“Drink. No arguments, just drink.”
Lowering her hand, she takes it and sips it, spilling a bit as her hands continue to shake.
Bones clears his throat from the barn door, and we all turn to face him.
“Take her to the hotel. I’ll send a doctor. Bianca wants to be here for her, but she can’t travel. Her pregnancy is high-risk. Would it be okay if Bella and Athena come? They don’t know Heather well, but it might help.”
He’s talking to Killian, but I intervene anyway.
“They can come, but it’ll be up to Heather to allow it or not. If at any time she’s had enough, I’ll ask them to leave.”
We walk to the vehicles with Bones beside us.
“Athena has had a lot of the same experiences Heather has, minus the religious shit. It might be good. She won’t overstep. If Heather wants her to leave, she will.”
Killian asks, “What the fuck are we doing with Desjardins?”
Kage, who has spoken very little to any of us, says, “We’ll hold him until you’re ready for him. Keep him uncomfortable but alive.”
My brothers look at me with an arched brow.
“Your turn to drive.” Killian says, and I’m annoyed because I want to be near her, but they’re right. It’s my turn to drive.
Carter helps her into the back seat carefully. He gets in on one side of her, and Killian gets in on the other.
It’s taking everything in me to stay focused on what we need to do. The anger, heartbreak, and relief all battle in my mind. I’m angry she has gone through this again. And I’m so fucking relieved she’s alive.
Chapter Nine
THE HEATHEN
I’m not sure how to act or what to do. They saw him inside me. How can they ever unsee such a thing?
“What is it, baby?”
I shake my head at Kill because I don’t want to talk about it, and I’m not sure I ever will. Nobody has said a word about the brandings, but surely they noticed? I have a cross on my body, burned into my flesh and Grave’s name on my ass since I was promised to him. How will they ever look past that? A tear rolls down my cheek, and Carter kisses me on the temple.
“Right now, everything feels impossible. It’s just too much, Little Heathen. You’re wondering how you’ll get through this, and that’s normal after what you’ve been through, but the answer is simple. With us. We are a family and we get through the heavy shit together. One day at a time. One struggle at a time.”
He makes it sound so easy.
“We will talk when you’re ready. First the doctor needs to make sure you’re okay.”
I glance at Killian and my mind flashes back to seeing him lying on the floor after being stabbed.
“Speaking of doctors, why aren’t you in a hospital? You were stabbed and unconscious the last time I saw you.”
He glances at Carter before returning his guilty eyes to mine.
“I’m fine, baby. They had to remove my spleen, but I’m good. “When Carter and Knox came to the hospital-“
He takes a sharp breath before continuing.
“I couldn’t stay in the hospital when you needed me. And I knew they were going to kill everybody they could to get to you and I guess I had a little FOMO.”
“FOMO,” I ask as Carter laughs so hard I think he’s going to pass out.
Kill stares at me, his expression serious.
