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With Sebastien out of the way, Hawthorne would come for me. It was only a matter of time.
I felt as though someone had sucked all the air from the room
I swayed. Dominic moved fast, his arms quickly wrapping around me. Axel and Vincent flew out of the chairs and Leo and Nathaniel moved towards us. Dominic guided me into a chair.
“Rex, get her a bottle of water. Now,” Dominic ordered. He crouched in front of me. His voice was firm but gentle. “Delilah, breathe.”
But I couldn’t. My heart felt as though it was about to tear itself from my chest, as my chest tightened with each frantic breath.
“Delilah, look at me,” Dominic demanded, gently turning my head so I could look into his eyes.
“Focus on me. Breathe in. Breathe out.”
I did as Dominic said, trying to loosen the knot that had formed in my chest
Rex returned with the bottle of water and handed it to Dominic.
“That’s it. In and out.”
Dominic opened the bottle of water and handed it to me. “Drink.”
I took a few sips and handed it back to him and recovered it.
Dominic’s voice was gentler now. “We’re all here with you. You’re not alone. Sebastien’s a fighter. He’s going to be ok.”
“The family of Sebastien Quantum?” a doctor asked, stepping into the room.
“Over here,” Dominic called, waving to the doctor as he rose to his feet. His brothers gathered around. “Is he going to be okay?” he asked when the doctor stood in front of us.
“He’s going to be okay,” the doctor stated.
I heard a chorus of relieved sighs from his brothers.
“But,” the doctor warned, “for the next few weeks, he’s going to need rest. Lots of it.”
As the doctor explained Sebastien’s injuries—a broken nose, some mild bruising on his ribs, a concussion, and surgery was done on his shoulder that was dislocated—I was just relieved that he was alive.
“Can we see him, now?” I blurted out, interrupting whatever the doctor was saying.
“Sure.” The doctor nodded, calling a nurse over. “Take them to Mr. Quantum’s room.”
“Ms. Malone is his fiancée, she can go in first while we talk to the doctor,” Dominic insisted.
The nurse nodded. “Follow me.”
“Rex, go with her,” Dominic instructed. “We’ll be there soon.”
“Yes, sir.”
Rex and I followed the nurse down the hallway. She opened a door and ushered me inside. Rex didn’t come inside but closed the door behind me. I walked up to Sebastien and my breath caught.
His upper body was slightly elevated. There was a white bandage on his nose, one eye was swollen shut, and his face was black and blue. He was shirtless and his shoulder was bandaged;his left arm was in a sling. There were bruises on his stomach, chest and arms as well. An IV was attached to his right arm.
Quietly, I sat on the chair next to his bed and held his hand in mine. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, I cared about him. Tears ran down my face before I could stop them.
It wasn’t long before Dominic and the others walked through the door.
Did they know who did it?