“No,” I say. “He attacked her the first time he met her.”
“He even went as far as to offer us money so we’d give her up,” Raiden says with a disgusted look on his face. “Even threatened to destroy us when we refused.”
“I’m guessing he’s a high-ranking military official?” Dr. Lawson says.
“Yeah,” I say, grinding my teeth.
“Your protectiveness has fired up his predatory instincts,” she says in a low, thoughtful voice. “You’ve got to be careful. He won’t back away from harming you either.”
“He can come at me any time, any day,” Raiden growls with an icy look in his blue eyes. “I’ll gladly kick his ass.”
“Can we see her?” I ask, desperate to know if Iris is truly safe.
“You can see her but you must not wake her yet,” Dr. Lawson says in a suddenly strict voice.
“We won’t,” I promise at once.
“Then, come with me.” Getting to her feet, she leads us out of the visitor’s area.
We follow her through empty hallways until she slides open the door of a private ward.
The subtle scent of roses wafts into my nostrils the moment I step in. She no longer smells of acidic, rotting berries. Her perfume instantly calms me.
Health monitors gently beep in the background as we move closer to the bed.
A dark bruise mars her pale face. I hadn’t noticed it in the dark but even her lips are swollen and injured. The asshole hadn’t held back from striking her.
I fist my hands to control the rage surging through me. The strict doctor can’t know about the way I’m feeling right now or she’d kick me out of here.
Raiden leans forward and gently caresses her golden strands. A pained look is etched on his face. Even though he’s quiet, I can feel his suppressed rage and frustration.
Dr. Lawson gestures toward the door and walks out.
With one last look at Iris, we follow her.
“You can go home,” Dr. Lawson says in a lowered voice. “It’ll be a while before she wakes up.”
“That’s all right,” says Raiden. “We’ll stay.”
“My assistants will look after her,” she tells us. “But, I need to get going now. St. Nikolas needs me to go down there.”
“Thank you for helping Iris.”
“Yeah,” says Raiden. “Thank you for being there for her. No one else could’ve helped her the way you did.”
“Iris is special,” she says with a gentle smile. “I want her to be safe and healthy. Let’s hope her vitals continue to grow stronger.” She nods at both of us and walks away.
Raiden and I go back to the empty visitor’s area.
“Her scent has changed,” says Raiden. “She no longer smells like rotting berries.”
I give a nod. “I know. She’s getting better.”
Raiden is about to say something but I raise my hand, silencing him. My phone is vibrating hard in my pocket.
Taking my phone out, I see Damon’s name flashing on the screen. “Hey,” I say, picking up the call.
“Where the hell are you?” he shouts. “It’s been over five hours since we last talked. There are no updates. No news. Nothing! Did you guys find Iris? Is she safe? Hell, is Raiden okay?”