Chapter Forty-Three

Danica

R elief fills me as a myriad of emotions fight for attention in my overcrowded brain. Jonathan is clearly in pain, but he is awake, and he is making jokes at my expense. Despite his pasty, dull pallor and clouded vision, glimpses of my friend poke through the surface and if that doesn’t bring me hope that he will be alright, then nothing else will. His laughter quickly turns into a grimace as he gasps in pain, and I reach over to press the call button to summon his nurse as she steps in the room.

“Good timing on my part, it looks like! Good morning, my name is Susan and I will be your nurse today.” Short, with blue scrubs, dark hair beginning to show faint streaks of gray in the tightly pulled-back bun, and laugh lines at the corner of her eyes, a woman whom I’m assuming is his nurse enters the room, with Finn following closely behind.

“You’re awake. Lovely. How are you feeling dear?” Even as she makes conversation, I watch in fascination as she bustles around the room, checking the various machines and adjusting Jonathan’s bedding.

Jonathan grimaces once more, only this time I think it is more from having someone else take care of him; he has never been good at playing the sick patient. “I’ve been better.”

“Mmm, yes, I can certainly see that. Looks like you’ve been through the ringer, young man. I’m going to check your blood pressure and your temperature now. How would you rate your current pain level on a scale of one to ten? ”

Again, multitasking while she talks, she reaches over to his uninjured arm and expertly places a cuff with a Velcro wrap around his arm to take his blood pressure, pressing a button on the monitor to start it before quickly swiping the thermometer across his forehead.

“Oh, you know. . . I’ve definitely had worse. Maybe a three or four.”

The monitor gives a soft beep, signaling the machine is done taking his blood pressure and she stops, face deadpan as she gazes back at him, waiting with one eyebrow raised.

“Young man, you have been shot; clearly went through some sort of altercation, and had significant blood loss. Not to mention enduring several hours of surgery after the fact. Now look- you and I are a team, and we have to work together in order to get you back to fighting form, but that is only going to happen if you are completely honest with me.” She pauses, waiting for a response.

“Oh, stop being such a hero, Loverboy. You’re not impressing anyone with the tough guy act.” Theo’s tone is dry, and I watch as he shoves his hands in his pockets. If I didn’t know better, I would swear Theo was trying not to punch Jonathan. He shoots me a sardonic look, quirking a brow as if to say “Who me? Punch the dude lying injured in the hospital bed? I would never. . .” And I know that truly he wouldn’t, not in front of me, at least.

Finn steps forward, moving to stand next to me as he watches on. Once again, a quiet observer to the tense social dynamic that always seems to orbit around him whenever Theo and I are in close proximity.

“Jonathan.” His voice is quiet, but we are all so surprised when he speaks that it captures our attention. Finn just gives a soft nod at his friend.

Closing his eyes- from exhaustion or embarrassment, I’m not sure- Jonathan releases a shaky breath.

“Honestly?” He pauses for so long that I am starting to question whether he drifted back off to sleep, but to her credit, Susan just stands by his side, waiting for a response while reaching for the stethoscope draped along the base of the monitor. As she places it against his skin, Jonathan jerks slightly, and his eyes crack open once more.

“Yeah, it hurts. More than I would like it to.”

Her eyes glance up, observing him quietly. “And on a scale of one to ten?”

Jonathan’s eyes drift closed once more, exhaustion weighing on his normally unflappable features, and a soft groan escapes as he tries to settle further into the bed, searching for a more comfortable position. “Probably closer to a seven. ”

She nods in response, continuing, “Sorry hun, a little cold. I’ll be done in a jiffy but I need to check the stitches. Would you like some privacy while I look it over?”

She pauses, for a moment but Jonathan is quick to respond. “No, s’kay. They’re family.”

Without further hesitation, she finishes listening to his heart and lungs before replacing the stethoscope and moving on to his dressing. Gently, she lifts the tape holding the bandage in place, and I cringe sympathetically as I continue to observe. I am not squeamish by any means. Blood and gore don’t really bother me. God knows, after the hell I went through and my own brutal wounds I withstood, I would be in a hell of a lot worse mental state if I couldn’t stomach the sight of some blood or stitches.

But this is Jonathan, not myself. And he has been a pillar on which I have leaned for years. For all the clandestine assignments he has overseen and subjected himself to, for all our intense physical training, I have never seen him like this. And seeing someone I have come to care for and rely on lying in a hospital bed, shot because of me? Well, that is one thousand times worse than if I had been on the receiving end of that bullet.

“Don’t.” I glance up sharply, his tone drawing my attention away from the dressing nurse Susan is checking. My brows furrow.

“Don’t even try to blame yourself for this one, Ellis. Wrong place, wrong time, on my part. But it’s better that it happened to me rather than someone else, especially you. I’ll be fine. You know me.”

His attempt to reassure me with his charismatic smile is diminished as he winces at the nurse’s gentle ministrations. I haven’t left his side since everyone first came into the room, though I have readjusted as needed to avoid being in the way, and I reach out now to gently squeeze the leg next to me that is covered under the rough hospital blanket.

