Page 46 of Ruthless Redemption

He grinned, feeling a tiny bit of the tension between them ease. “That’s not new, brother. That’s not new.”

“Houston?”

He whirled at the low, thin sound of Izzy’s voice calling his name. Her eyes were barely opened a crack, but by God they were finally open. He dropped to his knees at the edge of her bed and grabbed her hand so grateful to see her warm brown eyes staring back at him.

“Izzy, baby. Thank fuck.”

“What happened?” she asked.

He chuckled and brought her hand to his lips for a quick kiss. His heart was so filled with joy he feared it would burst from his chest. “It might be easier to tell you what didn’t happen.

“I don’t remember. Am I in the hospital?”

He nodded, still grinning. “Don’t worry, I’ll fill you in with all the details. And yes, you are in the hospital. My overzealous brother accidentally injured you when he jumped on you to shield you from gunfire.”

Her eyebrows pulled together and he reached between them to smooth out the worry lines. “Just relax. I swear I will fill you in with every gory detail, but let me call in the nurse or the doctor first so they can examine you.”

She gave him a slight nod and he reached for the call button.

When her hand touched his, he paused and turned back to her. The question was in her eyes before she spoke the words.

“What about my father? Where is he?”

Chapter Eighteen

Izzy

I wish now I wouldn’t have asked. Lying there in a hospital bed as a strange doctor examined me while asking an occasional question left me frustrated and itching to escape. How was I supposed to cope with everything that had happened while lying trapped in a bed with everyone hovering over me?

I’d only been asleep for a few days so the rib that had punctured my lung had not had time to fully heal. Which meant I was trapped, at least for a little while longer.

“I’m pleased to report that the concussion has improved. We should be able to release you in a day or two at the most.”

“I’d rather go now,” I muttered.

The doctor’s face tightened. “I’d advise against that for now. Since your concussion turned more severe than we’d expected, I’d like to keep an eye on you for a few more days. Make sure there aren’t any more complications.

Complications.

What a joke.

My life wasn’t complicated. It was in shambles. And I didn’t have the first clue how to pick up the pieces and put it back together again.

Both of my parents were now dead. There were no aunts, uncles or grandparents to turn to. As for siblings. I’d lived my whole life believing I was an only child, but now I had to deal with the knowledge that there might be more. Again, I had no idea how to proceed.

My heart beat faster as my anxiety increased.

“Mrs. Reed, are you okay?” The doctor looked at me, his eyes wider than before. All I heard was the name Mrs. Reed repeating in my head.

That was a lie too.

My whole life…lies.

“Can you give us a minute? I’d like to speak to my wife.”

The doctor pursed his lips and frowned. “She needs to rest. I think the trauma of her injuries is still playing out.”

“I’ll make sure she rests.”

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