Page 10 of The Accidental Pleasure Dom

When I turn back to the patient’s room, they just exited, I notice Claire peeking her head out of the doorway.

“Belle,” she waves at me to come closer.” Nick knows about the lockdown and wants us to stay in his room. He said there is plenty of room.” She bites her lip, darting her eyes to the end of the hallway, looking between me and the doctor’s lounge.

I blink, trying to clear my head, “Do you think it’s wise to sleep in one of the patient rooms that is already occupied by a patient?”

She glances back into the room, “Yes, we will be safe with Nick.” She turns back to me, “Wait here. I will grab some extra bedding. It will be just like a slumber party.” She walks away, leaving me in the hallway, staring after her with my jaw dropped.

What is going on with Nick and Claire? First, they are fighting about his treatment, and now she is sleeping in his room.

She’s right. We will be safer in Nick’s room, away from Brad, Chad, and Barry.

Claire hustles back down the hallway, her arms loaded down with blankets and pillows. “Come on, you can have the couch, and I will take the recliner by the bed.” She nods her head towards Nick’s door, a blush rising on her cheeks.

I make my bed and snuggle down in the blankets, watching as Nick tries to switch places with her, wanting her to take his bed. I quickly close my eyes, not wanting them to know I am watching their display.

After a few minutes, I crack my eyes open, looking to see who won the argument, when I see they are both in the hospital bed, snuggled together, sound asleep. Claire is one of the best nurses I’ve ever met, so I know their disagreement must have been over her sharing the hospital bed with him out of concern for infection. From the possessive way he’s holding her while they sleep he obviously won the argument.

I, on the other hand, wasn’t as lucky. Sleep eludes me as visions of Dom pop into my head every time I close my eyes.

six

Dom

“You look like shit Dom. When was the last time you slept?”

Four days since I last slept a full night, three nights since I last saw Bella, and two days of dividing my time between searching for Bella and trying to figure out who started the fire that injured ten people, including my brother Nick.

I push past Mario into the hospital’s burn center, not bothering to answer him. The strong smell of disinfectant hangs heavy in the air, and the stark white walls of the hallway remind me of the severity of the situation.

I haven’t been able to prove it yet, but the fire that sent my brother to the hospital was not an accident. I can feel it in my bones that this was a planned job, and Nick was the target.

The hospital called me thirty minutes ago to let me know Nick was ready for visitors. I have been trying to visit him since he was first brought to the hospital, but the burn unit has been on lockdown since Nick arrived and hasn’t allowed visitors until today. The only reason I didn’t demand they lift the lockdown is because I knew Nick would be safe, especially since I had a few of my men guarding the hospital.

Once inside the burn unit, I head to the nurses’ station. I place my hands on the counter and say, “I’m here to see Nick Rossi. Which room is he in?”

A dark-haired nurse stands up quickly and rushes to one of the patient rooms. The red-headed nurse snickers and points in the direction the dark-haired nurse went: “Follow Claire.”

I look at Mario, and as usual, he shrugs his big shoulders, motioning with his right hand for me to go first.

We follow the dark-haired nurse, Claire, into a patient room. She turns, standing in front of the bed with her forehead wrinkled and her hands clenched at her sides, glaring at us.

“Dom?” Nick says, sitting up in his bed and placing his hand on Claire’s arm. “It’s okay. He’s my brother.” He runs his hand up her arm in a caress.

Turning towards Nick, she says, “I’ll be at the nurses’ station. Push the call button if you need me.”

He nods, squeezing her arm.

She turns and stomps towards the door, her eyes glaring at me the whole way.

Once she is out of the room, I move to Nick’s bedside, taking in the sight of him with both his hands and arms wrapped in white bandages. “What happened to you, Nick? You were supposed to stay safe.” I try not to sound too needy, but Nick is all I have left with our parents and grandfather gone. Sure, we have Cousin Joseph, but it’s not the same.

“Aw, Dom, you’re such a softy.” Nick gives me a boyish smile.

“What were you thinking, Nick, by running back into that burning building?”

His facial expression changes quickly as he replies, “What was I supposed to do? Leave that family to die in the fire? Tell me, Dom, what would you have done in my situation?”

I open my mouth and then close it. Nick is right; I would have done the same thing.

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