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“Your security is shite.”
I didn’t actually believe that.
“Do I need to remind you the lassie gave him the slip? And he was two minutes behind her.”
“Two minutes too late,” I grumbled.
“How is she?” Griff asked as my brother held silent vigil next to me.
“I don’t fucking know, Griff. If she dies… If my bairn dies…”
“It’s on me.”
My anger was misplaced, but I needed a damn target.
“It’s on you,” I said, right before I hung up.
“That was harsh.”
I turned my fury on my other brother.
“She was supposed to be protected.”
I knew Keely was still out there.
“And your cunning redhead went where she shouldn’t have gone alone.”
“I know. But he should have anticipate—”
“What? That your girl was a liar.”
“She’s not a liar.”
He gave me that look that said I should stop being stupid. “Clearly she lied.”
“That doesn’t make her a liar. She probably had a good reason.”
“Maybe. But that’s no reason to lose a friend over.”
I nodded and blew out a breath.
“I’m in love with her.”
I needed to say it out loud and have the world understand how much losing her would kill me.
“I get that. And congrats, by the way. Are you going to marry her?”
“Yes,” I said it like it was a forgone conclusion.
“Well, your money is in the bag.”
I didn’t take his comment as spiteful. If I didn’t inherit it, my portion wouldn’t go to him. He had no stake in me getting the money or not.
“I’d give it up for her.”
“Better you than me. Besides, I won’t inherit anything either way. There’s not a woman in the world I’d marry or knock up.”
There was something in his eyes that made me believe there was a lie in something he’d said.
“Mr. King,” a nurse said.
“Yes. That’s me.”
“Your wife is awake.”
I’d lied too, but it was the only way to ensure I’d be kept abreast of her status.
“If you’d like to see her, follow me.”
I turned to my brother. “Thanks.”
“Don’t worry. Anything for my brother.”
There it was again. A flash of something. I wondered if Charles had already spilled the beans.
“Always.”
Then I followed the nurse through the double doors, wondering if my wee bairn had survived.
Forty-Four
I had the uncomfortable sensation I wasn’t going to like where I woke up.
And there it was, that damn beeping with a familiar form asleep in the chair.
My left side ached.
“Good, you’re awake.”
A man in a white lab coat walked in as Kalen’s eyes blinked open.
“How do you feel?” the doc asked.
“Like a horse kicked me.”
That had happened before.
“About right. You’re lucky. The knife nicked your rib and hit your spleen. It could have been worse.”
“How?” I asked, truly not seeing the benefit in being stabbed at all.
“Well, if it punctured your lung, heart, large, or small intestines, you might not be with us now. Though the fact that you were found immediately after and the hole in your spleen was small was also a consideration to your recovery. We were able to repair the damage and not remove the organ.”
“Our baby?” Kalen asked.
“Baby is doing well. Probably groggy with the drugs we had to give you. But you’re not the first pregnant mother to need emergency surgery. Baby should be fine.”
I sighed, but when I did pain lanced through me.
“You’ll have pain, which we can manage. Though with the baby, we’d like not to use the harsh pain medications.”
I nodded.
“Good news is this was a laparoscopic surgery, so we can send you home in a few days, no more than a week. It will take four to six weeks to fully recover,” the surgeon said.
He went on to explain the dos and don’ts as I chided myself for doing something so stupid.
After he left, I said to Kalen, “Did they get her?”
He nodded. “You were both out when they found you. They have her in custody.” Relief washed over me. “Your dad was right,” he added.
“About what?” I croaked.
“That you could handle yourself in a fight.”
“He said that?”
I never once thought my dad said anything nice about me to anyone.
“He did.”
Though I felt pride for a second, I remembered how I’d gotten myself into this mess.
“This was my fault,” I admitted.
“I know.”
“Does Griff?” When he said nothing, I demanded, “Call him.”
Kalen seemed reluctant to hand over his phone after he dialed.
“Is the lass okay?” Griff asked, thinking it was Kalen on the other end.
“I’m fine and I’m sorry. This isn’t your guy’s fault. It’s all on me. I put myself and my baby in danger.”
“Aye, lass. I’m sure you have a good reason.”
“Not a good enough one.” I blew out a breath I’d been holding. “I don’t know what Kalen said, but forgive him. This is my fault. All of it.”
“It’s not,” Kalen all but growled the words. “Keely was my problem.”
“He’s right,” Griff said. “We failed you there.”
“And if I hadn’t gone up there—”
