Page 28 of Destroy Me
The tears spilled over, and his mam threw him a dark look. He had the grace to wince. “Too blunt?”
“Too blunt,” Siobhan bit out. She brushed Lyse’s hair back from her face. “Lyse, Sean’ll be all right.”
Lyse gave her a slow blink, squeezing out another tear to trickle down her cheek. “Okay.” She closed her eyes, opened them. Closed them again, and Fionn watched her body relax into sleep.
They sat in silence for a bit before his mam stirred. “I’m thinking I’ll see what’s taking that nurse so long.”
Fionn shook his head. “You’re not going wandering. There are men wanting to take you, remember?” Just the thought had his heart in his throat.
“Not likely here, with all the people,” she said. “Besides—”
The door opened—Lyse’s nurse returning with a stack of paperwork. “If I could talk you through these, ma’am?”
Siobhan joined her at the little counter, listening as the woman discussed aftercare and payments and signatures. Fionn wandered over to look down at Lyse. She seemed so young, her hair so thick it seemed too heavy for her head, for the delicate features of her face. In sleep she seemed a teenager.
He felt old in comparison. Jaded. And, when his fingers delved into her hair and eased it back from her face, confused. So confused.
Why did this woman, of all the women he knew, draw him so strongly? Why did looking at her, even when he was angry, make his heart thud and his cock ache? Unable to resist, he trailed his thumb down the smooth curve of her cheek. So soft, like a wee one. And yet the feelings she stirred in him were nothing like feelings for a child.
Her eyes flickered open. “Fionn?”
The drugged look remained. Snagging a nearby stool, he scooted it closer and sat, putting him on level with her. “Yeah.” When she frowned, he added, “You’re in the hospital. It’s all right. Everything’s all right.”
His thumb was still stroking her cheek, he realized. He started to pull away, but her brow wrinkled, her hand reaching out for his. She moved it back to her face, her own hand shaky. Although the bullet had grazed her side instead of punching through it, the wound was deep. He knew from experience how much it hurt for a man his size; for someone as small as Lyse…
His gut churned. Everything in him was wanting to deny it, wanting to say she deserved what she got, that he didn’t care if she was in pain. But the truth was, the sight of that shaking hand made him ill. His mind told him she was a traitor, that he had no business caring for her. His body didn’t care; it yearned toward her anytime they were in a room together. The two sides warred inside him, and damn it, he was gettin’ tired of the fight.
He leaned in, bringing his face close to hers. “Why, Lyse?” he asked, needing to know once and for all. “Why did you set that bomb? Why did you betray me?”
Hazel eyes latched on to his. “You know why, Fionn,” she said, his name slurring on her tongue. “I told you. Didn’t I tell you?” She blinked once, again, before her eyelids closed fully, locking her away from him. “I love you. Had to keep everyone safe…keep you…safe.”
She fell asleep on the last word. Fionn stared down at her. He’d denied repeatedly that she’d done it for him, ignored the fact that she’d cleared the area as much as she could—because her actions had shattered the image he’d always held of her, the hero worship in her eyes that he’d come to rely on. But even drugged and in pain, she held true to her story.
I love you.
What would he do to protect the people he cared about? What had he done for his mother, his team? Given up everything. Risked his life. Killed.
I love you.
So simple.
And destructive, because if he accepted it, he had to accept her. He just didn’t know if he was ready.
Chapter Thirteen
Lyse had slept most of the afternoon away. She remembered being carried into the house and desperately wishing she was awake enough to appreciate being in Fionn’s arms, but the next thing she knew, her eyes were opening to a dusky room and a stomach growling with hunger. Pushing the covers back, she sat up and fingered her hair out of her face. Everything ached, especially her side, an ache that shot to burning pain when she got to her feet.
“Holy…” She hissed, biting back curses as she tried to catch her breath. The walk to the bathroom seemed to take forever. By the time she shuffled into the kitchen, little moans were escaping her control.
Siobhan took one look at her and hurried over. “Let’s be getting you in a seat, yeah?” She settled Lyse at the table. “I’ve got dinner almost ready. You look like you need a pain pill. Or whisky.”
“Hell yes.”
Siobhan chuckled. A minute later she was setting a glass of water and a large white pill on the table.
“Thank you.”
Siobhan laid a cool hand against her forehead. “You can hug me later, dear. We’ll get some food in you and your antibiotics, and you’ll be feeling better in no time.”
