me hope, so I keep pushing until I manage to open them, the bright light making me snap them shut again immediately.
“Vida?” Drake’s voice sounds beside me. I feel hands on my face smoothing my hair back, so I blink my eyes open once more and see Drake staring down at me with wet eyes.
“Welcome back, Chicken.”
With the tube removed from my throat and about a thousand pillows behind me, I feel a little more comfortable and alert. Well, about as comfortable as someone can be when they’ve been shot in the chest.
I look around the room and see Wyatt, Drake, and Megan, but no sign of the Reid brothers. I try not to react and give away how much it hurts, but it feels like my chest has been cracked open again, and I’m bleeding out.
I focus on one thing at a time and turn to look at Drake, who is sitting next to my bed, watching me warily.
“I’m sorry, Vida, for everything. I didn’t know, it’s no excuse but I swear I didn’t. When I came back I tried to find you, I followed every lead, investigated every sighting. I never stopped, but you were just—”
“A ghost,” I finish, knowing it would have been near impossible to find me. “I heard you reading the letters. I know what Mama did. I can’t pretend that I’m okay with what you did, and I’m not sure we’ll ever get back what we lost but,” I look over at Megan who is standing next to Wyatt, his arm wrapped around her shoulder, “I’m willing to see where things will go.”
Drake takes a deep, shuddering breath, his shoulders relaxing a little. He reaches over and slips his hand in mine. I grip it, although I still don’t have much strength.
“I forgive you, Drake,” I whisper as he presses his head into the mattress beside me.
I feel him shake, but nobody says anything, letting him have his moment. Wyatt turns Megan into his arms and holds her, looking at me, asking me silently if I’m okay.
I nod. I will be.
“Where is everyone else?” I swallow, wincing because that shit hurts, before asking what I really want to know. “Where are Kai and Jude?”
Drake snorts from beside me, lifting his head and wiping a hand over his face.
“Those guys are fucking insane. I’d be kidnapping you away if I didn’t know how much they loved you.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” I point out.
This time it’s Wyatt who laughs. “Someone hurt their woman, where the fuck do you think they are?”
I think about it, remembering the gun firing, the guy’s words.
“The shooter was after Jude. Zodiac sent a hitman—” I pause, looking at Drake. “They went after Zodiac.”
“Yeah, you could say that. Zodiac is dead. He supposedly killed himself, but I’ve never heard of anyone cutting open their stomach and hanging themselves with their own intestines before.”
I shake my head, yeah, that’s not likely.
“Then any business or contact Zodiac had was either signed over to you or burned to the ground. Kristoff Libernesh is dead, his trafficking business shut down. Cash and William are working on relocating people now. All the division heads are making sure business runs smoothly. It’s a sight to be seen for sure. The streets are running with blood, but it seems, sister dearest, your empire is stronger than ever.”
“Where are they?” I ask for what feels like the tenth time. If they don’t tell me, I’m going to climb off this fucking bed and find them myself.
“We’re right here.”
I look up sharply at the sound of Kai’s voice and sob, seeing him standing side by side with Jude.
Drake stands and places a kiss on my forehead before walking over and taking Megan from Wyatt. She looks over at me and waves, and Wyatt offers me a chin lift as everyone leaves except Jude and Kai.
“You came back. I thought—” I whisper as they stalk toward me, one on each side of the bed.
“We’re not going anywhere, Red,” Kai tells me, kissing me softly. I feel my tears start up again, can taste them as he continues to kiss me for a moment before pulling away.
I turn to Jude, who swipes his thumb over the apple of my cheek. “If you ever pull a stunt like that again, I will blister your ass,” he growls before his lips are on mine, harder than Kai’s, a touch of anger still riding him.