Chapter 7 Opening my eyes, the first thing I discover is the annoying abundance of physical pain. Accompanying that, sound logic indicates that perhaps my father finally finished off the job and I'm firmly in Hell for the rest of eternity. But the second thought I have is if I'm in Hell, why is there a goddamn ethereal woman with her face buried into my bed? Glancing down, I lift an eyebrow at the ebony locks sprawled out over the white blanket. The top of her head is resting against my leg and when I move the rigid muscles, she suddenly bursts upright with alarmed, wide eyes. As quickly as she moved, pink lips part with relief, eyes softening as she takes in my semi-amused expression. 'Damon...' Avery breathes out, jumping to her feet. And just like that, I forget that it feels like I've been dragged miles over broken glass by a speeding truck. 'Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?' I say in a cracked tone. 'Are you in pain?' She asks, ignoring my comment. As if needing to feel helpful, her hands start running over my legs like she's assessing me for the answer. I'm not sure that's the proper way to determine pain levels in a patient but I resist bursting her little doctor bubble. Maybe she just wants to make sure I'm actually alive and not a figment of her imagination. Only a short time ago, she probably would have wished I was dead. After all, she did aptly name me Demon Boy for a reason. How the times have changed. 'I'm fine.' Leaning over me, I catch sight of her reaching for something-a button. At first, I think she must be buzzing for a nurse. But as my eyes follow the length of the cord, I spot a PCA machine attached to it beside me. 'Don't bother,' I say, voice still hoarse. 'I said I'm fine.' 'Shut up,' Avery shoots back coolly, hitting the button. The machine beeps in response, and a cold sensation enters my wrist. Fucking machines and IVs. The only thing that should be attached to my body is her-permanently, if I had my way. Avery pretends to ignore me despite her flustered cheeks giving her away. It's almost cute that she thinks she's in control and is attempting to take charge. 'Wife,' I say sharply, noticing her still immediately. Her cheeks turn an even darker shade of red, uncontainable emotions clearly visible on her face as my words cause a visceral reaction. But to her credit, she quickly shoves them away, stubbornly turning her attention back to providing medical care. 'Drugging me now, are you? And on our honeymoon.' 'Please,' Avery scoffs, acting unaffected. 'If someone wanted to take advantage of you, they would have done so while you were unconscious. Not while you're high and probably seeing dancing unicorns or neon-flashing knives.' 'That sounds oddly like Grey's delirious state of mind-not mine.' She leans against the bed, hip jutting into the crocheted white blanket as she crosses her arms. 'And what would yours be, dear husband?' Smirking at her, I don't let on how her words are affecting me. There's something about Avery acknowledging our newly not exactly spoken vows which makes me want to be possessive of her. 'You,' I answer back as I attempt to sit up. 'Maybe that's why I'm seeing you here. You're just an apparition.' Avery snorts, giving my chest a gentle shove and forcing me back down. 'Perhaps I used my powers to get in here to murder you. Turns out it was easy. The hospital staff love me.' 'Murder me?' I say, amused. 'Join the queue after my father. As for the hospital staff, they will need to get in line as well.' 'Are you saying you find me lovable?' Our eyes lock, and behind her playful expression, I see her curiosity. 'Do you love me, Avery?' I challenge back. Her lips twitch into a smile before she glances over at something on the wall. 'There's two minutes left of your birthday and our wedding day. If either one of us is planning to make a declaration of love, now is the time.' We both fall silent, waiting to see who breaks first. 'You're insufferable and a bit of an asshole,' Avery mutters when I don't speak. 'Also, just because you got shot, don't think you're not in trouble for the stunt you pulled.' The morphine starts working its way into my system, my body relaxing as I laugh. 'And now you're married to me.' 'Bastard.' 'But you love me.' She narrows her eyes but her smile contradicts it. 'I might love you-a little bit.' The seconds continue to tick by, annoyance creeping onto her face when I remain quiet. I can see her internal rising panic, and when the final ten seconds start counting down to midnight, I grab her hand, forcing her to uncross her arms. 'I love you as well.' Avery's body relaxes in relief-and frustration. 