Page 84 of Corrupt Crown

My palpitating heart clenches at my friend’s thoughtfulness, and I shoot him a grateful smile as Rafe nods. “Yes, that’sexactlywhere I need you,Fratello.”

Sasquatch rushes ahead to get everything in motion as Rafe turns to me. His eyes are deadly serious, and when he speaks, my world splinters. “It’s Skye. She’s been admitted to the hospital.”

I inhale through my nostrils, sucking deeply, but I can’t breathe. There’s simply no air getting to my lungs. The dock is spinning when Rafe palms my cheeks, forcing me to look into his deep brown eyes.

“Elodie.”

And as he’s done before, his tone centers me enough to draw a breath. Several shuddery inhalations later, and the ache in my chest lessens marginally.

Enough so that I can focus on Rafe’s words.

“When I enrolled her, I put my name as her next of kin…” He shrugs almost apologetically. “It seemed the best way to keep her safe. But although Sebastiano is my brother, the hospital staffwill only give Skye’s medical information to her guardian. And for all intents and purposes, that’sme.”

His eyes flicker between mine as my breathing becomes less labored. “I need to go,Stellina. Now.”

He grips my hand, pulling me alongside him as my wind whirrs with possibilities. We’re entering the house by the time my thoughts have registered enough to form a question.

“Did Sebastiano haveanyinformation at all?Anything?”

Rafe’s concerned eyes meet mine. “He said that she came to him from the junior campus earlier this morning, complaining that she didn’t feel well. Her face was red and swollen.” He shrugs helplessly. “That’s all he had. Maybe it’s something simple, and all this panic is for nothing, but I need to get there immediately to find out.”

Even with my stomach sinking, I send Rafe a grateful smile for trying to keep me from spiraling when we enter his office. He quickly searches through his desk drawer before flourishing the cell I’d used to video call Skye mere days ago.

Days that now feel like years, and I bite down on my lip, desperately trying to keep my rising emotions at bay.

“Keep this with you.” I take it from his outstretched hand, my own shaking helplessly. “I’ll contact you as soon as I’ve got news.”

RAFE

My SUV has barely pulledup outside the University Children’s Hospital, when my door is yanked open by my furious younger brother.

“What the fuck took you so long?”

Sebastiano pivots on his heel, barely glancing over his shoulder as he strides in the direction of the hospital. “Move your ass,Fratello.”

By the time Enzo has secured the area, and I’ve moved to follow, he’s already entering the hospital.

When I reach him, I swat him across the back of the head, and he flinches with an annoyed, “Hey! What was that for?”

“Watch your mouth.”

Then I swat him again, and he grits his jaw in irritation, but before he can question my reason for the second one, I grip his collar, tugging him closer to my face. “And that one was for ducking out on your security detail,stronzo.”

He shrugs me off with a petulant tut. “I don’t need them. They just draw attention anyway.”

“You’ll do as you’re told, Sebastiano. No fucking excuses,si?”

He narrows his eyes and neglects to answer me before swinging a left, where we come to a nurse’s station. A matronly blonde woman smiles pleasantly when she spots Sebastiano.

“I told you, sir. Next of kinonly?—”

I step forward, and the nurse’s eyes widen as I extend a hand with cool indifference. “Rafael Caruso. I’m Skye’s guardian. And I need to see herimmediately.”

She accepts my hand before gesturing down the corridor. “She’s right over here.” Then she leads us to a white door no more than twenty paces from the nurse’s station.

“Visiting hours?—”

I cut her off as I open the door. “Don’t apply to us,capisti?”