Page 79 of The Chaos She Brings

“Nate!” I snap, slapping his hand away as he reaches for the pillows again. “They’re fine.”

He raises his hands in surrender, but his guilty expression remains. “Sorry. I just… feel useless.”

“You’re more useful than me, stuck here in bed,” I grumble, shifting uncomfortably under the weight of the blanket he justmeticulously draped over my legs.

“I know. At least Enzo’s guy on the inside should be getting her out today.”

My head flops back against the pillow with a sigh. “Yeah,” I mutter, my chest tightening. I need to see Tess with my own eyes, make sure she’s really safe. But instead of coming here, Enzo’s sending her to some undisclosed location with only one guard. Which means I’m stuck here while she’s God knows where.

We fought about it. A lot. But in the end, Enzo convinced me—fewer people knowing her location meant fewer risks.

“Do we know who’s going with her?” I ask, watching Nate shuffle around the room like he still doesn’t know what to do with himself.

He waves a hand dismissively. “Some guy called Nico.”

I jolt upright so fast that Nate stumbles back. “Nico?!”

“Uh…” He scratches the back of his neck. “Yeah?”

“He was in the crash with me. How the hell is he even okay enough to do this?”

My voice must be louder than I realise, because Enzo strides into the room, his expression a blank slate. “Nico was practically untouched in the crash,” he says flatly. “Doc checked him out—said it was a miracle.”

I cross my arms and glare. “That doesn’t mean he should be in charge of Tess’s rescue.”

“He’s the best man I’ve got. The only one I trust enough with her right now.”

I grit my teeth but don’t argue. He’s right. And I hate it.

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be back in the states? That’s where she is, right?” I ask, changing the topic.

“She is. But I can work from anywhere and I needed to make sure Carina was okay. Tess is her friend.” I wince, realising I haven’t been thinking about Carina’s feelings this week, only my own misery.

“Any news?” I ask, tension winding through me.

Enzo starts to answer, but his phone rings. He presses it to his ear, listening intently.

His conversation is too hushed for me to make out.

Then, “She’s safe,” he mouths to me.

I release a breath I didn’t realise I was holding, my shoulders finally losing the tension that’s gripped them all week.

He says something else, then suddenly his expression softens. “Tess?”

My heart slams against my ribs.

“I’m so relieved to hear your voice,” Enzo says, pacing as he listens. “I know, I know. It’s all good.”

I don’t take my eyes off him, reading every flicker of emotion across his face.

“Someday soon, we actually need to sit down and get to know each other, huh?” he laughs. Then his gaze flicks to mine, and he grins. “Yeah, he’s here. I’ll pass you over.”

He extends the phone, and I snatch it from his hands, pressing it to my ear like my life depends on it.

“Tess?” My voice catches in my throat.

Silence. Then a choked, breathless, “Oh, God. Kai.”