Page 90 of Beautiful Chaos
I sit for a few more minutes before getting up. As I bend over the bed, I breathe deeply, letting the unique scent of vanilla and roses fill my lungs.
Taking care not to startle her, I brush my lips across her soft ones. I don’t want to leave her, I hate doing it each time she’s here. However, in order for her to come out of this, the sooner I’m away from her, the better.
“I’m heading down to my car. Stay up here until she leaves, then follow us home,” I tell Mathias and receive a nod in return. “Text Damon and tell him to stay close.”
“On it.”
Ginger is waiting for me down at reception, her expression filled with concern.
“She dozed off. Not sure how long it’ll be before she wakes up and goes home.”
Her eyes move to the stairs before sliding back to me. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”
“I’ll be out in my car. I’m going to wait until she leaves and follow her home. I have a couple of men here if anything happens.”
For the most part, I’ve kept Cat’s family informed. They know about Whisper and Henry’s freedom. They’re aware of the shit we’ve gotten in the mail and the times someone’s broken into our house. They know mostly everything because those things affect Cat and there’s no way to keep it from them. I haven’t told them that I’m actively searching for Whisper and Henry, or what I intend to do when I find them. As far as they’re concerned, I’m leaving it up to the police to find Whisper. They don’t know about the people Silas and I killed over the years, and that’s the way I plan to keep it.
“Why are you here so late?” I ask.
“Betty called in. Her daughter is sick so she’s staying home with her. I offered to take her shift.”
I nod, grateful that she’s here. Even though I trust every single staff member employed, when it comes to family, it’s different.
I leave her inside and walk out to my SUV. I see Damon’s dark figure walking around the side of the building where Cat’s car is parked. He’ll patrol the area over and over again until it’s time to leave.
I keep an eye on the building’s front door. More often than not, Cat stays here for only an hour or two at most. When Cat switches from one of her personalities back to herself, she falls into a sort of trance. At first, I was concerned about her driving, but Dr. Armani explained that she’s completely aware of her surroundings and will function normally. She just doesn’t remember those short periods of time. Neither herself or the personality she just switched from.
When three hours pass and Cat hasn’t appeared, worry sets in. I text Mathias for an update inside, and he replies that she’s still asleep. She never stays this long.
Another hour passes, and then another. Ginger appears in the dim yellow light of the porch and walks over when she spots my SUV.
I push the button to roll down my window. “If your shift is over, you should head home to Mason and the boys,” I tell her. There’s no need for her to stick around when I’m here.
“I’d like to stay,” she replies. “I don’t like that she’s been here for so long. I want to be here if something happens. Mason will be fine with the boys until I get home.” She pauses for a moment. “How is she doing at home?”
My hands grip the steering wheel tightly. “For the most part, she’s fine. She has moments though where things get to her. She’s doing better than I thought she would with her memories back and knowing about Athena, Scarlett, and Presley.”
“Have the others shown themselves more since she found out?”
“No, but they’ve changed their usual routine. You obviously know about Athena showing tonight, and Presley came to me while I was at Slate.”
Her eyes widen. “Slate? With her mind being so young, I bet that was awkward.”
“Thankfully, she was in my office when it happened and Katie was there with her so she didn’t wander off and come across anything inappropriate.”
“Close call. I can’t imagine what she would have thought had she walked into the bar area and seen the girls on stage.”
Ginger grabs the edges of her coat and pulls them closed when a gust of wind whips past.
“You should go inside before you catch a cold.”
“Yeah.” She turns to leave, but spins back. “She sent me her manuscript a few days ago. Have you had a chance to read it yet?”
The hand I have resting on my thigh tightens into a fist. “Yes,” I reply.
When Ginger speaks again, her voice cracks. “I never knew.” She stops, her head dropping as she clears her throat. “I mean, I did, but only what you told us and what was said in court.” She lifts her head again and tears are sliding down her cheeks. “Jesus, Hunter. The details… I can’t…” She shakes her head. “Does she realize what she did?”
“I don’t know.”