“Yeah, Alix?”
“What . . . what if Kade blames me for Derek’s death? I mean, my mother seems to.”
Rita shook her head and took my hands again. “Never, ever blame yourself for Derek’s death. You need to be one thing more than anything else over the next few weeks.”
“What?” I asked, looking into her eyes, which I noticed for the first time were a pretty shade of honey brown.
“You need to be strong. You need to be the rock that Kade, and eventually your mother, can lean on. You’ve been learning how for the past few weeks, right?”
I nodded. “I guess. But it’s different when I’m being strong for Kade, and being strong in the face of this insanity.”
Rita nodded. “Which is why you have more than just Kade to help you. Like I said, Kade’s still my friend. I’m going to support him and you both. So don’t worry. What could the world throw at two super sexy subs like us that we can’t handle?”
I smiled, at least tried to, and squeezed Rita’s fingers back. “But you said it yourself, you’re a switch.”
Rita shrugged. “Details, details. Come on, let’s get to the airport.”
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. I didn’t think I was too drugged, I seemed to be thinking well enough. “What I do need from you today is muscle and backup.”
“I can do that,” he said. “For what?”
“You and Alix, if you can, go back to her house,” I said. “Clean out and pack up clothes for her. She’s not going back there alone. In fact, Alix, I don’t want you leaving this hospital by yourself until the cops find Sydney Hale.”
“Do you really think he’ll come after me again?” Alix asked, frightened.
I shrugged. “I didn’t expect him yesterday either. And if he’s fucking crazy enough to try and stab me, then he’s also crazy enough that I don’t want to take the risk. So you’re going to have a bodyguard as long as we stay in the Los Angeles area. I want you safe.”
Alix’s eyes were full of questions, but she held them in front of Vince. She glanced toward him, and I smirked. “I guess the time for that sort of hiding is over. Vince, I assume you’ve seen the video?”