Masquerade

41

~Nick~

I enter the hospital, my arm wrapped around Willow's waist, not so much in support as to keep that contact, the only thing that's keeping me calm. Her words tumble around in my mind like wild dogs, nipping and biting at each other and at me. Without the warmth of this contact with her, I'm afraid of the chill that has spread through me, the cold bite of my own rage. It tells me I didn't do nearly enough to Spencer when I'd had the chance.

But I keep that to myself. She doesn't need to know everything that goes on in my mind.

Soon, Aiden and Ava will join us, and we'll all go up to see Allan together, but we've arrived early for an entirely different social call. At the elevator bank Willow stops, then just stares silently at the numberpad on the wall. I hug her gently to my side and she lets out a soft sigh.

"I hadn't planned on ever seeing him again, you know," she says softly.

"I know. And you don't have to now."

She shakes her head, then turns it up to look at me. There is still the bright glimmer of her own anger, but beneath it there's also a measure of lingering hurt. I understand without her having to explain it to me. It can't be easy, knowing all she knows now.

"Actually, I do have to," she says with a disgruntled sigh. "I've got to finish this thing. He needs to know I know, and that he can't take advantage of me anymore."

She looks away, then reaches out and presses the key that will open the elevator to speed us up to Spencer's floor. When the door opens and we step inside, we enter with my arm still wrapped firmly around her. As the door closes, I turn and cup her face gently with my free hand.

"I'm going in with you," I tell her, holding her gaze captive with mine.

"We talked about this, Nick--"

"And I changed my mind," I cut her off. "If I can help it, he'll never have the chance to be alone with you again. Be mad at me if you want, but I'm not letting you go in there without me."

She opens her mouth to protest, but I seal her words off with a searing kiss. I pull away only when the doors open again and her breath comes to her in heated gasps. I smile down at her knowingly, then turn to guide her from the elevator car.

We slip past the nurses station, then sidestep an orderly as he passes, making our silent trek to the room that should house a dead man but doesn't. My jaw ticks with my regret in that. When we finally make it to his room, I'm almost relieved to see two people standing on either side of his door: the woman who'd accompanied that Zade guy, and a man who looks suspiciously like he'd just stepped out of an action movie.

The brawny man looks at me briefly, then glances at Willow before nodding to us both. The woman does the same, though I think I can almost see a smile when her glance briefly rests on Willow. We open the door, then step inside without speaking to either of them.

Spencer is lying in the bed, his eyes closed, as if he deserves to rest peacefully. He doesn't. When we reach the bedside, I reach out and shake his shoulder--I'm not the least bit gentle about it. He groans then opens his eyes. When they finally focus on me, a mixture of hate and fear swirls in their cold depths--I have no doubt he regrets having hit the wrong man with his car.

"What are you doing here?" he hisses. He reaches for the call remote hanging from its cord on the bedside, but I move it out of his reach. He won't be calling anyone to interrupt us today.

"Willow has some things to say to you," I say as calmly as I'm able. "I'm here to make sure she gets that chance."

"As soon as you leave here, expect your next trip to be to the county lock-up," he says theough his clenched jaw.