Page 172 of Knot To Be
“Am I dead?” I whisper, tears welling up. I feel as if I’ve cried a million of these, yet they never seem to dry.
“No,mia cara moglie.It was a very close thing. You’re still here, though.”
I can feel the warmth of his breathing, see his gorgeous eyes that tell me our bond is still in place, and his lips twitch with happiness to see I’m awake. Oh my god…
Sucking in a breath that hurts, I shudder at his words.
I’m still here.
I don’t know if I’m happy or sad about this. Even if I only get to see my pack once more, it’ll be worth it.
“You’re not near death, Rosa,” he growls. It’s almost as if he can read my mind, because I’m certainly not in any state to speak my darkest thoughts. “I’m not above tethering your soul to mine and searching for you in death to bring you back. I haven’t been taking very good care of what’s mine, but I plan to Velcro myself to you.”
His fingers brush along my forehead as he moves back slightly, his chin on the mattress in front of me so I can focus better on him. I hate that he’s blaming himself when it wasn’t his fault.
“Where am I?” I whisper. His voice is all fucked up, and a part of me knows why. I disappeared, and he didn’t take it well.
“Our home. Dr. Walsh and Riley pretty much moved into the house to help take care of you. It wouldn’t be very nice if you died after all the work they’ve put in.”
His words begin to come easier now, but he doesn’t stop touching me.
“That’s an interesting guilt trip,” I rasp, burying my face in the sheet as I’m overcome with a coughing fit. Every gasping breath feels as if it’s torn from the world by force, and my back pulls with pain. I don’t understand why it feels like this.
My fingers clench around the sheet as my body shudders in pain, and my heart races from the strain.
I think I’m missing pieces of my memory, and I’m worried about what will happen when I’m reminded of what happened to me. It feels like someone used scissors to cut through my brain, and now it resembles Swiss cheese.
“Drink, Rosa.”
Panting, I shift my face so it’s no longer buried in the sheet and wrap my lips around the offered straw. My skin feels chilled as I begin to sweat, and the word ‘cut’ pulls at me. Why is that important?
“Don’t drink too quickly. Dario is getting everyone to eat, which is why I’m the only one in here,” he whispers. It seems whispering helps the gravelly nature of his voice. “He’s been a busy beta, keeping everyone going while we’ve been waiting for the sleeping beauty to open her eyes.”
I stay silent as I stare at him to tell me more, and he sets the water cup on the ground beside him. I flex my fingers andwiggle my toes out of reflex, frowning when I feel something pull slightly at my hand.
“There’s an IV in your left hand, feeding you antibiotics, fluids, and really good drugs,” Nico explains. “Dr. Walsh found a bunch of shit in your system and is still flushing it out. He said he had to be careful choosing a pain medication that wouldn’t exacerbate anything.”
“What…”
How do I ask about how they found me? I remember Avery and her minions, but only parts of my time with them are clear.
“Dr. Walsh and Riley…” Nico closes his eyes as he takes a deep breath. “There are things you don’t remember, yes?”
“Yes,” I whisper. My throat still hurts, but as long as I keep my voice low, I can talk.
“There are cuts all over your back. Verona heard you screaming in your mind, and she is the only reason we found you,” he explains. “When Dario, Pablo, and Verona approached the group surrounding you, they began wildly stabbing you. I suppose they decided since they paid for a snuff session, that was what they were going to do. Even if it killed them.”
“Did it kill them?” I ask.
“Yes. There’s no way they were walking out of there alive. Unfortunately, they died too quickly. Extending their lives while you were dying wasn’t possible.”
I let those words sink in. I’ve been floating in a bubble where I thought I was dead, but it doesn’t appear this was very far fetched.
“There were still knives in your body when you were removed from the warehouse, and Riley and Dr. Walsh stitched you back up while keeping you from bleeding out at the house,” Nico continues. “Somehow, the knives managed to miss all the important internal organs, but they’re monitoring for anychanges to that. While all that was happening, I was a little useless. I passed out while they were searching for you.”
“Shh,” I rasp. He doesn’t get to keep talking to me if he’s going to be mean to himself.
“Verona gave you a sponge bath a couple of times this week. Your hair is currently a lost cause, but I might be able to wash it in a basin now that you’re awake.”
