Chapter 54

I wake to the sound of beeping and loud shouting, my head pounding painfully as I try to open my eyes. “She’s awake,” I can eventually make out, along with a lot of crying and rejoicing.

Relief rushes through me when I recognize the feeling of my husband’s hand in mine. “Xavier,” I whisper, turning my face to look at him.

Our eyes lock, and he stares at me like he can’t quite believe what he’s seeing. “Thank God,” he murmurs, his voice breaking.

“I knew you’d find me,” I whisper, my throat burning.

“You’ve inhaled a lot of smoke,” Raven tells me. “Xavier carried you out just in time.”

My father-in-law places his hand on Xavier’s arm, his eyes filled with just as much relief. “She’s awake now,” he says gently. “You promised us you’d get your wounds looked at once she woke up.”

“You’re hurt?” I ask, trying to sit up and failing. My entire body hurts, and I’m not sure why. All I remember was that creep panicking and knocking over barrels with oil, before lighting the whole place up.

“No,” he lies, his face a little too pale, his pupils blown. “I’m fine.”

“He broke five bones nearly getting crushed by rubble as he tried to get you out,” Dion tells me, his tone grim.

I look back at my husband, before looking at my brothers-in-law. “Hunter, Elijah, Zach, get him checked out.”

They nod and jump into action, and Xavier struggles when they reach for him. “No,” he says, panicking. “I can’t leave my wife right now. She just woke up, and⁠—”

“We’re with her,” my mother-in-law says, reaching for my hand.

“We won’t go anywhere until you get back,” my father-in-law adds, and I nod reassuringly as his brothers all but drag him out of the room, his eyes on mine until the very last second.

“How is he?” I ask, turning my head to face Ares.

“You’re the one that was kidnapped,” Raven says, sounding furious and worried out of her mind. “You’re lying in a hospital bed, Sierra.”

“Yes, but Rave, that means I’ve been checked out and treated,” I tell her, looking at Val instead. I get where she’s coming from, but it isn’t myself I’m worried about right now. “How is my husband?”

“It’s hard to say,” Val admits, giving me the truth I needed. “He was running on pure adrenaline, so I don’t think he’s even started to feel any pain yet, but the doctors think he broke his forearm, several ribs, and his leg, all on the same side. He needs x-rays, though.”

“He’s not doing great mentally,” Celeste tells me. “He’s worried sick about you and not in the right frame of mind.”

“He thinks he failed you because he couldn’t protect you from being taken, despite all of his security measures,” Faye says, her voice soft. “They outsmarted everyone, including Silas and Elijah, but Xavier can’t seem to accept that.”

Dion gently pushes my hair out of my face and sighs. “This is his worst fear come true, Sierra. That man just lived his worst nightmare, and I don’t think he’s snapped out of it yet. He’ll be okay once he realizes you’re okay.”

I nod, unable to focus on anything but the seconds ticking by as I wait for my husband to come back, and it strikes me then — he’s just a few doors down the hallway, and I’m this concerned. I can’t even imagine what he must’ve gone through in the hours I was missing.

“Have some soup,” my mother-in-law tells me, holding up a canister with what is no doubt homemade chicken soup, the kind Xavier told me his mom always makes for him when he’s sick.

“Thank you, Mom,” I murmur when she spoon feeds me with all the patience in the world. Her eyes widen a fraction, and she smiles at me so sweetly that my heart warms instantly. I know she’s wanted to hear me say it for a while now, but for so long, I’d felt like an imposter, like I didn’t have the right to call her mom, when our marriage felt so temporary.

Xavier’s dad grumbles, seemingly unhappy as he throws his wife a dirty look, and I glance at him. “Everything okay, Dad?”

He melts — there’s no other way to describe the way his shoulder relax as his expression lights up. “Yes, sweetie,” he says, brushing my hair out of my face like Dion did earlier. “I’m really proud of you, you know? You stayed so calm and gave us so many clues.”

I smile shakily and continue to sip my soup, my heart uneasy without Xavier here. That look in his eyes worried me, and I need to see him, need to know he’s okay.

“We’ll be back tomorrow,” Raven tells me when a doctor walks in and demands they clear the room, but I shake my head.

“I want to go home,” I tell her.

Raven nods. “I’ll make it happen,” she promises. “We’ll get you whatever you need to be treated at home, if necessary.”

She leans in and presses a kiss to my cheek, and I smile at her. “I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier.”

Raven merely chuckles and shakes her head. “I would’ve done the same had our roles been reversed. I’d have wanted to know about Ares before worrying about my own health too, so I get it. Just promise me you’ll focus on getting better now.”

“I promise,” I tell her, and she nods as she leads all of our family members out moments before Xavier is wheeled into the room, severals casts covering his body. His parents rise when they see him, throwing us both sweet smiles before they walk out too, leaving us alone.

“Hi, Kitten,” Xavier says, hoisting himself up on my bed with me, seemingly not caring about the pain he must be in. He lies on his uninjured side, facing me, and I gently press my head against his chest as I burst into tears, the shock finally wearing off.

“I’m sorry,” he says, repeating the words over and over again as he holds me, my entire body rocking from the force of my sobs.

“I’m j-just so glad you f-found me,” I tell him. “I w-was so scared, Xave.”

“Me too,” he whispers, his lips pressed to my forehead. “God, baby. I was fucking terrified that what happened to Valeria would happen to you too, and I’d lost you for years, or forever.”

“But I’m here,” I tell him, trying to control my sobs. “I’m here, Xavier, and I’m fine. We’re fine.”

“No,” he says, his voice breaking. “You aren’t fine at all, Kitten. You barely survived a traumatic event you would never have had to experience if you hadn’t been married to me. I nearly fucking lost you, Sierra.”

“But you didn’t,” I whisper. “I’m right here, Xave. You won’t ever lose me.”

He holds me tightly, his breathing uneven and his heart beating steadily against the palm of my hand. His expression tells me he doesn’t believe me, and I don’t know how to convince him otherwise.