Page 100 of Savage Empire

“As reliable as I find Dr. Leo here, there’s no way you’re leaving against medical advice. You’ll stay as long as they deem necessary. I’ll be here with you, making sure you rest.”

“So will I.”

I don’t need to look away from my brother to know that it was Apollo who just spoke. And for once, I don’t feel even a slight desire to argue with him.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Apollo

Ihave Yordan and Rayna settled into a private wing on the top floor of the hospital within an hour. My mentee is fast asleep, on enough pain medicine to keep him comfortable but also fatigued. Rayna, on the other hand, is wide awake.

Elio brought her a bag of things from their apartment, making sure she has plenty of personal items to remain entertained and settled here. She’s got her own hospital bed, made up with blankets that Armani insisted she take. She’s changed into sweatpants and has her hair pulled up and out of her face. Her tears have been washed away, but the responsibility I feel for putting them there in the first place hasn’t.

“I have to go home for a bit,” I tell her, voice low. “I need to give my work to my father for the week so I can stay here without hindering him.”

Rayna looks up at me, surprised. “You don’t need to go through all the trouble. Yordan will understand if you can’t be here all the time.”

I blink at her, frowning. “I’m going to be here.”

Watching me for a moment, she eventually nods. “Okay. Should we get a third bed put in here for you?”

I pause, not expecting the question. “The room next door is set up for me. I didn’t intend to invade your privacy.”

She shrugs. “Yordan might want you close. You make him feel safe.” Looking down, she fiddles with her fingers. “You do that for both of us.”

I almost hold my breath, thinking I must have misheard her. “Even after today?”

Rayna sighs, face dropping. “Don’t tell me you’re blaming yourself for this? You weren’t even there, Apollo.”

“Exactly,” I agree gruffly. “I wasn’tthere, Rayna. I was expecting fury from you, and I don’t understand why I’m not getting it.”

“You’re ridiculous,” she scoffs. “I know we don’t get along. But you’re not fucking superman. You don’t have magical powers. You can’t be everywhere at once and save everyone.”

“You should be yelling at me,” I disagree, shaking my head. “I didn’t protect him. I promised I would keep him safe, and I didn’t.”

“You want me to yell at you?” she whisper-hisses, getting up from her bed to get into my space. “How about I yell at you for that little moment you had with your brother’s wife? Whispering, inches away from each other? If you’re having an affair with Ana, I would have appreciated knowing about it when my brother wasn’t lying in a hospital bed. And before I made her my friend!”

“What?” I ask, head flinching back in surprise. “Affair withAna? What are you talking about?’

“Isawyou two,” she snaps. “You could have kissed her with how close you were. You had your hands on her.”

I try to recall what she’s talking about, and when I realize the moment she’s referring to, an uncontrollable smile lifts my lips.

“Why are you smiling?” Rayna demands. “What is wrong with you?”

“Ana and I are not having an affair,” I tell her, so amused while shaking my head. “My hands were on her arms, and our eyes were close together because I was grounding her.”

Her lips purse, a scoff leaving her throat. “Grounding her? What are you, her fucking yoga instructor?”

“Ana has memory issues,” I begin to explain, utterly enjoying the sight of jealousy in her eyes. “She has trauma from her past, and I’ve been helping her sort through her more difficult memories. Today was very hard for her, and seeing Yordan bleeding gave her some unsavory flashbacks. Her story isn’t mine to tell, but I assure you, we’re not romantically involved in any way shape or form.”

“Oh.” She swallows, slowly accepting my explanation as the truth.

“Oh,” I echo, huffing. “I’m interested to know why the idea of Ana and I having an affair got you so worked up, though,micina selvatica. Anger on behalf of my dear brother Cassio, or perhaps envy of your new friend?”

“Envy?” she sputters. “I knew your cocky little prick personality would return, but I didn’t think it would be this fast. Go handle your shit before I get actually angry and wake Yordan up.”

“No apology for assuming the worst in me, yet again?”