~LAYLA~
The amount of relief that flooded my bloodstream made me hold on to something for support. "I’m on my way," I choked out.
I hung up and looked at Tye. "Axel?"
"He’s awake," I said, a sob breaking through the steel armour I’d been wearing for twenty-four hours. "Tye, he’s awake."
Tye actually smiled a real, relieved smile that transformed his scarred face. "Then let’s go get the boss."
—
The drive back to the hospital felt like it took three seconds and a hundred years all at once.
Tye handed Helena off to a tactical team in a black SUV halfway there, and then we tore through traffic, ignoring speed limits and red lights.
When we hit the hospital floor, I didn’t wait for Tye. I ran towards the elevator, frantically pushing the buttons.
As I burst through the ICU doors, the nurses didn’t stop me this time; they probably saw the desperation in my eyes and stepped aside.
The room was quietm and the terrifying rhythm of the ventilator was gone.
Axel was lying on his side, his body was supported by pillows to keep his spine straight. He looked pale, his face drawn and bruised, dark circles under his eyes contrasting sharply with the white sheets. But his eyes were open.
They were hazy with pain medication, slow to track movement, but they were him.
"Layla," he rasped. His voice sounded weak and dry.
"Axel."
I rushed to the side of the bed, grabbing his hand where it rested on the sheet. It squeezed back... weakly, but he squeezed.
I collapsed into the chair, burying my face in the edge of the mattress near his shoulder, terrified to touch him anywhere else for fear of hurting him. I breathed in the scent of antiseptic and... Axel.
"You’re okay," I sobbed, the words muffled against the linen. "You’re okay."
"Are you hurt?" he whispered in a barely audible voice. "Did the blast... did it get you?"
"I’m fine," I said, lifting my head to look at him. "I’m perfectly fine. You shielded me, remember? You threw yourself over me and took all of it. You idiot."
"Good," he breathed out. "That’s good."
"Good? Axel, you have a fractured spine. You could have died."
"But you’re fine," he said simply, as if that explained everything. "So it was worth it."
I let out a sound that was half-laugh, half-sob. "Now is not the time for jokes. I was scared, Axel. I thought I’d lost you."
"I... heard you," he whispered, his thumb twitching against my knuckles. "In the dark. You said... you held the line."
I pulled back, wiping my face with my palms, trying to compose myself. "I did. I tried. But God, Axel... it’s been a nightmare. The building... the Board..."
Axel tried to shift, a grimace of pain twisting his features. He stopped, breathing through his teeth. "Tell me. Is the company...?"
"Don’t," I said, putting a gentle hand on his arm to stop him. "Don’t worry about the company. You just woke up, Axel. You need to focus on breathing. You need to focus on staying with me."
"Layla," he pressed, his eyes struggling to focus on mine. "Henry. Where is... Henry?"
The name made my blood run cold, but I forced a smile onto my face.
"Handled," I lied softly. "Everything is being handled. Tye is securing the assets. The Board is under control."
He studied me. Even drugged and broken, he knew me. He saw the tension in my jaw, the shadow behind my eyes.
"You’re... plotting," he murmured, his eyelids drooping. "I know that look. You have... your war paint on."
I let out a wet laugh, stroking his hair back from his forehead. "I learned from the best."
"Be careful," he whispered, his grip on my hand fading as exhaustion pulled him back under. "Don’t let them break you."
"They won’t," I promised, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "Sleep, Axel. Just sleep. When you wake up again, the storm will be over."
I watched him for another minute until his breathing evened out and the monitor showed a steady, restful heart rate.
Then, I stood up.
The softness left my body the moment I turned away from the bed. I walked out of the ICU and closed the door behind me with a quiet click.
Tye was waiting in the hallway, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He looked at my face and straightened up immediately.
"How is he?"
"Weak," I said. "But he’s in there. He’s fighting."
I looked at the hard drive Tye was holding. The evidence of ninety million dollars stolen. The evidence that would end Henry Porter and Charles’ life as he knew it.
"He’s safe for now," I said. "Which means I can go to work."
"What’s the play, boss?" Tye asked.
I pulled out my phone. It was time to set the stage.
"I’m going to call Henry," I said. "And I’m going to invite him for a meeting."
Tye raised an eyebrow. "A meeting?"
"I’m going to tell him I’m done. That I’m scared. That I want to sign everything over to him to handle while I focus on getting Axel back on his feet. Maybe Switzerland for treatment. Something that sounds desperate and defeated."
Tye’s eyes narrowed as he caught on. "You’re baiting him."
"I’m giving him exactly what he wants," I said. "Or what he thinks he wants. He’s been circling like a vulture, waiting for me to crack. So I’m going to crack. I’m going to fall apart right in front of him."
"And then?"
"And then," I said, reaching into my pocket for my phone. "I’m going to invite the other party."
"Marco," Tye realized.
"Marco wants his money," I said. "So I’m going to put them in the same room, lock the door, and let them figure out who owes who."
Tye let out a low whistle. "That’s dangerous. Marco doesn’t negotiate when he’s been crossed. He executes."
"I know," I said calmly. "That’s the point."
"When?"
"Tonight," I said.