Page 92 of Escape the Reaper

“I was about to get up with him,” Jameson said.

I turned toward the bed and saw that he was sitting up, watching me. “Let me hold him for a minute.”

He nodded, understanding. After the night we had just had and what we could have lost…I had the strong urge to lock the four of us—my family—in this room and never fucking leave.

“Is she sleeping?” I asked as I tried to peek past him to see Maura.

“She’s out,” Jameson assured. “It took most of the night for her to fall asleep.”

“Was she dealing?” I asked. So much had happened in less than a week—Stefan being taken, her mother being the one who had taken him, becoming the head of the family, and Dylan. Jameson and I had been waiting, watching for when she might need some time to process everything so we could be there for her. She’d had small moments. One with Jameson after she had killed Sean and the other when I’d found her crying silently as she had rocked Kieran before we had gone to The Underground. Other than that, she’d had everything locked down so tight so that she could take charge and be what the family needed her to be.

Jameson shook his head. “I don’t think she’ll allow herself until we get Stefan back.”

I stared down at Kieran and gave him my finger for his little hand to grab. Right away he tried to pull my finger to his mouth. “I don’t want to think about what would happen if we don’t get him back, but I know we need to prepare for it. Not when it comes to the family, but for her and what it will do to her.”

“She’s strong.”

I wasn’t doubting her ability to overcome the loss of Stefan. “I miss the crazy, theatrical side of her. We only get glimpses of it now. I’m afraid if we lose Stefan, we will lose more of her, too.”

Jameson let out a long and heavy sigh. “This way of life changes us. It chisels away the good to make room for the bad. You know that.”

I did. “I just wish we could have protected her from it.”

“We couldn’t even protect ourselves from it,” Jameson said bitterly. “I understand your worry, because it’s mine, too. All we can do is have some faith that as time moves on and wounds heal, we will see more of the old Maura again, but we have to accept that it won’t be the same.”

Kieran began to get fussy and I bounced my arms a little to soothe him. “Because I love her, I’ll accept it, but it still makes me angry.”

Jameson locked eyes with me. “For as long as we love her, we will probably never stop being angry about it.”

Well, it looked like I was going to be pissed for the rest of my life, because I didn’t think I’d ever stop loving her. Speaking of the rest of my life… “Want to finish our conversation from last night?” I asked him. Last night on the way back to the manor, I had brought up the topic of marriage. Dylan had fucking interrupted us before I’d gotten a response.

Realizing what I was talking about, he asked, “How would we make that work?”

“She would be legally married to you, and I will legally be named as Kieran’s father,” I suggested. “Of course, Maura will still be my wife, as Kieran will still be your son.”

Jameson mulled it over for a moment. “Are you sure?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I’ve been thinking on it for a while.”

Jameson went quiet as he thought again. “Alright.”

The corner of my mouth lifted. “Maura hinted at wanting a big rock.”

Jameson smiled a little as he stared down at her adoringly, because hearing that gave him a glimpse of the old Maura and moments like those were something to be cherished.

CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN

It had been five days since I’d spoken to Riona. All morning I was unable to sit still as we waited for her to get into contact with me. Conor, Rourke, Aiden, Vincent, and my goons were at the house. We, along with Brenna, Jamie, Louie, and Brody, had all congregated in the lounge that was near the front door and just to the side of the foyer. We were all either sitting or standing around the coffee table where I’d placed the burner cell Riona had sent me. Stefan’s study, along with a bunch of other areas in the house, were still being repaired thanks to Dylan.

After lunch time, Jamie’s phone went off. He answered it on the second ring. “Yeah?” As he listened to whoever was speaking to him, he locked eyes with me. Without responding, he hung up. “Brody, call Adam.”

“Our lawyer? Why?” I questioned.

“Because the police are pulling up and they have a warrant for your arrest, Maura,” Jamie said, and I could feel the shock of everyone in the room.

“I don’t have time to be arrested today” was my response. Not “What for?” or “Why?” All that mattered to me was that I was here when Riona called me—my only chance to save Stefan.

“Why is she being arrested?” Louie was the one to ask.

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