Page 149 of Underground Prince

Theo. A memory clung against my mind, but it was as feeble as plastic wrap.

“I…”

“Do you need a doctor?” Verily asked.

“No. Headache.” My eyelids were gritty, and closing them smoothed it out. “But I could use…someone…to tell me my current situation.” I lowered my hand to my abdomen, but winced at the slightest pressure. Nerves to brain were in full communication.

“A doctor’s already been in here, yesterday evening. Talking to you and your parents. You don’t remember?” Verily’s cold fingers clung onto mine.

“It’s okay. Let her sleep,” Noah said, his voice distancing as he moved away.

Or maybe it was me, sinking down, finding my place at the bottom of the ocean. Yet I wasn’t deep enough, because a face broke through the surface.

“Theo,” I said, my voice ringing true despite my body’s battle for slumber.

“I—” Noah tried to say something, but stopped.

Verily’s comforting tone sounded in my ear. “Don’t worry. He’s…he’s okay.” The soft scent of vanilla wafted in with my oxygen. “Scar, can you hear me?”

“Doc said sleep was the best form of healing. Let her mend,” Noah said.

“Ah, so now she’s actually sleeping as opposed to conducting black ops against us?”

“Hey, you didn’t see her out there. She was full-on G.I. Jane, scaring the shit out of FBI agents and gangsters. Never mind me, flailing around in the background trying to catch up to her ass.”

“I can’t believe you let her do this.”

“No one ‘lets’ Letty do anything.”

“You could’ve—”

“Would you rather she went off on her own? Vare, she was hell-bent.” His footsteps moved to the other side of the bed. “Not only that, but you should’ve seen her. Her face…like—like she was reliving death.”

“I thought the worst was over for her. One epic tragedy is enough.”

“I never thought I’d see that look on her again.”

Verily’s hand came to a gentle rest on my arm. “A piece of her died when her sister did. And another was about to go if Sax followed suit.” Then, unexpectedly, she said, “That fucking sack of cockbag.”

“I wish I could say the same.” Noah’s voice lowered to a decibel that was both unsure and honest. “We say we love people, that when it comes down do it we’d do anything, prevent everything, and step to the front lines to protect them. She actually did.”

“That makes him less of a dynamite dick?”

“Vare.” Noah’s voice told me he’d drawn close to her. “I would take a bullet for you, to hell with what anyone else wants, thinks or says.”

Verily sighed.

“You’re what’s important. And Theo matters to her.”

Theo…

“Did she move?” Clothing rustled. “Scarlet?”

After a moment, Noah said, “Dreaming. She’s dreaming.”

“I hope they’re good ones.” Verily’s breath misted on my cheek before she laid her lips down. “God knows how her reality’s gonna be when she’s conscious.”

“Not now,” Noah said.

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