Page 201 of A Second Dawn

Leaving Tiero when he’s so vulnerable just seems wrong, even if Claudette assures me we’ll be reunited as soon as Tiero is out of the woods.

Would he truly understand?

Or would he be disappointed in me for leaving him—even if only temporarily?

Twisting the hem of my sweater in my hands, I stare at the door, willing a doctor to appear with good news. But it remains closed.

Each muffled sound from the hallway makes me jump, my senses heightened to the point of agony.

Time stretches and distorts. The minutes are like hours, the hours like days. The longer this wait goes on, the more my mind spirals down a labyrinth of dreaded what-ifs. I just can’t help it. And each turn leads to a darker corner of my fears.

Unable to sit any longer, I get up and pace the room. The pattern on the floor tiles blurs beneath my restless feet. I sense the eyes of Tiero’s men on me. They add to the weight of uncertainty pressing down on me and threatening to suffocate any semblance of hope.

I glance at the clock. The third hour is up.

I’m trapped in this anguished limbo, praying for a miracle.

The door to the waiting room slide open, and my feet stop moving. A doctor steps in, his tall frame exuding an air of quiet authority.

For some bizarre reason, my attention goes to his silver-streaked dark hair first. It’s neatly combed back from his forehead. Good, he’s got experience and isn’t a rookie performing his first surgery. I’m reluctant to let my gaze travel to his face, too afraid of what I might find there.

“Miss O’Neil?” he asks softly, and I nod, my throat too constricted to form words. I can no longer avoid looking at him.

The serious expression on the doctor’s face has my heart stop, literally—it’s no longer beating.

Oh God, please, no!

My lungs are unable to draw in oxygen. The bottom falls out of my stomach, tumbling into free-fall.

Ade and Claudette rush to my side, their arms protectively winding around me. It’s the only reason I’m still standing.

“I’m Dr. Benjamin Hartley, the lead surgeon,” he introduces himself, his eyes flickering over the room. “May we speak somewhere more private?”

My fearful eyes connect with Claudette’s as we follow Dr. Hartley out of the room.

This is bad, isn’t it?

Everything inside me coils like a tightly wound spring.

Shuffling noises from behind make me look over my shoulder. Antonio is trailing us, as are Roberto and Franco.

Hell no. They’re not coming along.

I pin Antonio with a glare. Despite my boiling anxiety, I manage to get out. “Stay here.”

He shoots daggers at me, but I couldn’t care less. My world is about to come crashing down, and I don’t want him around to witness my demise.

Dr. Hartley steps in even before Aiden can open his mouth.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I have to ask you to wait with the others.” He points at the waiting room. “This is for family only.” Looking at my companions, he adds, “And those Miss O’Neil chooses to have with her for support.”

Antonio turns back with a murderous scowl on his face. Franco and Roberto, of course, keep shadowing us from a few feet behind. At Dr. Hartley’s raised eyebrow, Ade says, “They’ll be waiting outside the room.”

The walk down the corridor to Dr. Hartley’s office feels like walking up to the guillotines.

Is Tiero alive? Did he make it through surgery?

The echo of my footsteps amplifies the anxiety that churns within me. With every step, my heartbeat grows louder, a frantic rhythm that matches the cadence of my racing thoughts.

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