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“At least the narcotics help.”
“No. I mean I’m sorry this happened. It’s all my fault.”
“You didn’t do this to us. Torrence Grieve is to blame.”
“I left my pregnant wife at home without protection while I knew that my enemy was lying in wait. I was foolish and careless with the people I love most in this world. There’s no excuse.” I clasp her hand tightly. “Can you forgive me?”
“I thought I was fine and could protect myself. But I guess I’m not invincible. I think we both learned valuable lessons.” That can’t be the extent of how she feels. Maybe her mood is altered by what they gave her for pain.
She has sleepy eyes. “It’s all right if you want to take a nap.”
“I’m so tired.” Her voice is slowed.
“Go to sleep. I’ll be by your side. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Maybe just a little snooze.”
Bleu shuts her swollen eyes for less than a minute before they pop open. “Lainie! I promised we’d take her away from that place!”
“We brought her with us.”
“Where is she?”
“She was in bad shape and needed to be examined.”
“Is she all right?”
“I don’t know.”
“No one is with her?” Bleu is alarmed.
“I guess not.”
“Someone from The Fellowship needs to be with her in case Torrence or one of his minions comes for her.”
“I can assure you that Grieve won’t be coming for her.”
“You killed him. I’m glad.”
I’ve never been more pleased by a person’s death. “Aye. And the other two who beat you. Killing Torrence was the best move I could’ve made for us and our people.”
“But the others could come for Lainie.”
“Bonny. She’s Order. Our enemy. It’s not our job to protect Lainie from her own people. I wouldn’t have taken her out of there if I’d known who she was.”
“But they’re horrible people.”
“True, but members of The Order are part of that circle by choice.”
“Not Lainie. Her parents traded her to Torrence for money and power. She tried to escape and he locked her in that cabin. She’s been there for two months. He’s been raping her so she’d become pregnant with his child.”
At the very least I owe Lainie my help and support since Jason’s death set off a firestorm that has severely impacted her life. And I mustn’t forget she tried to help my wife and took a beating for it. “Mitch is in the waiting room. I’ll send him to sit with her for now. We’ll figure out the rest later.”
“Thank you.”
The door to Bleu’s hospital room should be swapped out for one that will revolve. A parade of no fewer than a half-dozen doctors pass through it over the next couple of hours. Like clockwork, one leaves and another enters within fifteen minutes. It’s much the same with our friends and family. The Fellowship wants to show their support for their leader and his wife.
But Bleu is exhausted. I see it in her heavy lids. It’s time for all visitors to go. Even Lorna and Westlyn, although I know it won’t be easy.
“Bleu’s too nice to say it so I’m going to do it for her. You’ve done an excellent job of seeing to her every need. But she’s really tired and needs her rest.”
“Maybe we can step out for a while,” Westlyn says.
Lorna nods in agreement. “We’ll sit in the waiting room.”
Stepping out to the waiting room means they’ll be back in a little while. “I’m here to take care of her, so go home. You can come back tomorrow after she’s rested.”
I don’t give them a choice. I can tell they don’t like it much but they do as I tell them.
It’s finally the two of us. “Thank you for doing that.”
“All part of a husband’s dirty job.”
She lifts the covers. “I want to be close to you. Come lie next to me while I sleep.”
I kick off my shoes and slide in beside my wife. I’m forced to leave my prosthesis on, something I never do when I get into bed.
We lie on our sides spooning. “It’s all right for you to be angry with me about what happened. I promised to keep you safe and I didn’t. I deserve every bit of your fury.”
She sighs. “I never once thought I needed you to safeguard me. I fancied myself doing you a favor by agreeing to let you play the part of my protector. But I had it all wrong. I’m tough but I put myself in danger by not seeing my own weaknesses.” She curls into me like a frightened child. “I can’t believe I was so wrong.”
She’s trembling so I tighten my hold. “I’m so sorry. I swear that will never happen again. Things are going to be different when we go home. When I’m away, you and the babies will have a minimum of two bodyguards at all times.”
“I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I think I need that to feel safe again.”
My wife doesn’t feel safe. That breaks my heart because it’s a testament to the husband I’ve been. But I’m going to do everything in my power to gain her trust again.
“Debra called me right before The Order took me. She got the evidence we needed to prove Abram is innocent. At least of my mother’s murder. I’m sure he’s guilty of plenty of other offenses.”
I know Abram is capable of a lot but I never believed he was guilty of Amanda Lawrence’s murder. “How do you feel about that?”
“I should be happy your uncle didn’t kill my mother. But I’m not. I hate him.”
She should. He’s done terrible things to her. “Abram is finished badgering you. I’ll see to that personally.”
There’s a knock at the door. When it doesn’t open right away, I know it’s not a doctor or nurse. They don’t wait for an invitation to enter.
I told my people no interruptions. I was very clear about it. And now someone is disrupting one of the most important conversations I’ve ever had with my wife.
“Hold on,” I snap. “Fuck!” I toss back the covers and swing my legs around to replace my shoes.
Bleu touches my back. “Don’t get up.”
I twist to kiss her forehead. “I’ll only be gone long enough to reprimand whoever this is disturbing us.”
I open the door and find Kyle, one of two men I’ve assigned to guard Bleu’s door. “I told you no disturbances. My wife needs rest,” I growl. What part of that does he not fucking understand?
“We have a problem, Sin. A big one,” he whispers.
Chapter Five
Bleu Breckenridge
“I need to step out with Kyle. I’ll only be a minute.”
“No.” I try to sit up but stop when the pain is too great. “Don’t go.”
“I’m not leaving you. I’ll just be right outside the door for a moment. Promise.”
Wrinkles crease Sin’s forehead. The deep ones only make an appearance when he’s worried. “Something’s wrong.”
“Fellowship business. Nothing for you to be concerned about. Rest and I’ll be back before you can miss me.”
He leaves, shutting the door behind him, not giving me the chance to argue further.
Rest? He has to be kidding. Like that’s going to happen when I know there’s a problem.
God, I hope nothing has happened to Lainie.
Sin returns and plants himself in the chair next to my bed. “I’m going to tell you what’s going on but do not get upset. It isn’t good for you or the babies.”
“Telling me to not get upset makes me get upset.”
“Ellison is in Edinburgh.”
“What! Why? It’s only been four days since we spoke. She doesn’t know this happened, does she?”
“I don’t think it has anything to do with your kidnapping. I’m inclined to think she’s here as a surprise.”
Shit. Talk about bad timing. “She’s going to have a come-apart when she finds out I’m in the hospital and haven’t called her.”
“She’s at Agnes’s because I can’t let her into our flat.” Right. That damn bloody message on the wall. She’d flip the fuck out if she saw it, as would any normal person.
“I have a crew working to erase all evidence of what happened. New paint in the living room. New furniture. But they’ll need at least a day to make it happen. What should we do with her in the meantime?”
There’s nothing to consider. “I don’t have a choice. I have to see her.” Like this.
