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Janice wiped at her cheeks before doing so. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
“Relief, maybe?” my woman teased.
Her mum nodded frantically as she gripped Cameron’s hand tightly in hers. “You scared me.”
“I know. But I’m okay. I love you, Mum.”
Janice swallowed hard, swiping at another loose tear as she replied in a hurried, awkward tone, “I love you too.”
54. Cameron
It was lovely to be so loved. To have my family and friends come all the way to Glasgow to check on me.
I was so loved, in fact, that Forde had to clear them all out of my room so I could be alone with Caoimhe. I’d woken up two days ago and Caoimhe had refused to leave the city until we got a chance to talk. Honestly, I’d wanted to talk to her the day after I woke up, but Forde was insistent that I take a few days to rest.
The body and mind were awesome in many ways. Mine decided to compartmentalize the trauma of what happened to me in that hut so that it could concentrate on helping my body heal from the knife wound.
I’d joked to Tierney that we now had matching scars, referring to the fact that my best friend had also been a victim of a knife attack a few years ago. Ramsay and Forde didn’t think the joke was funny. But come on … what was the probability?
“I’m sick of this shite,” Forde had growled after my teasing as he looked around at Ramsay, Quinn, and Murray. “Anything else happens to one of our women on our fucking island and we’re all moving to Stòr with McRae’s creepy security to keep us safe.”
That was met with nods from the men (except Ramsay, who wanted to know how Forde knew about his security) and a chorus of complaints from said women. We would not let the bad things that happened to us dictate how we lived our lives.
I kept that in my mind as Caoimhe sat in the chair by my bed. We were alone.
She still looked pale and there was an unmistakable change in the young mechanic. Instead of the bitter jealousy that sparked fire in her eyes, there was a heaviness. Strangely, it softened her expression.
“I want to tell you I’m so sorry for everything I said and did to hurt you and Forde.” Caoimhe’s eyes brightened, her features taut with shame. “It was childish and … honestly, I think about how twisted Kenan was with his obsession, and I’m terrified I came even close to acting like that.”
“You didn’t,” I insisted. “You were a brat, but you weren’t that.”
She laughed unhappily. “I was a brat. I … don’t even know who that person is now.”
“Good. Because the person you are now is way bloody better. You’re brave and fierce and I owe you my life.”
Caoimhe’s chin wobbled. “I keep seeing his face when I stabbed him …”
Crushing empathy made it hard for me to breathe for a few seconds. Finally, I managed, “You did what you had to do, but that doesn’t make it any easier. Maybe you should talk to someone. I know the name of a good trauma counselor. Victim support put me in contact with her.”
“I’ll definitely talk to someone.” She nodded. “But Mum and I are leaving Leth Sholas for good.”
“You know you could stay. I’m sure Forde would give you back your job.”
“I appreciate that. But we need a fresh start.”
“Is Rina here?”
She nodded. “She’s at the hotel. We’re leaving today.”
Unbelievably I felt sad about it. “I’m always here, if you need me. We’re … well, fuck, we’re trauma-bonded, right?”
Caoimhe laughed as she wiped at her escaping tears. “Aye. And DI Mulvaney said I might be called in as a witness at Greig’s trial because of what Kenan confessed to us.”
“So I’ll see you again.”
“I just wish under better circumstances.”
At her hollow tone, I leaned forward, trying not to wince at the pull on my wound. “Never forget who you really are, Caoimhe. We’ve all got parts of us we don’t particularly like … but at your core, you’re a person who would put your life in danger to save a woman you resented just because it was the right thing to do.”
