I woke up choking on the smell of disinfectant.
When I opened my eyes, Roxie was sitting beside the bed with red-rimmed eyes. The moment she saw me wake, she threw herself forward and grabbed my hand.
“Elara! You’re finally awake!”
She had rushed overnight from the Marchetti Family, three hundred miles away. Dark shadows hung heavy beneath her eyes.
“Am I... okay?” My voice was so hoarse it hardly sounded like mine.
“Stress response from your old wound, plus severe emotional shock. Selene almost fell completely asleep again.” Roxie’s voice was tight. “The doctor said if you’d been brought in half an hour later, things would have gotten really bad.”
I let out a breath of relief.
Then I asked, “Where’s Damon?”
Roxie’s face turned cold instantly.
“That bastard still hasn’t shown up.”
