𝔅𝔬𝔯𝔫 𝔱𝔬 𝔡𝔦𝔢 - Rafe Cameron

⑥

...

Jazmine approached the reception desk, her legs stiff and her back aching. She was sure she looked like a mess, her hair unkempt and probably sporting dark circles under her eyes. She hadn't slept and had spent hours sitting in the chair outside Kiara and JJ's room.

She hated hospitals. The cold, sterile feeling always gave her chills, making it the kind of place where people didn't come back from. She had only been there once, walking in with her mother and leaving without her. She never wanted to set foot in a hospital again.

After 9 hours, Kiara finally woke up. She opened her eyes and saw Jazmine through the glass. Jazmine reassured her that everything was fine. Kiara nodded, smiling, and Jazmine asked if either of them had been hurt. Jazmine longed to hug her sister, but she knew Kiara would be okay, so she kept her composure, holding back the wave of emotion.

She could've stayed another three hours, but Kiara told her to go home.

So Jazmine had made her way to the hospital reception, knowing the bill would be massive. Her sister and her friends were already carrying enough debt, and Jazmine knew she had to help in whatever way she could. She couldn't change the past, but this was something she could do for them.

"Hello," she greeted.

The nurse looked up. "Hello. How can I help you?"

"Uh, yes. Kiara Carrera and JJ Maybank—they're two of your patients right now, in the decompression room," Jazmine said. "I'm here to pay their bill."

The nurse scanned her computer. "They're registered under John B. Routledge's name. He's the one listed to pay their bill."

Jazmine nodded, feeling a flicker of annoyance. "Yes, but Kiara is my sister, and JJ's is ... my cousin, so I'd like to pay on their behalf. That's allowed, right?"

The nurse hesitated. "Please wait here; I'll check with my supervisor and see what we can do."

As the nurse walked away, Jazmine pressed her lips together, annoyed. She leaned back slightly, glancing at the man beside her. He had a bloodstained bandage wrapped around his arm, and his bronze skin was taut over a muscular frame.

Jazmine tilted her head. "How'd you manage that?"

The man glanced at her, sizing her up before replying, "Fishing accident."

Jazmine raised an eyebrow. "Fishing, huh? Looks like a pretty serious wound."

"It is," he admitted, holding her gaze.

She studied him with a knowing look. Wounds like that weren't from fishing; she'd seen men like him often enough when working for Singh—mercenaries.

What was a mercenary doing here?

"Well, you should be careful out there. You never know what you'll come across at sea," she replied, a touch of irony in her voice.

He smirked slightly. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

The man was tall, with dark, curly hair—exactly matching Kiara's description of the strange man who had shown up at their shop recently.

Just then, the nurse returned. "Excuse me, miss," she called, catching Jazmine's attention.