REESE

chapter twenty nine.

Reese POV:

The byproduct of being in a medically induced coma for a week, is the absence of fresh air.

Autumn in New York is beautiful. The November weather roots itself between the cool temperatures of October and the upcoming frigid temperatures of December. Daylight decreases, the air turns crisp, while beautiful leaves transition from vibrant greens to mellow oranges and reds. Being outside was something that I never took for granted. I always relished the opportunity of being away from the constant meetings, phone calls, board appearances and paperwork that always seemed to accompany the role of being the CEO of a global tech company. Stepping outside for me was literally and figuratively a breath of fresh air.

Something I had missed out on for the last seven days.

The first emotion that engulfed me when I was told how long I had been unconscious for was shock; the second was anger, and the third was suffocation. I knew my dad had all good intentions when making the executive decision to keep me sedated in order for my injuries to heal, but the consequences of that decision ultimately fell back onto my shoulders. Right now, I was bearing the weight of a seven-day workload on my back, and trying to complete that work with everyone either fussing over me, screaming at each other, or apparently beating each other bloody, was next to impossible. So I left.

I didn't go far.

I grabbed my laptop and phone and positioned myself on the helicopter pad located on the roof of my estate and holed myself up there for the last six hours. Six hours of rescheduling, six hours of being on conference calls, six hours of staring at my screens trying to make up for lost time. Darkness had fallen by the time I had wrapped up what seemed like the hundredth phone call I had taken today. I rubbed my irritated eyes that were pleading for me to give them a break as I stopped my pacing and took a seat on the edge of the roof with my legs dangling down. I took a deep breath in and closed my eyes trying to soothe the burning behind my eyelids.

The night was cold. Harsh wind wrapped around my bare arms leaving me cool to the touch but my body didn't seem to mind. The soft whistling of the wind, the rustling of the leaves, the muffled chirps of a dozen crickets, all noises that seemed to drown out the commotion in my mind. The silence of the night was loud enough to create a distraction and I was immensely grateful for the moment, but peace never really seems to last. At least not for me.

"Closing your eyes while sitting on the edge of a roof is mildly dangerous."

My lips twitched in slight irritation as a distinctive voice cut through my bubble of tranquility. I kept my eyes closed as the owner of said voice moved to take a seat next to me. It was only when I knew they were situated, I opened my mouth to reply.

"Tackling someone to the floor when you know bullets are on course to hit them, is also mildly dangerous."

A soft exhale came from beside me as a response.

"When your little sister is the obvious target of those bullets, you don't really think about danger." The voice whispered. "You think about how young she is and how much suffering she has been through because of you, and you know you have to try to spare her from any more of that suffering. No matter what the cost."

I opened my eyes and turned my head to see Gavino already looking at me.

"But you just end up hurting her even more." He softly exclaimed.

I shook my head. "You could have died." I whispered.

His response was quick. "I'd rather die than lose you again."

Gavino held my gaze. His eyes were swirling with turmoil. I forced myself to look away.

"You didn't lose me Gav. You pushed me away." I stared out at the fields of grass that seemed to stretch on forever. I could feel Gavino's gaze burning into the side of my face. "Why?" I whispered.