Do you really? Do you really want to be in a position where I have no way of finding you?”

I know exactly what he is saying. As much as I don’t like the idea of someone being able to track my movements, I like the idea of being captured without anyone able to find me even less.

I slowly shake my head, and the whole subject is dropped.

As I’m leaving, I run into Lucia.

“How is he really?” she asks. She bites at her lip, and her expression is strained. “He keeps saying he’s okay, but he looks just terrible lying there. I can’t stand it.”

“He’s going to be fine, Lucia.” I reach out and touch her arm. “Just a little recovery time needed.”

She places her hand over mine and nods but doesn’t look convinced.

“He will be fine,” I say with more emphasis. “I promise. He’ll be so much better when he gets home into his own bed with some real food in him. The hospital fare makes him pissy.”

“I’m sure Mom will be all over that when he goes home tomorrow.” She smiles slightly. “He’s going to drive her crazy.”