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Even though I know they’re safe, I need to make sure.
It only takes Oliver one ring to answer. “Everything all right?” There’s fear in his voice, which I understand. Ava is family to him, too.
“She hasn’t woken, but she’s stable. How are the kids?”
“They’re fine. I spoke to Mom. She’s put them to bed.”
“Aisling?”
I can’t see him, but I can picture his face. “Fine, not a scratch. We have no idea how.”
“Ava must have protected her,” I summarize, knowing it’s the only logical explanation.
“It’s what we’re thinking too.” There’s a pause before he asks, “Do you need anything?”
“Right now, I need you to keep my kids safe.”
“They’re safe,” Oliver assures me. “No one has ever been at that safe house.”
“You said Mom is there, which means Father knows. He can track her fucking cell.” I walk away from the bed, not wanting Ava to hear my next words, even in her unconscious state. “They aren’t safe.”
“Everything was left at the hotel. There’s no way to track them. Focus on Ava. I’ll focus on my niece and nephew.”
“Oliver—”
“They will pay,” he interrupts, reading my mind. “But right now, Ava needs you more than you need revenge. Stay there. I’ll call if there are any updates. Call me if you have one of your own.”
“Thanks.” Ending the call, I head back to the chair and sit calmly, like my heart isn’t thudding against my ribs.
This is so fucked up. I can’t imagine life without Ava. She holds me together, and our kids need her. I don’t understand how Fiona knew about the wedding or what room Ava was in. If Oliver and Marco’s theory is correct about a man on a scaffold, how did he know? There are so many missing pieces of the puzzle. But Oliver is right. I need to think about Ava. Once she’s out of danger, I’ll make the fools pay. And once I do, no one will be left alive.
* * *
I’ve been watching Ava breathe, waiting for her to open her eyes when suddenly the steady pace of the machine’s beeps changes. Before I can react, I hear an announcement.
“Code blue, room three.”
Medical staff appear from everywhere, one pushing a crash cart.
“Mr. Manarch, you need to step aside,” Nurse Peyton orders me.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I retort, shaking my head. “She’smywife!”
“They need space to work on her. You don’t want to be in their way. It could end disastrously.”
Against my better judgment, I step outside the room but stay where I can see Ava and everything happening.
I feel useless not being able to do anything, but they can help her better than me.For now.
The staff move like a well-oiled machine, with one monitoring the machine readout as others attach defibrillator patches.
“She’s in V-tach,” the one checking the readout states. “Let’s use the defib and see if we can shock her back into a normal rhythm.”
My stomach churns, and I rock backward and forward while repeating the same mantra.Please don’t die, please don’t die.
The defibrillator’s clinical voice commences, “Analyzing rhythm, shock advised, stand clear.”
The medical staff move away from Ava with their hands in the air, then the doctor controlling the defib presses the shock button. I feel sick when Ava’s body arches as the shock is delivered.