'You asshole.' If I wasn't injured, she looks as though she might actually hit me again. Climbing onto the edge of the bed, she carefully leans on one knee, grabbing my face. I notice that she's trying to be careful not to put any pressure on my body, so I reach for her hips, pulling her against me. She falls on top of me and her eyes widen, mouth falling open to no doubt curse me out. I don't give her the opportunity, leaning forward to shut her up with my mouth. Our first kiss as husband and wife, even if it's now technically a day late. But I never was one for tradition-that much is obvious. Pulling back just enough to speak, I rest my forehead against hers. 'You were, by far, the best birthday present I could have received,' I tell her, running my hand up her spine. 'I always thought the ultimate gift would be my father's death, but I was wrong.' 'Maybe that can be your Christmas present,' she murmurs. 'A little murder goes well with mistletoe.' I chuckle, capturing her bottom lip in between my teeth. She moans softly, searching for my mouth again but I've already pulled back. 'That's too far away. But I like your way of thinking and generosity. Make sure you extend that to Grey and Theo as well.' Avery shuffles her weight, straddling my body so she can lean back. I might be numb from the damn drugs she forced into my system, but my dick certainly isn't. It twitches to life underneath her, and I know she feels it too because her hips squirm into it. I'm about ready to rip the IV from my wrist and fuck her through the bed when her gaze stops me in my tracks. 'I have to go back to Lilydale tomorrow. Well, today,' she sighs. 'You'll be here for a few days until you're stable enough to be transferred into the care of Dr. Markel.' Irritated, I raise an eyebrow at the idea-because that's what it is-not a decision. There's no chance in hell I'll be letting that old quack treat me. 'Absolutely not.' 'Damon,' Avery says sternly, before softening her tone. 'We need you fully recovered. We need you strong again. He was here before.' She doesn't even need to say his name for me to know who she is referring to. My eyes flash dangerously, darkening as I glance at the doorway for a split second as if daring him to appear. 'And what did the bastard have to say for himself?' Probably coming to check if he finished the job... Avery's face contorts with disgust and my suspicions are right. 'He wanted to see you.' 'And I'm assuming he didn't since I'm still breathing.' 'No. Alyssa and I wouldn't let him.' 'Who the hell is Alyssa?' There's a small clearing of someone's throat by the door and my eyes drift back over to find a nurse in teal scrubs standing where I expected my father to be. 'I'm Alyssa, sweetheart. How are you feeling?' Avery's face softens at the sight of our newcomer, and for a brief moment, it kind of makes me want to kill the healthcare worker. But then I remember she said this woman also stopped my father from coming into the room and stabbing my unconscious body. So, she can live-for now. 'I'm fine,' I grumble, and another beep makes me growl at Avery as she takes advantage of the distraction and hits the medication button again. She seems completely unfazed at the fact she's been caught kneeling over me, leaning back on her heels as cold liquid shoots into my veins. 'Give me the button, Avery.' 'No.' Climbing off me, she keeps the pain controller firmly in her hand, taking a seat in the visitor's chair next to me. The nurse wanders over, pressing buttons on another machine and I feel a cuff inflate on my bicep. Despite my wishes, the morphine is oddly relaxing me-well, my body anyway. My mind is very much focused, albeit annoyed that I'm physically weakened at this moment. 'Your father is an interesting man,' the healthcare worker mumbles, and I'm not surprised to hear he's made a lasting impression on her. This woman would be terrible at poker, her face showing all her disdain. 'He's good at charming people,' I say, but she just scoffs in reply. Removing the blood pressure cuff from my arm, she attaches a pulse oximeter to my finger. 'Charming is not what I would use to describe him.' Avery laughs softly, still holding the button out of my reach. 'He threatened her. And me.' 'What?' I snap, turning to look at her. 'Tell me what he said so I can remind him when I'm putting the asshole six-feet under.' 'He doesn't approve of our marriage,' she replies simply with a shrug. 