Page 106 of West Bound

“How are you feeling?”my sister, Aspen, asks when she busts into my room without asking. I’ve been convalescing for the last twenty-four hours in the main ranch house. Grant’s old room was converted to a guest room with its own en suite and a massive TV that means I haven't had to leave. Zephyrine and Aspen have been holding twenty-four-hour court in my room, watching over me and deciding who is and isn't allowed in to see me. Nothing stressful, per the private doctor’s orders.

A nurse has been assigned to come in at semi-regular intervals to check on all my bandaging and administer any medicine, and between the medical professionals and my family, I never seem to be alone. So I’ve barely had a moment to process what happened to us.

“I’m fine.” I’d shrug, but my shoulder still hurts like hell, the pain radiating out from the wound in my upper chest and down to my elbow. I can’t wait to be healed and back to normal again. I’d skip days if I could. Especially since Zephyrine has been near silent in the wake of everything. Not that I blame her.

“You’re not fine. Not physically. Not mentally. You can talk to me, you know. I’m your sister. I take secrets to my grave. You can’t tell me anything I don’t already suspect.”

“What are you getting at?”

“You having an affair with a nun.” She raises her brow.

“She wanted to have an affair with me.” I hold my hands up defensively. Aspen gives me a doubtful look, and I give her a defiant one in response. “It was her idea. Ask her if you don’t believe me.”

“I don’t even know how I’d go about that. ‘Hi, ma’am. I know you took a vow of chastity, but you didn’t by chance betray that vow to sleep with my brother, did you?’” Aspen’s lips flatten, and she shakes her head. “There's no way I’m asking that.”

“Well, you could just believe me.” I grump at her.

“I’m trying.” She gives me a skeptical look.

“Shhh.” I hold up my hand and unmute the news when I see the governor’s face appear on the screen.

“What?” she asks, irritation at being shushed rife in her voice until she sees what I’m looking at.

“Tonight, we have breaking news that Colorado’s governor, Abbott Schaefer, is in serious condition in a Denver hospital after being attacked by a radical in his mountain home. Sources say that the attacker has been taken into custody and will be questioned this evening,” the news anchor announces on the television.

I let out a long sigh of relief. I've been waiting to know if he lived or died and how his team was planning to quell speculation. I can’t imagine that if he lives, he’d want to point the finger at Zephyrine; dragging her into court would allow too much discovery and public airing of laundry. But I'm not willing to trust the man for anything. This will probably be the only time in my life that I can say I'm happy that the man is still alive.

“Well, that’s good, right?” Aspen looks at me with hope in her eyes.

“Yes, very good. Is Zephyrine around? Has she seen it?”

“I’ve seen it. It’s good news.” Zephyrine comes around the corner and sits next to me on the bed, patting my hand. All the previous affection she had for me seems to have evaporated and been replaced with nurse-like concern.

“Good? It’s better than fucking good.” I’m irritated by the soft, careful way she approaches everything with me.

“Well, just don’t get too excited. The doctor said?—”

“Fuck what the doctor said,” I grumble.

“Lev.” My sister’s brows descend into an admonishing scowl. “She’s right. You need rest.”

“Fucking hell. I know I need rest, but I’m not comatose. I’m allowed to be happy that Z’s not going to jail, and we’ve got a few more days of him in the hospital to figure out a plan. I’m allowed to celebrate that, aren’t I?”

“Of course you are,” Aspen answers more calmly than I appreciate. It’s like they’re all playing a game of who can be more irritating in their lack of emotional display.

“Well, thank fuck I have your permission.”

“You could have died.” Zephyrine rubs her palm over the back of my hand like I’m too excitable.

“But I didn’t.”

“All right. I’m going to leave you two to it, but be on your best behavior, or I’ll be back.” Aspen eyes me from across the room as she closes the door behind her.

“I don’t need to be mothered. I’m fine.”

“She means well. When she heard you were shot, she came racing here as fast as she could. Grant said he was worried she was going to crash on the way from Denver.”

“And what’s your excuse?”