Jamie woke to the faint, rhythmic beeping of a monitor nearby and the gentle tug of a hospital sheet draped over her sore limbs. The air was sterile, the light too soft, and for a fleeting second, she wondered if she'd woken in heaven.
Her lashes fluttered, vision blurred. Everything was fog and light until she shifted beneath the blanket and the ache in her ribs reminded her she was still very much alive.
A rustle at her bedside pulled her attention. Two figures turned toward her at once, Aria and a man in a white coat who stood with effortless authority. He had the kind of presence that demanded attention without saying a word. Mid to late twenties, maybe. Tall, with deep brown skin that glowed under the clinical lights, high cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass, and a build that made
