Page 43 of Exile
Markel scurries away without pushing the point like a smart man. He tried, just once, to finally corner me, to see if he can fulfil his duties as my appointed primary care physician. I didn't need to speak—my glance alone told him everything he needed to know.
Fuck off.
I don't need some bullshit doctor force feeding me narcotics. Even if I wanted to take painkillers, after what happened to Avery, there's no chance in hell I'm allowing them to drug me.
The pain is still there but it's nothing a glass of whiskey won't fix. Besides, it's easing each day.
It's a damn pain in the ass being shot, but I'd do it a thousand times over. I know my father aimed specifically for me or Avery. He might be a lousy shot, but even a moron could hit their target at close range. I'm just lucky that with all the commotion and movement, he managed to hit somewhere unimportant.
Most of all, I'm glad Avery is safe.
When they organized the Lilydale escort from the hospital, I wasn't surprised to find Connor waiting for me. I knew it was only a matter of time before they had to hire more guards, and with his loyalty, he volunteered since most weren't keen to be my glorified babysitter.
Call it fear or laziness, but Arthur is slipping with his desperation. He's well aware of Connor's ties to us, but when no amount of money will persuade your staff to accompany a certain patient, you have little choice but to give in.
I insisted we make a pitstop on the way back. I could have sent Christopher for the blowtorch, but what kind ofhusbandwould I be if I didn't buy my wife a proper ring?
Of course, I needed to make sure I included Grey and Theo. After all, Avery isn't just mine.
They were fully on board with the idea, and after some searching at the jewelry store, I finally found a ring that complimented all of us. It's perfect really, symbolic of our individual relationships with Avery.
Diamonds to represent my strength and commitment to keeping Avery safe.
Red for Grey's fascination and love of blood, and the stone being centerpiece since he was Avery's first love.
And black banding to signify Theo's ink that he insisted on marking Avery with. But I told Grey it was because of our black hearts. He enjoyed that notion.
One quick call to my financial advisor using Connor's cell and we were in business. He detests my father as much as I do—the two of them having a run-in many years ago when he refused to bend to my father's will. Before I was locked up in Lilydale, I suspected my father would pull some bullshit stunt. I set up a separate account, and before I lost access to the trust fund, I transferred a generous sum over. Since I didn't have a bank card to use, he provided the card details over the phone and I had the clerk manually put the details into the machine.
My father has no idea about the other account. Of course, he meticulously checked the transaction history and knew funds had been moved, but he had no power to stop it at the time. I knew he'd move fast to try to take me down, so I moved faster.
Avery is going to wear my ring proudly. Pissing Arthur and my father off is an added bonus.
As I round the doorway, glaring at Christopher, he looks up, sensing me.
"You look like shit," I point out, unable to resist the urge.
He sighs, throwing his pen down. "I feel like shit. But at least I wasn't shot."
I crack a smile. "If you had, you'd still be in a hospital bed, whining and flirting with nurses."
"Good to see nearly being killed hasn't affected your sense of humor," he mutters dryly.
"The missing patients," I say, ignoring him. "Is everyone accounted for today?"
So far, we're up to six. I'm doing everything we can to tighten surveillance but without knowing how or when they are being taken, it's difficult.
People are becoming antsy, noticing their missing peers as well as Arthur's lack of presence. Even though the whole facility breathes easier when he's not lurking around, it's still causing turmoil—as if things are slipping out of control.
There's very little that patients control here, and what they do is slowly being taken. I imagine Christopher has his work cut out for him, probably another reason his termination was temporarily rescinded. William Elsher is unlikely capable of managing the patients and their growing hostilities. Plus, knowing Arthur and my father, they want to keep Christopher where they can see and control him. That way, if they notice his insubordination, they can step in.
Attempt to, anyway.
"Yes," Christopher confirms, sounding relieved. "Have you had any luck with the security systems?"
"Not yet. But we are aiming to strike soon. It's a fine line. If we act too quickly and aren't prepared, it's likely the missing patients will become collateral damage."
"But leaving them is causing irreparable harm."
