Wiped Clean

27. Home

Caia felt warm fingers in her hair, and for a moment she was too sleepy to realise the gravity of such a moment. She stretched in place, then lifted her head.

Annika smiled back. "Good morning," she whispered.

Tears flooded Caia's eyes. As gently as she could, she wrapped her arms around Annika.

It had been a long night. It was midnight before the doctors were ready to remove the breathing tube. Caia had been sent to the waiting room for almost an hour before she was allowed back. When she returned, Annika was still drowsy. Lucid enough to acknowledge Caia's presence for a few minutes, before she fell asleep.

"I've missed you," Caia said. "So much."

Some of the colour had returned to Annika's face. She smiled, despite the look of pain in her eyes. "I've missed you too."

"I really thought you were going to die."

Annika pursed her lips. "Honestly, so did I. I was so sure that when I closed my eyes it would be for the last time. And I was so sad that it meant I'd never see you or Hallie again."

The image of Annika laying there on the ground wouldn't leave Caia's mind. "I had to do CPR on you."

"I know. The nurse told me when I woke up earlier. I'm sorry you had to go through all that."

"I'm just glad it worked. The doctor said you may have still had a pulse, just that it was too weak for me to feel. She thinks maybe I prevented you from going into cardiac arrest."

Annika smiled. "So I have you to thank for being alive. Two-fold really. If you hadn't been there, I would have been out in the front of the club, right in the midst of it."

If only she hadn't been there at all. If only Michael hadn't treated her so badly. There were many awful things that happened to Annika because of that man.

"Michael got away."

Fear crossed Annika's expression. She blinked, as her brow lowered into a frown. "I suspected as much." She looked up into Caia's eyes. "Am I a bad person for wishing he had been killed last night?"

"No... I don't think so. If you are, then so am I."

"I just—" Annika's attention drifted to the front of the room where detective Andrews stood. "Detective," she said in greeting.

"It's good to see you with your eyes open," he said.

"Have you found him?" Caia asked.

"Not yet. But I'm here to discuss your options."

"My options?" Annika asked. "Such as?"

Andrews took the seat on the other side of the bed. "We arrested Sebastian and Victor, and all the major players. None of them will know anything about your position in all of this; Owen Mantle will take the fall as we arranged. But Michael very well may find out, if he hasn't already. I won't sugar coat it. You're at risk. Everyone you love is at risk. There are two ways we can play this. We can ship you off somewhere to hide, put your life on pause for whoever knows how long, while we search for him. Or, you can hide in plain sight. You can go home, be with Hallie, see your family."

"And wait for him to show up?" Annika asked.

"Yes. That would be the risk."

"You're using her as bait?" Caia asked. "And you're okay with including a four year old in that plan?"

Annika squeezed Caia's hand. "I know it's risky, but I don't want to run. If Michael wants to find me, believe me, he will. I'd rather live a close to normal life than have to run away and not see my family again for what could be years."