The Alpha's Billion-dollar Legacy

On The Run

Chapter two.

I woke to the beeping of machines and the sterile smell of disinfectant. My head throbbed, and my body felt like it had been put through a meat grinder. Tubes ran into my arms, pumping blood into my veins as if to keep me tethered to this world.

I blinked up at the ceiling, struggling to piece together where I was and how I’d gotten here. The last thing I remembered was the sound of Eve’s scream, the thugs closing in, and then—darkness.

The room was silent. Not my apartment, that much was obvious. I tried sitting up, but a sharp, searing pain shot through my ribs, forcing me back down with a groan. Broken ribs, probably. Fantastic.

Before I could process further, the door creaked open, and a nurse stepped in, clipboard in hand and a polite smile on her face. She had that practiced air of someone who’d seen worse but wasn’t about to let me know it.

“Well, look who’s awake,” she said, walking closer. “How are we feeling this morning? Still in one piece, I hope?”

“Where am I?” My voice was rough, barely above a whisper.

She raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by my confusion. “You’re in a hospital. You were brought in late last night.”

“Hospital?” The word tasted foreign in my mouth. “Why? What happened?”

Her smile faltered, replaced by a clinical detachment. “You don’t remember? Hmm, mild memory loss—could be from the trauma. You were brought here by two people after being assaulted. Broken nose, fractured ribs, bruises all over. You’re lucky to be alive.”

Two people? My brain clawed through the fog. “Was one of them Chris?”

She tilted her head, thinking. “Stocky guy? Eye bags, thick lips?”

“Yeah, that’s him,” I said, relieved. “And the other?”

“A woman,” the nurse replied, tapping her pen against the clipboard. “Wore a brown jacket, fishnet stockings, and enough makeup to put on a stage show. She gave a name—Eve, I think.”

Eve. The name hit me like a punch to the gut, bringing back the alley, her screams, and the thugs’ mocking laughter. My stomach turned.

I nodded absently, piecing it all together as she adjusted the IV bag. “You need to rest,” she said. “A few days here, and you’ll be good as new.”

But staying here wasn’t an option. “No,” I muttered under my breath. “I can’t.”

Once the nurse left, I made my move. Pain screamed through my body as I yanked the tubes from my arms, ignoring the crash of the metal tray as it hit the floor. Alarms blared from the machines, but I didn’t care. I had to get out. If Eve knew where I was, the thugs might too.

Gritting my teeth, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. They felt like lead weights, useless and unsteady. “Come on,” I muttered to myself. “Move.”

The first step nearly sent me face-first onto the floor, but sheer determination—or stupidity—kept me upright. I stumbled toward the door, dragging my feet like a drunken marionette. The hallway was empty, the nurse nowhere in sight. Good. I slipped out of the hospital unnoticed, just like I used to sneak out of dorms back in my college days.

Outside, the cold air hit me like a slap, shocking my system. I flagged down a taxi, clutching my aching ribs. When the driver reached my destination and rolled down his window, I rasped, “Give me a minute, man. My cash is inside.”

The driver frowned. “Don’t waste my time.”

Inside the mini-mart, Chris spotted me immediately. His eyes widened in alarm as he left a customer mid-conversation and hurried over.

“What the hell is going on man?” he demanded, his voice low but sharp.

“Chris,” I groaned, collapsing onto a nearby stool. “I need a dollar. Cab’s waiting.”

Chris glanced outside, saw the cab, and sighed. “Stay here. I’ll handle it.”

Before I could argue, he stepped outside, paid the driver, and returned, arms crossed. “Now, spill. Why are you limping around like a zombie? You’re supposed to be in the hospital.”

“I couldn’t stay there.” My voice was flat, exhausted. “I couldn’t risk those thugs finding me.”

Chris snorted. “You think you’re safer wandering around like this? You’re barely standing.”

“I’ll be fine,” I muttered, though I wasn’t convincing either of us. “I just needed to get out of there.”

Chris shook his head, muttering something under his breath. “You’re a damn idiot, you know that?”

“Probably,” I admitted. “But I’ve got work. I can’t afford to lose my job over this.”

“Work?” he repeated, incredulous. “You look like you went ten rounds with a truck. And you’re worried about work?”

“It’s all I’ve got right now.” The words came out sharper than I intended. “I know what I’m doing, Chris.”

He didn’t look convinced, but he reached for his wallet, pulling out some cash. “Here. Take this. But for God’s sake, take care of yourself, man.”

I nodded, pocketing the money. “Thanks. I owe you.”

“Damn right, you do,” he muttered, watching as I limped toward the door.

Once outside, I leaned against the cold brick wall, catching my breath. My body screamed for rest, but my mind was already racing. The thugs might’ve broken my ribs, but I wasn’t about to let them break me. Not yet.