Lucius (Acquisition Series #4) - Celia Aaron Page 0,73

me, walked right into Charles’s trap. It was all for me. So much pain. For him. For me. For his whole family. When will it be enough? When will we have suffered enough? I turn my head, even though the agony it causes is like a volcano erupting at the back of my cranium. Lucius is pale and lifeless. His body jerks as Teddy performs CPR.

A wail slips from between my lips. “I need you.” I cry. “Please!”

Lucius doesn’t open his eyes.

With what little strength I can manage, I reach out with my hand and take his. His skin is cold and clammy, but I know he’s alive. He has to be. I won’t give up on him. I can’t. Even when my eyes close, even when my head feels like it’s about to burst, even when I hear Teddy yell, “I can’t get a heartbeat!” Even then, I won’t give up. I’ll never give up on Lucius.

I force my eyes open one more time, and all I can see is Teddy doing chest compressions, trying to force life back into his brother. The cacophony in my head grows louder, and I can’t move anymore. I can’t do anything. How did we get here? I can’t remember. All I know is that Lucius is hurt. He’s dying. He’s dying.

“Lucius, please.” I’ll happily beg him—the man I thought was the devil. I’ll sell Lucius my soul if it makes him breathe again.

But if it doesn’t, I won’t let him go alone. Not when I finally know what it feels like to be loved, to be part of a family. “I’ll be with you no matter what. We’ll go together. You and me. I promise.” I smile as I see him smirking at me with his usual devilish flare, his eyes so bright and full of mischief. “Are you ready? I’m ready.”

No matter what he’s done, he’s mine. His sins are as much mine as they are his. Because he’s part of me. And now I know I love him more than I’ve ever loved anyone.

34

Lucius

“Evie!” I scream into consciousness with her name on my lips.

“He’s awake!” Stella jumps to her feet and rushes to my side.

Sin’s already there glowering down at me. “It’s about fucking time.” He crosses his arms over his chest and looks away. Damn, he must’ve been truly worried. That reaction from him equates to a mental breakdown for a person with actual emotions.

“Where is she?” I peer around the room, my vision a little out of whack but clearing.

“Lucius.” Stella uses a calm tone, one that should be reassuring.

It only causes panic to well up in me. “Evie!” I yell. “Evie!”

A nurse walks in, her sneakers squeaking on the tile floor.

“Where’s Evie?”

“Excuse me?” She checks the beeping machines at my bedside.

“Evie Witherington! Where is she?”

“I can’t give out information on other pati—”

“She’s down the hall. Teddy is with her.” Stella steps in front of the nurse. “But you can’t see her.”

“Why not?”

The nurse finishes her check. “I’ll let the doctor know you’re awake.”

“Teddy knows.” Sin taps a message on his phone.

“Dr. Vinemont is not his doctor.”

“Yes, he is.” I don’t care what bozo they have assigned to me. No one will take better care of me than Teddy. Not to mention he’ll have no problems prescribing me the good stuff.

“Thanks for your help.” Stella gives her a pleasant smile. “We’re good here.”

Stella clearly isn’t able to be convincingly sweet anymore, because the nurse scowls as she turns and leaves.

“Evie. Tell me.” I stare at Stella.

She glances at Sin.

“Take me to her.” I start reaching for the IV stuck in my arm. “Or I’ll find her myself.”

“She’s in a coma.” Sin says and swipes my hand away from the tubing. “Teddy did chest compressions on you until the ambulance arrived and continued doing them until they got you hooked up to a compression machine. It kept you alive until they were able to do a blood transfusion to stabilize you, then surgery on your leg and arm to stop the bleeds and remove the slug fragments.”

I look around. “How long have I been here? What happened to Evie?”

“Three days.” Stella sits in the chair at my bedside. “You’ve been awake a few times, but you were under anesthesia. She had to have surgery, too, and she hasn’t woken up. They’re keeping her sedated so she can heal.”

“Heal what? What’s wrong with her?” I feel like screaming.

“She had a bad concussion that had gone untreated. Her brain started to