Page 149 of Vengeful Guard

“It really does.” She giggles, but it changes to a groan.

“Doc says I have a concussion, three broken ribs, and a broken spine. But he didn’t say I had to be stuck in this bed.” She bats her eyelashes. “Do you think he’ll let me go and see Da? I’ll stay in my wheelchair.”

“I'll go and ask.” Though the last thing I want is to leave her side, I drop my hand from her hair. I walk out to find a nurse.

She looks up at me, seemingly annoyed.

“Sorry.” I turn on my most charming, hundred-watt smile. “My wife, you see, she was in an accident. Mrs. Smith?”

The nurse narrows her eyes at me but nods.

“We were wondering if we could go down the hall and see her father. He’s in ICU, too, from an unrelated accident.”

“A gunshot.”

I blink at her.

“I know the Smiths. Everyone around here knows them.”

“You may think they’re criminals,” I murmur. “But they still deserve to be family. You have to let her see him.”

The nurse looks back behind her, as if to check if someone else is standing there. Seeing no one, she nods toward a wheelchair in the hall.

“If you take that and the patient, I’m sure no one will see you,” she whispers. “I’ll make it my business that no one does.”

I sigh. “Thank you.”

I take the wheelchair and wheel it into Paige’s room, helping her into it.

She winces as I start to push it.

We only make it as far as the door before Declan and Gray burst in.

Great.

41

PAIGE

“Paige, what the hell?” Gray rushes to my side, but I wave him away.

“I’m fine.”

Declan’s fuming mad as he glares at Kael. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Holding my hand up, I wait for Kael to take it. Which he does, thankfully.

“Help me up, please, will you?” I want to be able to stand by myself, but everything hurts.

“Paige, don’t—” Gray starts.

Kael squeezes my hand and puts his other hand on my shoulder, keeping me down, which is probably for the best since I’m gritting my teeth against the pain as it is. He squeezes my shoulder. A gesture of support, not censorship.

I look at Kael, and he nods once, just for me. He knows I can fight my own battles, he believes in me.

God, I love this man.

For so long, this is what I wanted, what I needed.

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