Chapter 240: How Are You, Really?
(TYLER)
It’s a strange thing to be coming to Chester, of all places, for protection while Sasha recovers. Sasha and I weren’t here when Marco’s house was raided, but I heard graphic tales about it from Aidan.
"Gloria’s used to this kind of thing," I point out. "And she has reinforced protections now on the house—the whole block, and the surrounds."
Darla’s not happy about us moving Sasha again so soon, but I want to get out of this place as soon as we can. It’s too dangerous in the city, and I trust Gloria, Marco’s wife, to keep us safe.
But when we arrive, Chester feels not unlike a battleground as well. I don’t know how the hell they’re getting away with it on public roads, but there are checkpoints on each road leading into the center block where Hillview House is situated.
Miles is driving me. Giulio is driving Sasha in a dark-windowed black van so Sasha can lie down during the journey, and so Darla can travel with him. Sophia is with them as well, and I’ve never seen someone so excited to take a drive to Chester. This is her first trial as backup protection for me and for Sasha, and she’s taking it seriously. She’ll relieve Giulio a few nights a week, nothing tricky, just to give him some time off, and she’ll learn a few things from while we’re in Chester.
For Darla, I’ve made her payment even more generous than Sasha first suggested. He might be pissing me off right now, but of course I still want the best available care for him. And Darla is the best. I know that because I’ve seen her care with my own eyes—and now that I’ve seen her grace under literal fire, too, I decided we had to have her. But she deserves a little extra Danger Pay for what she might have to face in Chester.
I’ve asked Gloria to set up separate beds in the same room for Sasha and me, with Darla just down the hall. Sasha’s going to lose it when he sees the separate beds, and I’m not keen on the idea myself...but I don’t want to be tossing and turning next to him if it causes him pain. And from what I’ve observed during our time at the hospital, every little jostle is causing him pain. Plus he’s refusing the pain medication two times out of three, and it drives me crazy to watch him suffer.
So, yeah. His macho bullshit is pissing me off.