Page 82 of The Primary Pest
“You’re out of the woods, son.” He cleared his throat. “Looks like you’re going to be fine.”
God, he hoped so. He and Dmytro had both suffered hypothermia in the frigid water. They’d had to raise his core temperature slowly, and it hadn’t been pleasant.
Now Ajax could say he felt comfortable if utterly drained.
His face throbbed where Chet had beaten him, every muscle ached, and it hurt to breathe. His skin had tightened and cracked like leather. He’d have killed for his mother’s moisturizer. Maybe she’d sneak him some. They wouldn’t let him have a burger, but surely they’d let him have that.
“Dmytro has a concussion from the bullet that grazed him,” his father offered. “Combined with hypothermia, they’re not taking any chances. He’s being treated for the seizures—”
“Seizures?” Ajax tried to sit up, but his mother put her hand out to stop him.
His dad gave a slight wince. “He… um, from what they’ll tell me, had a prior concussion with some seizure activity.”
Zhenya nodded. “That occurred a few months ago. It was no longer affecting his performance on the job, but he couldn’t drive, which is why I sent him with Bartosz in place of Peter.”
“Thank God for Bartosz,” said Jackson.
“Peter.” Violet’s lips tightened. “I will have that bastard’s head.”
“He’ll pay for what he’s done.” The Coast Guard caught Peter piloting the trawler alone. They assumed he’d killed the pilot and Chet, who probably believed he was going to be rich and meet pretty girls in Ukraine until the moment Peter put a bullet between his eyes.
Ajax hated that they still had the power to make him feel anything. He wasn’t afraid anymore, but he carried a kind of bottled-up rage.
Until Chet and Peter, Ajax didn’t know what evil was.
Meeting evil face-to-face had changed him.
“So Dmytro’s over the hypothermia,” his father said, bringing his attention back, “but the bullet that graze his head, and the stress of recent trauma seems to have triggered more seizures. They’ll want to keep a close eye on him. I imagine he’ll spend some time in the ICU where they can monitor his brain activity and adjust his medications accordingly.”
“Will he be able to see his daughters?”
“That might have to wait until he’s in a regular room.”
Zhenya added, “Liv will be able to visit for a little while.”
“But who’s going to watch the girls while Liv’s with him?” Ajax asked.
“I will. Don’t worry.” Zhenya put a warm hand on Ajax’s shoulder. “Dmytro is one of my best men. I’ll take good care of him and his family.”
“He’s in good hands, Ajax,” Jackson reassured him.
If Jackson believed it, it must be so. “Okay.”
“Dmytro wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for you. You concentrate on healing,” said Violet. “Concentrate on you.”
As if he’d ever concentrated on anyone else.
The Iphicles staff was doing everything they could to clean up the mess. The girls were all right. Liv would be there for Dmytro. Zhenya would be there for Liv.
And they weren’t in the middle of the ocean anymore.
He remembered Dmytro’s advice:never say things can’t get worse.
“Then it’s all over?”
“We believe so. An arrest was made at the safe house. Your biblical critic’s name is Rafe King, and he was fully armed and ready to act on his threats.”
Ajax gulped. “Rafe? I kept thinking…”
