uncontrollably.
Slash sat beside me and put an arm around me. “We’ll think of a way to extract Elvis.”
“D-does Basia know?”
“Not yet. We’ve already alerted the police in Hollywood and she’s got a covert detail on her, but she doesn’t know yet. I’m trying to figure the best way to tell her and keep her safe.”
“Thank you.”
“Also, I have a friend who’s a doctor in Rome. He’s on his way to Greece now to personally keep tabs on Xavier. He’ll check on his medical progress and report directly to me. I’ve arranged for a private room at the hospital and a couple of specialists who are willing to consult. All I know at this point is that Xavier is stable, but not out of the woods yet. You do understand we can’t let Basia go see him? It’s too dangerous for her to travel abroad. She’d be at risk, too. We’ll get him home as soon as he’s stable enough to travel. Until then, he’s under police guard.”
I nodded, my teeth chattering. “I understand. My parents, brothers, grandparents—are they in danger?”
“I won’t lie to you. It’s possible. Your parents have been permitted to leave the hotel and go home, but they remain under police protection. Your brothers are both there now with them. Both sets of your grandparents and your aunts, uncles and other assorted family have been made aware of the events.”
“Oh my God. What about Wally, Piper and Brandon?” They were the kids at the high school who had helped Elvis and me defeat Broodryk.
“For now, all of them, including Bonnie, will have a police presence around the clock.”
Bonnie was the headmistress of the high school Broodryk and the terrorists had attacked. Elvis had just started dating her a few weeks ago.
“There is a bit of good news,
cara
. We’re pretty sure Abri Pentz has left the States.”
“What? How can you be sure?”
“We’ve had dozens of international agencies all over this, trying to piece together his activities. Pentz is nearly as hunted as Broodryk. We got lucky and found a match with one of Pentz’s known aliases going out of Jean Lesage International Airport in Quebec about twelve hours ago.”
I thought about it a moment. My head still hurt, but I had to focus, so I pushed aside the pain.
“You said Elvis spoke on the video. What did he say?”
He brushed a strand of hair from my shoulder. “Why don’t you take some time to think over what we’ve already talked about and then we’ll go over the video together in more detail. Okay? You need a breather. You’re in shock.”
“No.” My voice firmed. “No, Slash. I don’t want to wait. Elvis needs us. I want to know. What did he say?”
“I don’t think—”
“I can handle it. Please, just tell me.”
Slash caught my hand in his and squeezed. “Elvis told you not to come for him. He told you not to do what Broodryk wants
.
And then...” He closed his eyes.
“And then what?”
“And then Broodryk beat him.”
Chapter Nine
I bolted from the chair and ran to the door, wrenching it open. I barely made it to the ladies room before I threw up, heaving until there was nothing left in my stomach.
I don’t know when he came in, but at some point Slash was there with me, holding my hair back, whispering soothing words, pressing a paper towel to my forehead. When I finished, he helped me wash up, then led me out. I saw Woodward and a few of the others in the hallway, watching. Slash said something to them, led me down the hallway, picked up our things at the lobby and then went to his car.
He drove me back to the hotel and tucked me in bed like I was a little girl.
“Close your eyes,
cara
. Rest. I’m here. I won’t leave you.”
He stepped away for a moment and returned, handing me a glass of water and a pill. “Take it,” he said. “Trust me.”
Without a word, I took the pill and swallowed it. He sat with me, holding my hand and murmuring words in Italian until I drifted off. When I woke, Slash was sitting in
Slash sat beside me and put an arm around me. “We’ll think of a way to extract Elvis.”
“D-does Basia know?”
“Not yet. We’ve already alerted the police in Hollywood and she’s got a covert detail on her, but she doesn’t know yet. I’m trying to figure the best way to tell her and keep her safe.”
“Thank you.”
“Also, I have a friend who’s a doctor in Rome. He’s on his way to Greece now to personally keep tabs on Xavier. He’ll check on his medical progress and report directly to me. I’ve arranged for a private room at the hospital and a couple of specialists who are willing to consult. All I know at this point is that Xavier is stable, but not out of the woods yet. You do understand we can’t let Basia go see him? It’s too dangerous for her to travel abroad. She’d be at risk, too. We’ll get him home as soon as he’s stable enough to travel. Until then, he’s under police guard.”
I nodded, my teeth chattering. “I understand. My parents, brothers, grandparents—are they in danger?”
“I won’t lie to you. It’s possible. Your parents have been permitted to leave the hotel and go home, but they remain under police protection. Your brothers are both there now with them. Both sets of your grandparents and your aunts, uncles and other assorted family have been made aware of the events.”
“Oh my God. What about Wally, Piper and Brandon?” They were the kids at the high school who had helped Elvis and me defeat Broodryk.
“For now, all of them, including Bonnie, will have a police presence around the clock.”
Bonnie was the headmistress of the high school Broodryk and the terrorists had attacked. Elvis had just started dating her a few weeks ago.
“There is a bit of good news,
cara
. We’re pretty sure Abri Pentz has left the States.”
“What? How can you be sure?”
“We’ve had dozens of international agencies all over this, trying to piece together his activities. Pentz is nearly as hunted as Broodryk. We got lucky and found a match with one of Pentz’s known aliases going out of Jean Lesage International Airport in Quebec about twelve hours ago.”
I thought about it a moment. My head still hurt, but I had to focus, so I pushed aside the pain.
“You said Elvis spoke on the video. What did he say?”
He brushed a strand of hair from my shoulder. “Why don’t you take some time to think over what we’ve already talked about and then we’ll go over the video together in more detail. Okay? You need a breather. You’re in shock.”
“No.” My voice firmed. “No, Slash. I don’t want to wait. Elvis needs us. I want to know. What did he say?”
“I don’t think—”
“I can handle it. Please, just tell me.”
Slash caught my hand in his and squeezed. “Elvis told you not to come for him. He told you not to do what Broodryk wants
.
And then...” He closed his eyes.
“And then what?”
“And then Broodryk beat him.”
Chapter Nine
I bolted from the chair and ran to the door, wrenching it open. I barely made it to the ladies room before I threw up, heaving until there was nothing left in my stomach.
I don’t know when he came in, but at some point Slash was there with me, holding my hair back, whispering soothing words, pressing a paper towel to my forehead. When I finished, he helped me wash up, then led me out. I saw Woodward and a few of the others in the hallway, watching. Slash said something to them, led me down the hallway, picked up our things at the lobby and then went to his car.
He drove me back to the hotel and tucked me in bed like I was a little girl.
“Close your eyes,
cara
. Rest. I’m here. I won’t leave you.”
He stepped away for a moment and returned, handing me a glass of water and a pill. “Take it,” he said. “Trust me.”
Without a word, I took the pill and swallowed it. He sat with me, holding my hand and murmuring words in Italian until I drifted off. When I woke, Slash was sitting in
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