Page 104 of The Devil's Torment

“Nicholas.” Dad’s voice breaks through the brain fog of the last few, chaotic hours.

I wearily lift my head from Victoria’s bed and peer at him, my eyes stinging from lack of sleep.

Behind him, Xan hovers, his expression as serious as I’ve ever seen it. “May we come in?”

I half lift a hand. It’s the best I can do. I’m exhausted and terrified. Victoria made it through the night, but it’s been touch and go, and she’s still not out of the woods. Even if she doesn’t die, she’s at risk of having one or more of her limbs amputated. The thought of that makes me want to scream at the unfairness of it all.

I hide behind my hands, shaking my head in despair. Dad squeezes my shoulder. “Where are Laura and Phillip?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t care.” After I heaped blame on their shoulders, I told them if they didn’t leave, I’d have them thrown out. I press fingertips to my temples. “This shouldn’t have happened, Dad. I want answers. I fuckingneedanswers.”

“I spoke to the surgeon a few minutes ago,” Xan says, pulling over a chair and sitting next to me. He hands me a coffee, and I take it from him. “One percent chance of something like this happening, but when it’s happening to you, what the fuck do statistics matter?”

“Right.” My head rolls back, and I blow out a breath.

“Go and get something to eat, Nicholas,” Dad says. “We’ll stay with her.”

Not a chance. “No. What if she wakes up and I’m not here? Besides, I’m not hungry.” Coffee will keep me going. When my wife opens her eyes, I intend to make sure I’m the first person she sees.

Ifshe opens her eyes.

I press a fist to my chest and rub. It feels as if gravity is pushing me down. Even lifting my arm to drink takes a monumental effort. Although we don’t speak, the love of my family in their silence gives me strength, and I appreciate them more than I’ll ever be able to convey.

Every thirty minutes, the nurse takes a few vitals, notes them on a chart, then returns to her seat.

Ten hours since my life fell apart.

Ten of the worst hours of my life since I found my mother lying at the bottom of the bath.

To cope, I’ve lived my life in a bubble. I realize that now, and I’d have continued living that way if Victoria hadn’t planted roots in my heart before I knew what was happening. I thought I was incapable of falling in love. The truth is I only had to wait for the right woman to come along.

In a way, I should be grateful to Elizabeth for faking her death and pushing Victoria and me together, but I’m not there yet. And if she doesn’t make it, I’ll never get there, either.

Dad and Xan stay for a couple of hours before switching out with Christian and Saskia. I see right through them. They don’t want me to face this alone. Gratitude swells my heart as my sister stands behind me and wraps her arms around my shoulders, pressing her cheek to mine.

“We’re here for you. For you, and for Victoria. We love you.”

A fresh bout of tears rush to my eyes. I’m not the crying kind of guy. Hell, I didn’t even cry when we buried Annabel or Mum. Victoria has changed me one loving moment at a time, and I didn’t even see it coming.

“Got you, bro.” Christian lightly punches my upper arm. He looks as wrecked as I must—not that I’ve looked in the mirror—and I vow that when this is all over, and Victoria is recuperating back at home, I’m going to sit down with my brother and see if he will tell me what’s worrying him.

Tobias and Uncle George take the third shift. Their appearance raises a smile. It’s evident my family got together and worked out a schedule, but when they leave and it’s only my wife and me, I draw in a deep breath and let more silent tears pour down my cheeks.

* * *

Something wakes me. I jerk upright, my heart hurtling into fifth gear. I don’t recall falling asleep, but I must have.

“Victoria?” I stuff knuckles into my eye sockets and rub. Everything’s blurred. I rub again and blink several times. My lower back’s in spasm, and I knead the taut muscles.

As my vision sharpens, I study my wife’s face. She’s still sedated, but that waxy pallor has retreated, and there’s some color back in her cheeks.

“She’s a tough lady, your wife.”

I startle. “Shit, Doctor. I didn’t hear you come in.”

“You were fast asleep. Sorry to wake you.”

“Must’ve passed out.” I crack my neck on each side. “Give it to me straight. How’s she doing?”

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