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“You don’t know?” I’m a tad confused, and he shakes his head. “I thought they would have said something at the hospital when they did the checkup.”
“No. It felt… private. Invasive in a way. I asked about everything else, but unless there was something medically necessary, I thought you would tell me when you felt like it. And I stand by that. If you don’t want to talk about it now, I’ll be here when you do.”
“They didn’t rape me, Ronan.”
The way his chest collapses is like the weight of the whole Earth rolled off of him.
“But… they’ve touched me enough to leave a mark.”
Telling him that might have been a bit of a mistake. If I ever wondered if fury has a face, I don’t need to anymore. It’s here in front of me, staring into my soul.
“I’m going to hang him by his fucking dick,” he seethes between gritted teeth.
“You’re going after him?”
“Will we ever have peace if I don’t?”
I don’t know. But… do I want him to leave me all over again? I don’t know that either. The idea of Bartiste being out there scares the shit out of me. However, being away from Ronan again scares me so much more. Not because of me being taken, but because I cannot possibly lose him too. I can’t bear that. I already can’t bear the way Finnigan looks at me.
“Can’t the others go?”
“They can, but that son-of-a-bitch touched you, Annika. What he did to both you and Hanna… he’s not getting away from that. If Finnigan doesn’t get to him first, I’m gutting him from dick to throat.”
“No…” I whisper.
“No?! You’re the sweetest person I know, Annika, but even you couldn’t possibly tell me that the asshole doesn’t deserve it.” His brows furrow as he cocks his head.
I rub my eyes, pressing my hands a bit too hard, attempting to erase the conflicting feelings.
“Fuck, Ronan, I’m not saying I don’t want him to die a horrible death. I would gut him myself for what he did to Hanna if I had the stomach for it. But… I just can’t be away from you again,” I finally confess.
His eyes soften, but the expression doesn’t last.
“I don’t either. I can’t take any more guilt. I fucked up, I fucked up so bad. Finn was right, we should have stayed with you. And those days while Bartiste had you… I thought I knew what pain was. I was so wrong. I was so wrong, little witch. It’s why I can’t let him get away with this.”
“Long and hard, I thought about that moment when Hanna told you two that you should go. She and I spoke about it too… while we werein there. You didn’t see his men on the island, Ronan. They were on a mission, and you and Finnigan wouldn’t have stood in their way. You would have died, and there wouldn’t have been anyone to save… me.”
I almost saidusfor a moment there.
“Maybe you’re right. But it doesn’t change the fact that he might still be out there, and he doesn’t deserve to be.”
“Wait. Might?” I ask, confused.
“He didn’t escape unscathed. He was shot several times, but we couldn’t find him in the vicinity of the building or surrounding area. So we’re going on the assumption that he’s still alive, but we have no idea where he could be.”
“Then, you’re not going anywhere for now.” I sigh, relieved.
“I was going to go to one of his locations to see if there’s any trace of him there. Sloane’s territory is close to one of his other locations, and he said no one has been there.”
“Wait, who’s Sloane?”
“Oh, he’s our cousin. He runs an… organization, up in Venator, and he helped us with the rescue and all.”
“He was there when…”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t remember. I don’t remember anything from Hanna’s death until the drive here from the hospital.” I’ve been trying, but I really can’t recall a thing. Maybe it was the anesthesia, or, yeah, I actually don’t know.
