Rowan realized her left arm was in a sling, and she had all sorts of wires and gadgets taped to her body.
Her confusion must have shown on her face because Raven explained between sniffles, “It was Sam Delton. He shot you.” At Rowan’s gasp, her sister assured her that she’d been very lucky and would make a full recovery. “Thank God the bullet missed anything...vital, but it was close, Row.”
“So damn close,” River finished. “You’ve been sedated and asleep since surgery. Two days.”
River choked on the ‘two.’ They must have been so worried. Rowan thought back to her last memories. She remembered going to the bakery, walking with…Rowan stiffened and tried to sit up, only to moan in pain and fall back.
“Where is the fucking doctor?” Hugh bellowed out the door as Jo and her grandma, Nan, rushed in. One worry down then, Jo was safe.
“Thomas? Peter?” Peter had been her guard that day. The Byrnes, O'Faolains, and Jo and James O'Connor had been guarded by Thomas MacGregor's security for months. Once the Oklahoma authorities discovered that a deranged psychopath was hell-bent on hurting their families, they'd gone nowhere without a guard. Delton's warped reasoning and delusions had made their lives increasingly difficult, especially when it was discovered he'd followed them to Ireland.
“Peter was shot twice,” Jo explained. “In his leg, which caused considerable damage, and his arm. With rest and physical therapy, he will be okay. Thomas is with him now.”
Nan scooched in on Raven’s side and kissed her face about forty times, tears falling down Rowan’s neck. “My sweet baby. Oh, Rowan, my love, my love. Tell me what you need. Anything.”
“I’ll be fine, Nan. I swear. I’m sorry I worried everyone so much.” Rowan was still trying to process that their stalker had actually shot her. “Is he still…out there?” Rowan swallowed the fear clogging her throat at the thought.
Bran and Patrick stepped toward the bed then, each putting hands on her sisters’ shoulders. “The extra men MacGregor hired to patrol the neighborhood caught a reflection from the roof of a nearby building. They all had walkies and MacGregor sent out orders as soon as the shooting stopped,” Bran explained.
“They knew where to concentrate their efforts. Once Delton realized he was surrounded, it was over.”
“Enough, boys. Rowan doesn’t need every detail,” Hugh growled at his sons.
Rowan dismissed the Guru of Denial’s comment. She needed to learn how to become an expert on ignoring him if she hoped to ever control her feelings for the man. He’d made it abundantly clear, more than once to her chagrin, that he would never be romantically attached to her.
“What do you mean by, ‘it was over?’ Did he surrender?” Rowan queried.
Nan was the one to answer while she finger-combed Rowan’s hair. “He jumped. Killed himself, and good fecking riddance, I say.”
“Nan!” River gasped. “Language,” she teased, trying to lighten the mood.
“I said what I said, and I won’t apologize. That despicable human hurt one of my girls and so he was more than welcome to die at his own hand.”
Rowan could only shake her head. It was crazy to wake up, find out she’d been shot, and then find out the shooter was dead.
“Since the shooting, the FBI has gotten much further into Delton’s online sexual predator presence. They believe many of the women in his videos can be identified and contacted. Delton is dead, but he had a lot of money in several accounts that they’ve discovered since getting a hold of his phone and laptop,” Patrick explained.
“He was wearing a uniform shirt from that coffee shop we loved,” River added. “When they searched the store, the FBI found his luggage in the back, including his laptop. He must have been planning on leaving Dublin after he shot you, Row.” River finished, touching a napkin to her eyes, tearing up again.
“He was in contact with several ‘people of interest,’” Bran air quoted. “Which means they have solid leads in taking down several nasty predators. Delton, at least, won’t be hurting or terrorizing anymore women. Also, our families are finally free to live our lives openly again.”
“No more buddy system,” Rowan said, attempting a smile.
“The accounts of money Pat mentioned are probably not all of them,” Raven explained. “The FBI believe they’ll uncover more. That money can be used to help the women that Delton abused. For counseling or anything else they might need.”
“It’s probably the same money his father stole from the O’Faolains, right?” Rowan asked.
“Most likely,” Jo answered. “But Hugh said he didn’t want a dime of it back. He is relinquishing all claim to the embezzled funds to help the women that were hurt.”
At this, Rowan looked at Hugh, who, shocker, remained silent. Christ, that man was the most...the most irritating human being.
“You cried before you woke up. Are you hurting?”
Ahh, he speaks.Observant and direct. His dark hair, barely long enough to lay over, was shaved close on both sides. His beard was a ridiculous source of fantasy-laden daydreams, and his broad shoulders and muscular thighs were beacons shouting “touch me” beneath his gray tee and jeans. The t-shirt hid ripped abs. She would know, after all, she’d seen him naked.
But oh, God. He looked wrecked.
Rowan cleared her throat, darting glances at Raven and River. They immediately sat up straighter. “I’m sore, but it’s bearable.”
