*Keera*
I laid in bed, surrounded by the gray and white walls of my temporary bedroom and feeling much like a fragile doll. Elena moved her hands gently over my bruised body, checking for injuries she might not have detected yesterday. I hadn’t really been able to speak to anyone yesterday since I’d been in and out of consciousness. Elena had told me that she’d asked them to check back today, so I was expecting a few visits. She rounded up her inspection, her touch soothing and making me relax against my will.
I was still determined to hold on to my dislike for these people but they were making it more and more difficult with each passing day and with each act of kindness. Elena released a relieved sigh and I took that to mean I was responding well to treatment. I turned my attention to her when she moved away from the bed. “Feeling better?” She asked, meeting my eyes. The smile on her face was soothing and her brown eyes showed a bit of concern.
“A little,” I replied, with a nod of my head. She removed her stethoscope from her neck and folded the rubber, watching me a little closely. Memories of Grayson’s reaction to my fall flooded my mind. I wondered what they thought about it, if they could guess that something had shifted between Grayson and I. I’d been secretly hoping Grayson would be the first person I get to see this morning so we could talk. I also was too much of a chicken to send for him for fear of how it might look.
But that didn’t change the fact that I had questions I wanted to ask.
Had anyone guessed about our relationship?
Had he spoken to Trevor?
I hoped he hadn’t spoken to Trevor. The idea that he already might have frightened me more than anything else. If it was true that Trevor had feelings for me like I suspected then I wouldn’t put it past him to put whatever he had going on, on hold in order to get to the pack as soon as possible. The last thing I needed in this delicate situation was his overbearing presence. Elena’s expression turned sympathetic as she studied me, mistaking my fear for worry about my health.
“You’ll be back on your feet in no time.” She comforted, digging her hands into the pockets of her lab coat. “Grayson’s been worried sick about you.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I don’t think he’s been able to get some shut eye since hearing that you slipped down the stairs.” I caught the hint of curiosity in her voice but didn’t take the bait. I knew the game all too well. She probably expected me to say something about him that would confirm whatever suspicions it was that she had.
Rather than do that, I only replied to her initial statement. “I do hope I get back on my feet in no time, as you say,” I responded, meeting her gaze and holding it. “I have a case to finish, to get back to.” There. Let her know I wasn’t thinking about Grayson at all. She nodded, agreeing with me and though I sensed she wanted to say more, she only adjusted the drip and stepped out of the room. She must have told the others that they could now come in because my team members began to trickle in minutes later.
Josie entered first, bearing a bouquet of sunflowers that brightened up the room and made me smile widely in surprise. She walked to my bed, Lexi, Kathleen and Joe following closely behind her. “Hey, boss.” She said with a wink, handing me the flowers. “Feel better soon,” Her voice was filled with genuine concern and her little gesture melted my heart, especially because I knew she didn’t like showing her emotions. None of the profilers I’d worked with did.
I laughed, thanking her as I settled the flowers beside me. Kathleen stepped closer, her usually bright face softened by concern. She angled her body to lightly pat my hand. “Keera, please take care of yourself.” She noticed how teary her voice sounded and cleared her throat, trying to appear tough. “We need you back on the case.” I shot her a small smile. We both knew she was hiding her concern behind the case.
Joe sighed, gaining our attention. His rugged features creased with worry. “You scared us, Keera.” He said softly in a way that sounded like he was both complaining and trying to scold me. He lightly scratched his bald head. “Don’t do that again,” He warned lightly, causing me to let out a light laugh as I gave him a small salute. I was surprised and honored that they cared this much.
Lexi sat at the very edge of the bed, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Keera, I’m so sorry this happened,” She said softly. “You needed to see the way we all went out of our mind with worry.” There was something about the way she said that last part. Her gaze lingered on mine, and for a moment, I sensed she wanted to ask something. Something about Grayson, perhaps? Thankfully, she refrained, nodding instead. “Get well soon, boss.”
We talked a little bit before they left. I pleaded with them to not say a word about the incident to Trevor just yet. They exchanged a look between themselves but eventually agreed that they wouldn’t. They might not completely understand why I wanted that but that was because they didn’t know Trevor like I did. Trevor would definitely ask for details. More than that, he paid attention to detail enough to notice the subtle things and ask about them.
And I already knew what his question would be after I told him what happened.
Why had there been oil on the stairs?
