Chapter 20.

NORA CARUSO When I opened my eyes, the first thing I noticed was that Nikolai wasn’t at my side anymore. I had fallen asleep with my head on a chest that rose and fell and I had fallen asleep feeling safe. "Hold still, Mrs. Volkov." I flinched, looking down. A man in a grey suit was sitting on a chair beside the bed. He wasn't looking at my face, his attention was entirely focused on my left hand, which was resting on a medical pad. He pulled a suture thread tight, and I hissed through my teeth. "Almost done," the doctor said. "The cut was deep, but it missed the tendon. You will have a scar, but full mobility." "Where is he?" I croaked. The doctor didn't look up. "Mr. Volkov is attending to business. He gave instructions that you were to be stitched and assessed for a concussion." I sank back against the pillows, thinking about how vulnerable I was last night, "There," the doctor said, tying off the final stitch. He began wrapping my finger in white gauze, covering the diamond ring I