Page 34 of His Prince (Unexpectedly Twisted #2)

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ANGEL

“ A ngel,” my brother’s voice says.

I blink up at him, wondering if I’m imagining his presence. It’s happened more than once. The hallucinations are getting more common the weaker I get.

When I sleep, I hear Mikhail speaking to me. He comes to me in my dreams. I never want to wake up.

“Angel, you need to eat,” Diablo says, his hands on my face, turning me toward him.

I shake my head, but he insists. And I never could say no to my twin.

He’s stubborn.

With aching muscles, I sit up and he hands me a cup of water. “Drink. You’re no good to Mikhail if you’re dead.”

I don’t even respond, just sip at the water, my stomach growling from hunger. The truth is, I’d rather die with him than continue living with this ache inside of me.

“Now soup,” Diablo says, holding up a spoon to my mouth .

I let him slide it between my lips and reluctantly swallow.

“Good. Keep going.” And I do as he says, eating as much as I can until my stomach protests.

I push his hand away and fall back against Mikhail.

“No. Now you need to get up and bathe,” Diablo says, but I don’t move, just snuggle further into my husband. “Angel.”

“Go away, please,” I murmur, but he doesn’t relent.

“I refuse to let you give up. Casey, get him up,” Diablo orders, and a moment later, strong hands wrestle me upright. I try to fight, but I’m so weak, so tired, that I just collapse into his chest.

“Now, I have a bath ready and you’re going to sit in it, and I’m going to wash you and then we’re going to take a walk outside.”

“I don’t want to.”

“You have to.” His hands fall to my cheeks, holding me steady. “You’re the other half of me, Angel. I’m not losing you.”

With that, I’m brought into the bathroom, stripped down, and helped into the tub. To be honest, it feels nice, the warm water against my skin. Diablo hands me a bar of soap, but then sighs when I don’t take it. Instead, he kneels next to me and starts to scrub at my oily hair.

“This is almost like when we were kids and Aggie would put us in the tub together.”

I meet his stare, and he sighs. “I won’t get in the tub with you this time though. Although you will brush your teeth.”

A toothbrush appears before me, and I absently scrub at my teeth before just swallowing the paste.

Diablo huffs but continues to help me wash, and when he’s finally satisfied that I’m clean, he helps me out of the tub and dries me off. I’m forced into clothes, and with his hand around my waist, we walk through the house. Everyone is lingering, watching me, and I manage a small, weak smile for them, but my heart isn’t behind it.

When we make it outside, it’s overcast but still, my eyes ache from the brightness .

“Yes, inhale that fresh air,” Diablo says as I lean against him, my head on his shoulder.

“It hurts to breathe,” I whisper, and he pulls me closer.

“I know, but you have to keep going. This is unacceptable.”

“I just want to be with him. I should go back.”

“No, you need to stay out here for at least five minutes. You need a break from that stuffy room.”

“It’s not stuffy. It’s perfect.”

Diablo sighs and then helps me forward. “Let’s go to your garden. You haven’t checked on it.”

“Jake is here,” I explain, but Diablo insists. So we make our way to the garden, my eyes on fire from the sunlight peering from behind the clouds. But just as we approach, a shout has me lurching upright.

“Angel!” Casey yells, and I nearly stumble over my feet rushing back to the house. My dad and Tatum are running up the stairs just ahead of me, my heart nearly pounding out of my chest, and the first thing I notice as I approach the bedroom is the lack of beeping.

There’s no heartbeat.

I gasp, trying to make myself face this. Oh god, I can’t face this. My eyes close, tears tracking down my cheeks, my entire body caving in, folding in on itself.

But Diablo pulls me further into the room, and I fall into his arms as I’m forced to come face to face with reality.

He’s dead.

He didn’t make it. And I wasn’t there in his final moments—wasn’t there to whisper that I love him, that he can take my heart with him when he goes.

“Look, Angel. He’s awake,” Tatum says, and my eyes flick to Mikhail, who is blinking up at me.

Relieved sobs wrack my body as I stumble toward him, seeing the cords removed from his body, George hovering over him, checking his vitals.

“Angel,” he rasps.

The most beautiful sound—my name on his lips .

“Mikhail,” I gasp as I crawl up toward him, my hands landing on his cheeks, careful not to disturb the healing bruises on his face. But he’s never been more beautiful to me.

And alive.

Oh fuck, he’s alive.

“Why are you crying?” Mikhail murmurs, his hand moving up to brush at my cheek.

I lean into his touch, unable to stem the flow of tears.

“I thought I lost you.”

“Never. I’m here, little Angel. Don’t cry.”

It only makes me blubber more, leaning down to run my lips against his.

“You came back to me. You came back,” I whisper against his mouth as his hands cradle me gently.

“Always.”

“Angel, please. I need to check him out,” George says softly as Nina appears in the room with a small cup of water. But I don’t let her take over. I insist on being the one to help him sip it. I’m going to nurse the fuck out of him. He’s going to be even better than he was before.

“You look so thin,” Mikhail says softly when he’s done drinking.

My fingers brush against his lips, ignoring his comment.

“Yeah, that’s because he wouldn’t leave your side,” Diablo grumbles. “Almost died himself.”

Mikhail’s eyes flash to mine, and I feel my cheeks pinken. “Always take care of yourself. For me, yes?” he says, and I nod, feeling my eyes water once more.

“Okay, I will.”

“Promise?”

“Yes, of course, I promise.”

George finishes his examination with good news, speaking softly to Mikhail in Russian, but then placing a hand on my shoulder and squeezing softly.

“He will be fine, but take it easy. He still needs to heal, and you do as well. And no solid foods for a few more days. I’ll be back to check on him tonight.”

I nod, trying to stifle my tears. I’m suddenly exhausted and rejuvenated and so fucking hungry. For the first time in weeks, I want to live. I want to keep going.

Just as I think that, Ivan appears, his glasses crooked, his cheeks a little red.

“Oh good. Not dead.”

Casey glowers at him, and I can’t help but let out a relieved laugh.

“He is. He’s fine. He’s going to be fine.”

Ivan nods and then meanders out of the room without a backward glance. But I don’t even care because Mikhail is alive and staring up at me.

He’s bruised and battered, but he’s well. He’ll heal.

We have all the time in the world.

“Tell me everything that’s happened while I’ve been asleep,” Mikhail says gently, and I lean into him, nuzzling him carefully and letting him wrap his arms around me tightly.

And I tell him everything I can think of until he falls asleep once more.