I watched them leave the room a few minutes later, a bit tensed when Ginny walked in. She pulled the drapes aside to allow more light into the room before coming to stand beside me. “I’m really sorry to see you like this, Keera.” She said softly. “I know how much you hate to feel incapacitated.” She blew air out of her mouth to push hair away from her face, a small frown on her face. “I’m still trying to figure out why there was oil on the stairs in the first place and why Grayson… ”
She caught herself just in time, meeting my eyes. I wished she would continue. Why Grayson what? I ignored the way my heart had skipped at the mention of his name. Ginny’s curiosity was clearly written in her eyes as she stared at me. She wanted to ask about Grayson and me, but we both knew now was not the time. She sat with me for a few more minutes before leaving. By the time Nyx entered the room – on behalf of the rest of the council members that couldn’t make it, or so she claimed – I was tired of the visits.
I was a bit taken back when she lowered herself on the seat beside me, the expression in her eyes a mix of concern and curiosity. “Sorry that this happened, Keera.” She said gently. “I just know you hate laying in bed like this.” She added with a small smile. I laughed because she was right. Was I that readable? “You’re quite the survivor,” She confessed. “Grayson’s quite… impressed.” I heard the question in her voice. Her gaze probed mine, seeking answers I wasn’t ready to give.
“Hhmm,” I responded noncommittally.
Grayson had really acted out of character, huh? Nyx eventually let it slide when she realized she wasn’t going to get an answer out of me. She inspected my injuries before leaving. I settled into my pillow, feeling the weight of the unspoken questions. My mind wandered to Grayson, wondering what he thought about my accident. Did he suspect something? We hadn’t really talked since I woke up.
Just as I tried to drift off to sleep, a tiny ball of energy burst into the room, her blonde pigtails bouncing with each step. Ellie’s bright eyes shone with excitement as she rushed towards me, a vibrant smile spreading across her face. I felt my heart swell as all my worries instantly melted away. Gah, I was growing to love this little munchkin like she was my own flesh and blood. “Keera!” She squealed, climbing into the bed and scooting to give me a side hug.
“Hey, Ellie!” I replied, making my voice come out as strong and bright as I could manage. I laughed, hugging her tightly with one arm and dropping tiny kisses all over her face. She held onto my neck, laughing at my silly antics. There was no doubt that Nyx’s seven-year-old pup had grown dear to me. She pulled away, her eyes widening as she picked up the flowers Josie had brought me. Her lips formed into a tiny pout.
“These are beautiful,” She complimented.
She forgot about the flowers when she saw I looked. “Are you okay, Keera? Mommy said you got hurt,” She asked, her voice trembling slightly. Oh, you poor thing. I shifted, gently tapping the small space I’d created beside me. She gently set the flowers on the other pillows on the bed and attached herself to my side, resting her head on my shoulder. Our bodies relaxed once we’d made contact.
Nyx was so lucky to have her.
I blinked hard as I rubbed down her arm with my free hand. The connection I had to Ellie was something I couldn’t place a finger on. It was out of this world, in every sense of the word. I pulled away to meet her eyes, trying to reassure her with a gentle smile. “I’m fine, sweetie. It was just a little bump. I’ll be back on my feet in no time.” She pouted, looking a lot like she didn’t believe me.
Her face scrunched up in concern and her brow furrowed. She examined my face, searching for any signs of distress. I tried to look tough for her. She nodded a few seconds later, satisfied with her little inspection. “Okay,” she said, her voice filled with determination. “But I’ll still stay and take care of you.” I shook my head, stifling my laugh at her words. How on earth did she think she could take care of me with her small and fragile bones?
Ellie stepped down from the bed and picked up the coloring book and crayons on my nightstand. She settled back beside me, the crayons clattered as she sorted through them, selecting her favorite colors. “I can color while I take care of you.” I couldn’t stop the laugh this time. Luckily, she didn’t dwell on it. I watched, mesmerized, as her tiny hands moved across the paper. Her imagination was boundless, and it was one of the things I admired about her. Right after how smart she was.
She definitely wouldn’t take anybody’s bullshit when she grew up, and I loved that for her.
In a way she reminded me of myself. Smart, perceptive, a straight talker with dreams a little too big for her age. Unlike her I hadn’t had people shower me with love. So I’d grown up head strong and angry at the world. Looking back, I couldn’t blame Grayson for immediately labeling me as the bad influence on his sister. My eyebrows creased as I wondered when we were finally going to actually talk about that night. It was easy to understand why I might have seemed bad to a lot of people.
It didn’t change the truth though; that I’d never been bad to any of them.
Especially not Ginny.
Just then the door got pulled open and Ellie and I both instinctively looked up at the same time. My heart skipped in my chest at the sight of the man filling the doorway.
“Uncle Grayson!”