I look Riley over as we join them and she gives me a tight smile. “I’m fine. Nothing to worry about here.”
Right... I’m not so sure about that, but since she didn’t get caught in the web the Hearts set up, she’s probably the least bruised of all of us.
“What happened?”
“He tried to do too much. Wouldn’t sit still. Kept...” She lets out a long sigh. “Kept pushing himself well past his limits. He was out of it for a few moments. But it’s not happened since.”
Of course, Mathew would push himself too far, that’s exactly like him, especially today. But I’d hoped that him joining up with Timothy would mean he wouldn’t take as many risks. Seems that was idle hope. “What did the doctor say?”
“He needs stitching and might need some extra fluids. After that, he should be fine.”
Vera turns to us, leaning against me, her pheromones filling with worry. “And the baby?”
“The doc checked. Baby is fine. There was no risk to the baby. Mathew wasn’t in that bad of a state.”
That’s good. That’s at least some good news.
“And we’re waiting outside the room, because?!” I glance to the closed door.
Riley frowns at the door, like it’s offended her personally, her dark rose pheromones going sharp, filling with anger and frustration. “Doc wanted to keep the room as clean as possible. And he didn’t want us crowding around while he was stitching Mathew up.”
The door to the outside opens and Derrick and Timothy come in, their faces full of worry, but they seem a lot more grounded now they’re side by side again. They’re walking shoulder-to-shoulder. They don’t have their arms wrapped around the other’s waist, but they’re so close that they might as well. Their strides are exactly the same length and they move almost as one.
Looking at them, their mate bond and them having worked together for years and years is so clear. It’s tender and at the same time strong, flexible, beautiful.
“News from home?” I meet Derrick’s and then Timothy’s gaze. “Did everyone get out okay?”
The police getting closer and closer at the end made me way more nervous than anything else that happened tonight. Okay, maybe apart from Mathew getting shot, that was also fucking scary. But at least we knew he wasn’t in any immediate danger at the time, with the police, we didn’t know that.
Derrick nods. “Almost everyone is back. Or, at least, getting close. There are a couple of people still on their way, but they shouldn’t be running into any issues.”
Jorge turns to them, frowning, angry, but also scared. “What about retaliation? Any signs that the Hearts might try to take revenge?”
“Nothing yet.” Timothy sits down on one of the chairs and Derrick sits down next to him, still shoulder-to-shoulder. “Though, from what Erika said and from what we’ve seen before. I don’t expect much to happen.”
Luca’s voice is quiet. “Why?” He’s sitting against the wall next to the door, curled up, as small as possible.
Timothy looks grim, first meeting Derrick’s gaze and then looking back at us. “Because the Hearts know that we’ve got a lot of evidence of what they were up to. And there’s plenty of evidence still left in the building of what went on.”
“Anything that didn’t get burned.” Vera lets out a light growl, her honey pheromones flaring in anger.
Timothy nearly smiles, though it’s without joy. “There’s enough evidence left. More than enough.” He pulls up a shoulder. “And if not...” His face turns dark in a way I’ve not seen before, making my skin crawl. “I’m happy to strategically release information to ‘help them along’, if needed.”
“Or, they might be visited by someone with less-than-kind intentions.” Riley lets out a deep growl, which Vera seems to copy, though much softer. Yeah, I’m sure those two would be happy to make the lives of some influential people very unhappy, for however long —or short— those lives are.
I know it’s not over yet. But this brothel is done for. Very much done for.
And I’m sure that anyone that visited the place and is in positions of power now has a big sword of Damocles over their necks. One that Timothy would be very happy to use when needed.
I don’t have ounce of empathy for those bastards.
The door to the room with Mathew opens and a young doctor steps out, taking off his gloves. “You can go inside. Try not to jostle him too much.”
I wait as Vera, Luca, Jorge and Riley pour into the room, and then follow them.
Against one of the walls is an operating table. One that’s clearly for animals, totally flat, all metal, no padding at all. The table is angled so that the head is against the wall, making it easier for Mathew to sit up slightly.
Mathew’s face is pale and there’s a large bandage over his hip. But the way his face lights up as soon as he sees us makes my heart ease a little.