'I told him to fuck off and that I very much enjoy fucking his son, and we look forward to having him removed from the business in the near future.' My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Avery is evolving, growing into her true self more and more each day-and I have to say I'm loving it. When I first met Avery, all I could see was an out of control, spiraling woman, unable to control her emotions. Grey insisted she was a dark horse, capable of more than she let on, and he was right. After what they did to her at Lilydale, no one would blame her for breaking. It would be expected even. The few that returned from the sociopathic doctors downstairs never recovered-most killing themselves within the first few weeks despite us trying to save them. But Avery? She fought back. Sure, she was a little broken when I first rescued her. Her mind was reliving their torture and making her question her self-worth and our ability to care about her. But she still kept fighting, even putting a bullet into a guard to protect me. And when I finally let her in and she saw my most vulnerable parts, she didn't run away, choosing to fight for me and pulling me back from the edge instead. She could have turned a blind eye-many others would. But she never did, never once abandoning me like I had done to her before. I was incorrect to ever think she was weak. She's perhaps more dangerous than most in the asylum. No wonder Avery has such a hold on Grey-he sees that darkness in her. Theo as well. Her light doesn't just call to their darkness and compliment it. Her own darkness found companionship, and slowly over time, she's growing into it. Instead of just letting the emotions control her or avoiding them until they implode, she's starting to control them. Well, most of the time... The nurse laughs at Avery's response, seemingly amused as well. I wait for her to complete whatever checks she needs to do, mentioning something briefly about a doctor coming in soon to speak to me. When she leaves, I turn to Avery, stony faced as she pulls the button further out of reach. Holding my gaze, her eyes flash with determination before she presses it again, earning herself another annoyed growl. 'Chill,' she scolds. 'There's no point being in pain.' Speaking of pain, I say the next words even though neither of us want to hear them. 'You need to go back to Lilydale today.' Despite the fact she already confirmed that she's being forced to go back, her face still twists sadly-as if she can't bear the thought of leaving me. But that's exactly why she has to. Here, I can't protect her. And if my father is able to get to her so easily in the hospital, there's no guessing when he will try again. At least back at Lilydale, she'll have Grey and Theo to protect her. It's also important that we start planning our next move immediately and get defensive measures in place. No doubt Arthur is on his high-horse, spinning a tale of affliction. It's a PR rep's worst nightmare, but that just means his anger will be redirected toward the patients. This whole mess started with him bribing and coercing patients into voluntary experimentation. I have no idea if that will continue-but if I was a betting man, I'd say yes. Cirque des Morts needs to act-now. And if I can't be there myself, I need Grey and Avery to take over. It's her marital duty and right now-her legacy to create. Trust is a tough concept but I trust Grey and Avery with my life. I know they will protect the Lilydale patients. 'I know,' Avery whispers back, shifting closer to me. Finally surrendering, she places the PCA button on the mattress next to me, giving me unspoken control back. We've been married less than twenty-four hours and she already knows me better than most. The thought of me being in pain is hurting her, but she understands what I'm asking of her-the control I'm giving her. And now, she's giving me control back too. 'You and Grey need to take over in my absence,' I tell her firmly. 'Check on everyone. I have no idea who is injured. We need to make sure Arthur doesn't try anything while I'm stuck in here. Byrone will help too. Tell Grey to bring on Louis and Mark. He knows who they are and what to do.' Avery nods, even though it probably makes little sense to her. Silence passes between us, saying everything neither of us can speak out loud. The idea of being away from her is far more painful than being shot. But I trust Grey, and Theo by extension. We didn't come this far to give up now and let those bastards win. Shifting over, I tap the mattress beside me with my hand, gesturing for her to lay with me. I half expect some lecture again, but it doesn't come. Avery just stands, carefully climbing back up onto the bed, and tucking herself into my side. There, we stay wrapped up in each other's arms, until the time we both dread comes, and Avery is taken away from me back to Lilydale.