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There was a knock on the door. “Phlebotomy,” a voice said, and she called for them to come in. A man dressed in scrubs stepped inside the room wearing a surgical mask and carrying a tool kit.

“Are you sure you have the right room?” she asked when he set the tub on the bedside table. “Someone just drew my blood about thirty minutes ago.”

“I’m positive I’ve got the right room,” he said as helowered his mask. The man before her had a giant bruise covering the left side of his face, but she didn’t need to see that side to recognize him.

“Silas?”

“You act surprised, little sister.” He frowned in an exaggerated, scary dipping of his lips. “Let me guess, our mutual friend found the article about my untimely death? I figured if anyone was going to uncover that little tidbit, it would be him. He always stuck his nose where it didn’t belong.”

This wasn’t good. If her brother was in the room, that meant Land hadn’t seen him come in or Silas had done something to him.

“Did you hurt Reece?”

Her brother made the same sarcastic snorting sound he’d made since they were kids. “No, I didn’t touch a hair on his pretty little head. He was talking on the phone, completely ignoring your room. I’m sure he’s tired of all your dramatics by now. God knows I am.”

It looked like she would have to be her own hero again, but this time, it would be much harder to beat the man before her. She’d have to keep him talking until she figured out a plan.

* * *

“THANKS FOR ARRANGINGtheir flights, Mina,” Reece said from the lounge. He had a full view of Sky’s door and was watching it, but he didn’t want her to overhear him talking to Mina. “I know Sky’s mom won’t sleep until she has seen her with her own two eyes. We also want to tell them about Silas in person.”

“Do you think they’ll be surprised to learn he’s dead?”

“Logically? No. Emotionally? Yes. They’re his parents,regardless of everything that’s happened. I think it’s fair to say it will still be a gut punch.”

“True,” Mina agreed. “Lucas stayed behind with Haven. He’s on his way to the hospital now to help you keep an eye on Sky’s room. When it’s time for their flight to arrive, he’ll meet them at the airport and bring them to the hospital. We thought Haven might be a useful addition to the party.”

Reece sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. “Tell Cal I’m fine.”

“Haven is a calming presence when emotions are high and people are facing memories of the past, so we thought he’d be useful when they learned their son was dead. That said, the fact you felt the need to tell me you’re fine concerns me.”

He shook his head with a smile. “I had a moment after the accident, but Cal was there and set me back on the right path. I’m good now.”

“Cal’s good at that,” she agreed.

“Tell Lucas we’re on floor five West. If he texts me when he’s in the parking garage, I’ll run down and meet him.”

“You won’t do that. I don’t want you to leave her there alone. I’ve already sent him her room number. He’ll meet you there.”

“Whatever you say, boss,” he said with a smirk.

“Tell Sky we’re all looking forward to the day when we can share dinner with her again. Sadie is itching to cook for her to help her heal.”

“I’ll tell her. Thanks for everything, Mina. You’ve all gone above and beyond for someone you had never met.”

“We didn’t need to meet her, Reece. She was yours, which made her ours. That’s what makes us Secure One.”

“I still feel fortunate to be part of this team.” He noticed an orderly with a toolbox in his hand knock on Sky’s door before he entered. “It looks like they’re back for more blood on Sky. I better go check on her.”

“Tell her we’re rooting for her. Whiskey, out,” she said, and the line went dead before he could respond.

Reece stood and stretched, his back sore from the hours of sitting once the adrenaline had drained away. The CT scans on Sky had shown broken ribs and a fractured pelvis, not to mention the concussion, but she was going to be okay. They’d keep her in the hospital for at least a week to treat the fractures and prevent bed sores from developing. Once she was released to home, she’d need specially made cushions in her chair and bed that would prevent sores while she finished healing. Despite her osteoporosis, the doctors were confident the fractures would heal well if she took the new medication to promote bone healing and followed their orders. Knowing her injuries wouldn’t give her any problems in the future was a relief to hear after the day they’d had.

The one elephant in the room that hadn’t been addressed was his declaration of love inside the van. He couldn’t be sure she’d heard him, so rather than say anything while she had a head injury and was in pain, he decided to wait until tomorrow—unless she said something today. Cowardly? Yes, but he wasn’t ready to deal with Sky trying to push him away again. She would try, but he wouldn’t allow it. He just needed a day to be with her without making her angry.

He stood to the side of the door and listened, not wanting to walk in and distract the person with a needle in herarm. They had just drawn blood a bit ago, so it was strange they were back, but in a hospital, you came to expect the unexpected.

“Why, Silas? Why do all this?” he heard Sky ask, and his blood ran cold. Silas? He was dead. Was she dreaming? Was the head injury worse than initially thought?