knowing his old man would lose big at the unexpected outcome? Screwing with us is one thing, but Ronan?”
“According to Jasper, Brendan has gone rogue. Thinks Ronan is never gonna hand over power to him. He’s been causing a lot of fucking trouble since his return from the grave.”
Sadie’s annoyance came through clearly and I couldn’t help but wonder what this meant for the rest of us. “He knows how things work and figured fucking over the old man and the Ashby’s was a double win situation.”
Thankfully, the car came to a stop at Ashby Manor, and I was free to make my escape, though progress was a slow and only with the help of Vanessa.
“Don’t go too fast,” she warned. “The doctor said to take it easy with those stitches and staples for another week.”
“Fucking staples,” I groaned. “Nessa, whatever you do, never get shot. Hurts like hell, and the recovery is worse.”
Her full lips pulled into a sardonic grin. “I’ll try to remember that. Thanks.” A few minutes later we were inside my private space. It looked fit for a sixteen-year old’s slumber party.
“What the hell is all this?”
“This was Maisie’s contribution to your homecoming. She had to get back to the casino because some aerospace billionaire showed up unannounced with a thousand different wants. Her words, not mine.”
I half listened to Vanessa with tears in my eyes because somehow Maisie knew how to make me feel better. The place was decorated in my favorite flowers; hip hop music blared from the sound system, and I ran into stacks of fast food and junk food everywhere I turned.
“In case I get famished on my way to the bathroom?” I joked but regretted it when my laugh brought a stab of pain.
Vanessa’s eyes twinkled when she shook her head. “To encourage you to keep going when you don’t think you can.”
“Shit. Don’t make me cry. I’m already limping around; I don’t need to look like a bloated pig on top of that.”
“Like you could if you tried. Have a seat.”
I did as I was told and looked around my living room with a watery smile while Vanessa grabbed one of my bags that Oliver set by the door.
“How’s your pain?”
“In my gut or my chest?” She arched dark brows at me and smiled.
“About a seven.” But it was a solid fifteen in my heart.
“Okay, I’ll give you a full pill now with your antibiotics since we have all this food around. Later you only get half a pill.”
“Got it, Doc.” Vanessa’s cheeks turned pink, and she rolled her eyes.
“Hey, not that I don’t appreciate it but why are you playing nurse to me when we could just hire someone?”
“I wanted to help because you were so kind to me at Lance’s memorial, making me smile when I didn’t think I’d ever smile again.”
Damn, did I know anyone in the world who was just sweet as pie like Vanessa?
“You could’ve just called and told me to eat, Nessa. You don’t need to nurse me back to health. You know Jas owns the hospital; we have great nurses.”
She shrugged. “This gives me something to do, someone to take care of, which my shrink says will help with my grief. So once again, you’re helping me out.”
“Glad I could help,” I told her sarcastically.
“Me too,” she shot back, showing a glimpse of the spitfire Lance always said she was. “Pizza or burgers?”
“What’s the rush?”
“The painkillers will knock you out quickly so we need to get food in you so you don’t get sick. So?”
Hands on her hips and determination on her unfairly beautiful face, I realized I only knew the grief-stricken Vanessa. Now, I was curious to know the woman.
“Pizza, not spicy. Fingers crossed I can get that down.” My appetite was coming back, but abdominal wounds made my return to normal eating slow.
She smiled. “Coming right up.”
We chatted about nothing in particular while we ate and as promised, I was knocked out before I finished my slice of cheese pizza.
***
A light but insistent knock in the distance pulled me from a deep sleep. I sat up slowly, wincing with every inch that brought me to a sitting position. Looking around with unfocused eyes and a foggy mind, my shoulders relaxed when I realized where I was.
Home.
I just returned home today after spending a week in the hospital because I’d been shot. It was the same way I’d woken up every single day since it happened, disoriented and them remembering all the