Page 215 of Mile High Ruin

He’s probably the only man in Vadim’s circle I have never been afraid of. Even now, after everything, there’s something mild about him that makes following him feel less dangerous than standing here imagining helicopters.

We take the elevator together. Neither of us speaks. When the doors open, I realize immediately that this part of the hospital is nothing like the floor Ethan has been on. The corridor is quieter, wider, with private nursing stations and rooms that look closer to expensive hotel suites than medical wards.

I follow Iosef to the end.

Ethan is there.

For a second, I can’t process what I’m seeing. His new room is enormous compared to the old one, with a separate sitting area, private nursing station and enough medical equipment around the bed to make the previous room look almost temporary. Two doctors are speaking beside the monitor while another specialist I’ve never seen before reviews scans on a large screen mounted near the wall.

Ethan is still asleep. But he’s here.

I turn slowly. “What is this?”

“Courtesy of Vadim.” Anton’s voice comes from behind me.

I look over my shoulder. He approaches with his phone in one hand.

“What does that mean?” I ask.

“It means your brother is staying here now.”

I glance toward Ethan again.

Anton continues, “He will have round-the-clock private nursing, and the specialists Vadim contacted started arriving this morning.”

My mouth goes dry. “Specialists?”

“Three so far. Another is flying in tonight.”

I stare at him. “Flying in from where?”

“Different places.”

“That doesn’t answer me.”

Anton’s expression barely changes. “The people considered best at treating his condition.”

I look through the glass again. One of the doctors is speaking to Ethan’s regular physician. Another is reviewing his medication history. Everything I’ve spent months begging people to take seriously is suddenly happening around him at once.

“He did this?” I ask.

“Yes.”

“All of it?”

“Yes.” Anton puts his phone away. “Your brother will get the best treatment available, Sloane. Vadim made sure of that.”

I can’t speak.

A soft chime sounds behind us, and the elevator doors open. I turn, to see Vadim standing inside. The faint red mark from my hand is still visible across his cheek.

Our eyes meet.

35

VADIM

She walks toward me before I can decide whether I should go to her.