Page 71 of Beautiful Vengeance
Fuck.
“Don’t cross Callista Sheridan.She is her father’s daughter, and she won’t react any differently than you are now.”
He had no intention of harming Callista.Not now, not when he had a living, breathing reason not to.But if he took out the one person truly responsible—Colm—she might retaliate and this cycle would begin again.
Which is exactly what Sloan warned me about.
Jude rubbed a hand over his face, suddenly exhausted.There was no way out of this where he wasn’t either betraying his mother’s memory or hurting the woman he had come to care about.The mother of his child.
Footsteps had him lifting his head as Sloan walked into the room, her sister on her heels.She looked like heaven.It didn’t matter that she was wearing his sweatshirt, the huge size of it making her seem younger than she was.Or that there were dark circles under her eyes and she was paler than normal.
She looks like home.
She held her hand out to him, much the same way he’d done to her during their time together.“Let’s go to bed.”
He stood with some effort and took her hand, allowing her to lead him through a different door than the one she’d just come out of.It was decorated much the same way as the rest of the penthouse—ridiculously overdone—but the bed actually looked inviting.
“Doc Jones said no shower for the time being, but I could offer a sponge bath.”Her smile was a shadow of its former self.
He used one hand to pull the sweatshirt off her, and her T-shirt and panties quickly followed.“Help me get out of these jeans.”
It took some work to get them off, but then he stood before her, both of them naked.She licked her lips, but even that was half-hearted.She was practically weaving on her feet, and he wasn’t much better.“Come to bed with me, sunshine.”
“You don’t sleep.”
“I’ll make an exception this time.”The events of the day were catching up with him, his side one big ball of fury and pain, his head pounding in time with his heart.And he’d been unconscious for part of it.He hadn’t had the emotional toll on top of the physical one like Sloan had.She needed sleep, not sex.Comfort.
He was shit-all for giving comfort, but he’d do his best.
Jude pulled back the covers and half sat, half fell onto the mattress.He cursed, but managed to get settled without too much trouble.Sloan slipped in next to him, carefully adjusting herself so she wasn’t touching his injured side.He propped his chin on the top of her head and just held her.“I’m sorry about your brother.”
“He’s doing what he thinks is best.It doesn’t make it okay, but…I do understand.”
Jude understood, too.
Which was the crux of the problem.Her sister aside—and even that was in question—there wasn’t a single person in Sloan’s life who would sit back and allow her to ride off into the sunset with Jude.They would all fight it, for one reason or another.
Stop letting emotions fuck with your head and come up with a plan.That’s what you’re good at.Figure out the options and do what it takes to keep Sloan and the baby safe.
No matter what the cost.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Sloan stared down at Seattle as the rain lashed the windows.She’d woken in Jude’s arms and the sheer joy that had suffused her at the realization that they were together and whole was staggering.
Carrigan’s words from last night echoed through her head.You’re in love with him.
Yes, she wanted a chance to see if they had a future together.Yes, the idea of being with anyone else left her cold.And, yes, she’d essentially chosen him over her family.But…love?
Love seemed a very large word in the face of such a short time of knowing each other.
He will leave.It might not be today, it might not be tomorrow, but eventually he will leave.
She pressed a hand to her chest, hating the ache that blossomed there, an insidious weed she wanted nothing to do with.She couldn’t change Jude.She’d be the worst sort of fool to even try.
Then you have to be okay with him leaving.
An even more difficult task.
