Page 15 of Vain (Tempest #2)

Chapter Fifteen

AIDEN

A knock at the door has us all turning. Jennette opens the door and blushes when she finds us all staring at her.

“Um…Miss Carson wanted me to tell you that she’s visiting with a patient in room two.”

I stand up and frown. “She’s what? Please tell me she’s not alone in a room with some fucking stranger?”

“Aiden,” Wade warns.

“Wait, Matilda Carson is here? Huh, maybe I can get her to give me a sponge bath.” Kellen jokes. I level him with my best glare before storming toward the door.

“It’s not like that, Aiden, the patient—” Jennette starts, but I cut her off.

“Could do anything to her.”

“It’s the ICU, Aiden. Nobody here is in any state to hurt anyone.” Wade sighs, following behind me.

“I’ll be back, Kellen,” I call out as I jog down the corridor, following the numbers as they descend until I find the door marked with a two.

I don’t bother to knock. I push it open and then freeze in the doorway when I see Tilly sitting on the bed with her arms wrapped around a young girl. Tilly jumps, instinctively moving in front of the girl before she recognizes me.

“Jesus, Aiden, you scared the crap out of me.”

“Shit,” Wade curses behind me.

“What the heck, Aiden?” Jennette shoves past me. “I’m so sorry. I gave him the message you asked for. He then got a bee in his bonnet.”

Her eyes drop to Tilly’s exposed forearm. I tense, waiting for Jennette to say something or for Tilly to freak out. Instead, Tilly swallows and turns to the kid. “Zoe, this is Aiden. Apparently, he has a bee in his bonnet,” she teases, making the kid giggle, which is when I notice her burns.

“I don’t know who the cute guy with him is, though,” she whispers loudly, making the kid full-on belly laugh. Jennette sucks in a sharp breath as if the sound is something she isn’t used to.

“That’s Mr. Wade. He’s a police officer. He’s nice.”

“He is, huh? You sure he doesn’t have any bees in his bonnet?”

“I’m sure,” she whispers.

“Well, if I knew I was going to be in the company of such beautiful women, I would have brushed my hair,” Wade jokes, making both Tilly and Zoe laugh.

“Alright, there are too many of you in here. Someone needs to leave.”

“I’ll go,” Wade offers.

I look at Tilly and see how she’s holding onto Zoe. “We both will. Give you some girl time. It was a pleasure to meet you, Zoe.” She flushes and dips her head shyly. Damn, this kid is a heartbreaker.

I wink at Tilly and leave, surprised when Jennette follows us out, closing the door.

“I’m sorry. I was just worried about her.”

“I figured that out. That’s the only reason I’m not calling security.” She looks back at the room before turning back to me. “It’s been a long time since I heard Zoe laugh. If I wasn’t already half in love with that woman, I am now.”

“Well, she’s mine, and I don’t share,” I answer without thinking, but I’ll be damned if I take it back.

“You’re dating Matilda Carson?” She gasps.

“You’re what?”

I groan at the sound of Cora’s voice from behind us.

“Well, that’s not awkward at all,” Wade mutters.

I glare at him before turning to Cora. “What do you want now, Cora?”

“Matilda Carson? Really, that’s what you’re telling people?” She snorts, flipping her hair. “You think pretending you’re dating a movie star will change my mind about us, but it just proves to me how much you still love me.”

“Oh, this will be good.” Wade chuckles.

“Nobody in town would poach you, not that you’d want to date down after having all this. I guess it had to be a movie star to be considered an upgrade.” She chuckles at the joke only she gets. I honestly have no idea what to say.

“Call me when you come to your senses. Oh, and get rid of the piece of fluff from earlier.” She struts off, swaying her hips like she’s working for tips.

“Did that just happen?”

“Did she just call Matilda Carson a piece of fluff?” Jennette asks, sounding semi-hysterical.

“I’m pretty sure she was dropped on her head as a baby,” Wade adds.

I turn to Jennette. “If she finds out the truth, she’ll call the press out of spite. Tilly has enough going on.”

Her eyes soften. “You call her Tilly?”

“Focus, Jenette.”

“Right, sorry. She won’t hear anything from me.”

“Thank you. I’m gonna head back to visit Kellen.”

“I’ll run interference here so everyone leaves Miss Carson and Zoe alone.”

I give her a wink and head back to Kellen’s room.

“You seem to know the kid. What’s her story?”

Wade sighs. “Kid lost her whole family in a fire, which is where she got her scars. You remember Claudia Manson?”

“Vaguely.”

“That was her mom. Zoe came to Tempest to live with Caroline.”

“Wait, didn’t Caroline die? I remember June going to her funeral before she had her fall.”

“Yeah. The kid’s been in the care of child services ever since. Not sure what she’s in here for now, but her health has been spotty since the fire.”

“Jesus.”

“I noticed your girl rocking her own set of scars. She was in a fire?”

“No. They’re acid burns.”

“What the fuck?” he snarls as I push the door open.

Kellen looks over. “What the fuck what?” He looks paler than he did before.

“You look like shit.”

“I feel like shit. I think the good stuff is wearing off.”

“You got a morphine drip there. Hit the button.”

“Gonna try and go without for a— Hey,” he complains when I hit the button for him.

“You were blown up. Take the fucking drugs.”

“Asshole,” he grumbles, looking from me to Wade. “What were you what the fucking?”

“I was telling him about Matilda’s attack.” I sit down and proceed to tell them about the acid attack and the Post-it notes that started arriving once more.

“I have a friend on the force up there. I can call him and see what his take on it all is.”

“Can’t hurt. The fact is, once Andrew confessed, they stopped looking for suspects. If they have the wrong guy in prison…” I let my voice drift off.

“Then Matilda’s attacker is still out there, and by the looks of it, he’s planning to finish what he started.”

A tentative knock at the door has us turning toward it once more.

When it opens, and Matilda pokes her head in, wearing her glasses and hat again, Wade stands. “I need to get going now that I have your statement, Kellen. I’ll come visit when you’re back home.”

“Bring the wife. If I’ve gotta put up with your ugly mug, at least bring me something pretty to look at.”

“Carry on, and you’ll never get to leave the ICU,” Wade warns him, walking toward Matilda with his hand out. “Hi, Matilda, right? I’m Wade. It’s nice to meet you. My kiddo is obsessed with your witch movie.”

She grins at him. “Your kid has good taste. I’m awesome.”

He laughs as he takes a step back and ushers her inside. “Take care of yourself, or at the very least, let this guy take care of you.”

“That’s the plan. Oh…um…do you know the social worker I’d need to talk to about Zoe?”

I stand up and walk over to her, needing to touch her after not being able to for the last hour or so.

“I can get you her details. I’ll send them to Aiden.”

“Thanks.”

“I’m not trying to be a dick when I say this, but I just want to remind you that Zoe’s been through a lot. Don’t get her hopes up about something if you’ll break her heart in the process.”

“You don’t know me, so I won’t take offense, but I have zero interest in hurting that little girl.”

He nods before I can choke him out and leaves.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good. How’s your friend?” She turns and then jolts when she realizes he’s awake.

“Hi.” She offers him a shy wave as Kellen drags his eyes over Matilda, a grin breaking out over his face.

“Damn, Aiden, you really do bring me the best presents.”