Chapter 23. Brink of Dark

Dominic’s POV

The weight of the call hung in my mind, heavily, as Luca headed out to the hospital. His face had been a masquerade of worry, but he hadn’t argued with me when I told him to go check on Michael. I needed him out of the way, out of my space, so that I could think. But first, there was Leila.

Her room was just down the hall, but it felt miles away. I walked fast, feeling the urgency but not wanting to rush in and spook her. I came to her door, hesitated for a moment, then knocked softly.

“Leila? It’s me, Dominic. Can I come in?”

She did hesitate, and for a second, I wondered if she was simply going to ignore me. Her voice followed, soft and wobbly. “Yeah, come in.”

I opened the door to find her sitting on the edge of the bed when I opened the door, looking away from me. My gut told me that something was very off as I could see her shaking. Again, my gut twisted, but I forced myself to remain calm.

“Hey,” I said, shutting the doo