37
Olivia
Astrid is fast asleep in her bassinet beside the bed.
There’s a commotion outside the door and voices downstairs. It’s not just chatter amongst the men watching over me.
What’s going on?
I’m quiet, my footsteps silent as I head for the door. I need to know if we’re in danger. Is Astrid safe?
What about Jace and his men?
The minute I open the door, Markus folds his arms across his chest and glares. “Go back to bed.”
It’s well past two in the morning, but I don’t care. I can’t sleep. “What’s going on?” I ask. It’s hard to sleep through the racket downstairs, let alone the fact Jace is on a mission to stop Don Caruso.
When isn’t he on a mission to kill that lowlife? “Is Jace back?”
Markus glances from me to Vincent. Those two have been pretty close lately, guarding my ass at every turn.
“What aren’t you telling me?” I can feel the heaviness of their silence, and it makes my stomach sink.
“Jace is downstairs, but he’s been shot,” Markus says.
At least he has the integrity to tell me the truth. “What do you mean Jace has been shot? Why isn’t he at the hospital?”
“That isn’t an option,” Vincent says and clears his throat. “Get back in your room.”
“No,” I say defiantly and fold my arms across my chest. “I want to see Jace.”
“Unless you know how to do surgery to remove a bullet and stitch a man up, get back in your room,” Vincent barks orders at me.
I never did like Vincent. Markus at least is pleasant enough to be around. My gaze tightens, and I chew on my bottom lip. There’s no chance of me sneaking past the guards with Markus and Vincent beside the door, and two more men are outside the nursery door.
“Get back in your room and go to bed,” Markus says.
“But what about Jace?” I ask.
How can they expect me to sleep knowing that he’s injured and his life is on the line?
Vincent opens the bedroom door and shoves me inside, shutting the door behind me.
“Asshole,” I mutter.
There isn’t much for me to do but wait it out.
What about Luka? Is he still alive out there? Will he retaliate?
* * *
I barely sleep all night, and when the bedroom door handle turns, and the lock clicks, I sit straight up.
“Jace?”
I breathe a sigh of relief when he stumbles into the bedroom. The curtains are shut, but there’s light peeking through the shades.
Glancing at the clock, it’s nearly eleven in the morning. I did fall asleep sometime rather late or early this morning.