Page 43 of The Irish Redemption

Evie.

The doctor arrives not long after to check Evelyn over, remove her catheter, and give her another round of painkillers. I give her some privacy through all of that and return an hour later with some food. She appears grateful for something to eat and much more awake than before, which is nice. She asks about Harry, and I quickly fill her in on how he’s currently under lock and key at one of my facilities until we get some real answers out of him. She seems unfazed and only concerned as to whether he will still be an issue for her. Given the actions both I and the Russians have taken these past few days, I don’t see her debt being much of an issue, but the money is there and ready, just in case. Then we sit in an amicable silence listening to music from her phone that drowns out the beep of machines around us.

Suddenly, her brow dips sharply and her face contorts. I’m on my feet immediately, ready to run for a doctor at the first sign of pain. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Evelyn meets my gaze. “I really gotta pee.”

“Oh.” I snort softly with amusement. “Let me help you.”

Evelyn’s cheeks flare crimson immediately. “What?”

I stand over her. “I can carry you.”

“I can walk.”

“Fine, I’ll help you walk.”

“I don’t need your help to pee,” Evelyn says, unable to meet my gaze.

Rather than argue, I step back from her bed and watch as she slowly pushes back the blankets and slides her legs from the bed. As I expect, when she tries to stand, she lacks the strength and the balance to do so and immediately sinks back down onto the bed.

“Okay,” she mutters. “Can you help me?”

“Here I was thinking you would remain too stubborn to ask me.”

“If I didn’t need to pee so badly, I probably would,” Evelyn murmurs.

I scoop her into my arms with ease, mindful of the tubes attached to the drip stand, and carry her into the attached bathroom where I set her down near the toilet and hold her hand until she gets a grip on the porcelain. Once I’m certain she won’t fall, I turn away and plan to leave to give her privacy, but within a second, the sound of her relieving herself fills the air.

“Sorry,” Evelyn groans. “I’m too loopy to be embarrassed, but if you tell anyone about this then I’ll… do something really scary, okay?”

For the first time in as long as I can remember, I laugh. I don’t know if it’s her attitude, the tone of her voice, or the amusing pink hue on her cheeks. Honestly it might be all of those things. She draws a deep laugh from me and then her hand curls into the back of my shirt and grips on.

“That’s the first time I’ve heard you laugh,” she murmurs, and it’s my turn for heat to warm my cheeks. I can’t think of anything to say so I let it slide for now.

“I won’t tell a soul,” I promise, keeping my back to her to maintain some air of privacy.

“Good, because you have a knack for putting me in danger and then saving me, so don’t think I haven’t learned a few things.”

Ordinarily, such a comment wouldn’t bother me so much given how dangerous this life is for myself and the people around me, but Evelyn is the last person I want to get hurt. Whether it’s the asshole from the motel, the cops, or Harry, I don’t want to bring harm back to her doorstep.

Which is why hunting down the bastard who stabbed her is my second top priority.

“I’m sorry,” I say quietly. “If I could stay away from you, then maybe you would be safer, but for some reason…”

The toilet flushes, and I turn back around to help Evelyn get up.

“I just can’t.”

“It’s because of my magnetic personality,” Evelyn jokes as I guide her to the sink. “I’m a fucking charm to be around. I get it.”

“You think I’m joking?”

Our eyes meet in the mirror as I lather soap onto my hands, then tenderly clasp her own cold hands and wash them in between my own. She nods, and the pink flush on her cheeks darkens.

“I’m not joking,” I say firmly. “Hardly what you want to hear, though, I imagine, given everything that’s happened.”

Evelyn’s eyes lock onto me. “You can’t say things like that when I’m drugged up,” she says softly. “You’ll give me the wrong idea.”

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