Page 116 of Lawless

“He grunted in the car on the way here but nothing else,” I supply.

Jude nods. “I’m going to give him some strong pain relief that will keep him under. Probably for the best because this is going to hurt.”

“I’m going to leave you to it. Everyone want coffee?” Aubrey offers, giving Jude some space and peace to work.

“I’ll help,” Reid offers before the two of them disappear.

Silence falls over the room as their voices disappear.

“Who is she?” Alana whispers, startling me.

Looking down, I find her staring up at me with tear-filled eyes. There is so much pain in them it makes my chest contract as fire for vengeance on the men who hurt her fills my veins.

“Reid’s friend,” I say softly, unsure how I feel about the jealousy that’s swirling in her eyes. “She’s the reason we found you, Dove.”

Lowering her eyelids, she breaks our connection.

“Hey, don’t do that,” I say, gently cupping her cheek and lifting her head until she has no choice but to look up at me.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, her voice so broken it slices right through my heart.

“Baby, you have nothing to apologize for.”

Together we sit and watch as Jude cleans up Mav’s back. Every time he makes contact with Mav’s wounds, Alana jumps as if she can feel his pain.

She doesn’t say anything, and I don’t force her to. When she’s ready to talk, I’ll be here, more than willing to listen to anything she has to say.

29

ALANA

Iwake with a start. My heart is racing and my skin is burning up as the image of Mav taking another strike from Victor’s whip plays out over and over in my mind.

Staring up at the white ceiling, I take a few seconds to calm down and remind myself that we’re safe.

Everything that happened yesterday felt like a dream. Like I was watching it all play out before me through some kind of cloud.

Honestly, it still doesn’t all feel real.

Mav said that they would come.

I wanted to believe him.

But aside from Mav, no one has ever cared enough to rescue me. And on the face of it, Reid should have been the last person to stick his neck on the line and come for us.

But he did.

Forcing the image of Mav being tortured by the men he’s meant to look up to from my mind, I think back to the moment those huge sliding doors opened and two dark figures stepped inside.

I’m not sure anyone has ever described Reid Harris and Julian Dempsey as their saviors before but fuck… that’s exactly what they were.

A light snore comes from the other side of the room, and I look up to find JD stretched out on a couch not too far away.

He’s still shirtless, exposing his ink and muscles and his arm is hanging over the edge with—

My breath catches at the sight of the bandage wrapped around his wrist and my brows pinch together.

But then there is another noise beside me and my attention is stolen by Mav, who shifts in his sleep.

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