In For the Kill (McClouds & Friends #11)(144)

Med techs bustled in some time later, chattering in Italian. Sveti’s eyes fluttered open as they began to peel the comforter away.

“Sam?” she whispered groggily.

“Congratulations,” he said. “You won.”

“Bomb?” she croaked.

“It never went off,” he said. “I talked to Val. He’s on it.”

Tears welled into her eyes. “Rachel? Tam, Nick, Becca?”

“Fine,” he assured her. “They’re fine. You did it, babe.”

She blinked furiously, eyes overflowing. “I love you,” she said.

He flinched. Turn the f*cking knife in the wound, why didn’t she. He pulled away. “You thought you were about to die when you said that,” he said. “It’s like saying it when you come. It doesn’t count.”

“Sam—”

“Don’t. Please. Don’t sweat it. I’m not holding you to it.”

One of the med techs tried to push him back down onto the bed. He shoved the guy away so hard, he bounced off the far wall.

The rest of the medics swiftly gave way as he made for the door.





CHAPTER 30

“Sveti?”

Sveti turned from the window overlooking the beach. She spent a lot of time there, staring at the waves receding, leaving gleaming sand, stranded foam. Something about the slow, muscular surge of the water was, well, not soothing. She was too tense to be soothed. But if she timed her breaths to coincide with the waves, she got a little more air.

Her lungs felt clenched. Pain, from her wrenched shoulder and the broken ribs. She’d gotten used to shallow, pain-avoiding pants. And to holding her breath as if a bullet was about to punch into her.

The doctors assured her that it was normal, that it would pass.

“Sveti?”

Rachel’s voice sounded timid. She’d been doing too much jumping and gasping lately. Everyone was tiptoeing around her.

It made her want to snarl, which was bitchy and ungrateful. She was lucky to have people who gave a shit, including her precious Rachel. She grabbed the girl and squeezed. “What is it, sweetheart ?”

“Kev and Edie just showed up,” Rachel said. “With Jon. They brought Misha with them.”

“Great,” she said. “You must be happy.”

“Oh, yeah. We’ll have a blast.”

Rachel’s eyes sparkled. Misha was the latest addition to this crowd of misfits she’d come to love so much. They made space for him immediately, as they had done for Sveti; first because of the help he’d given Sam, but soon enough just for his own quirky, compelling self.

Misha had landed on his feet. Sam had pressured his family into sponsoring Misha to come to America, and the kid was now enrolled in an elite, tech-oriented boarding school for the talented and gifted that had recently opened in Seattle. He started after Christmas. In the meantime, he shuttled between various elements of the McCloud Crowd, assured of many places to go for school breaks and vacations.

Lately, he’d been with Kev, Edie, and little Jon. He’d spent time with Sam, too. They’d bonded, on their bloody adventure.

Lucky Misha.

Rachel and Misha had hit it off, too. They would sneak off to the game room now, and destroy each other all evening with inappropriately violent video games. With Tam and Val checking on them at ten-minute intervals, of course. Typical nervous parents of a pretty, budding girl.

“Edie wanted you,” Rachel said. “Can you go down and say hi?”

Everyone must think she was a cowering invalid. “Of course I’ll come down,” she said. “It’s my party, isn’t it?”

“You deserve it,” Rachel said solemnly.

Truth was, Sveti had only consented to this party to show everyone she was not as f*cked up as they all seemed to think she was. Ostensibly, they were celebrating the book deal she’d recently signed. Three point five million dollars for her story, including the book she’d been writing before, plus the added story of what had happened six weeks ago. All of which had gotten massive news coverage.

She should be glad. The media buzz had sparked a big auction between publishing houses, and driven the offer way up. But the constant attention had been hard for her ragged nerves to bear.

That money would launch the Soul Rescue foundation. Something good would come of it in the end. She had that at least.

They would all be arriving soon. She was going to be hugged and squeezed. Kids would crawl all over her. She’d chat, laugh, drink champagne, show them that she was okay. No worries at all.

She followed Rachel down the stairs and into the living room. Misha saw her and granted her a rare smile. She hugged him, and he stiffened, suppressing the urge to break free. His previous life had not included training in receiving hugs. It was time he got used to it.

Jon toddled over to show her a small robot with slitted eyes that lit red when a button was pressed. She exclaimed over its awesomeness.

Edie caught sight of her and pulled her into a long, tight, I’m-so-glad-you’re-still-alive hug. “We came up a little early because I wanted to see you without a crowd,” Edie said. “Hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course not,” Sveti said. “I’m glad you did.”

“I was wondering if you would like me to . . . well, don’t feel obligated,” Edie said. “But would you like me to draw for you?”