Page 118 of Hard Bargain

“Her vital signs are steady. Her heart rate and breathing are under control.”

Knox swallowed. “But she’s not awake?”

“She’s still unconscious. That’s not unusual in a case like this. It may take some time, but she’s responding well.”

The tension in Knox’s chest loosened. He let out a deep breath, the first real one since they’d gotten here. “Can I see her?”

“Yes. We’re moving her to a room now. A nurse will come get you shortly.”

Knox nodded. “Okay. Thank you.”

The doctor moved on. Knox stood there a moment longer, letting the words repeat until they started to feel real.

He sat back down, closer than before, his hand finding Dominic’s instantly. It was the most natural thing he’d ever done and the scariest at the same time.

Dominic’s fingers closed around his.

And Knox held on.

Chapter 31

Dominic

The elevator doors opened, pale morning light spilling in through the windows and cutting through the loft in long lines.

Knox followed him out. There was no energy left in him. It showed in the way he moved, the slight drag of his steps, his body trailing behind the rest of him. The night had gotten its hands on him and left marks.

Dominic felt his jaw tighten—he didn’t fucking like it.

“Go sit down for a bit,” he said, moving toward the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of water and a banana, something easy that Knox didn’t have to think about. He brought both back and put them in Knox’s hands. “You need to eat and drink something.”

Knox looked at them like he’d forgotten what food was for, then ate without argument. Bite by bite. Swallow by swallow. Like someone who’d been told to keep functioning and was doing his best.

Dominic stood there and watched him. He didn’t like seeing him like this. He felt anger rise, aimed at the woman in the hospital bed who kept doing this to him. He didn’t care that she was sick; that wasn’t a consideration he had room for right now. All he could see was what it had done to the boy sitting on his couch looking like everything essential had been scraped out of him.

Knox had asked to stay here. Said he didn’t want to go back to his apartment. Dominic hadn’t needed to think about it. There was no chance in hell he would have taken him back there. Knox just didn’t need to know that.

“Come on,” Dominic said. “Let’s go to bed.”

Knox looked up at him. “Your bed?”

“Yeah,” Dominic said. “My bed.”

Whatever it meant, whatever it changed, it didn’t matter right now. Knox was staying with him, close enough that Dominic wouldn’t have to question if he was alright.

Knox looked away. “I can sleep on the couch.”

“No.”

“I don’t mind—”

“Knox.” He waited until those blue eyes came back up. “You’re not taking the couch.”

“It’s your bed,” Knox whispered.

“I know,” he said. “That’s why.”

Dominic didn’t look away. Didn’t pretend it was an ordinary offer. It wasn’t. Knox knew it too. Dominic saw it in the brief hesitation, in the way his gaze dropped and lingered. Like he understood the significance of it but didn’t quite know what to do with that understanding.