Page 468 of Coal Hearts

“Four.”

Glowering at me, Belford hissed, “What exactly did you do to her?”

My hackles rose. “That’s none of your concern.”

“It is as her physician. Did you toss her about? Hit her head? Did you use toys on her? Fuck her? How roughly did you take her?”

Yeah, after the shitty day I’d had, those questions tipped me the fuck over.

“Fuck you and fuck your questions.” I vibrated with enough rage to explode her rooms into splinters. “I’m trying really fucking hard not to hurt you but if you don’t give me what I need, let Ily go, and shut the fuck up, I will snap. And you do not want to make me snap.”

I swallowed blackness. Choked on madness.

Doing my best to leash myself, I hissed, “Give her back to me. Right fucking now.”

Her fingers locked on Ily’s arm. “She needs to sit down and be examin—”

“Ahhh!!” Peter suddenly woke up screaming as Rose cleaned his maimed hand with cotton.

Ily backed up, breaking the doctor’s hold on her. “I can’t stay here. I can’t—”

“It’s okay. I can put you in my room—”

“She’s coming with me.” I shifted the bowl of supplies, ready to grab Ily’s wrist. “I’m not leaving her here.”

“She’s covered in contusions. She might have internal bleeding thanks to the soft tissue bruises.” Dr Belford almost spat on my feet as her rancour grew. “You shot her like an animal. I’ve had enough of you creeps. All of you. I wish you’d just—”

“Melanie.” The nurse left a catatonic Peter and darted to her colleague. “Remember where you are, who he is, and calm down, alright?”

Melanie’s nostrils flared as she sucked in a breath.

For a moment, she looked as if she’d stab me with a scalpel, but slowly, the rage in her pretty older face turned into weary hate. “I’m sorry, Master H. Forgive me.”

“Focus on Peter.” Clicking my fingers and striding to the door, I ordered, “Ilyana, come. I’ve had enough of this place.”

I had to leave.

Before I lost it.

Ily’s gorgeous golden eyes met mine just as Peter woke up again, mumbling with hallucinations and knocking over the bowl of disinfectant.

He screamed in pain.

Ily shifted toward him.

And something terrible happened.

A soft cry on her lips.

A weak press of her hand to her head.

Then she staggered.

And fell.

Crumpling, tumbling—

Tossing the metal bowl away, I hurled myself forward and caught her just before she cracked her skull on the flagstone pavers of the doctor’s lounge.