Page 65 of Merciless Obsession (The Bloodline #2)

Lucas looked unbothered by my outburst. “As I was saying…” He pulled the cap off his head and used the back of his hand to wipe his forehead.

“She suffered some scrapes and bruises. A piece of glass lodged itself in her neck but missed her carotid artery, thankfully.” Inaya gasped.

“Her spleen ruptured so I had to remove it, there also was some internal bleeding and she had a collapsed lung.”

The more my brother explained Ziora’s injuries, the stronger the thoughts of murder grew inside me.

“Lastly, her right foot was crushed under the hood of the car being impacted I assume. It was fractured in two different places and her ankle was shattered. The ortho surgeon was able to stabilize it with a plate and some screws.”

By now I was hotter than the sun. “I want to see her!” I said tightly.

“She’s getting set up in?—”

“Now, Lucas. I want to see her now.”

“When she’s in her room, you’ll be allowed back, Ezra.”

“I want her in a private room too. Someone did this on purpose.”

Lucas’s brows furrowed. “I’m already ahead of you with the private room, but what do you mean this was done on purpose?”

I unlocked my phone and handed him the phone with the video on display.

“Shit.” His eyes widened. “What the fuck?”

“Exactly.” I grabbed the phone. “I don’t know who did this but I’m planning to find out.

” Ziora thought I kept track of her before but that was light work to how I was about to be.

She’d be lucky if I allowed her to use the bathroom without me at her side.

Someone tried to take her away from me, and when I found out who, they’d beg for death.

____

Inaya and I waited in Ziora’s room once they finally allowed us to see her. Nazai had left and Lucas had to make rounds but said he would be back.

When I walked into Ziora’s room and saw the swelling, cuts, and bruising on her, I saw red.

Her right leg was propped up. On her neck was a long, purple and red line with fifteen stitches keeping it closed.

Her nose was swollen and bruised as well.

Lucas said it wasn’t broken but badly bruised, probably from hitting the steering wheel or door.

Her room was silent besides the machines she was hooked up to. The lights were low in the room so they wouldn’t bother Ziora when she woke up. Lucas was sure she suffered a concussion and the light would make it worse.

A low groan came from Ziora, she attempted to move and cried out.

“Careful, Bumblebee,” I whispered, standing and hovering over her.

Inaya was on the other side anxiously staring down at her friend.

It took a few minutes for her eyes to flutter open. She looked confused at first. Her face twisted up. Blinking a couple times, she shifted her eyes around until they landed on Inaya then bounced over to me. She went to speak but another groan fell from her mouth instead.

“Hold on, boo. Don’t push yourself,” Inaya said.

Ziora closed her eyes and took a couple breaths before slowly blinking them open again. “Wha-what.” She coughed.

I bit the inside of my cheek. I shot Lucas a text letting him know Ziora had woken up then tossed my phone on the chair I was sitting in. Reaching down I grabbed her hand and enveloped it between mine.

“You were in a car accident, Bumblebee. You’re in the hospital now,” I explained.

The confusion on her face didn’t clear up.

“I feel like shit,” she croaked.

“You look like it too,” Inaya joked, causing Ziora to laugh before wincing.

“Don’t make her laugh right now.” I glared at Inaya. “Lucas was the one who operated on you so you had the best care.”

“It hurts.”

I scanned her body from her head to her feet. “What hurts?”

She coughed again. “Everything.”

The door opened and Lucas stepped in the room.

“She’s in pain,” I announced before he could speak.

His eyes fell on Ziora. He made his way over and checked the machines. “She can get another round of meds shortly. First, I need to examine her.”

I didn’t want to leave her side, but Lucas wouldn’t allow me to interfere with his checkup. Right now he wasn’t my brother, but a doctor checking his patient. I trusted my brother but I still watched closely as he checked her out.

Seeing the once perfect, blemish-free body now covered in bruises that would soon be scars had me wanting to put my hand through a wall. I was trying hard to keep my composure but the more I stared at her, the harder it got.

Ziora kept her eyes locked on me while Lucas checked her out.

When Lucas asked her if she remembered what happened, she said no.

Apparently the last thing she remembered was eating with Inaya.

Lucas explained Ziora’s injuries to her and she couldn’t hide how distraught she felt listening to everything she encountered.

“We’re going to keep you for the next week.”

I spoke up. “Can’t she stay at your clinic instead?” Lucas turned to face me. “It’s more than equipped and I don’t like how exposed she is here.”

“Exposed?” Ziora asked.

We hadn’t told her that she was targeted yet.

Lucas stared at me for a long while.

“I—” Her mouth closed and she looked at me.

Inaya spoke up. “I think that would be best too.”

Ziora’s mouth turned upside down. “What’s going on?”

Lucas nodded. “It’ll be better for her to stay here. With all the trauma her body experienced, I don’t want to move her too soon.”

I didn’t want to take any chances. Now that there had been a threat on her life, it was up to me to make sure she stayed safe and was protected going forward.