Chapter 281
My heart clenched. “She saw too much.”
“She did,” Tristan agreed. “But she’s safe and her parents are with her, she’ll be okay.”
“What about Derek?” I asked.
“He went back to the border to help with cleanup,” Tristan said. “There was still work to be
done.”
I nodded and tried to sit up, immediately regretting it as pain shot through my ribs.
“Easy,” Tristan said, helping me. “Dr. Chen said you need to move slowly, those ribs are going to
hurt for a while.”
“Everything hurts,” I admitted.
“I know, baby,” he said sympathetically. “But you’re alive and the baby is safe, that’s what
matters.”
He was right but it didn’t make the pain any less real.
The IV bag hanging beside the bed was empty now and Tristan carefully removed the needle from my arm, placing a small bandage over the insertion site.
“Dr. Chen showed me how to do that,” he explained when he saw me watching. “He said the fluids should help you feel a bit better.”
“I do feel a bit better,” I said. “Less shaky.”
“Good,” he said. “Are you hungry? Kiara made breakfast for everyone.”
As if on cue, my stomach growled loudly and we both looked down at it.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Tristan said with a small smile, the first real smile I’d seen from him
since he arrived.
He helped me stand slowly, keeping his arm around my waist to support me, and we made our
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Chapter 281
way out of the small room and down the hallway.
The smell of food cooking hit me as soon as we entered the main living area and my mouth
watered, I was starving.
Kiara was in the kitchen with Leah, the two of them working together to make what looked like
enough food to feed an army. 2
“You’re awake,” Kiara said when she saw me. “How are you feeling?”
“Sore,” I said honestly. “But better than last night.”
“Good,” she said. “Sit down, food will be ready in a few minutes.”
Tristan guided me to the couch and I sat down carefully, trying to find a position that didn’t
aggravate my ribs too much.
Sarah appeared from another hallway, looking exhausted but relieved when she saw me.
“You’re up,” she said, coming over to sit beside me. “I was worried about you.”
“I’m okay,” I said. “How’s Lily?”
“She’s calmer now,” Sarah said. “Orion is reading to her and Liam, trying to distract them from everything that happened.”
“I’m sorry they had to see that,” I said. “They’re so young, they shouldn’t have had to witness
violence like that.” 1
“They’re resilient,” Sarah said, but I could see the worry in her eyes. “We’ll make sure they have everything they need to process it.”
Cara and Maya came in from outside, having apparently been keeping watch during the early
morning hours.
“Everything’s quiet out there,” Cara reported. “No signs of any trouble.”
“The guards are still stationed around the perimeter,” Maya added. “They’ll stay until we’re sure
there’s no more threat.”
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Chapter 281
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I felt grateful for their continued vigilance even as part of me wondered if we’d ever really feel
safe again.
Orion emerged from the back with Lily on his hip and Liam holding his hand, both kids looked
tired and a bit subdued, which was unusual for them
“Aunt Athena!” Lily said when she saw me, and Orion set her down so she could come over.
She climbed carefully into my lap, being gentle in a way that told me someone had explained
that I was hurt.
“Hi, sweetheart,” I said, hugging her close.
“Mama said you have owies,” she said, looking up at me with big concerned eyes.
“I do,” I confirmed. “But I’ll be okay.”
“Does the baby have owies too?” she asked, and realized she was touching my stomach gently.
I glanced at Sarah who gave me an apologetic look.
“I had to explain why you needed to be careful with you,” Sarah said quietly. “She was asking why you were hurt and I thought it might help her understand if she knew there was a baby that needed protecting.” 2
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
