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He and Lach had roughed Jace up until he barely had a pulse. Then they’d taken him back to the house and set the fire around him. A guardian angel must have been looking out for him because he hadn’t woken up throughout the process. Toth and Lach had waited until there was no doubt Jace was dead before they headed out.
Savannah still hadn’t faced her dad. That was their next stop. “You still up for this?” he asked, as he backed up around Cole’s car and onto the road.
“Let’s get it over with.”
***
Savannah was riddledwith guilt as she made her way through the hospital. She’d been through a lot since she watched her dad get shot. Still, she should have visited sooner. She’d called yesterday, the day after Toth had rescued her from Jace’s house in Coal Creek, and promised she’d come by to see him. He’d sounded strained on the phone, his voice frailer than she’d ever heard it.
Toth’s solid presence next to her as she walked down the long, bustling hallway gave her strength. “Right here,” he said, nodding at one of the doors. Before she entered, he pulled her close. “Do you want me to wait or come in with you?”
She glanced at the partially closed door. She wanted Toth with her, but she also needed to speak freely, and that meant giving her dad a degree of privacy. “Just give me a few minutes and then you can come in.”
He nodded. “I’m going to arrange for someone to take care of the mess at the cabin. Dare knows a guy.” His lips brushed her temple, and he squeezed her. “Take your time.”
The mention of his cabin brought bittersweet memories to the forefront of her mind. She wanted to return to the serene space, but the thought of the bodies of the men who’d attacked them made her shudder.
She pushed away the stressful thoughts of that day and settled in the knowing that Toth would handle the situation. Then she opened the door and entered her dad’s room. The moisture left her mouth at the sight of him in the propped-up hospital bed. He wore a blue gown and an oxygen tube, his skin was pale and sallow, and he appeared to have lost weight—if that was even possible in such a short time. A white bandage peeked out from the top of his gown.
“Dad?”
His eyes flickered open, and he coughed and struggled to straighten. She placed her hand on his arm, stopping him. “It’s okay, don’t move.”
Machines beeped next to the bed, and a clear liquid dripped into his arm through an IV. In all her years she’d never seen her dad look so pathetic—nothing like the formidable Sinners Cartel leader that had ruled Seattle’s streets. And her life.
Which made it really freaking hard to be mad at him.
He clasped her hand greedily. “Honey, I’m so glad you’re all right. When they took you from my office...” Tears filled his eyes. “That almost killed me.”
Emotion welled up inside her, cracking her armor of determination. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Lach told me everything.” His voice lowered, and he moved his gaze to the door, still partially open. “I’m glad Toth took care of it. I’ll be sure he’s properly compensated.”
Always about money. “Dad, we need to talk.” She kept her hand in his, mostly because he needed the lifeline more than she did. “Why did you lie about Jace?”
Her father’s eyes grew small. “I wanted him to suffer, that’s why. And I didn’t want you to know he was alive. You needed to grieve and not worry about him coming back.”
She fought down the words that wanted to burst from her lips. Words about the outrage and hurt that she’d felt all these years. Her father had acted from a place of love and a desire to protect her—but the latter was the problem with their relationship. “You took away my right to hate him. My right to be angry and lash out. I know you did what you thought was best, but you meddled where you shouldn’t have.”
He blanched. “Savannah. You think I should have let him free to walk the streets? To hurt you again?”
“Well, he ended up almost killing me.” She inhaled a calming breath. “Where’s Dom? I haven’t seen him.”
Her dad grunted and shifted on the bed to make himself more comfortable. “Dom’s clean, if that’s what you’re wondering. He and Lach spent all day yesterday and last night interrogating each member. I gave Dom a couple days off. He felt guilty as shit for not being there the night I was shot.” He rubbed his shoulder as if the mention brought pain.
Sav nodded. She wasn’t surprised Mark had been working against her father. And Dom had always seemed to be the most loyal.
“I’m sorry about Jace.” Her father’s tone was heavy. “He never should have been released. I was planning on having something planted on him to extend his sentence. Someone fucked up and he was let go on good behavior. By the time I found out, I knew he’d come after you. That’s why I hired Toth and tried to get you the hell away from here.”
“You knew who was behind the shooting out front of my apartment, but you told us it was Red Eyez.”
“Who did it didn’t matter. I needed an explanation, and I couldn’t tell you it was Jace. Not without bringing back all those memories for you.” He choked on the last word. “That I couldn’t do. I love you, Savvy.”
He pulled her into a hug, and she wiped her tears over his shoulder. “I love you, too, Dad.”
A minute later Toth knocked on the door. Her dad straightened and his stony expression returned. He shook Toth’s hand and thanked him for taking care of her. They chatted for a few minutes then she and Toth left after promising to visit him again in a couple of days.
She was silent in the car, her mind drifting in and out of contentment and uncertainty, like a tide on steroids.
