When I introduced the two of them, I was nervous. They sized each other up for a minute, but then Kyle grinned. “Thank you for bringing my sister home for this. There aren’t many bosses who would’ve done the same thing.”
Marco sent a tiny frown my way, but it was so small it was almost imperceptible. He smoothed out his features before giving my brother a tight smile. “You’re welcome. She’s a really valuable employee. There’s not much the company wouldn’t do for her.”
There were pauses before the words “employee” and “the company.” Kyle didn’t seem to pick up on anything, though. The two men made polite small talk for a couple of minutes before Marco nodded at the door.
“I’ll leave you two alone.” He focused on Kyle. “If there’s anything you need, please let me know.”
There was a weird, stabbing feeling in my lower belly. I winced, but it disappeared as fast as it had come. Marco was almost at the door when it came back, and this time, I cried out.
Doubling over as I clutched my stomach, my vision blurred from the pain. There was a frenzy of activity around me, some yelling, and the floor started swimming beneath me.
I didn’t know what the hell was happening, but it hurt like the fucking devil himself was scratching his horns against the inside of my abdomen. The next thing I saw, the tiles were rushing up at me and I slumped back into a pair of muscular arms.
Then there was just… nothing.
Chapter 31
Marco
There were thirty-two lights in the corridor Addy’s hospital room was in. Ten of them flickered incessantly.
As I marched restlessly up and down, I counted eight chairs in the waiting room and forty squares on the floor. It had been almost two hours since Addy had screamed out in what had sounded like terrible pain, one hour and forty-nine minutes since the nurses had pried her out of my arms.
I still hadn’t received any news, and I was slowly but surely losing my motherfucking mind. I’d replayed our flight and the day leading up to it over and over, but I was positive Addy hadn’t said anything about not feeling well.
It made no sense whatsoever. Having spent almost every minute of the last two weeks with her, I would have known if there was something wrong with her. Surely. Right?
I’d asked myself that question countless times since I’d caught her, but I didn’t have an answer. A nurse that had gone into her room some time ago opened the door and popped her head out. She turned, searching the corridor until her gaze landed on me. “Mr. Ricci?”
“That’s me.” My long legs ate up the distance between us.
She smiled. “You can go in now.”
When she stepped aside, I swept past her. Addy lay on a standard hospital bed. At some point, they’d changed her into a gown. Her clothes were folded on a small chest of drawers beside the bed.
She lifted her head, smiling when she saw it was me. “Hey, you. Sorry about all that.”
“Are you okay?” I sank into the chair nearest to her, moving it forward until my knees touched the metal bars. She reached for my hand and I took it, feeling every wall I’d built up to protect myself tumbling down. “Jesus, Addy. You scared the shit out of me. What happened? How are you feeling?”
“Better,” she said, her vivid blue eyes wide and earnest as she shook her head. “I have no idea what caused the pain, but it’s gone now. I think it was just stress. I’ve never been good at stress.”
“Sure,” I murmured, leaning over to rest my forehead against the back of her cool hand. “Stress, huh? Is that what the doctors said?”
“No, they haven’t come back yet. They took some blood and ran a bunch of tests, but the nurse who just left said they were still waiting on the results.” She shrugged her shoulders, rolling her lips into her mouth before releasing them with a soft pop. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see, but I’m pretty sure it’s just stress.”
“Whatever it is, I’m here for you. Okay?” A pack of wild dogs and another of horses wouldn’t drag me away from her again. “Being outside was torture, knowing you were right in here and I couldn’t get to you.”
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, dragging her fingers through my hair. “I told them they had my consent to let you in, but they said no one was allowed while the tests are being done.”
“That’s a stupid fucking rule,” I grumbled. “I’m not leaving you again. They can forget about it.”
She chuckled softly, but there wasn’t much humor in the sound. “I’d appreciate that. I hate hospitals.”
“Same.” I hadn’t stepped foot in one since we’d lost my father. Before Addy had come to get me earlier, I’d been on the verge of hyperventilation at the prospect of having to face the familiar beeping sounds and the awful smells again.
I wasn’t sure I would’ve done it for anyone other than her. “Are you still in pain?”
“No. They gave me something. I’m not sure if it’s just that, but it’s gone away completely.”
“At least that’s good news.” I exhaled a deep breath and leaned forward to rest my head on her forearm as I squeezed her fingers. “Addy, there’s something I need—”
“You’re awake,” a deep voice boomed from behind me.
I jerked back, releasing Addy’s hand in the same second. She’d introduced me to Kyle as her boss. At the time, I’d assumed she wanted to tell him what was really going on between us when they were alone.
I’d been about to give them some space for the discussion to happen when she’d collapsed. Since I doubted she wanted her only family to find out about our relationship this way, I slid the chair back a few
