Page 93 of Influence

“There is nothing to worry about, Mr. Galanis. I assure you.” The nurse’s lips curved into a grin, and she shook her head as if my outburst was amusing. “I know it sounds odd, but believeit or not, many consider it good luck to have Dr. Moros as their physician.”

“Is that so?” I questioned, bitterness mingling with relief at her attempt to soothe my fears.

“He’s a brilliant doctor—meticulous, compassionate, the very first I’d trust with my own family,” she assured warmly.

“A little reassurance,” I grumbled, though the tension in my jaw softened slightly. “Perhaps he should have a less foreboding name that doesn’t scare patients half to death.”

Her laughter was like a gentle melody in the clinical glare of the ward.

“He won’t be long,” she promised.

I nodded and returned to Laya’s room. Inside, surrounded by the sterile brightness and the hum of medical devices, I found Laya and Cali engaged in a silly conversation that had them giggling intermittently between whatever outrageous thing Cali was discussing.

I paused to watch them, the sound of their joy providing a balm for my tormented soul. Just hours earlier, I feared I would never hear my wife laugh again, but now that worry dissolved in the melody of that sound.

“The doctor is taking his sweet time,” I remarked wryly.

“Well, he is the doctor of death or something,” Cali teased, her humor a splash against our shared anxieties. “Maybe that’s a good omen.”

“I see you were informed of his name too,” I said, half-smiling.

“I told her,” Laya responded, intertwining her fingers with mine. “Niko, relax, babe. I’m okay. I promise.”

I couldn’t help but offer a sardonic retort. “I’ll relax once I hear that reassurance from someone other than the person who, despite being shot, was trying to get up and fight back.”

I shot her a pointed look, and in response, she glanced at Cali as if to share a secret rebuke.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that? I simply told the truth.” Cali shrugged defensively. “We had time to talk while we were waiting.”

“I craved vengeance,” Laya admitted, clearly annoyed with her predicament.

“I understand.”

She nodded slowly at me, a silent promise passing between us. What else was there to say? I understood her urge, and luckily, I’d dealt with it.

“Thank you,” she whispered, and I leaned down to kiss her forehead with a tenderness that belied the storm raging inside me.

“The pleasure was all mine, but you’re welcome,” I said, turning back toward the door. “Where is this blasted doctor?”

With that, I rose and resumed pacing, each step echoing my inner turbulence—a blend of hope, fury, and an undying commitment to shield the woman I cherished more than life itself.

“Niko, seriously.” Laya’s exasperated interjection almost had me smiling. “I am fine. Let the doctor tend to the patients who require his immediate care.”

I turned to face her, shaking my head slowly to dispel the turbulent emotions swirling inside.

“Must I remind you, my dearest wife, that it was my reckless brother who shot you? A jagged bullet tore into your flesh, forcing you into surgery. As much as I long to assert that you are the very embodiment of perfect health and beauty, I cannot deny the harsh reality. You are far from okay, Laya!”

“Stop being so dramatic,” she retorted, rolling her eyes.

A wry smile tugged at my lips as I replied, “I suppose I should have been even more dramatic.”

Her brow furrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“You should always have an army by your side, my love. If I had sent even more guards to protect you, none of this would have happened. But rest assured, this will never happen again. Not only will you be surrounded by a battalion of well-trained fighters, but you will never leave my sight. I promise to protect you to the very end if I have to.”

“Oh my God,” she said, shaking her head and sighing as if to dispel the intensity of the statement. “Good luck with that, Niko. Need I remind you that I am a grown woman, perfectly capable of caring for myself?”

I frowned and countered, “Then why are you lying there with a gunshot wound and a head injury?”

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