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Especially Raven and Flick

Uncle Jack was in a chair by the hen alked in He looked like he hadn’t gotten much sleep but he sive hi “Hey there, darlin’”

My gaze went around the roo chair beside the narrow little hospital bed where Haas sprawled out with Gracie tucked close around him My brother looked better than he had the day before He wasn’t pale as death and his breathing was steady as he held onto Gracie for dear life

Gracie, on the other hand, still looked bad Her hair was a tangledh her fever was The heart h and her breathing looked just as fast Blood poisoning—or sepsis as Raven had told erous It could shut down her entire body because it attacked the organs The doctor had wanted to admit her into the ICU, but because Hawk and Uncle Jack had refused to leave her side for even a second, the doctor had put her in a private rooet better faster if she was surrounded by people who made her feel safe

Because of the gunshot wound, the cops had been called It was the protocol for those things We all knew it and had already had the story straight before the first cop started questioning us the night before We’d stuck to the truth…minus a few details

Uncle Jack had told the cops that Santino’s hter because ere rivals back in California We’d coet her back and had found her with the gunshot wound When the three cops had kept asking questions, I’d called Ciro and then handed the phone over to the cop who seeizing for taking up so much of our time

“Did he take his antibiotics?” Flick asked Uncle Jack

“Gracie asked hi,” the old man assured her with a weak setting better, but she just keeps getting sicker”

IMy brother’s head snapped up irumbled

I nodded my head toward the door I wanted to talk to him alone before I told the others what Jenkins had said

Hawk grimaced and then turned to brush a kiss over Gracie’s sweaty brow “When’s the last tier

“About an hour ago They switched out her fluids and replaced the bag of antibiotics Nurse said it could take another day or two before the antibiotics did their job” Trigger shrugged his shoulders “Her heart rate has been rising for the last thirty h every ti checks it”

“Flick, do youher face?” Hawk’s voice was soft, his eyes pleading It was a drastic change to how he’d looked at her just the day before

She gave hio talk to Jet I’ll take care of your Gracie”

He sed hard, twice, before nodding and kissing Gracie again Heup, his body tense with pain as he stretched his back and shoulder Muttering a curse, he followed me out into the hall