Page 42 of Unbroken Promises

Her eyes glance up, observing him quietly. “And on a scale of one to ten?”

Jonathan’s eyes drift closed once more, exhaustion weighing on his normally unflappable features, and a soft groan escapes as he tries to settle further into the bed, searching for a more comfortable position. “Probably closer to a seven.”

She nods in response, continuing, “Sorry hun, a little cold. I’ll be done in a jiffy but I need to check the stitches. Would you like some privacy while I look it over?”

She pauses, for a moment but Jonathan is quick to respond. “No, s’kay. They’re family.”

Without further hesitation, she finishes listening to his heart and lungs before replacing the stethoscope and moving on to his dressing. Gently, she lifts the tape holding the bandage in place, and I cringe sympathetically as I continue to observe. I am not squeamish by any means. Blood and gore don’t really bother me. God knows, after the hell I went through and my own brutal wounds I withstood, I would be in a hell of a lot worse mental state if I couldn’t stomach the sight of some blood or stitches.

But this is Jonathan, not myself. And he has been a pillar on which I have leaned for years. For all the clandestine assignments he has overseen and subjected himself to, for all our intense physical training, I have never seen him likethis.And seeing someone I have come to care for and rely on lying in a hospital bed,shotbecause of me? Well, that is one thousand times worse than if I had been on the receiving end of that bullet.

“Don’t.” I glance up sharply, his tone drawing my attention away from the dressing nurse Susan is checking. My brows furrow.

“Don’t even try to blame yourself for this one, Ellis. Wrong place, wrong time, on my part. But it’s better that it happened to me rather than someone else, especiallyyou.I’ll be fine. You know me.”

His attempt to reassure me with his charismatic smile is diminished as he winces at the nurse’s gentle ministrations. I haven’t left his side since everyone first came into the room, though I have readjusted as needed to avoid being in the way, and I reach out now to gently squeeze the leg next to me that is covered under the rough hospital blanket.

“Looks good. I’m going to go let your doctor know that you are awake, and I will be back shortly with your next dose of medication.” Not waiting for a response, nurse Susan turns on her heel and moves smoothly out of the room, leaving the four of us silently staring at one another.

Jonathan glances over at Finn, his firm tone at odds with the weariness on his features as he speaks with his business partner. “Amadare,”

A subtle nod is the only indication that his cohort heard him. Finn walks closer to Jonathan's bedside, moving away from where he had been standing next to Theo. Admittedly, I almost forgot he was here, I was so focused on Jonathan’sinteraction with his nurse. You know, if you could forget the heavy weight of a brooding, 210lb, six-foot-three defensemen staring you down from across the room.

“Take Danica home with you, ‘kay? I don’t want her going home by herself until we figure out this mess and track down the mole. She shouldn’t be alone right now.” Jonathan cuts a tight smile in my direction before once again looking at his business partner and friend.

I nod in quiet agreement. It makes sense. Normally, I would crash at Jay’s place under circumstances such as these, but obviously it’s not a good idea for me to be alone right now. Not even at his place. Not if they truly do have a mole in their own company. So, Finn’s place, it is.

“Oh. . . ah. . . no. I mean. . .” Finn appears flustered as he takes in his friend’s request, which is odd. Finn is never one to have his feathers ruffled. The three of us stare, unable to look away from such an unusual sight. “No, I mean, of course she shouldn’t be alone right now. And your place is not an option until you are back up to par. But uh. . .” Shifting on his heels uncomfortably, he taps silent fingers along his thigh as he tries to muddle through this conversation. Well damn, now I know something is up. Finn is fidgety as fuck. “You can’t go to my place because I’m not home either.”

Hello, captain obvious.

“What I mean to say is, I am going to be in the office having to work pretty much around the clock until I figure this shit out and get to the bottom of what's going on. Clearly, we can’t rely on our team at the moment, so I need to be there in person while I try to figure out who attacked you, and what’s happening with Danni and Theo’s harassment letters they have been receiving. So, my place really isn’t a good option either right now. And I doubt, Danni, that you are going to want to crash on my office couch round the clock.” He shakes his head adamantly.

“No. That will never do.”

Looking to his friend lying on the hospital bed, face contemplative for a moment as he processes, his features brighten as an idea passes through that brilliant mind of his. “You should just go stay with Theo. Yeah. That will do. T has a place downtown, so it should be easy for you to get to and from your work still, Danni. And he has men that can help keep an eye on things while I try to get my team sorted out.”

Finnley nods to himself, as if pleased with this notion, while Jay just lay on his bed, face stormy as he takes in his friend’s solution. My stomach in knots, I can feel myself shaking my head in disagreement, even before the words leave my mouth.

“I-”

“Of course, she can stay with me. I’ve got plenty of space and good men that I can trust to help keep an eye on things. In fact, I’ll send a few your way, Finn, to lend a hand. They are good at that techy-stuff; though obviously not as good as you. But still, they might be able to help until you get things sorted out.” I cut a sharp glance across the room to Theo and my stomach turns sour as I see that he is positively beaming, totally happy to play host and savior once more.

“No, that’s okay really. I don’t think-”

“Where else are you going to go, passerotto? Finn’s not going to be around, Jonathan’s house is out of the question-” his tone is biting as he says this last part, “and there is your brother’s place, but again, it’s not secure and there is no one nearby if you end up needing help. Look, I know you aren’t the same girl that I met all those years ago, and I know damn well that you can take care of yourself. But just because youcandoesn’t mean youshould.Come stay with me. I’ve got plenty of space. And honestly, between practice and games, you’ll probably see more of my guys than you will of me anyway, if that’s what’s making you uncomfortable.” He raises a knowing brow in my direction, my attempt to hide my obvious discomfort clearly ineffective.

“Danica-” Jonathan cuts in softly, drawing my attention to his tense features. “They’re right. I don’t like it. Not one fucking bit. But going back east to stay with your brother or Sierra isn’t an option, and I know you would lose your shit if we tried to tell him what happened, and asked him to come here.”

I watch as Jay closes his eyes in resignation.

“Please. Just go with him. I need to know you’re safe while I’m stuck here. Until I can take over. . .”

I bite my lip, reluctant to agree to this. Theo’s right. I’m not that girl anymore. I have worked my ass off, trained for years in various forms of self-defense and I refuse to play the part of the damsel in distress, the princess stuck in her ivory tower needing a knight to save her. I should just tell them to fuck off, that I will be fine at my own place, but then I think back to the note, the blood, and a chill runs down my spine.

Hesitantly, I glance between Jonathan and Finn, my friends. Two people who I trust more than anything. And then look over to Theo, only to find his hooded eyes watching me, features expressionless, not wanting to give anything away. I trusted him once, a lifetime ago, and he destroyed that fragile bond that had been woven between us. But that was with my heart. Logically, I know he wouldn’t let anyoneput me in danger, wouldn’t let anything happen to me if it was within his means to prevent it. The question is, can I put aside my heart to let my mind be in charge? With Theo, I honestly don’t know.

Chapter Forty-Four

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