Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 131455 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 526(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131455 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 526(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
It's Dad who blinks first. “Thank you for bringing her back safely.” It doesn't do much to ease the tension, but it warms my heart anyway. He's trying. I have to give him credit for that.
Callum's scowl deepens, and I hold my breath, waiting for him to ruin the moment. Instead of smarting off, he only nods with a soft grunt before directing his attention to me. “How are you feeling?”
“Better, now that I've eaten. I really want to go upstairs and see Tatum?”
“Would it make a difference if I said you need to get some sleep before you do that?”
“Not really.” I look from him to Dad, who doesn't seem much happier with my response. “Please?”
“Fine, but afterwards, you're going to rest,” Callum orders.
I barely hold back from rolling my eyes. “Sure, Dad, whatever you say.” I realize the mistake I've made as soon as the words leave my mouth.
Yup, she's exactly the way Romero described her: sitting up in her bed, staring out the window. She's not blank-faced, the way I'd assume she'd look if she was in shock. People in shock don't look like they're deep in thought and pissed off about it.
She doesn't acknowledge me entering the room with Callum close behind me. I wonder if she's like this with everyone, shutting the world out completely. She's alive, though, and I can't help but tremble with relief at that knowledge.
“Tatum?” I whisper.
Her head snaps around, and I can't help but notice, even in all of my relief, how pale and unhealthy she looks. I'm sure the harsh lighting in the room doesn't help things, but no amount of fluorescent light could create the haunted look in her eyes. Even when she wells up with tears and offers a shaky smile, that look doesn't go away.
“You're really here? It's not the pain meds messing with my head?”
“It's really me.” I shake my head when she notices the IV bag I'm wheeling around. “Just saline. No big deal. I'm okay.”
“Thank God.” She reaches for me and I sit on the bed, placing my hands in hers. “I've been so worried and scared.” My knuckles are practically grinding together with the way she's squeezing, however I simply grit my teeth through it.
“I'm here, and everything is going to be okay.” I mean, I don't know if that's true or not, but I need to believe it. Sure, Jack is still out there, and so is Dominic, but right now, it has to be enough that we're together and safe.
“The baby?” she whispers with a catch in her voice.
“All clear. They gave me an ultrasound, and everything looks good. All is where it should be..”
Callum joins us, slowly lowering himself into a chair on the other side of the bed. I'm glad she was so distracted by my presence that she didn't notice him slowly walking or how careful he needs to be. I can't give him shit for refusing a wheelchair when I did the same, yet he does need one much more than I do.
“How are you feeling?” I ask the most obvious question.
She lifts her shoulder. “I don't know. How am I supposed to feel? The pain meds help, but everything else is numb.”
I wince. “You're still feeling pain?”
“Only the worst headache of my life,” she grunts through clenched teeth. “Feel like someone is beating a gong inside my head.”
“The doctor said that should improve within another day or two,” Callum points out in a gentle, understanding tone. I'll never get over the way he softens around her. “It won't be forever.”
“Yeah, I guess my skull is as thick as you always said it was.” She tries to grin at him but comes off more like a grimace.
Stroking the backs of her hands with my thumbs, I murmur, “Hey. You don't have to be strong right now. It's okay to be weak, to have moments of sadness.”
“I don't know how else to be.” She looks me straight in the eye, intense, unblinking. “I overheard Romero mention Jack Moroni on the phone, so I know he was behind this.”
“That's right.” His smug, sneering face flashes in front of me and now I'm the one squeezing her hands for dear life.
“That was her, I heard. Wasn't it? That was my mother.”
I can barely breathe. Only Tatum could blindside me like that. But what am I supposed to say? I can't lie. What did you expect Bianca? I guess I figured they had talked this over by now, but then if she only woke up for good overnight, they wouldn't have had the time. And if her condition was kind of touch and go, I'm sure Callum wouldn't have wanted to heap that sort of trauma on her.
Callum clears his throat and places his hand on her arm. “I'm sorry, sweetheart. You weren't in any condition to talk about what happened. I wanted to wait until you were ready.”