Half Empty (First Wives, #2)(55)

That was the moment that Wade caught up. “Trina said it was suicide.”

“Which is how it looked,” Reed said.

“Does Trina know this?”

Reed and Rick exchanged glances. “Not yet.”



Trina had never seen Bernie in person. He was even shorter in real life.

Yet the lack of height was made up for by the dread-filled concern in his eyes. “Oh, dear lord, no. Who did this to you?” he asked the second he entered the room.

Avery had opened her eyes for a short time while her parents were there and then closed them after a few seconds. “What are you doing here, Bernie?” she asked slowly.

“Oh, thank God you’re talking. Oh, darling.”

Bernie sat on the edge of the seat Avery’s mother had just vacated; his hand moved to grasp Avery’s and ended up resting on top of the exposed skin of her upper arm.

“Who did this to you? Tell me and I’ll put a hit out on them.”

For the first time since Trina had walked into the hospital, a smile started to peek out from under the bandages covering Avery’s face. “You won’t kill spiders.” A slight chuckle came from her and resulted in a cough that brought a grimace.

Trina brought a cup of water with a straw to Avery’s lips.

Bernie’s worried eyes met Trina’s.

Avery finally opened both eyes and tried to smile a second time. “Who told you I was here?”

“Adeline called me.”

“My mother should have left you alone.”

“For once I’m grateful for her meddling. Oh, Avery . . .” He said her name with a sigh. “I know you’re not mine anymore, but I do still love you.”

Bernie glanced at Trina before focusing on Avery.

“Bernie . . . Trina knows. You don’t have to pretend.”

Trina felt her heart skip a beat. “The nurse just gave her more pain medication. I think it’s working,” Trina told Bernie in hopes that he wouldn’t question what she knew and didn’t know.

“Oh, please, Trina.”

“No matter,” Bernie said. “I care, and I’m here if you need anything.”

Avery’s eyes started to close and stay that way. “I’m okay.”

Bernie huffed in disbelief. Before he could say another word, Avery’s mouth slacked open and her breathing evened out as she fell fast asleep.

Trina nodded toward the door and encouraged Bernie to follow. He did, but not before he kissed Avery’s exposed cheek.

Once they walked out of the room, Trina reached her hand out to shake his. “I’m Trina.”

“Bernie, Avery’s ex-husband.”

“It was sweet of you to stop by.”

He shifted from foot to foot. “I’m not sure what she told you about me, but—”

Trina interrupted him. “That you were both hasty in getting married and realized a long-lasting romantic love wasn’t going to work.”

Bernie looked relieved. “I would imagine that bump to her head has her saying strange things,” he offered.

“Nothing I haven’t expected.”

Bernie paused and nodded. “It’s probably best not to leave her alone with her parents until she’s less . . . medicated.”

“I agree,” Trina said. “Lori and I are taking turns.”

With those final words, Bernie’s understanding seemed to come into focus. Alliance had a strict code of silence, but their unstated conversation became perfectly clear to both of them.

He reached for Trina’s hands and squeezed them. “I do care deeply for her. Please keep me informed.”

“I will.”

Trina watched Bernie’s back as he walked out of the ICU. When the door opened, she saw one of the detectives from the previous night standing in the doorway.

The hair on her neck stood up. There wasn’t any way of knowing what Avery would say to the police in her drugged state. If word got out about Avery’s fake marriage to Bernie, and someone followed that bouncing ball, it stood to reason that the police would question her about Fedor.

She turned to Doug, the nurse who had been taking care of Avery since the early morning hours. “Excuse me.”

Doug looked up from the chart he was working on.

“I’m going to step out for a while.” She glanced behind her at the approaching detectives. “She’s really tired and could take a break from visitors,” she told the nurse.

Doug stood. “I’ll check on her.”

Trina headed Detective Gray off. “Good afternoon, gentlemen.”

“Mrs. Petrov.”

“We’d like a few words with Ms. Grant.”

“She’s exhausted.”

Armstrong looked over his shoulder toward the closed door to the ICU. “It appears she’s had plenty of visitors today.”

Maybe it was luck, or perhaps Doug caught on to Trina’s need, but the nurse left Avery’s room and stopped the men from entering.

“Trina?” Doug approached. “She’s finally sleeping. I’m going to ask that everyone leave her alone for a few hours.”

Gray removed a badge from his back pocket. “I’m Detective Gray, this is Detective Armstrong, we only have a few questions for Ms. Grant.”