Page 91 of Take Her from You

While the nurse took out various pieces of equipment then moved to check Valentine’s bag full of medications, I sat beside him, keeping his hand in mine. He shivered, and I tugged the duvet around him then took a towel to his long hair, lightly scrubbing the worst of the water from the lengths.

“Did you really not take your meds?” I said softly.

Valentine drifted his thumb over mine, his skin hot. “I couldnae eat on it. Ye went to such trouble to bring me food.”

“Antibiotics start working in a matter of hours, but if ye stop them, infection can take over again just as fast,” Heather stated, her back to us. “That’s why it’s important to take the full course. If ye ask me?—”

Interrupted by my squeak of shock, she didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence. Valentine’s eyes rolled, and he dropped back on the mattress.

“Val?” I leaned over him and cupped his face. “Valentine, wake up.”

He didn’t move.

I tore my gaze to Heather. “What’s wrong with him?”

She hurried to his other side. Took his pulse.

“We’re going to need that ambulance to get here fast.”

Chapter 25

Valentine

My blood rushed cold. Some fucker kept bumping my bed, rattling me. Then a needle stuck my hand.

For fuck’s sake. I was in hospital.

My brain kept spinning, so my eyes stayed closed, but machine beeps and the chatter of medics told me I was right.

Some time passed. The place was an ice cavern, the windows open and a draught freezing me to the bones.

Kelly was by my bedside, her fair hair longer than I remembered, but dull, nothing like Mia’s shiny gold. Why the fuck was my ex here? Last person I wanted to see. Then I was outside her house and opening the door. Sex noises played out, coming from the bedroom down the corridor ahead of me. No, they were coming from the lounge. Everywhere. If I took another step, I’d see her. And him. My brother. I’d see them together.

“Did his fever break yet?” a worried voice asked.

Mia was here. Warmth spread through my frozen body.

Someone answered her, but I checked out, surrendering to another wave of chills and whatever was messing with me.

Dream-me closed the door to Kelly’s house and took a step back.

The next time I surfaced, it was to pain. Someone prodding at my knife wound.

“Getthefuckoff,” I slurred.

The weight removed, though the person kept up their work. Cleaning, I guessed.

I faded out once more.

It felt like a single blink to me, but it was dark outside my hospital room when I managed to open my eyes. In a wide blue chair, Mia tapped at her phone, a hospital pillow propping up her head.

“Little spy,” I said. My voice came out weak. I tried again. “Yo, Mia.”

She jerked her head up. Then the lass flew from the chair to my side. “You’re awake.”

“How long was I out?”

“You fell unconscious yesterday.”

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