Captivated Desires

40

Hours later, 3 am. The room was dimly lit, the machines surrounding me beeping softly in the quiet of the night. I lay in the bed, my body exhausted and battered but alive. Reign was there too, sitting in a chair beside my bed. His eyes were heavy with exhaustion, but he refused to leave my side. 

He held my hand, his thumb gently tracing soothing patterns on my skin. His other hand brushed back the loose strands of hair that had fallen onto my face, his touch soft and reverent. He looked over me, taking in the sight of my bandaged shoulder, and the dark circles under my eyes. His heart ached at the sight of me like this, hurt and vulnerable. But the knowledge that I was safe, that I was alive, was a balm that soothed some of the fear and anger still coursing through him.

Azar entered the room, his steps silent on the tiles. He looked as tired as the others, his face lined with stress and worry. But his eyes were sharp as always, taking in the sight of me in the bed. "How is she doing?" he asked Reign in a low voice, his tone betraying his concern despite his stoic demeanour.

Reign lifted his gaze to meet Azar's. "Stable," he said quietly, his grip on my hand tightening. "The doctors said she'll be fine, just needs time to rest and recover."

Azar nodded. "That's good to hear," he said, a trace of relief in his voice. He stepped closer to my bedside, his gaze flickering over my bandages and the various machines connected to me. He paused for a moment, looking at me with an expression almost like regret. But it was gone in an instant, and his face went back to its usual impassive mask.

"We found the person Josh was getting his intel from," he said, turning to Reign. "It was one of our own men, someone we'd promoted a couple of years ago. We're interrogating him now, trying to figure out what else he leaked."

Reign's eyes narrowed. "And what is he saying?" he asked, his tone low and dangerous.

"So far, not much," Azar admitted. "He's being tight-lipped, but we'll break him soon enough. We can't afford to have traitors in our midst."

"How did this happen?" Reign asked, his frustration obvious. "How did we not know one of our own men was betraying us?"

"I don't know," Azar sighed, running a hand through his hair. "But we'll find out. We're going through every file on every man in this family, making sure everyone is who they say they are. We'll weed out any traitors, no matter what it takes."

Reign nodded, his mind racing with thoughts. "Good," he muttered. "We can't have leaks like this happening again. We need to be more careful, more vigilant."

Azar nodded, his gaze settling back on me. He studied my form, my face peaceful in sleep. "She's strong," he said suddenly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Stronger than most give her credit."

Reign looked up at Azar, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He hadn't expected the other man to say anything like that. But he couldn't disagree. "She's a fighter," he said, his voice filled with equal measures of pride and love.

"She always has been," Azar said, his expression solemn. "Ever since we were teens, she's had this fire in her, this determination to survive no matter what."

"And somehow, she always manages to surprise us," Reign added, a hint of a smile appearing on his lips. "She's been through so much in her life... but she still keeps going. I don't know how she does it."

Azar chuckled softly, the sound almost startling in the quiet room. "She's stubborn as a mule, that's how," he said, a hint of affection softening his tone. "She won't give up, no matter what life throws at her."

The sudden, incessant beeping of the machines jerked both men to attention. Reign's eyes darted from the machines to me, his heart skipping a beat. "What's going on?" Reign demanded, his voice sharp with worry. He looked at the display screens, desperately trying to understand the symbols and numbers flashing across them.

The doctors rushed into the room, their expressions tense and urgent. They swarmed around my bedside, checking my vitals and fiddling with the machines beeping and buzzing around me. "You all need to leave," one doctor called out firmly, gesturing to the door.

Reign looked torn, his eyes fixed on my face, worry etched on his features. He didn't want to leave, didn't want to be anywhere but right by my side. But the doctors were already shooing them out. Azar gently but firmly took ahold of Reign's arm, steering him towards the door. "They know what they're doing," Azar said, his voice calm even as his expression betrayed his concern. "We need to wait outside."

Reign's shoulders slumped, the strength seeming to leave his body as he reluctantly allowed himself to be led out of the room. The door closed behind them, sealing them out from me and the flurry of activity inside.

They stood there in the hallway, the silence heavy with worry and anxiety. The sounds of the machines beeping and buzzing seemed to echo in the silence, a constant reminder of my condition. Both men were tense, their bodies coiled and ready. But there was nothing they could do now but wait, and hope that the doctors would be able to stabilize me.

Azar leaned against the wall, his eyes fixed on the closed door to my room. Reign stood a few feet away, his jaw clenched and his fists balled. The minutes ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity. Finally, a doctor emerged from my room, his expression serious but not overly concerned. He approached the two men, his gaze going back and forth between them.

"She's stabilized for now," he said without preamble. "We got her heart rate back under control, but we're still not sure what caused the sudden spike." 

"Is she going to be okay?" Reign demanded, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. "Is she out of danger?"