allow that, nor would I. So, I took on the cost and made up some insurance program so Dove wouldn’t know. The nursing home has my number, but I told them to only contact me if something was wrong.
Hitting play, I listen to the message.
“Hello, Mr. Brennan, this is Julie from the Westfield nursing home. You wanted us to call you if something happened to Mrs. Miller. I’m afraid to say she had a stroke this morning. She was rushed to the hospital and is currently in critical condition. Last I heard, she was in the ICU. I’m sure the hospital can give you more information. I’m sorry I had to do this over the phone…”
I end the recording, I’ve heard enough. My stomach twists, and my heart rate skyrockets. Resisting the urge to throw the damn phone across the room, I close the laptop and lock everything up.
Fuck, fuck, fuck…
What am I supposed to do now? There’s a hit out on my head. Dove is still in huge danger. We can’t leave the safety of the bunker… but if I don’t let her go and Donna dies. Fuck, if she dies and Dove doesn’t get to say goodbye, she’ll hate me forever.
21
I know something is wrong before I even open my eyes. It’s just a feeling lingering in the air. A feeling that something bad is going to happen. Moving my hands to Zane’s side of the mattress, I find the spot empty and cold. Zane isn’t next to me. My heart clenches a little, and I blink my eyes open and sit up, looking around the room.
The room is dark, the only light source coming from the bathroom. The door to it is only cracked, not letting a whole lot of light in. I almost don’t see him. Zane is sitting on the edge of the bed, his elbows resting on his knees, his head in his hands like he’s defeated. I know instantly that something is wrong.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, my voice still wrapped up in sleep. I throw the blanket off my body and crawl over to him. As he promised, I feel an ache between my legs with every move I make, a reminder of what we did last night.
Placing my hand on his shoulder, I ask again, this time a little more urgently. “Zane, what’s wrong?”
He raises his hand and places it on top of mine before he starts talking. I look down at it. The gesture so gentle and kind it’s a stark reminder that he can be both kind and possessive.
“I’m sorry, Dove. I have some bad news for you.” The way he’s looking at me almost shatters me. He takes a deep breath like he’s afraid to tell me. The guy who kills people for a living, who stalked and kidnapped me is afraid? Whatever he has to say is going to be bad, but I have to know. I have to.
“Please, tell me!” My voice comes out more demanding than I wanted it to, but I can’t help it. I need to know what’s wrong.
Zane sighs, his eyes filling with panic. “It’s Donna… she’s had a stroke, Dove.”
I hear the words right away, but it’s almost like they don’t make it further than my ear. Somehow, my brain doesn’t understand them. What happened? The information sinks in slowly, and seconds pass before my brain can comprehend what he is telling me, but once it does, dread consumes me.
“Donna? Donna had a stroke?” I ask as if I didn’t hear him the first time. He nods, and I try to ask my next question. “Is she…”
“She is alive, but she’s not doing well. The nursing home said she’s in critical condition—”
“I need to see her!” I cut him off mid-sentence. “Zane, you need to let me go.” I tug on his arm.
“I know… but I need to make preparations. I need to make sure it’s safe for you.”
“Safe for me? I don’t give a shit about my safety. The only parent I ever had is in the hospital dying, and I need to be there! Right now!” Please let him see how important this is to me because if he doesn’t… if he doesn’t take me to her. “Zane, if she dies and I’m not there, I will never forgive you.”
He suddenly jumps up from the bed, his large body looming over me. “You think I don’t know that! You might hate me forever, but at least you’ll be alive! At