91. Cin

91

Cin

I fucking hate hospitals. The chemical smell, the endless beeping of machines, and the all-pervading sense that the Grim Reaper is hovering around the corner, just out of sight.

Madden feels the same way. He hasn't forgotten the weeks he spent recovering from the incident that wiped out our comrades.

Nor have I. The nightmares don't come as often as they used to, but I'll never forget the sight of my friend, bleeding out into the dust as I dragged him away from the burning wreckage of the Humvee.

A nurse walks in with a clipboard, shattering my maudlin thoughts. She checks the machines, makes notes, and then leaves while the three of us sit around Tessa's bed, waiting for her to wake.

She came out of surgery some time ago, but the doctor said it would be a while before she woke up. The operation was a success. Thank God the bullet didn't hit any vital organs. A few millimeters to the left and it would have hit her heart and likely been fatal. Which I'm sure was the intention.

At least the witch is dead. Ding Dong .

A pediatrician whisked Chloe away the minute we arrived. Kade insisted she had a full health check to ensure she was unharmed. The nurse came down an hour ago to say she was fine, despite having been being sedated by the Russian cunt. They wanted to keep her overnight as a precaution.

Kade's gone to give Alberto an update and Madden went to fetch us all coffee. Tessa's hand is firmly grasped in mine. There is so much I want to say to her, but each time I open my mouth, the words stick in my throat. She's been through so much, and yet she's still here. Still fighting.

My heart clenches in my chest. I've never known a woman like Tessa. A woman who refuses to give up, despite the shit life has thrown at her.

She makes me want to be a better man.

I'm tired of being a one-dimensional person. A pretty boy who fucks like it's an Olympic sport. I'm sick of all the soulless hookups with people who see me as a conquest they can brag about and show off on social media.

Tessa has never treated me that way. She's not interested in using me, even if I love it when she does use me.

What I have with her is deeper, more profound. She sees me.

Sees the man I can be. The man I want to be.

When I'm with her and Madden, I feel complete. And I know Madden feels the same way.

He's been a different person since he opened up to her. Less grumpy and closed off. He's no longer pushing me away all the time. Yes, he still has Big Daddy Energy, but I love that about him. And so does Tessa. We both get off on him calling the shots.

The only sticking point is Kade.

I know my brother has feelings for Tessa - he likes to think he's a closed book, but really, how he feels is written all over his face whenever he looks at her. He'd do anything for her, but he's still holding himself back.

Most likely because he doesn't think he deserves a future with her. Given everything that's happened to her because of her father, Kade is worried she'll be in danger if he sticks around.

Which is bullshit. If anything, she's safer with us than living on her own.

But that's not a conversation for today. Not while Tessa's still recovering.

"Cin?"

I snap out of my inner monologue to find Tessa looking at me, her gorgeous dark eyes cloudy from the drugs in her system.

"Hey sweetness, I'm here." I squeeze her hand reassuringly.

"What happened?" From the way she winces when she speaks, her throat is sore from being intubated. She gives me a grateful smile when I pass her a cup of water.

"Elena shot you, but you're OK. No permanent damage."

Her brow furrows. "She shot me? Why can't I remember?" Then her expression morphs from confusion to panic. "Chloe? Where's my baby!"

"Tessa, Chloe is—" But she's not listening. The machines go crazy as she attempts to crawl out of bed. A nurse comes running in.

"Tessa! Chloe is fine!"

My words must sink in because she sits back and looks at me. "Then where is she?"

"Please, Miss Radcliffe, you need to remain in bed. You've had surgery and attempting to move is a bad idea," the nurse snaps. I much prefer the other nurse - the nice one. This one has a sour face and is completely immune to my charms. I guess she's not one of my 5.6 million Instagram followers.

"She's upstairs in the pediatric ward. Elena gave Chloe a sedative, so Kade insisted she have a full workup when we brought you both in. The doctor says she's fine, just a bit dehydrated. As soon as Kade gets back from talking to your father, he'll find out when you can see her. OK?"

"That fucking bitch sedated her?"

I can't hide my smile. My girl's back. Going full Mama Bear and ready to burn the world down for her kids. "Yes, but she's gone now."

"Gone?"

I shake my head. The bitchy nurse is hovering, making notes, and fiddling with Tessa's IV. She does not need to hear that Aleks' guy shot Elena in the parking lot of a seedy motel. The evidence has been removed, but still. Better safe than sorry.

"She's left the country."

Tessa narrows her eyes but doesn't pursue that line of inquiry. I'll fill her in once Nurse Ratched has left the room.

The door flies open and a blond woman comes barreling with a tall, tatted dude hot on her heels.

