Page 110 of The Game

“It can kill you if you’re given enough, according to Kate.”

“They tried tokillme?” I blink down at my hand resting on the bedclothes, the catheter going into the back of it, and turn my head to study the machines next to me. People don’t do this kind of thing to me: I’m Mr. Quiet Life. Maybe not so much anymore.

“If Janus and Fabian hadn’t got to you …” She rolls her lips together, and I reach out and squeeze her hand. “The doctors have no idea how it got into your system, though. We wondered if it might have been the delivery driver if you ordered takeout.”

“No, I went out to the grocery store. Chelsea Market.” I close my eyes. “What the hell happened?” Oh shit, the man who reeled into me. My sore arm! “That guy. In the corridor.” Oh, fuck.

“What guy?”

“Someone bumped into me. I thought it was odd at the time. But there were a lot of people around, celebrating. He lurched into me and hurt my arm. I thought he was just some drunk. He could have followed me from the apartment, I guess.”

Anna chews her lip. “Perhaps that explains it.”

“How the hell did I get here?”

“I was at a breakfast with Konstantin in St. Petersburg and he said some strange, loaded things about you enjoying your evening that worried me. I phoned Janus and he enlisted Fabian. They came to your place and called an ambulance. They’ve been here by your bedside ever since.”

All the times I waded in for them in college, and only once did Fabian haveto rescue me, and that was from Celine. I mean the fact that I was injected with something is awful, but I’ve really lived the most risk-averse life. “Where are they now?”

“I persuaded them to go home and grab some sleep while I took a shift this evening. They were up with you all last night. They’re coming back in the morning.”

I groan. “They don’t need to be doing that. They’ve got work to do.”

She squeezes my fingers. “They were very happy to do it.”

“What happened with Konstantin?”

“He threatened me. Pietr was there, saying I should be back in Russia at his side, and then Fabian took down their systems, and they let me go. I mean, I don’t know what they were thinking I’d do given I’m playing tennis in Australia in less than two weeks.”

I close my eyes. I can’t believe she went to Russia. Willingly stepped back into the orbit of men she knows are dangerous criminals. I’ve seen flashes of this kind of steely determination in Anna, but the contrast between her and Celine, the strange role I took trying to rescue her, makes my eyes tighten and tears leak out of the corners of my eyes and down my cheeks.

“Oh shit, Adam. I didn’t mean …”

Anna bends down and kisses my forehead. “I’m sorry. So sorry, Adam,” she whispers. “I know I’m not the person you need. I’m amazed you’re even talking to me after everything that’s happened and the trouble I brought to your door and your peaceful life.”

I grab her hand, pull it to my mouth, and kiss it. “You’re just the person I need.”

She makes a face at me like she doesn’t believe me, but I’ve never been gladder to find someone at my bedside in a hospital.

“Anna, I’m so sorry.”

“What?What areyouapologizing for?”

“Being in here. You don’t have to stay. You have a tournament to prepare for and food to eat that’s not from a vending machine and …”

“Quit worrying, Miller. I’ve canceled my practices for the next couple ofdays. Jo and Janus took Pepper home with them.”

“You can’t do that! You’ve got a Grand Slam tournament coming up and …”

Her eyes narrow on mine. “Just watch me. I’m staying here with you until they let you out. They’re bringing a cot for me. I can come and go if I need to. It’s all organized.”

“It’s Christmas in four days. I’m supposed to be going home.”

“You’re not going anywhere. If you’re out of hospital by then, you can have Christmas with me.”

I nod as my head sags back on the pillow, too tired to even think about it.

Later, Anna pulls a nutritionist’s meal out of her bag, and the hospital starts to quiet down for the night. It’s like being at Janus’s all over again, except the nurse comes to make me comfortable and records some vital signs for the evening. Anna settles down in the bed beside mine studying something or other on her phone, though I’d bet it’s a competitor’s playing statistics or something else tennis related.

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