Dirty Little Secrets: A Stepbrother Romance by Landish Lauren

Author:Landish, Lauren [Landish, Lauren]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-12-04T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

Kade

I was just finishing a hospital breakfast of ice chips (my surgery meant nothing but IV fluids and feeding for two days) when the door to my room opened and a whole group came through. After fielding questions from the police earlier, they were the first people all day I’d wanted to see. It seems that cops cannot wait until after breakfast to ask their questions.

“Good morning, Kade,” Rita greeted me, stepping through the door first. She held open the door, waving into the hallway. “I have someone for you.”

Alix was hesitant to come through, her eyes still downcast. After what the staff had told me of the way her mother had treated her, I understood why, but she never should have worried. I pulled my air mask down and waved. “Alix . . . come here.”

At my welcoming words she rushed across the room, slowing only enough to not jar me as she gave me a hug. “Kade, oh Kade,” she whispered into my neck as she squeezed me tight. “I’m so sorry.”

I patted the back of her head and held her, knowing that no matter what, no matter what ‘subs are strong’ line that Rita had fed her to get her moving that morning, Alix needed my strength as much as I needed hers. More than that, she needed my acceptance. “It’s okay,” I whispered, not sure if she could hear me through my air mask. “I love you.”

The next person to greet me was obscured by the mass of Alix’s blond hair in my eyes, but I could recognize that voice anywhere after working together. “Mornin’ boss. Don’t expect a hug like that from me.”

Alix laughed and let go, wiping at the corners of her eyes to stand back and give me room to see. Vince was dressed casually in his typical jeans and t-shirt, leaning on the footrest of my bed. Rita had already claimed one of the two chairs, sitting like she was getting ready for a business meeting.

“Vince, I’m glad you came down so quickly,” I said. My voice was stronger, but I was still having to pull the mask down and speak before taking another breath. “Where’s Monica?”

Vince shook his head sadly. “Sorry, Kade. When this thing hit the Internet, and you asked us to come down, Monica said no. She gave me a letter to give you. Apologies, I peeked, but it’s a resignation letter. She wrote that she’ll stay in Portland and keep the office going until you get back, but that’s it. Sorry.”

I shook my head. “No, it’s okay,” I said. Alix and Vince both nodded, and I had to laugh quietly. It seemed I would have two assistants. That would be helpful. “But don’t worry about it for now.”

Vince nodded. “What do you need, Kade?”

“What I want is to get the hell out of here, but you can’t do that,” I said. There was pain in my chest from the operation, but so far it wasn’t too bad. Maybe the nurse had me on drugs that were blurring the pain or something.

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