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“Badly?”
He shook his head. “Aidan Jr. took the worst one—it fractured his patella.” My eyes widened at the repercussions of that injury. That would require months of rehab and some PT too. “Brennan and Eoghan were grazed. Conor was also, to the bicep of all places because it was such a large target or so he says—” Aidan snorted at that. “Brennan was mostly hurt when Aidan fell into him. Broke his wrist.”
I was inordinately grateful our wedding party had been so small. There’d been a few other guests, but the brothers had swarmed around us at the entrance, leaving the others stuck inside and safe.
“Jenny?” I asked after my best friend.
Finn’s fingers danced over my skin. “She’s fine. She was inside.”
Thank God for that.
Fumbling with the paper cup the doctor had rested close to my hand that contained mostly melted ice chips, Finn saw my struggle, dipped into it and placed a small piece in my mouth. He frowned at the cup, reached for it and mumbled, “I’ll get some more.”
Because I couldn’t tell him I’d prefer him to stay rather than Aidan, he headed out, apparently grateful to have a purpose.
Blowing out a breath, I caught Aidan’s eye. He was studying me like a scientist might peruse a new species of frog.
“What is it?” I asked huskily.
“You angry?”
The question made me frown, but I answered honestly, “I’m too tired to feel anything but thirsty.”
He pursed his lips after contemplating that for a few seconds. “I can understand that. Don’t blame Finn.”
Did I?
I didn’t think I did, even if that wasn’t a rational response.
Finn wasn’t directly at fault, but equally, the Five Points were at war with a Colombian cartel for a reason. They’d obviously done something to make the Colombians get itchy trigger fingers.
Still, I didn’t want to be angry with Finn. He was my husband for a reason. I’d only known him a short time, but he was rapidly becoming the person around which my baseline was set.
If he was okay, then I was okay.
Pathetic but true.
Was that what happened when you loved someone? Or was it just because I was a doormat, waiting for a Points man to trudge on me?
“The boy worships you. Any man with eyes can see that,” Aidan stated gruffly. “He’d take your place in a heartbeat.”
“Maybe, but he can’t actually do that, can he?” I replied, my tone soft. “I love him, Aidan. I don’t want him to beg for forgiveness on bended knee.”
“What do you want then?”
I shrugged, then grimaced as the simple gesture sent shockwaves of pain through me. “I don’t know,” I answered hoarsely. “Nothing just now. I’d be happy if this pain just went away for a while.”
Closing my eyes because I was tired again, I heard him sigh. He stepped away, not totally out of the room because his footsteps grew nearer not distant. Then, I heard Finn’s strident pace, and the room got warmer the minute he crossed the threshold.
“She’s sleeping again,” Aidan told him with a grunt.
“Fuck. I wanted to talk to her some more.”
“She needs the rest.”
“I know.” Finn swallowed. “I-I just needed to see her awake.”
Aidan released a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry, son.”
When Finn whispered, “Me too, Aidan,” those were the last words I heard before I tumbled into a deep sleep.
