Page 160 of Bratva's Vow
I looked at him again. Wren, fragile and unconscious and still somehow the strongest thing I’d ever loved.
If he made it out of this, I’d make damn sure he never had to be strong alone again.
Half an hour after Nik’s alert, when Archie arrived at Wren’s door, I frowned. It shouldn’t have taken him that long to find the room. What the hell was he up to?
By then, I’d paced the room four times, stood at the window, sat back down, and watched the second hand on the wall clock scrape its slow, useless circle again and again.
When the handle finally turned, I surged to my feet, still as stone beside Wren’s bed.
Archie stepped inside with his usual calm, his coat draped over one arm, face composed.
“Hey,” he said softly, casting a glance at Wren’s sleeping form. “How is he?”
I blocked his path before he could get any closer. “Let’s talk outside.”
Archie raised his brows, taken aback. “I just got here?—”
“Exactly. Wren needs rest, and you look like you havesomething to say. So it’s best to talk outside. I don’t want to wake him up.”
He glanced at the machines—like he was pretending to care—and then back at me. “Sure. Of course.”
I held the door open and followed him out into the hallway, shutting it behind us with a soft but decisive click. Archie turned to face me, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants.
“I stopped by to see how he’s doing. Nik said things were touch and go.”
“They still are,” I said coolly. “You were on your way half an hour ago. Where’d you go?”
He shrugged, too casual. “Ran into someone I know. Friend of the family. He’s admitted a few floors down. Not everyone can afford a private suite. Thought I’d check in while I was here.”
I studied him. The lie came easily. Too easily.
I forced a nod, my face schooled into neutrality. “How thoughtful of you.”
He didn’t notice the shift. Or pretended not to. “How’s Wren really doing?”
“We’re waiting on some test results,” I lied. “They can’t do anything but treat his symptoms until then.”
Archie tilted his head. “They don’t know what’s wrong with him?”
“Not yet.” I curled my hands into fists. “If I find out someone did something to him, I’ll fucking end them in the most horrible way they can imagine.”
Something flickered in his expression—gone in an instant. “Of course,” he murmured, dropping his gaze. “I wouldn’t expect any less from you. Is there anything I can do?”
I watched him. He was quiet, stood too still.
“You stopped by my house this morning,” I said.
Archie looked up. “Yeah. I thought you might need a fewthings—clothes for you and Wren. I figured you wouldn’t be going home anytime soon.”
“What did you take?”
“Just the basics. The bags are in my car. You look like you could use some fresh air.” He removed his hand from his pocket and came up with the keys to his car. “Why don’t you get them, and I can sit with Wren until you’re back?”
So he could finish the job he started? No fucking way.
“Nik can get them or Sergei.”
He blinked. “Sergei is here too? I only saw Nik.”
