Page 66 of Dirty Liars

Jack’s head snapped up, his eyes bloodshot from exhaustion but suddenly bright with relief. A smile broke across his face like sunrise, though it trembled at the edges.

“There she is,” he said softly, reaching for my hand. His warm fingers wrapped around mine, gentle yet desperate, as if he could anchor me to this world through touch alone.

“The baby?” I asked immediately, my free hand moving to my stomach.

“Fine,” Jack assured me, his voice catching. “The baby’s fine. You’ve got a hard head, and apparently the little one inherited it.”

A laugh escaped me, but it quickly transformed into a weak cough. Jack helped me take a sip of water from a cup on the bedside table, his hand steady on mine.

“Well, well, well,” I heard a familiar voice say from somewhere in the room.

It was only then that I noticed Lily sitting in a chair in the corner, her legs tucked beneath her, an open medical textbook balanced on her knees. She closed it with a soft thump, her face lighting up as she moved to the other side of my bed.

“I knew you were being weird,” she said, grinning triumphantly as she checked the monitors. “Morning sickness. Food aversions. Emotional outbursts.”

“I wasn’t having emotional outbursts,” I protested weakly.

“I saw you tear up as soon as ‘Son of a Preacher Man’ started to play,” Lily countered, her eyes dancing with amusement.

“It made me sad,” I said, smiling as much as my battered face would allow.

Lily’s expression softened as she reached for my wrist, taking my pulse even though the monitor was doing the same job. It was a gesture of connection more than medical necessity.

“Your secret’s safe with me,” she promised, glancing between Jack and me. “Though I should warn you, I’m not sure how long it’ll stay that way. You haven’t exactly been subtle about it. Emmy Lu is bound to catch on before too long.”

“How long have I been out?” I asked, noticing the dimming light through the window.

“About ten hours,” Jack said. “They gave you something for the pain, and your body took what it needed.”

“Concussion?” I asked.

“Mild,” Lily confirmed. “CAT scan was clear. No internal bleeding, no skull fracture. You’ll have a headache for a few days, but nothing permanent.”

I nodded, wincing as the movement sent a dull throb through my temples. “And the case?”

Jack and Lily exchanged a look.

“They’ve both been charged,” Jack said, his jaw tightening. “Emmett’s staying loyal to Prather. Won’t say a word except to spout cult propaganda. The prosecutor says he’s got the emotional maturity of a teenager with the moral compass of a shark.”

“And Josef?” I asked.

“Older and wiser,” Jack said, a note of disgust in his voice. “He cut a deal before his lawyer even finished his coffee. He’s pinning everything on Emmett, claiming he was just there to supervise the apprentice, teach him the ropes. Says he never pulled the trigger.”

“That’s crap,” I said, anger flaring through the fog of medication. “The shots on Chloe were too precise. And the sniper shot that took out Max?—”

“We know,” Jack assured me. “Special forces records confirm Josef was a trained sniper. Too much of a coincidence. But the prosecutor is willing to play along to get information on New Dawn. Josef’s offering up everything—locations, bank accounts, names of other members.”

“He’s scared,” Lily observed. “And he should be. From what I’ve heard, this Prather guy doesn’t tolerate failure.”

She checked the IV in my arm, adjusting the flow slightly. “I should go update your chart and let Cole know you’re awake. He’s been calling every twenty minutes since they brought you in.” She squeezed my hand. “Don’t overdo it, okay?”

Lily slipped out, closing the door softly behind her. In the sudden quiet, Jack’s composure seemed to crumble. He brought my hand to his lips, pressing a kiss against my knuckles.

“I thought I was going to lose you,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “When we burst into that warehouse and I saw him with the gun to your head…” He trailed off, swallowing hard.

“But you didn’t,” I reminded him, squeezing his hand. “I’m right here.”

“The look in that kid’s eyes,” Jack continued, as if he needed to say it aloud to exorcise the memory. “He was going to pull the trigger. Even after we told him to freeze, I thought he was still going to do it.”

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