Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 121728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
“Amazing what one will do to protect the ones they love,” he murmured.
Her good eye met his and held. “I’m sorry this happened.”
“It isn’t your fault, Sloane.”
“I insisted you find her.”
“I agreed to do it.”
“I put your family at risk.”
Goddamn it. “It wasn’t you. It was Sadie’s bad choices.”
“I was trying to save her from Amelia’s fate.”
“As a good sister would.”
“I should’ve just let her go,” Sloane whispered, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. “She might be beyond help.”
He gently swept away a tear with his thumb. “You’re not the kind of person to just give up on someone you love.”
“But look where it landed me. And Val might not ever get over what happened. She might end up with nightmares and haunting memories.” She took a shuddered breath. “And Finn…”
“We’ll deal with it all,” he assured her, lightly cupping the side of her face that wasn’t swollen. “It’ll just take some time.”
“I’m so sorry.”
The tears in her apology cracked open his heart. “Stop.”
“I’ll make it up to you.”
“Stop it, Sloane. I’m the one who suggested our arrangement. I knew what I was getting into with that fucking MC. Now, you need to rest until they release you.”
“Go home to Val.”
“She’s staying with Mel and Finn. I’m staying here with you until the doctor releases you. Then I’m taking you home.”
“Val…”
“I don’t want her back at the house until the back door is fixed and the house is secured.”
“We need to talk about where we go from here, since you found Sadie—”
He ground his teeth. “Not now we don’t.”
“But—”
“Not now, Sloane,” he said more harshly than he should’ve. He took a breath and softened his tone. “Rest.”
Behind him the curtain moved and Crew stuck his head in. He tipped it, indicating Decker should follow him.
“Rest. I’ll be back shortly.”
With one last look at her in the hospital bed T-Bone put her in, he pressed his lips together and slipped out to find Crew waiting for him down the hall. He had his hands on his hips and seemed to be annoyed.
That wasn’t a good sign.
But it also wasn’t unexpected.
He knew exactly what Crew’s demeanor meant before the man even opened his mouth.
“I know this won’t come as any surprise but… she’s gone.”
Fucking motherfucker.
He really didn’t want to give a fuck. He wanted to wash his hands of her and let fate take its course. But, unfortunately, the woman lying in a hospital bed down the hall would more than care.
And if she cared, he also would for her sake.
“Do you think T-Bone came and got her?” Crew asked.
“Either that or she’s wandering around the area in a fucking hospital gown, trying to sell herself for a fix.”
“Jesus Christ,” Crew muttered with a shake of his head. “What desperate people will do…”
“Maybe they’ll let us check the security cameras to see if she actually left the hospital,” Decker suggested. “And if she did, if someone picked her up.”
“Maybe they’ll let a federal agent check the security cameras without a warrant. Let me go see if I can make that happen.”
“Thanks, brother.”
“Don’t thank me yet. They might tell me to go pound sand.”
“You’re good at manipulating a situation. I have no doubt you’ll have security eating out of your fucking palm.”
Crew grinned. “I am good, aren’t I? Glad you finally give credit where credit is due.”
Decker rolled his eyes up to the ceiling and shook his head.
Crew whacked him on the back. “All right. I’ll go work my magic.”
“I wish your magic could undo the last twelve hours.”
“Hear that. Stay strong.”
Once again he watched Crew head down the hallway.
Thank fuck for his brothers.
He wasn’t sure he could get through all of this without them.
Family was family, whether by blood or by bond.
And that man walking away would always be a brother to him.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Propped up in bed with her laptop on her thighs, her fingers stopped moving across the keyboard when Decker walked into the bedroom with a glass in hand. She watched his long legs eat up the distance between the door and the nightstand where he set the ice water down within her reach.
“Thank you.” She pushed her glasses to the top of her head.
“You need anything else?”
“You don’t need to continue to cater to me, Decker. I can move around. I’m not bed bound.”
“Not what I asked.”
“Then, yes, I need something.”
“What?”
You.
They hadn’t had sex since she came home from the hospital a few days ago. He’d been treating her like she would break.
She missed the intimacy with him.
But that wasn’t all she wanted.
When his brown eyes locked with hers, she could see he braced for her answer. He assumed she was about to ask him to find Sadie again. But at this point, she decided if he continued to look for her sister, it would only be because he wanted to and not because she expected him to.