Run To Me (Lazarus Rising #4)(55)

“Did he just tear open some stitches?” Jay asked.

But Elizabeth shook her head again. “No. It’s a lot worse.” And her stare was grave. “The wound was bad, Jay. And Wyman wasn’t exactly in the best condition before he got shot. His body…I’m sorry, Willow, but his body is frail because he has cancer. It seems he’s been battling it for some time, and it’s spread. I’d need to bring in a specialist, but Dr. Bannon already told me that he doesn’t think Wyman has a lot of time left. Maybe a year at the most.”

She felt her cheeks ice. “What?”

“I’m sorry,” Elizabeth said again. “Sawyer told me what happened in here and I just…” She stepped forward. Put her arms around Willow. Hugged her. “I’m sorry,” Elizabeth told her again.

Willow just stood there. The ice was spreading inside of her. “He’s dying?”

Elizabeth eased back. Gave a quick nod.

She’d just found him. The man who was her past. The man who’d made her into what she was. And he was going to die?

“Not today,” Elizabeth’s face showed her sympathy. “He’s not dying today. Dr. Bannon will get the bleeding stopped. Wyman will need some time to rest, but after that, you can come and talk with him again. You can learn everything you need to know.”

Everything, but still lose the man who said he was her father? Not her biological father, though, Jay had told her that.

What had happened to her real parents?

“Go home,” Elizabeth urged her. “Rest for the evening and tonight. The guards are here. They’ll all stay here after the surgery. By the morning, Wyman should be stronger.”

Okay, yes. There was no point in staying. Except that she wanted to see Wyman again. She wanted to talk to him. To remember.

Even if he’d been the one to take her memories away.

Elizabeth turned back for the door.

“Did you know about other experiments?” Jay questioned, stopping her.

Elizabeth’s spine straightened. She glanced at him. “What?”

“Other than Lazarus, did you know about other experiments that Wyman was doing? Maybe running on soldiers?”

Elizabeth’s dark gaze was troubled. “No, I was only working on Lazarus.” She hesitated. “But knowing Wyman, I do believe there could have been more.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Jay was at Willow’s side, but he still didn’t touch her. “Call us if anything changes?”

“Absolutely.” Elizabeth’s promise was instantly given. Then she was gone. Willow was alone with Jay in the room. There was nothing for her there. No reason to stay but…

“He’s dying?” Her voice seemed small.

“Not yet, he isn’t,” Jay said. “Not yet.”

She pressed her lips together to stop the tremble.

***

Willow was hurting.

Jay sat across from her in the back of the limo, his gaze on her face. Her profile was turned toward him as she stared out of the window. She was right there. He could reach out and touch her, but she seemed to be a million miles away.

He could almost feel her pain. Her shoulders were stiff. Her chin up. But every now and then, her lower lip trembled. His hands were clenched in his lap so he wouldn’t reach out and touch her. He’d promised not to touch. She’d run from him the last time he’d touched her.

He’d hold back. He wouldn’t make the same mistakes again. He fucking wouldn’t.

“How can I hurt inside, for a man who did this to me?”

His gut tightened. “People can do crazy things for love.”

Her head turned toward him. He felt her stare like a physical touch. “You think he loves me? Wyman is the man you’ve called a bastard. A psychopath. You’ve said he wanted to build an army of super soldiers. That he killed innocent people.”

“Yeah, and I’m not saying he’s suddenly flown to sainthood.” Never would happen. “But even people who are bad, well, they can love.”

“Do you…do you think I could ever love?”

Now he knew he had to tread very, very carefully. “Don’t see any reason why you can’t.”

“Lazarus subjects are supposed to be all about the dark emotions.”

“You can’t have dark without the light, baby. And are you going to sit there and tell me that you don’t think Sawyer loves Elizabeth? Or that Flynn wouldn’t gladly give all of his lives for Cecelia?”

Once more, she looked away.

More silence. The sun was setting. They lingered too long at the hospital, but he hadn’t been up to forcing her to leave. Not until Willow was ready.

It had been one hell of a day. At least she was going back home with him. And at least he had a new target now. Willow might have been a ghost online, but the man who’d killed her, Jay would be finding him.

Then he’d destroy the bastard.

“Do you want to know my worst fear?”

Jay forced his hands to unclench. “I already know it.” Keeping his voice gentle was an effort. “Being locked up. That’s why—”

“I dreamed I hurt you. I killed you. There was so much blood, and there was nothing I could do.”

Shocked, he could only stare at her.