Page 52 of Feral

His eyes barely open through the swelling, but he focuses on her. “Angel?”

She smiles. “No, sweetie, but I’m here to help. I need you to drink this.”

“Hale?”

“I’m right here, Yannis.”

He nods without looking in my direction. Viv holds the dish up to his lips and he drinks it down, his face twisting from the taste.

“Fuck.”

“Sorry,” Viv says. “It’s awful but it works. You’ll start feeling better quickly.”

“Thank you.”

Viper is still doing something with her hands that seems to settle Yannis. His face relaxes and he sinks into the leather.

Yves, standing beside me with Damiano, grips my shoulder. “We’ll go and let you get him comfortable. We’ll be waiting in the common area for you.”

“We’ll stay with him while you’re gone,” Vivienne says. “He won’t be alone.”

I nod, focusing my attention on Yannis. Once they leave, I head to the bathroom to get a warm cloth and soap, setting it in my bedroom before returning to the living room where I strip off his bloodied clothes.

The more bruises and cuts I reveal, the more my anger rises, burning through me like an out-of-control fire. I’m going to tear those fuckers limb from limb and enjoy every second of it.

After cleaning him up and carrying him to my bed, I tuck him in and put his phone on the nightstand.

“Yannis? Can you hear me?”

He opens his eyes, and already the swelling is going down. “Hale.”

“Yeah, it’s me. You just rest. I’m going out, but you won’t be alone. Viv and Viper will be here.”

He squeezes my wrist. “No. Dangerous.”

“My love, remember what I am. They don’t stand a chance.”

He huffs. “Want to see.”

“See what?”

“You hurt them.”

His reply surprises me. “You want to see what I’m going to do to them?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll save one for you then. Do you know their names?”

“Vito and Pippo.”

“Vito. The one who came to Lair?”

“Yeah. He said I had to pay for trespassing on his street or something. I got a few punches in.” He chuckles but flinches.

“Rest, sweetheart.” I kiss his forehead. “You’ll feel better soon, and I’ll be back before you know it.”

Before I can leave, he grabs my wrist. “Wait.”