Page 74 of Dark Truths

I’m on the verge of calling in a bomb threat when I finally see them exit the hospital a little after midnight, get in a car and leave. Once I’m sure it’s safe to make my move, I grab my bag with supplies and head to the front sliding doors. I don't bother concealing my face from the cameras or anyone else because it won’t make a difference after tonight. Her family knows about us now, so there's no point.

The best way to avoid suspicion is to act like you belong there and know what you’re doing. Makes it easy to sneak past the night nurses on duty and get to Gabriella's floor.

I pause and cautiously look around the corner of the hallway where her room is located. A man is sitting in a chair right outside her door. I don’t recognize him, but it’s clear he’s there to guard her room. Having planned for this, I step away and locate the supply closet I tagged earlier. Slipping inside the room, I put on a white doctor’s coat, take a wheelchair, and then hang my bag on the handles.

The guard is so engrossed in whatever it is he’s watching on his phone; he doesn’t look up at me until it’s too late. I fire two rounds of tranquilizer—strong enough to take down a bear—into his chest. He slumps out of the chair, and crashes to the floor like a heavy weight. I really need to have a conversation with the DiAngelo men about their pathetic excuse of guards. Can’t even pass out in a helpful manner.

I grab the lapels of his jacket and tug his limp and heavy body up with a grunt. Shoving him back into the chair, I position him in a way where it appears like he simply just fell asleep on the job.

Gabriella’s room is mostly dark, except for the light filtering in through the blinds. The thin rays cast shadows across her sleeping form, resting peacefully on the bed. I love watching her sleep. There’s something so soft and innocent about it. At this moment, she looks like the angel that she has always been in my eyes.

I reach out and stroke my hand down her cheek, enjoying how a small smile tugs at the corners of her lips and how her face turns toward my touch.?

“Gabriella,” I whisper before I bend forward to brush my lips against hers. “Time to wake up.”

Her face scrunches adorably, like she hates the idea of that. A few seconds later, she takes a deep breath and slowly opens her eyes, revealing a pair of my favorite color. For a moment, she stares up at me with a happy look before it twists into confusion.

“Dimitri?”

“Hello, angel.”

“What-what are you doing here?” Her eyes scan the room nervously, like she’s worried her guard dogs are here.

“We’re alone.”

Her eyes snap back to me, a little fire starting to brew in the amber depths. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“I’m here to talk.”

“I said I’d call you,” she reminds me with a hint of attitude. I clear my throat and look at her pointedly, which makes her purse her lips at me before she tries a different excuse. “It’s the middle of the night, Dimitri.”

“And?” I argue back. “It’s the only time I could get you alone and away from your pair of twin gargoyle guards.”

“Those are my brothers you just called gargoyles.”

“I said what I said,” I defend myself. “If they didn’t act like them, I wouldn’t call them that.”

“They just want to keep me safe.”

“From who? Me?” The very thought that she needs or wants to be protected from me stings.?

Gabriella latches on to my hurtful tone and sits up, reaching out for me with her hand. When she does, the blanket shifts, revealing her sprained wrist wrapped up nice and snug. The sight bothers me. It reminds me of how I was the one responsible for the accident. I step back before she can touch my hand. The pain of rejection is clear on her face, and I have to look away before the guilt digs too deep.But, of course, she notices.

“Dimitri,” she says my name on the whispered end of a sigh. “It’s not your fault. You know that, right?”

“If it hadn’t been for me, you wouldn’t have gotten in your car and been distracted enough to crash.”

“The guy ran a red light, Dimitri. Even if I had been paying better attention, it wouldn’t have mattered.”

“You never should have been driving. That’s the point,” I grumble.

Gabriella sits back with a huff, leveling me with a stare I can feel. She silently applies the pressure until I finally cave and meet her eyes. “We’ll agree to disagree.”

“I agree that your disagreement is wrong.”

Gabriella’s eyes narrow. “You are the most insufferable man I have ever met.”

I raise a brow. “Have you met your brothers?”

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