Page 172 of Tangled In Lies

The medicinethe nurse gave me did a number on me. I’m not sure if it was supposed to knock me out as much as it did, but for the next few hours, I go in and out of sleep. It reminds me too much of waking up after Ruby drugged me. I hate it.

The room is dark when I peel my eyelids back and feel a little more alert. It’s an effort, but eventually, I manage to keep them open.

“Hold?” The name is barely audible, my throat too dry to talk.

Footsteps hurry toward me.

“Hey, Princess.” A chair scrapes across the floor. “How are you feeling?”

How do I feel?

Holden hands me a cup of water with a straw, and I take slow sips.

I’m utterly drained, that’s for sure.

“Phoenix?” His name is full of anguish and worry as my brain fully wakes up, quickly overriding my nervous system with a wave of anxiety and dread.

Hold nods. “He’s out of surgery. They’re keeping a close eye on him for the next twenty-four hours, but they’re hopeful.”

My eyes burn, but I nod at him. “O . . . Okay.”

“Shh.” Holden covers my hand with his. He gives it a gentle squeeze. “You guys are both going to be okay, and that motherfucker is dead.”

Having it officially confirmed eases a small part of my chest. We stay like this for a moment, and I close my eyes.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

“It’s really over?” I stare into Holden’s eyes, needing to hear it again.

His lips press into a tight-lipped smile. “It is, Princess. And as soon as Phoenix is cleared, I’ll take you to him.”

My vision blurs again, but I blink to bring Holden back into focus.

“I’m so sorry I failed you.” Holden’s hand is still on mine, but he averts his gaze to the floor. “If you hadn’t done what you did, the ambulance might not have made it there in time.”

“Hold, no . . . don’t.”

A muscle tics when he finally glances at me again. “You’re the reason he’s still alive, Eve.”

“I . . . I . . .” I don’t know what to say.

And it doesn’t matter anyway. The only thing that matters is that he’s going to be okay. “What about Ruby and Mase?”

Hold clears his throat. “Ruby suffered a fractured skull, but the doctor said she should be okay again in a few months. Mason only had some minor injuries.”

“Thank goodness.” I blow out a long breath, the relief of the entire situation almost overwhelming.

The door opens, and the same nurse from my last hospital visit walks in, her shoes coming to a squeaking halt when she sees us.

“Well, hello there, Sleeping Beauty. Glad to see you awake. We have to stop meeting like this.” She gives me a smile and a wink before shifting her attention to Hold to glare at him. “And you, young man, were supposed to tell uswhen she woke up. What is it with you guys never listening?”

He has the decency to look flustered. “Sorry, Nurse Cynthia.”

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