Chapter 25

Chapter 25

We picked up Donner and left him at the house with Eliza before taking Nikolas to the hospital. The hospital was in the next town over, so it was quicker than waiting for an ambulance and cheaper, too.

When we got to the hospital, the doctors rushed Nikolas off to the ICU, and we were left to fill out some paperwork for him. Andrew called Eliza to get the information, and it was at this time that she informed us that Nikolas had a severe heart condition and only has a few years left to live. That was why the two of them wanted to get married soon, so that they could do it while they still had a chance.

My heart broke for both of them upon hearing this news.

“I’ll stay with Nikolas for a few days,” I told Andrew as soon as we were done with the paperwork.

“Are you sure? Don’t you have to get back to the bridal shop?”

“I’m sure that Terri can handle everything back there while I’m here. I just want to make sure that Nikolas is doing fine before I leave.”

In truth, I didn’t trust that son of his that I saw when I went over to his house before, but I wasn’t going to disclose that to Andrew, not yet.

“All right, if you think that’s the right move. Do you want me to stay with you? I’m sure that Eliza wouldn’t mind us staying at her house a few more days

“No, no, it’s fine. You have much more important things to get back to as Alpha King.”

He seemed reluctant to admit it, but he knew that I was right.

“Okay, but at the first sign of trouble, you call me, all right?”

I nodded.

“Of course.”

Things were quiet for a couple of days. Nikolas woke up on the first, and they transferred him out of the ICU fairly quickly. The doctors still wanted to keep him under observation for a few days, but Nikolas didn’t mind so long as he wasn’t poked and prodded too much.

During those first couple days, only Eliza and I came to visit Nikolas, even though he said that he had two sons. According to Nikolas, the reason why they didn’t want him to get married was because they believed that if Nikolas were to die after the marriage, Eliza would receive a significant amount of the inheritance. It was to the point that Nikolas believed that they wanted him to die sooner rather than later so that they could get their hands on his operations.

I couldn’t have been more appalled by the audacity of his children’s greed. At least, I thought I couldn’t be more appalled, until the third day when his son from the house–who I learned was named Pete–finally came by to visit.

Eliza and I were sitting on either side of Nikolas’s hospital bed, trying to keep him entertained with stories of what had been happening since he been gone (mostly tales of Donner’s antics out in the snow or fights with his chew toys) when we heard a commotion down the hall.

“Sir, your father really shouldn’t have so many visitors at once. His heart-”

“He’s my father. I’m going in there!”

I cringed as I recognized the masculine voice from my stop by Nikolas’s house. I looked over to see Nikolas. and Eliza’s demeanors change as well. It infuriated me to see this usually light–hearted couple crumple in on themselves at the sound of someone’s voice.

Pete charged in, ignoring the nurse at his elbow chastising him.

I

“Sir, if you don’t go to the waiting room right now, I will have to get security to come here and forcibly remove you from this hospital,” he said.

Pete waved him off, as though he were nothing more significant than a fly.

Flustered, the nurse rushed off to find the nearest security guard.

“What are you two doing here?” Pete demanded of Eliza and me.

“We’re your father’s guests,” I said, tilting my chin up at him. “What are you doing here?”

He sneered at me.

“He’s my father. I came to check in on the old fart.”

I looked over him quickly, trying to assess the state he was in. He seemed to have put on a new wifebeater, but he had not showered. Even from where I sat, he stank of beer, and I could see that he clutched a paper bag in his right fist.

It was a wonder that they let him into the hospital at all.

“I’m not sure if you’re in a proper state to visit your father,” I replied. “Besides, you heard the nurse, only two visitors at a time.”

“Fine, then one of you can leave,” he snarled. “In fact, why don’t you both leave? I don’t see why either of you are here, anyway.”

“We’re here because we care about Nikolas.”

“Care about him? You’re both just a couple of harlots trying to get your hands on my father’s dressmaking business.”

I heard Eliza let out a little sob before she covered her mouth and turned her face away. Nikolas reached out and grabbed her free hand, squeezing lightly. My blood pressure went through the roof.

“Listen here, Pete,” I growled, letting Susan take some control, “you can say what you want about me, but don’t you dare disrespect Eliza. She is a wonderful woman, and your father is lucky to have her. And she is lucky to have your father-”

“All she wants is the inheritance that she’ll get when my father croaks.” Pete huffed. “But that’ll be over my dead b*dy.”

“That can be arranged.”

Pete jumped and turned to face Andrew, who stood just behind him with his arms crossed over his chest. had to admit, with his impressive build and silver three–piece suit accentuating it, Andrew looked quite the menacing figure.

“Y–yeah, and wh–who are you?” Pete stammered.

Andrew’s l*ps quirked in a half–smirk.

“You don’t recognize me? I’m the Alpha King.”

Pete stumbled backwards a couple steps into Nikolas’s hospital room. Andrew followed him.

“I saw a nurse escorting a couple guards in the direction of Nikolas’s room and told them that I would handle whatever was going on in here,” Andrew continued. “I wouldn’t want anything to upset any of my close personal friends.”

“Close…personal…friends?” Pete repeated.

“Yes. You see, I’m quite fond of Nikolas, Eliza, and Crystal. If anything were to happen to them, then something quite bad would happen to the person who made it happen. Do you understand?”

Andrew towered over Pete so that Pete had to strain to look him in the eye. I could tell that the smaller man was hardly breathing, but he still managed to nod.

“Good.” Andrew plucked the paper bag from Pete’s grasp. “And you shouldn’t drink in hospitals.”

“N–no, sir. You’re right.”

“I’m glad that you understand. Now, leave and give us some privacy.”

Pete hightailed it out of the room faster than I thought a man his size could run.

“Thank you, Andrew,” Nikolas said, his voice still weak from the ordeal but full of gratitude.

“Yes, thank you so much,” Eliza added, tears streaming down her cheeks,

I smiled. Andrew smiled back.

“That was very brave of you,” I said, although given his many physical advantages, it was a no–brainer as to who would win that fight.

“No problem,” Andrew replied as he dumped the paper bag in the trash.

As Andrew, Eliza, and Nikolas began talking, I could not help but keep my eyes on the door, expecting Pete to return any minute. He was an idiot, and a determined one, at that. He would be back.

And that was why I had to organize a perfect wedding for Nikolas and Eliza–immediately.