Loverboy (The Company #2) - Sarina Bowen Page 0,105

willing to handle, just so I can spend more time with the person who really matters.

Gunnar can’t die. Our story isn’t over yet.

I stick my hand in the air and hail a taxi. “NYU Medical Center please.” I need to see my man.

When I arrive, it takes me a little while to find Gunnar’s new hospital room. It’s on a special floor for important people—with paneled walls, and a hush that makes it feel more like a hotel than a hospital.

Luckily, I’m already on the list of approved visitors. That’s probably Max’s doing.

I arrive outside Gunnar’s door, which is open. Duff sits quietly in a chair next to the bed. I can’t see Gunnar’s face, though. He has a bandage on his cheekbone, and another on his jaw. His eyes are wrapped, too. But his chest rises and falls with each deep breath, and the sight of it calms me down.

He’s still here. He’s still with me. Now he just has to wake up and be okay.

I’m just about to step into the room when my phone starts to ping with a flurry of texts from Spalding, of all people. Posy, please call me. Saroya has gone missing.

Oh please. Like I’m supposed to care about that? But the texts keep rolling in.

You were right. She was trying to harm your shop.

And she wasn’t pregnant, Posy. She lied about that.

Who lies about that?

I’m beginning to think she’s unhinged. It sounds crazy, but I’m beginning to wonder if she even sought me out to break us up. Remember how she just showed up and said she worked for my health insurance company? I just got off the phone with them. They never sent her!!!!

So that’s what it looks like when Spalding gets a clue. It looks like four exclamation points.

I don’t know what to tell you, I reply. That sounds deeply suspicious. I can’t even guess what she has against me. But this is your problem, not mine. You’re the one who decided that sticking your thumb drive into her USB port was more important than our marriage.

There’s no need to be crude, Posy.

I know it’s petty. But I take a quick photo of my middle finger and text it to him. Because I really don’t see what’s wrong with a little crudeness right about now.

Duff laughs, and I look up to see him watching me. “Rough morning?”

I’m just about to answer him, when I catch sight of Gunnar’s hand. It’s moving! He raises it slowly toward his eyes.

I let out a gasp, and Duff jerks his chin toward his colleague. “Whoa there!” he says, catching Gunnar’s hand as it reaches the bandages. “Careful.”

“Duff?” Gunnar rasps.

And I’m instantly crying. My eyes spout tears, and it’s all I can do to muffle the sob that’s escaping from my chest.

“Yeah man,” Duff says. “Hang on a sec. Let me find someone who works here.”

“Why can’t I open my eyes?” Gunnar asks, sounding disoriented.

I cry harder. Silently.

“There's tape and bandages. Don't panic, okay?” Duff strides toward me, and I step back to get out of the way. I take a deep breath and try to calm down. I’m no use to Gunnar as a weepy mess.

But he spoke. He’s okay!

I cry some more, just because.

A grey-haired nurse has already come running. She bustles into Gunnar’s room and lays a firm hand on his arm. “Mr. Scott, you’re recovering from a major surgery. Try to hold still, okay? We’re paging your doctor.”

“So thirsty,” he says with a groan.

“Would you like a sip of water? I've got a straw.”

“Please,” he whispers.

“Careful,” she says, angling his head up a few degrees. “If you cough, it will hurt.”

He takes a small sip. Then he takes a bigger one, and has trouble swallowing. I hear him cough, and then immediately groan.

“Oh honey,” the nurse says. “What did we just talk about? Here's an ice chip.” She slips it between his lips when he stops coughing. “And how is your pain?”

“Fine,” he grunts around the ice.

“Then I’ll go find that doctor, and he’ll take a look at your eyes.” She hustles out again.

I dig a napkin out of the donut bag and blot my tears away. Duff catches my eye and winks.

“My throat feels terrible,” Gunnar rasps. “Like there's ground glass in it.”

“Maybe there is,” his colleague says.

“What happened?”

“Well, I don’t know how much you remember, but you got shot right before I hauled you out of that basement. You woulda bled out right there in the alley if Pieter didn’t