Page 66 of The Eraser

"She's asleep right now, and she's in a sterile room. You need to suit up."

"Thank you," I say roughly, knowing it's going to be fucking bad when I see her.

It takes over twenty minutes for me to get ready to go in and see her. Her nose is covered in a bandage. She's lying on her side, facing me, and she's asleep. She looks so peaceful, but I know that's down to the medication. I'm pissed, fucking pissed. I can't touch her. I can't give her a kiss and let her know that I'm here. I have to keep some distance between us as she's highly susceptible to getting an infection.

"I'll be back, baby. I'm going to make you safe," I promise her.

I need her to know that she'll never have to worry about that motherfucker again. I won't let her be tortured by him again.

"I love you, Little Dancer," I say thickly, pissed I can't hold her, but know it's for her safety. "Sleep, baby. Let your body heal."

I leave her hospital room, my heart fucking filled with pain at seeing her in that tiny hospital bed. Christ, she's my world. My absolution.

ChapterTwenty-Eight

STEPHEN

My grip istight on the steering wheel as I race toward the farmhouse. The boys have a special place lined up for us to kill Thomas and Fintan, and I'm intrigued as to what their set up is. I've heard stories about the one they have in New York, an outbuilding where they kill their victims. Here in Ireland, they don't have one, but with the help of Freddie and Jerry, they've set up something at my farmhouse.

"She's going to be okay," Denis says. "Callie's staying with her. She'll not be alone."

"I know," I say through my teeth. I hate that she could wake up without me being there. She could be fucking scared and I wouldn't be there to catch her when she needs me.

“Once you do this, Stephen, the fear and pain isn't going to go away. It'll stay. It could last a lifetime," he says gently. "Even now, after five years, Callie still wakes to nightmares about that night."

I grit my teeth. Fuck. Callie's house was broken into, and she was almost beaten to death. Had she not called me that night, she could have died. She was so scared, she couldn't stay in the house after that night. She moved out and never went back.

"Jess is strong," he continues. "She'll have you to lean on, but I want you to know that she could have nightmares from this."

"I'll be there if she does." There's no fucking way I'd ever let her go through them alone. I'll keep her safe and protected through them, even though I couldn't do it in real life.

"Fintan's son, Micah, is in the wind. He's gone and no one knows where the fucker is," Denis growls. "I know you and Maverick have been looking for him, but we've not been able to locate him."

Mallory asked us not to tell anyone about her situation. She doesn't want to worry anyone as she's scared it could relapse Chloe after what she went through. While we don't agree with it, we respect it. But that doesn't mean we're not having everyone looking for the prick.

"He'll turn up," I tell him. "They always do." That motherfucker will come out of hiding when his da dies.

"Did you marry Jessica due to Thomas giving her to Fintan?" he asks, and I know that's a question that's coming from Callie rather than himself. There's no fucking way Denis would ask something so fucking personal had his wife not put him up to it. "If you did, we'd not blame you."

"She's my wife," I hiss. "I married her because she's mine. You can tell your wife that too."

The fucker grins. "Just checking. Callie was sure it was legit but wanted to double check. You can't blame her, right?"

"No, that's why I didn't tell you to fuck off."

He chuckles. "Thank you," he says. "I never did thank you properly for getting to her that night."

"She's my family," I tell him. "As much as Nicola annoys the fuck out of me, they are family."

"But still, it still haunts me what could have been." He glances out the window. "I guess that's something you'll now feel too. When you find someone you love, someone who means more than life itself, it's fucking hard to think of being without them. The thought of losing them brings you to your knees."

He's right, that's exactly how it felt when Jess was taken. "You're very wise in your old age."

He flips me off. "Asshole."

The rest of the drive to the farmhouse is quiet and tense.

"Maguire," Pyro greets me with the president of the New York chapter, Ace. "Both of the assholes are waiting for you. We're not sure what you want to do with them, but we have them set up."

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