"Carson tried to shoot me and missed, but hit me with the gun and tried to choke me. My first shot went into his shoulder and the second went over his head. I hit him in the head and smashed his eye, which is how I got out of his hold." I shrugged, exhausted just recounting the events that happened while Burke was unconscious. "Turns out he was out of bullets, but I had one left."
"I knew the shooting range would benefit you in the long run." He ran his fingers down my hair, and I leaned into his touch.
"Did it ever." Maybe I should have thanked Carson for forcing me to grow into the woman I'd become. It was his deceit, his treachery, that caused the chain of events leading us to that point in time.
"You'll heal?" he asked, studying my throat.
"Same as you."
Shifting in the bed, he flinched at the pain and rubbed his chest. "That's all I can ask for."
"Noah said someone had orders to blow up our house, but they failed. The Chester house is in ashes, but Cambridge went undetected."
Picking my hand back up, Burke said, "I chose the only one Carson never knew about."
"Good thinking. Brenda says Logan is there with them."
"He needed to be somewhere useful. It'll take some time for him to get over Anna." Tilting his head, Burke said, “At least the Chester house was my least favorite, but it sure held amazing memories for us.”
“It’s the place Finn was conceived.”
I would take a moment to mourn the past, but then I would move on and focus on the future. We had each other again, and I would gladly step back into second place and allow Burke to reign as intended.
We spent one more night at the hospital before Burke refused to remain tethered to a bed for another second. I worried about which men could still be out there, the ones who were loyal to the Navarros and out for blood. Because of the unknowns, we took all the same precautions we had before the attempted coup.
When we arrived home, Jonah Carmichael joined us. "From the intelligence I've gathered, there are a handful of foot soldiers left within the Navarro organization. I have men on the lookout, essentially hunting them down. I won't allow any of them to live, Burke; this I can promise you and your wife."
Thinking about Anna's last words, I asked, "If you knew Anna and Carson wanted your cooperation, why didn't you say anything to us?"
"You had the same information I did, mia cara. Your husband and I discussed it at length when you were in hiding."
I gave Burke a long look at this new information. "You must have forgotten to tell me."
Unapologetic, Burke returned my look. "I needed to hear it straight from Anna. Jonah understands my trust is running low these days."
"Sì, Mrs. Gallagher. It's not a problem. We are now aligned, and I will protect your organization with my life, if the need should arise."
"Let's hope that's not the case," Burke said, standing to shake hands with his ally.
Though his injuries were obvious, my husband somehow looked the same as always. His color had returned, his stamina wasn't affected, and he refused to remain in bed despite my pleas to the contrary. I just wanted him to heal completely before stressing himself out with any other business dealings.
However, we were expecting Finn soon; Logan and his guard, Levi, were driving him back from Cambridge.
"Do you think the way we look will frighten him?" I asked, pacing by the front door. Though I’d done a decent job covering my bruises with makeup, I couldn't move as freely with the tape on my ribs. Burke had a sling, and he moved stiffly as well.
"No, mo grá. You worry too much."
"But I'm bruised, and you're bandaged."
Burke caught me on the third pass by the door, pulling me into his embrace and not letting go. "He's a baby. You're his mama. He won't care."
"I hope you're right."
"I'm always right."
"Don't go getting cocky on me."
His laughter echoed throughout the two-story foyer. "When have I ever not been cocky?"
