Page 158 of Toxic Temptation
He glances at Charity, who’s doing a terrible job of pretending to study the surgery schedule board fixed to the wall. “I had a bad day. I misspoke.” He won’t meet my eyes. “There won’t be any changes to your hours or salary. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”
He walks away so fast he’s basically running.
“Did you hear that?” I stare after him.
“Holy shit,” mumbles Charity, every bit as confused as I am. “He totally caved.”
“But why? Unless…” A thought hits me. “Kovan said he would handle it. But he couldn’t have already?—”
“That’s so romantic! This is definitely not just casual fu?—”
BANG!
We both freeze, eyes locked on each other.
“Was that a?—?”
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The screams confirm my worst fear. I grab Charity and pull her down as more shots ring out. My phone vibrates. Pavel’s name appears on the screen.
“Vesper, where are you?” he barks when I answer. “Are you safe?”
“I’m at the hospital?—”
“I know. We have someone watching you. Kovan’s at the hospital, too. Is he with you?”
I should’ve known. Where there are gunshots, there’s Kovan.
“The shooting?—”
“This wasn’t supposed to happen like this. Fuck!”
Pavel’s panic makes it real. Kovan is here. He came because of me. That’s why Jeremy backed down, the only possible explanation: Kovan threatened him.
Do these gunshots mean Jeremy is threatening him back?
“I have to go.” I grip Charity’s arm. “Stay here. Stay safe.”
Then, staying as low to the ground as I can, I start moving down the hall.
“Vesper!” she hisses after me. “What are you doing?”
It’s a good question. I don’t have an answer. I know this is stupid. I know it’s reckless. I know that, even if I reach him, there’s nothing I can do to help.
But it doesn’t matter. I have to get to him. I have to make sure he’s alive. Because if he’s not…
The fear gripping my chest feels exactly like the day we got Dad’s diagnosis.
He has to be okay.
He has to be okay.
He has to be okay.
The prayer repeats in my head as I push through the exit doors. I’m a woman of science. I don’t believe in God.
But for the first time in my life, I find myself praying anyway.
