Page 45 of Vain

“Can you get me out of here? I need a minute,” I ask him quietly.

I know my glasses cover my eyes, but I swear for a second he can see right through them.

“Of course.” He moves to Cora. “You’re already on thin fucking ice,” he warns her before taking my elbow and leading me away.

“Want me to take you to Aiden?” he asks me quietly.

I shake my head. “He needs time with his friend. I just need some air.”

“Alright. You stick with me, and we’ll do a couple of laps of the hospital, clear your head a little. I’m gonna text your boy, though, and let him know what’s what. Because my wife is partial to my dick, and Aiden is liable to cut it off if I take you out of here without letting him know.”

I nod, offering him a small smile that I don’t feel.

“Whatever she said to you, sweetheart, you can’t take to heart. She’s a fucking viper.”

“I know that. I don’t care what she says about me. I’m not sad because of that. I’m sad because Zoe is gone.”

“You can still visit her on the ward. She’s just with her social worker right now.”

I freeze before slowly turning to look up at him. “What did you just say?” I ask quietly, unsure I heard him correctly.

“I said she’s with her social worker. Why, what is it?”

I grip his arm hard, and though he doesn’t even flinch, I know it has to hurt when my nails are digging into his skin.

“She’s okay?” I ask through gritted teeth.

“Zoe?” Yeah, of course. They wouldn’t have moved her downstairs otherwise. Matilda, tell me what the fuck is going on.

So I do, through gritted teeth, barely holding myself back from finding that woman and ripping her hair out of her head. “Cora told me that Zoe died last night. That’s why her room was empty.”

It takes a while for my words to sink in, but he goes rock solid when they do, his face turning a deep red.

He seethes. “She said what?”

“That she died. She didn’t imply it or say just enough for me to get the wrong end of the stick. She told me she flat out passed away last night due to complications.”

He narrows his eyes before pulling out his cell phone. “Come and get your girl.” He speaks before hanging up and tugging me toward Kellen’s room.

Aiden meets us before we get there, his eyes moving over my body as if to make sure I’m alright. He pulls me into his arms. “What happened?”

“Cora fucking happened. Stay with Matilda while I go deal with this shit.” Wade storms off as I breathe Aiden in—letting his touch and smell calm me in that way only he seems able to.

“What happened? What did she do?”

“Zoe’s room was empty when we got there. Wade went to find out what was going on when Cora found me. I swear she knew I was there.”

“She probably did. She likely clocked you the second you stepped off the elevator.”

“She told me Zoe died last night from complications, then tried to get me to leave before threatening me with security.”

“Fuck. I’m sorry about Zoe, baby. I know?—”

I cover his lips with my fingers and look up at him. “Zoe’s fine. She was moved downstairs. Cora lied.”

If I thought Wade’s reaction was bad, it had nothing on Aiden’s. If I wasn’t holding him as tightly as I am, I know he would track her down and wring her scrawny neck.

“I’m going to kill her.”