“I’m so sorry about your party!” I blurted out before anyone else could say anything. “I’ll give you a refund.” It might mean missing a month or two of rent, but I could get a second job.”
Cian’s brows pinched.
“Don’t give a fuck about the party, about the money. You should have been safe in a room full of us. I’m here to apologize.”
“It wasn’t your job to protect me.”
“It’s my job to be big enough of a threat that these low-level street crews know not to step foot in my presence with an agenda. Which is why I came to tell Fallon that I handled the… questioning of Cameron’s crew.”
“You what?” Brooks asked.
“You were busy taking care of your wounded. I had time. And a message to send. Turns out, Cameron was a shit leader. Pretty much everyone sided with Perish once they realized he was still alive. Apparently, the fuck told them he was dead years ago. Anyone who was loyal, well, they’re handled. I don’t think Fallon has shit to worry about. But I can give him names and addresses if he wants to double-check my work.”
“I will let him know,” Brooks said, his voice a little tight.
“Can I do anything for you?” Cian asked, looking at me.
“Me?” I asked, brows scrunching.
“A nurse. Pain meds.”
“Oh! Oh, no, I’m fine. Really, everyone is making a bigger deal of this,” I said, waving at my face, “than they need to.”
Cian shook his head. “They’re not. If you change your mind, Fallon has my number. Get some rest.”
With that, he turned around and strode out.
“I’ll be damned,” Sully said, shaking his head.
“What?” I asked.
“He wanted to issue a warning, sure,” Brooks said. “But he also knows that what he did aligned himself with our club. And we hadn’t made a decision on that yet.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. I—”
“I don’t know what you keep apologizing for,” Sully said, rubbing my lower back. “You were innocent in all this.”
“Innocent and in some need of rest before your old man comes here and kicks our asses,” Nave said, waving toward the hallway.
I could sense they wanted to talk without me present.
“Okay. Um. Thanks, guys,” I said, giving them an awkward wave.
“Call if you need anything,” Nave said.
“You got a full-time servant right here,” Sully said, smoothing his hands down his loud pigeon-printed Hawaiian shirt.
I made my way into Perish’s room, kicking off my shoes, then went right for the bed, climbing in, rolling on my side, and breathing in the scent of him still clinging to the pillow.
It was over.
Everything with Cameron and the lockdown. It was over.
And I still got Perish?
At least, it seemed like I did.
I mean, he had my father’s approval.