"Stella! Wait! Tessa may not be ready for visitors!" he mutters with exasperation.

"Eat shit and die, Quinn. She's my bestie and I'm not leaving her side until I know she's OK."

"Stella?" Tessa looks up and, for the first time in a while, she smiles. Truly smiles. It's like the sun has come out after an extended spell of shit weather.

"That's me. Here to rescue your ass from incompetent men."

The woman pushes past me like I'm part of the furniture. Her guy rolls his eyes and looks at me apologetically.

It takes me a moment to make the connection. "You're the dude who helped us with the rescue?"

He nods. "Yeah." We both look at the two women. "Tessa is like family. She's always been there for Stella, so it was the least we could do."

The door opens again and a blond surfer-type dude walks in, holding Harry's hand.

"Mommy!" Harry bursts into tears the moment he sees Tessa. Stella sits back and smiles.

"See?" she says to Harry. "I told you Mommy was OK."

"I've missed you, Mommy," Harry sobs. He tries to crawl onto the bed but Stella tugs him back. "What did we say in the car? Mommy's hurt, and she needs to rest, so you're gonna have to be careful for a few weeks." He wipes his nose on his sleeve and sniffs.

"OK."

"I've missed you too, baby." Tessa's eyes shine with tears as she watches him. "And Buttons."

I snort. "How is the little sh... minx?"

Quinn grinds his teeth while Stella laughs. "Well, she chewed one of Brax's Gucci sliders, so that went down well. And then she peed in his sneakers, so honestly? It's a wonder she hasn't been dropped off at the local shelter."

"But she can sit and stay now!" Harry pipes up.

"When she feels like it," the blond guy snorts.

Madden appears in the doorway with three Styrofoam cups of black sludge. He doesn't look at all surprised to see the two guys and a blond woman, so I assume he knew they were coming.

"Sorry, I would have gotten you all coffees if I'd known you were here," he says before his eyes light up when he realizes Tessa is awake.

"We're good. It's cool." Quinn grimaces when he sees the generic white cups. I guess he must have tried hospital coffee before. It really does suck ass. And not in a good way.

"Quinn's a coffee snob," the blond guy says with a laugh.

Quinn rolls his eyes. "Fuck off, Harley."

"That's another dollar in the swear box," Harry chirps, still refusing to let go of his mom's hand.

"Your child is a mini-Brax," Quinn mutters in Tessa's direction, while Harley grins like an asshole.

"Harry's already earned $100 from his swear box," Stella tells Tessa with a smirk. "Having Buttons around has proved very profitable for him."

Nurse Ratched storms in, her carefully coiffed hair so shiny it's like she has a spray-on helmet. "It is not visiting time yet! Only two family members are allowed to stay with the patient. I'll need you all to leave immediately!"

"Sorry, Nurse..." Quinn stares at her name badge before switching on the charm. "Dumper." I can't prevent a snort from escaping and Madden throws me a look that says shut the fuck up before we're all tossed out .

"I'm an FBI agent and Tessa is part of an active investigation. She's also a family friend. These guys are her boyfriends—" He points to me and Madden. "And Stella is her sister." Harry opens his mouth to say something, but Stella claps a hand over it. "So we're all family or here in an official capacity."

"And him?" Nurse Dumper points to Harley, who's lounging against the wall grinning like this is the best show he's seen on Netflix for ages.

"He's Tessa's brother."

"Really?" Dumper scowls while scanning Harley's golden blond hair and hazel eyes, then Tessa's red-brown hair and dark brown eyes. She folds her arms across her ample chest and taps her hospital-issue shoes on the floor. "I'm afraid I'm not seeing the family resemblance."

"Brother from another mother," Harley says, and his grin widens.

The nurse pulls her shoulders back and prepares to launch an offensive because she clearly gives no shits that Quinn is FBI or we're all family, but before she can go off on one, Kade materializes with Chloe in his arms.

"Thanks Nurse... Dumper . Unless there's a medical reason why you need to be in this room, I suggest you leave."

"I'm trying to do my job!" she fumes. If looks could kill, we'd all be dead by now.

"So am I. If you have a problem, I suggest you speak with the Medical Director. He's a good friend of my boss, Alberto Valentino." Nurse Dumper deflates like a popped balloon.

"Alberto Valentino?" she coughs, looking at all of us with a healthy dose of fear.

"That's right. Tessa is his daughter."

"Oh. Well. I'm done here, so..." She reverses back out of the hospital room so fast it's a wonder there aren't skid marks left behind on the linoleum floor.

"Mama!" Chloe yells when she sees her mother, and I swear, I'm about ready to cry at the look on Tessa's face.