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Her chin whipped in my direction, lashes damp around her enormous eyes. “You got stabbed four times!”
I grimaced. “That’s it?”
It definitely felt like it was more. It felt like my entire innards were turned to Swiss cheese. I could scarcely breath from the diaphragm without wanting to curl into a tight ball.
“That’s is?” Lavena practically shrieked. “Are you fucking stupid? That’s a lot. Like four times too many.”
“Do you remember when you made those dumplings and we all had to live in the bathroom for two days? It feels a little like that.” The teasing comment had the exact effect I’d been aiming for.
Lavena huffed, pulling back. “We all swore we would never speak of that.”
It was true, but she wasn’t crying anymore. Her eyes weren’t full of tears and sadness. I took the win.
“Where is everyone?”
She rubbed a hand under her nose. “Mom and Dad went home. Edmund is here somewhere. He got a call he had to take. Kas is home. Her dad has a deposition in the morning and she’s helping. Sasha is doing Sasha things.”
I lifted a brow. “What’s Sasha things?”
Lavena shrugged. “Taking care of stuff.”
The level of secrecy had my gaze flicking to the woman in my right. Kami was looking down at our joined hands, oddly transfixed by my thumb.
“Who was it?” I glanced at my sister. “Volkov?”
Lavena raised her chin in defiance. “You don’t need to worry about that right now. You’re supposed to be resting.”
I ignored her and faced Kami. “What happened?”
Her soft eyes lifted hesitantly through dark lashes. “Yes,” she murmured.
My sister hissed through her teeth. “We agreed!”
Kami sighed, shoulders slumping. “I know, but he has a right to know.” Lavena merely shook her head, and Kami continued. “He hired someone to do the job.”
I wasn’t surprised.
It didn’t surprise me that it was Volkov behind it. I hadn’t surprised me before learning the truth from Edmund and it didn’t surprise me after. Volkov was reacting exactly how anyone in his position would. Ivan may have been scum but he’d been Uriah’s son. Doing nothing would have been weak, an opening for others to come after him and his business. He was setting an example.
“At least it’s over now,” I said more to myself. I closed my eyes and sank into the stuff mattress and flimsy pillow. “We just have to move on and leave it alone.” It didn’t take the heavy silence from the pair to clue me in. It was the topic that had started this conversation. My eyes snapped open and shot to my sister who was casting guilty sidelong glances towards Kami. “What is Sasha doing, Lavena?”
“It was me,” Kami blurted in a rush.
I started to ask what the hell she was talking about when the door opened and frazzled nurse bustled in. She cast annoyed glances at the men at the door, but straightened her expression with she saw me awake.
“Oh good, you’re up.” She hurried over. “How are you feeling?”
In minutes, she had my blood pressure and temperature checked. She drew back my cover and rolled up my hospital gown.
“Hey, whoa!” I yelped without thinking.
She shot me two raised eyebrows and an amused smirk. “I need to check your bandages.”
I knew that, but I hadn’t been expecting the invasion, especially with Lavena standing several feet away, not paying attention but still there.
She caught me staring at her and rolled her eyes. She turned away.
The nurse went about her job examining my stitches and wraps. I was asked a series of questions that were jotted them down in the clipboard at the foot of the bed. I responded with only half a mind as I watched my sister and Kami huddle off to one side, heads bent together conspiratorially. I didn’t need to be a fly on the wall to know I wasn’t going to like whatever had the two looking so panicked.
