Chapter 3 - The Traitor Within
The heavy rain continued to batter the reinforced windows of St. Jude’s private wing as I helped Nicholas swing his legs over the side of the bed. Waves of dizziness hit him instantly; his muscular frame shuddered, and a low grunt of pain escaped his lips. The five gunshot wounds were scarred over, but three months of muscular atrophy had turned his body weak.
"Careful," I muttered, grabbing his arm to steady him. His skin burned with a feverish heat. "You shouldn't even be standing. You're recovering from massive trauma."
"If I stay in this bed another hour, I won't have an empire left to recover," Nicholas replied through clenched teeth. He gripped the edge of the medical cart, his knuckles turning white. His dark eyes burned with an icy fury. "Miller didn't just check on the monitor because of the storm. He's been waiting for me to wake up—or waiting to make sure I never do."
I stared at him, bewildered. "Miller? But he's your head of security. He’s guarded this door for three months."
"Miller works for whoever signs the biggest check," Nicholas spat, closing his eyes for a second to steady his breathing. "The night I was ambushed in River North, my route was leaked. Only three people knew the exact timestamp of my departure. Miller was one of them."
A cold chill washed over me. I was standing in the middle of a war zone, holding onto a man whom half the city wanted dead, and the person guarding the door was part of the conspiracy.
"If Miller is compromised," I whispered, panic rising in my throat, "then who can we trust? Why didn't you expose him the second he walked in?"
"Because an enemy you can see is easier to kill than one hiding in the shadows," Nicholas said, turning his head sharply toward me. His gaze was intense, demanding absolute obedience. "Which brings us to you, Clara."
I stiffened, pulling my arm away. "Me? What do you mean?"
"I mean, you are the only person in this hospital who isn't on my payroll—and more importantly, you're the only person Miller doesn't suspect of being a threat." Nicholas reached out, catching my fingers before I could step back. His touch was firm, inescapable. "I need you to smuggle a phone out of my private locker, bypass the security desk, and make a call to the only man in Chicago I know hasn't sold me out."
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"Are you insane?" I hissed, my eyes wide. "If Miller or his guards catch me, they won't just fire me, Nicholas. They'll drop me in Lake Michigan!"
"They'll try," Nicholas agreed grimly, a dangerous smile touching his lips. "Unless we get to them first. Do you want to keep drowning in student debt, Clara? Or do you want to play for high stakes?"
