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Chapter Twenty-eight
V
My eyes fluttered open, and then immediately shut again as light speared my brain. Everything hurt, and I groaned, wanting to go back to sleep and hide from the pain I knew awaited me.
What had happened?
Then I remembered. The accident. The car plowing into us. I remembered what had happened leading up to that—a vehicle shoving us forward from behind. Had it even been an accident?
Oh, God. X. Was he all right?
Only my worry for his safety made me open my eyes. The room was white and too bright. Machines beeped around me, and I could smell the tang of disinfectant on the air.
Someone was holding my hand, a pressure around my fingers.
I forced myself to focus, turning my head, even though the movement sent pain shooting up through my neck and skull. My vision was blurry, but gradually cleared, and I wilted with relief.
X was sitting at my bedside. He was holding my hand, but was asleep in the chair, his chin on his chest. I noted the bandage around his head, a massive bruise spreading down one side of his face. I’d been on the side of the car where the other vehicle had hit. How was I not dead? If this had been deliberate, I was sure I would have been. Or maybe it had only ever been meant as a warning.
X must have sensed me watching him. His eyes opened, and the moment they did, he jumped to his feet.
“Thank God, you’re awake.”
He kissed my face and I realized my cheeks were wet. Had I been crying when I’d been unconscious or asleep? Perhaps only then had my body been able to break through the walls I’d built around my emotions.
“Fuck, Vee,” said X. “I thought I was going to lose you. I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
“What happened?” I asked, my voice a croak. I thought I remembered, but wanted to check I hadn’t missed something.
“We were in an accident. A car hit us from the side after we were pushed into traffic by some asshole ramming into us from behind.”
I nodded, the movement causing me to wince again. “I remember. You think that’s what it was? An accident.”
“The driver of the truck that rammed us ran off, so the police are classing it as a hit and run.”
“A carefully orchestrated one,” I said.
“Yeah, I agree. I don’t think they wanted us dead, or we would be. If the truck hadn’t killed us, someone would have pulled a gun and shot us while we lay there.”
Something occurred to me. “What about the guns we had?” I lowered my voice. “If police were on the scene, didn’t they question where the guns had come from?”
X shook his head. “I only lost consciousness for a couple of seconds. I managed to wipe them and throw them into the truck when I’d gone to see who’d driven into us. The police would think the guns belonged to the driver. Perhaps they think that’s the reason he took off after hitting us.”
“But what about the fact we were driving Harvey’s car?”
“I told the cops Harvey had loaned it to me, saying he had to fly somewhere on business. They have a record of Harvey Baglione picking me up from the hospital, so they have no reason to find it suspicious. If his body ever turns up, though, the police are sure to come asking more questions.”
“Shit.”
“Don’t worry. I don’t plan on us sticking around long enough to be tracked down.”
“What about my father?” I started to say, but we were interrupted by a nurse entering the room, a bright smile on her face. I resented the intrusion. I needed to know what was happening. My father was still out there, and he had my sister.
“Hey, you’re awake,” said the nurse. She shot X a disapproving look. “You should have called someone.”
“I was about to,” he said. “She literally just opened her eyes.”
“Well, the good news is that there’s no major damage. You have some bruising around your throat and neck, which we think must have been caused by the seatbelt, plus a concussion and some whiplash, but nothing that’s going to cause any lasting damage.”
