Page 217 of Pretty Little Lies

“If you don’t wake up soon, Dad, hamburgers aren’t going to exist anymore. They have these plant-based ones that you’d hate.”

Nothing.

I want to curl up in bed next to him and never wake up. I can’t stop bouncing my leg, I’m trying my best not to pace the room, but all I can think of is what Levi is doing, and if he’s having any success whatsoever.

A small knock sounds on the door, and I glimpse over my shoulder, thinking it’s one of the nurses coming to check in, when Emilio Wildes walks in, dressed in a navy-blue suit, and the air of power around him.

I don’t bother blinking or moving, as I can’t help but notice his hair slicked back and the way he adjusts his jacket. Thoseblue eyes heavily weighing me down and—he’s in my father’s hospital room.

Shooting up from my chair, I round it and glower at him for coming here. “What are you doing?”

Emilio doesn’t flinch when I move toward him, and he steals a glance at my father that only sets me off on another wave of rage.

“Get out.”

His gaze flicks back to me as he jerks his head toward the door, surprising me when he doesn’t utter a single word for Dad to hear or not here.

I follow, ready to get rid of him in seconds because I can’t do this.

I can’tdealwith another man with the last name Wildes in my damn vicinity right now.

Closing the door gently behind me, I round on Emilio, but he gets to me first.

“I heard what happened.” My retorts and clapbacks die on my tongue as I stare back at my sperm donor and the flat expression on his face. “Let me help you.”

I’m desperate at this point.

There iszeroreason for Emilio to help me, but I can’t help but feel slightly relieved that he came when he discovered what happened.

However, this is Emilio Wildes.

Everything comes with a price.

“What do you want?” I mutter back as the hospital staff bustle and move around us. “I can’t deal with drama right now. I have enough on my own?—”

“Haven…” My birth name smacks me in the face. I hate how he might know that I’m Penn Northcott’s granddaughter and this is why he approached me at the Stowaway in the first place.“I’m worried about what this is doing to you and your pending issues.”

Bullshit.

“I’m fine,” I deadpan. “What did you need?”

“I came to tell you that I’m working on your sisters. As far as the house is concerned, I can’t help with that. I have no pull on a bank, as much as it pains me to say?—”

“How wouldyouhelp get my sisters back?” Because, right now, the house is the last thing on my mind. It’s not relevant until I can obtain Mae and Ellie and fix this problem. I can’t imagine what they must be thinking right now, and I never got to say goodbye or assure them that everything was and is going to be okay.

“I have connections,” he divulges. “Iama powerful man, Haven.”

“It’s Bay.”

“Whatever,” he dismisses, not showing an ounce of remorse for his constant throwing of that name at me. “You and I need to push this bullshit hate that you have for me behind us and find a middle ground.”

“And how are we supposed to do that?”

“I have an idea,” he pledges. “However, you’re going to hate it.”

Figures.

“Then keep it.”

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