Page 2 of Born Chaos

“I love you too,” I whisper.

I wakeup feeling anxious the next night. I know I had dreams all day, but I can’t quite grasp them now. There was blood. There were screams. There was eerie green light. There were lies and burning hearts. There were flowers and sunsets.

I’m relieved when both Sebastian and I are on duty at the hospital. We both dress, grab some donor blood from the fridge, and head out the door. Hand in hand, we walk down the slushy sidewalk. And I feel better when Sebastian brings my hand to his lips, and he presses a kiss to the back of my hand, just above that beautiful ring.

I think I really look at it for the first time. The center diamond is huge. And all the sun spray diamonds around it? This thing must have cost a fortune.

It’s a bizarre thing, changing your financial status dramatically. I’ve been below poverty-stricken my entire life. I’ve starved. I’ve stolen from grocery stores because I thought I might die if I didn’t eat something. And then, in college, I barely made enough to get by, to keep a roof over my head, and a minimal amount of food in the cupboards. And that was accomplished by accumulating over two-hundred-grand in student loans.

But that debt is gone now, thanks to Mason. And now that I’m fully certified, I’m making an incredible salary. For the first time in my life, I don’t have to worry about money. At all.

And in seven months, Sebastian and I will be married. Sebastian not only has his salary as a doctor, he owns the entire freaking hospital. And that’s not even touching what he makes as the blood kingpin of the city.

I swallow once. Thinking about money makes me uneasy, but I shove it down and lift my chin. I have to get my head in the game as we walk into the hospital.

I need some chaos, some screams, some blood to set my head back on straight. I really hope it’s not going to be a quiet night in the emergency room.

When arewe going to have that talk you promised me?

I read Elena’s text when my shift ends. Standing at my locker, I look down at her words on my phone. Maybe this will help. I need to decompress. I need to talk through this a little bit. I need to get some words out. Even if I can’t tell her everything.

She’s still my best friend.

I’m just getting off work,I type out.You busy this morning? I have something I need to tell you.

I will always clear my schedule for you, my love, her response comes through almost instantly. I’ll send the car for you right now. Be ready in a few minutes.

I smile and set my phone down, pulling my scrub top off and throwing it into the bin.

“Hey, I’m going over to Elena’s,” I say as Sebastian walks into the locker room. He’s got a smear of blood on his left side from someone who came in after they biffed it on the slick sidewalk and caught themselves with their forehead on some stairs.

“Time to start spreading the news?” he asks with a smile, those dark and daring eyes fixed on me. He steps forward, his hands coming to my hips. His eyes drink me in, trailing over the black bra I’m wearing.

I loop my arms behind his neck and nod as I press my lips to his. And just the smell of him is enough to calm me. He smells like promises and shared darkness and understanding. The warmth of his hands pressing into my back is grounding. “I kind of feel like maybe we should just call a Council meeting so we can tell the whole of Chicago at once.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Sebastian chuckles, brushing his nose against mine. “I’m a little jealous I don’t get to be there to see the look on Elena’s face.”

“You’re welcome to come,” I offer.

He smiles and shakes his head. “I have some things I need to take care of. Besides, I don’t think I can handle the look on Mason’s face when he finds out.”

I sigh and try not to roll my eyes. “Mason is fine,” I say. “Seriously. We talked about it. He doesn’t have any problem with you and me.”

“Good,” Sebastian says as he presses a kiss to my forehead. “I’d hate to have to hurt the little prince if it came down to it. He’s just too damn nice for his own good.”

I smile because it’s true. “You’ll be home around dinner? I have a feeling Elena’s going to wrangle up a wedding planner for us the second I tell her. I think our free time is about to disappear.”

He brushes his thumb over my cheek. “I’ll be home by then.” Something sobers in his eyes. “Promise you’re really going to Elena’s?”

Something cold drops in my stomach. I lied to Sebastian just two days ago about where I was going. He knows it. And we haven’t talked about it.

“I promise,” I say, nodding gravely. “I don’t have the energy or willpower to get up to any shenanigans today.”

“’K,” he says with a somewhat forced smile. He presses another kiss to my lips and steps to his locker.

I finish changing and kiss him goodbye as I head for the doors. The moment I step outside, a sleek, black limo pulls up to the curb. Elena’s driver hops out and opens the door for me.

The first two months of my arrival in Chicago were spent riding around in limos. I didn’t hardly have to lift a finger for anything.