Page 88 of Gilded Tears (Kovalyov Bratva 2)

“Geoffrey.”

He parks and steps out of his car. He limps around to me slowly, his eyes glancing down at Phoenix.

“Congratulations.”

“How did you find me?” I ask. It’s embarrassing how the sight of a friendly face has me near tears.

“I was driving by to see you,” he explains. “I wanted to make sure you were okay. And then I saw you walking away from the hospital like you had ghosts on your tail.”

I give him a forced smile. “That’s kind of you,” I reply. “But I was just discharged.”

“Discharged?” he asks. “So soon.”

“I, um… I insisted,” I stammer. “I have to leave town.”

I hear another police siren in the distance. My head turns in its direction before I can stop myself.

It feels as though the walls are closing in on me.

“Esme?”

I force my eyes to turn back to Geoffrey. “I have to…”

“You have to leave,” he nods. “I know.”

I just stare at him.

“Get in the car,” he tells me. “I’ll drive you to the bus station.”

Some days, it feels like I’m living on kindness.