CHAPTER 141

As he promised, Maddox didn’t keep me from the hospital for long. We returned as soon as I got a message saying Christian had been moved. Maddox followed me into his new room, a silent companion, there to support me. I went directly to the side of the bed. There were still machines whirring and beeping away, but there were fewer of them. Christian had obviously been given a sponge bath, his hair damp around his ears where they had wiped with the wet cloth. The room was large and bright with two comfortable-looking chairs and even a small sofa. The usual kind of hospital bathroom was in the corner, and the walls the same green, but it was private and had a window that looked over the street.

I cupped Christian’s cheek. “Hello, my darling. I was gone for a while, but I’m back. You look so much better. And look who I found!”

Maddox stood at the end of the bed, his hands wrapped around the metal frame. “Hey, Christian’s,” he stated easily, although I saw the stress around his eyes. “Don’t