“Looks good. I’m going to go let your doctor know that you are awake, and I will be back shortly with your next dose of medication.” Not waiting for a response, nurse Susan turns on her heel and moves smoothly out of the room, leaving the four of us silently staring at one another.

Jonathan glances over at Finn, his firm tone at odds with the weariness on his features as he speaks with his business partner. “Amadare,”

A subtle nod is the only indication that his cohort heard him. Finn walks closer to Jonathan's bedside, moving away from where he had been standing next to Theo. Admittedly, I almost forgot he was here, I was so focused on Jonathan’s interaction with his nurse. You know, if you could forget the heavy weight of a brooding, 210lb, six-foot-three defensemen staring you down from across the room.

“Take Danica home with you, ‘kay? I don’t want her going home by herself until we figure out this mess and track down the mole. She shouldn’t be alone right now.” Jonathan cuts a tight smile in my direction before once again looking at his business partner and friend.

I nod in quiet agreement. It makes sense. Normally, I would crash at Jay’s place under circumstances such as these, but obviously it’s not a good idea for me to be alone right now. Not even at his place. Not if they truly do have a mole in their own company. So, Finn’s place, it is.

“Oh. . . ah. . . no. I mean. . .” Finn appears flustered as he takes in his friend’s request, which is odd. Finn is never one to have his feathers ruffled. The three of us stare, unable to look away from such an unusual sight. “No, I mean, of course she shouldn’t be alone right now. And your place is not an option until you are back up to par. But uh. . .” Shifting on his heels uncomfortably, he taps silent fingers along his thigh as he tries to muddle through this conversation. Well damn, now I know something is up. Finn is fidgety as fuck. “You can’t go to my place because I’m not home either.”

Hello, captain obvious.

“What I mean to say is, I am going to be in the office having to work pretty much around the clock until I figure this shit out and get to the bottom of what's going on. Clearly, we can’t rely on our team at the moment, so I need to be there in person while I try to figure out who attacked you, and what’s happening with Danni and Theo’s harassment letters they have been receiving. So, my place really isn’t a good option either right now. And I doubt, Danni, that you are going to want to crash on my office couch round the clock.” He shakes his head adamantly.

“No. That will never do.”

Looking to his friend lying on the hospital bed, face contemplative for a moment as he processes, his features brighten as an idea passes through that brilliant mind of his. “You should just go stay with Theo. Yeah. That will do. T has a place downtown, so it should be easy for you to get to and from your work still, Danni. And he has men that can help keep an eye on things while I try to get my team sorted out.”

Finnley nods to himself, as if pleased with this notion, while Jay just lay on his bed, face stormy as he takes in his friend’s solution. My stomach in knots, I can feel myself shaking my head in disagreement, even before the words leave my mouth .

“I-”

“Of course, she can stay with me. I’ve got plenty of space and good men that I can trust to help keep an eye on things. In fact, I’ll send a few your way, Finn, to lend a hand. They are good at that techy-stuff; though obviously not as good as you. But still, they might be able to help until you get things sorted out.” I cut a sharp glance across the room to Theo and my stomach turns sour as I see that he is positively beaming, totally happy to play host and savior once more.

“No, that’s okay really. I don’t think-”

“Where else are you going to go, passerotto? Finn’s not going to be around, Jonathan’s house is out of the question-” his tone is biting as he says this last part, “and there is your brother’s place, but again, it’s not secure and there is no one nearby if you end up needing help. Look, I know you aren’t the same girl that I met all those years ago, and I know damn well that you can take care of yourself. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Come stay with me. I’ve got plenty of space. And honestly, between practice and games, you’ll probably see more of my guys than you will of me anyway, if that’s what’s making you uncomfortable.” He raises a knowing brow in my direction, my attempt to hide my obvious discomfort clearly ineffective.

“Danica-” Jonathan cuts in softly, drawing my attention to his tense features. “They’re right. I don’t like it. Not one fucking bit. But going back east to stay with your brother or Sierra isn’t an option, and I know you would lose your shit if we tried to tell him what happened, and asked him to come here.”

I watch as Jay closes his eyes in resignation.

“Please. Just go with him. I need to know you’re safe while I’m stuck here. Until I can take over. . .”

I bite my lip, reluctant to agree to this. Theo’s right. I’m not that girl anymore. I have worked my ass off, trained for years in various forms of self-defense and I refuse to play the part of the damsel in distress, the princess stuck in her ivory tower needing a knight to save her. I should just tell them to fuck off, that I will be fine at my own place, but then I think back to the note, the blood, and a chill runs down my spine.

Hesitantly, I glance between Jonathan and Finn, my friends. Two people who I trust more than anything. And then look over to Theo, only to find his hooded eyes watching me, features expressionless, not wanting to give anything away. I trusted him once, a lifetime ago, and he destroyed that fragile bond that had been woven between us. But that was with my heart. Logically, I know he wouldn’t let anyone put me in danger, wouldn’t let anything happen to me if it was within his means to prevent it. The question is, can I put aside my heart to let my mind be in charge? With Theo, I honestly don’t know.