Page 55 of Aftershock
My heart aches for him.
How many of us did he have to see before snapping?
Before taking charge and doing right by us?
I wish I could run over there and hug him.
Can’t.
I can’t do anything about it, period. Not yet.
Well, maybe I can do something. His storage unit had one of those fancy locks. I won’t be able to pick it, ever.
However.
The door to the right had a cheap, rusty lock. The unit is probably owned by a tenant who hasn’t gone down there in years.
I’ll break in there, drill a hole in the wall, and be his quiet accomplice.
“Earth to Lil.” Hope waves in my face. “What do we do?”
“Youstay out of it.” I straighten my spine, leveling her with my most serious glare. The last thing she and I need is for her to stumble on Alaric’s secret. “I’ve got this.”
A scowl twists her features. “Why can’t I help?”
“Because if he had it in him to hurt his own mother, he won’t hesitate to do worse to a stranger. I don’t want him anywhere near you. I’ll have someone look into it.” It isn’t a big lie. “I promise.”
“Alaric?”
“Yes. He probably knows the proper channels to go through to handle a situation like that.”
That seems to satisfy her, and she goes back to reading the book she left on the coffee table in the living room.
I’m just as satisfied, because Alaric is already handling this messy situation.
Not through the proper channels, though.
Through the right ones.
11
ALARIC
After years of working in the hospital, being a trauma attending has become routine. I wouldn’t say it’s easy, not at all, but I’ve gotten used to it.
Barking orders, assessing what’s wrong, and seeing how fast I can stabilize my patients before we head into the OR are part of who I am.
The fact that I have Harold in my storage unit? That doesn’t cloud my judgment one bit. Holding my test subjects hostage is standard procedure by now.
And still, I’ve been struggling to focus.
All because of Lilith.
Despite wanting to see her yesterday, the day after I kidnapped Harold, I’ve stayed away. Having my hands on that bastard served as a reminder of every reason why I should do just that.
For her sake, I wanted—no,needed—to try.
Problem is, I can’t stop thinking about her.
