Page 74 of Knight's Journey

Before she could usher her kids into the back of an SUV, Marlowe broke away. She ran over to hug Maggie tightly, and the woman smiled through her tears as she returned the embrace. Then the thirteen-year-old raised her head to grace Zane with a shy smile.

“We knew you would find us. Thank you. For coming for us.”

“You’re welcome.”

He watched Marlowe run back to her. Their eyes met and held. Bridget could read the regret and guilt in his eyes, emotions mirrored in her own. She couldn’t explain it, but she knew his thoughts ran along the same lines as hers. They started out as friends and became lovers, but what came of that was the spark of something which could have changed both of their lives for the better.

They thankfully were not grieving the loss of their loved ones, but the sense of loss was still there. The loss was for something which had the potential to be wonderful but now would never be.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Zane leaned against the window frame overlooking Lenfield Medical Center’s bustling parking lot, his back facing the pane. He watched the doctor examine his mother while a nurse adjusted her IV bag. They provided Maggie with a hospital gown, so she could change out of the dirty clothes she wore.

When he’d called to update his sisters on what happened, Zoe promised to bring clean clothes. Maggie was staying long enough for the bag of fluid to alleviate her dehydration, so he tried to talk his sisters into waiting to see her until she got home. He knew his argument would fall on deaf ears, but he at least tried to give his mother a few moments of peace.

Once they were left alone, Zane pulled a chair to his mother’s bedside. He clasped her hand as he sat.

“You’re not to blame for any of this.” Maggie’s smile was warm but reflected her fatigue.

“We both know that’s not entirely true.”

She pulled her hand from his and touched his cheek, rough with a day’s worth of stubble. “So much like your father. He would be so proud. I’m so proud. When those men broke into the house, I was able to use all the tips you showed me on protecting and defending myself. I probably could have gotten away if I wasn’t worried about the children getting hurt. I told them we had to hang on because you were coming for us.”

He turned his head to kiss her palm. “I’m sorry you had to go through any of it. I never wanted my job to touch you, Zoe, Zaylee or Zaida that way.”

“Your job is a part of who you are. We love you, and that means accepting that part of your life. I can’t say I don’t worry about you, and when you were stabbed, I wondered if I could bear for you to continue. But when I was with Mathias and Marlowe, and I could give them hope in knowing you were moving heaven and earth to find us, I realized what a blessing your job could be. You’ve helped so many people. The only way to shield us from that part of your life is to shut us out completely, and I won’t allow that. Neither would your sisters.”

He grinned at her, trying to hide how much of a balm her words were to his battered psyche. “I think you might be a little biased, but I appreciate it.”

Her smile faded, and she studied him intently. He could almost see her mind working through something, so he waited for her to say what was troubling her.

“It’s not over, is it?”

He didn’t have to ask what she meant by her question. “Singer is never coming after you or anyone else ever again.”

“That’s not an answer to my question, Zane.”

“I know, but it’s all I can give you right now.”

She sighed. “It’s not over for Bridget either. I’m guessing the kids’ grandparents will use this against her. It’s not right. Mathias and Marlowe love her, and she’s sacrificed so much to provide for them. It’s such a shame. She needs someone in her corner to support her as she stands up to these people.”

“I doubt she would accept my help even if I offered. Mathias and Marlowe wouldn’t have been targeted if they had never met me.”

“You are not the cause of bad things that happen because of bad people. Bridget was worried and upset and rightfully so. She needs time, but she needs you too. And I think she knows it. She’s afraid to say it out loud.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Playing matchmaker, Momma? I would have thought you were too busy for that.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’ll drop it. But only if you agree to go and eat something. I know you have to be hungry, and I want to rest before your sisters get here to fuss over me.”

He nodded, recognizing her need for solitude. When he needed to decompress, he went to the gun range. His mother would hide away alone, allowing the quiet to reset her troubled mind. He rose, kissed her head and stepped outside the emergency room unit, pulling the curtain closed behind him.

His hand rubbed the back of his neck, his body crying out for a warm bed and a night of uninterrupted sleep, but he would settle for the caffeine jolt of a cup of bad hospital coffee.

When he turned to find his way to the cafeteria, he saw Mathias hovering nearby, a sheepish expression on his face. Zane studied him curiously as he approached.

“Hey, Mathias. Everything alright?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Lowe scraped her knee. The nurse is cleaning and bandaging it before she’s released. Aunt Bridget is with her. I, uh, I wanted to check on Mrs. Maggie.”

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