Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Raine’s breathing had turned ragged. She nodded, her hands still gripping his shoulders, her head down as she tried to let pain wash over and through her.
Vienna could visibly see Rush’s reaction. He stabbed at the button, calling the nurse.
“Rush, no. I can get on top of this,” Raine protested.
He didn’t answer. The nurse entered the room so fast Vienna thought she might have been a private nurse. She hurried over to the bed and stood looking at Rush, not Raine, for instructions. Immediately, Vienna wondered if Rush, like Rainier, was actually a doctor.
“She needs pain medication. She isn’t taking it the way she should. We may have to put her on a regular time schedule.” His voice was hard with authority.
“Rush, no. Seriously. I’ll take the meds.”
“You’re supposed to take them before the pain gets to this point, Raine, but you’re too damn stubborn. Your body won’t heal. I’ve explained that to you. Your doctor has.” He suddenly turned to Vienna, narrowing his eyes. “You’re a nurse and Raine’s friend. Am I bullshitting her?”
Vienna ignored the fact that Rush was scary as hell and went to Raine’s bedside, pushing right past him to lean toward Raine. “Honey, as bossy and annoying as Rush sounds, he’s right about this. The injury to your leg was extremely severe. You nearly lost it.”
“She still could,” Rush put in.
Vienna resisted the urge to kick him. She glared at him over her shoulder and then turned back to Raine. She could see on Raine’s face that she was entirely aware of how bad her leg was, and she was scared. Maybe if someone didn’t know her, they couldn’t see her fear, but Vienna knew her very well. She smoothed back her hair with gentle fingers.
“You have to stay on top of the pain, honey. I know you’re tough, but in this instance, it really is better for you to keep up with the medication. I know you’re aware you should. Why aren’t you?” Because that was the real question. Not whether or not Raine understood the dire circumstances. She did.
The nurse had already adjusted the pump to push morphine into Raine’s veins, and the medication was beginning to ease the worst of the pain. Vienna took the cool washcloth Rush passed to her and pressed it to Raine’s forehead, wiping away the little beads of sweat.
“I can’t think straight,” Raine admitted. Her voice trembled, and for a moment her gaze shifted to Rush and then she looked toward the door as if someone might come through it at any moment with guns blazing. “I feel like I can’t defend myself if I needed to.”
Beside her, Rush froze. Before Vienna could stop him, he leaned around her and put his hand on Raine’s. “Taku kairangi, do you think I would ever hurt you? Is it me you’re afraid of? I can ask Elliot to have another guard assigned to you if you prefer. You have to take those meds. I’d defend you with my life, Raine, and I prefer to stay, but if you’re afraid of me, I’ll step aside.”
Vienna kept her gaze glued to Raine’s face. Normally, Raine could be difficult to read, but it was impossible for her to guard her expression. She shook her head, color moving up her neck to her face. Vienna had no idea what language he spoke or what he’d called Raine, but obviously she did. He’d also used a velvety tone when he’d called her whatever he had.
“Not you, Rush.” A ghost of a smile curved her lips. “You’re just a pain bossing me around. I’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest . . .” She hesitated and then added, “Now and then. There are a lot of people who wouldn’t mind seeing me dead.”
“You didn’t share that with me,” Rush said, his voice once more intimidating.
“I didn’t know I was supposed to share things like that with anyone. It’s very personal.”
The moment the information escaped, Raine pressed her fingers over her mouth as if she’d disclosed a national secret. Vienna’s heart skipped a beat. Personal? Very personal? Vienna would have thought Raine had stirred up a hornet’s nest in some military covert operation she’d helped with, not that she was afraid because of something personal.
“Does this have something to do with Luciano Vitale?” Rush demanded, now sounding lethal, as if he would march out of the room and gun down Vitale the moment he encountered him. “Every time that man comes to visit you get tense as all get-out.”
Luciano Vitale visited Raine? Vienna sent a quick look to Harlow, Zahra and Shabina. Were they aware that Vitale knew Raine? Vitale was Sam Rossi’s father’s enforcer. Or his bodyguard. Or something of significance. She didn’t really know, only that he looked mean and tough. Why would he visit Raine?