Page 180 of Hunter's Revenge

She seems surprised by the gesture.

“I hate hospitals, but I was trying to move around a little more so I could visit Gwen. How is she?”

“The same.”

Her eyes dims on hearing that. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, me too. How are you doing?”

This is the most we’ve said to each other since she came out of surgery.

“I’ll be okay. I’ll be in here for another two weeks then rehab. Other than that, I’m okay.”

“Looks like you’ll be away for a while.” I haven’t thought about us and what I’m going to do about her working for me. I understand why she did what she did, but it doesn’t change the fact that she betrayed me.

“Yeah. Thank you for getting Zoe back for me. My entire family is indebted to you. I don’t know what I would have done if anything happened to her. But by choosing to do what I did, I betrayed that sweet little boy I watched grow into a man, who used to trust me with his life.”

I stare back at her wanting to continue this conversation but being mindful that she’s barely been out of her sickbed for a day. I don’t want to stress her out.

“Perhaps it’s best if we have this conversation another time. You’re still very weak.”

“And guilt is eating me alive.”

“Jeanne, you were shot.” My voice rises more than I want it to. “You were shot. No matter what you did, you nearly died. That takes precedent over everything.” Because I dragged her into this mess, too. Like dominos falling against each other, everything I did had a rippling effect.

“But it doesn’t. I know what my job is. I’ve worked for your family for decades. I know the danger. I’m aware of what can happen. But I broke the one term of my contract that was the most important—breaking trust. And with that said, I’ll make it easier for you to fire me because I know I can’t go back to work for you.”

Our eyes lock. I want to say that she’s wrong. I want to tell her that we can forget this and move on, but I can’t do either of those things. Trusting the people I work with keeps me and the people who depend on me alive.

Jeanne broke that trust. If she were anyone else, she would have been killed, if not by me then under the Knights’ law.

I should be quick to agree with her, but I don’t know if I could be without her, especially since she came through for me in the end. She provided a way for me to find Diego quicker than I would have, therefore getting to both Gwen and Dru faster. For as skilled as I am with all the resources at my fingertips, I lacked time that night in a big way. Time was my enemy again.

“Maybe we could meet somewhere in the middle,” I suggest.

She reaches out and takes my hand, searches my eyes, and shakes her head. “I don’t know if I can. You do realize what could have happened because of me.”

“Yes.”

“I tried my best to alert you, but it just wasn’t possible. And even if I thought of something, I was terrified of what they’d do to Zoe. At the airport, I took a gamble I knew I’d get punished for, but I hoped something would work out.”

“So, you gave me a chance,” I fill in. “Jeanne, my life has just turned to shit. I don’t think I can lose you yet. If you’re ready to retire because it’s all too much for you, then no one can fault you. I would be selfish to stop you. But if it’s not that, then let’s go with you gave me a chance. Can we do that?”

I feel some sense of relief when she nods. “We can do that.”

“Thank you.”

She ruffles my hair like she used to when I was a boy and smiles. “Gwen has to pull through, Malik. She loves you. She will come back because of that.”

“I hope so.”

* * *

The following Saturday, I visit Gwen with flowers and Sebastian, who looks excited to see Gwen.

He barks then whimpers when he realizes she’s not moving.

I set him down next to me while I sit at her bedside, and I read from the poetry book I saw her reading in the library at home.

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