Page 48 of Whispers in the Dark
How many were there?
He sighs. “Six.”
And we got them all? They’re okay?
He nods. “They’re in the last vehicle. They all seemed physically okay, as far as I could tell from a quick observation, but Dr. Rose will be able to help them.”
That’s good.
“Yeah, I guess.”
You guess?
“I just mean… When is it all going to stop?” He lets out a frustrated sigh, one filled with tension. “One of the womenlooked barely eighteen, and when she looked at me…” He shakes his head. “All I could think about was what if that was Clara?”
I grip his shoulder, understanding where his head is at.
A wince escapes me from the pain shooting up my arm, and his eyes latch onto the blood soaking through my shirt.
“I need to wrap that,” he tells me. His eyes travel over the leather seats, shaking his head. “Getting blood out of leather is a pain in the ass.”
“Oh, Jesus Christ, Mauro,” Vin gripes. “Mom’s going to chew me out for this.”
Alex reaches inside the bag at his feet and pulls out a roll of gauze. “You’re probably going to need to get that stitched as soon as we get home, but for now this will have to do.”
I bite down on the side of my cheek as I remove my shirt, tossing it to the floor.
“Fuck. He got you good.” Alex adjusts his glasses and inspects the damage more closely. “Kazimir?”
I nod.
“Make sure you thoroughly clean this up when you get home. You don’t want it to get infected.”
I lean back, closing my eyes.
“Want some liquid courage?” Leo asks from the front seat.
I shake my head.
The only thing I want is to return home.
To my temporary wife.
Even if that means another sleepless night spent staring at the ceiling with her beside me.
Chapter eleven
Alina
“The water flowed through the valley, smoothly and gracefully, as she walked across the wildflower fields in search of a path to take home. One that would lead her away from the frightening woods that lay behind her. Away from the monsters that call these woods home, according to the many stories she was told as a little girl. But curiosity always got the better of her. And as the sun began to set, she realized she had ventured too far from the safety of her village and had become too close to the horrors that waited in the dark. Spotting a clearing, relief filled her, but only temporarily, because at that exact moment, she felt it. Or more, she felthim. Her breath came out in quick pants as she tightened her cloak around herself, her eyes darting between the trees—”
Creak.
A yelp escapes me as I drop my book onto my lap and slap my hand against my chest, feeling my heart race beneath my touch.My eyes quickly shift to where the noise came from, finding Mauro standing in the entryway.
“Mauro.” Relief fills me as I set my book on the coffee table and stand. “I thought you wouldn’t be back until later.” Dark red droplets crawl down his arm.He’s bleeding. “What happened?” I don’t give him a chance to explain as I rush over to him and inspect the bandage wrapped around his bicep, covered in blood. “What happened?” I breathe again, my heart beating too fast while my eyes remain glued to his injury. “Who did this to you?”
He grips my chin, gaining my attention.I’m okay.
