Page 886 of Coal Hearts

“I wasn’t awake.” He shook his head. “I told you. I’ve been in some stupid coma—waste of bloody time that was. I only came to a few days ago, and it took a while for my memories to come back. Like I said, I was amnesic for a bit. Completely lost and had no idea where I was. But then things started coming back in pieces. And then this morning I woke and remembered everything. I asked for you. I used your last name, Henri. You should’ve seen how fast they bolted and now...here you are.”

Peter sniffed. “Anyway, I’ve gone on far too much about me. What about the others? Is Rach okay? Mollie? Did Kirk survive? Is Victor dead? Are you okay? Why the fuck did your heart stop, jaanu? Was I too late in protecting you?” Squeezing my fingers, he looked me over as if assessing every inch. Still protective of me. Responsible for me. “The last I saw of you, you were dying beneath me. So much blood. That thing I tied around your neck did nothing. I truly thought...”

I squeezed him right back. Pulling down my lemon-coloured jumper, I revealed the small mark on my sternum. “You saved my life, Paavak. Truly. I passed out from blood loss but thanks to my collar, Victor wasn’t able to cut my jugular. I’d been feeling woozy for a while. If you hadn’t spun me around, I would’ve died. I don’t...” Tears prickled. “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you. I feel absolutely awful that we didn’t know you were here. That we didn’t try to find you.”

“Yeah well, you thought I was dead,” Peter whispered. “It’s okay, Ily. I’d do it all over again if needed. You know that...right?”

“I know.”

“In answer to your questions,” Henri said. “Mollie unfortunately died, Kirk didn’t make it, and my brother has been keeping a list of the jewels he’s sent home. Rachel is okay and about to pop. She’s living in Spain with her uncle.” Clearing his throat, he rolled his shoulders. “None of that would’ve been possible without you. You’re the reason I didn’t die because you didn’t let Ily die. And for that...I owe you every euro that doesn’t belong to me. How can I ever repay you for protecting her?”

“You already said you’d take a bullet for me too. That’s what friends do.” Peter smirked although a small flash of pain sparked in his eyes. “I love her. And she loves you. What was I supposed to do? Let her be shot?”

“She loves you too.” Henri braced his shoulders. “And after what you’ve done? Fuck.” Grabbing Peter’s shoulder again, he cleared his throat. “You’re not just a good friend, Paavak. You’re a brother.”

Peter actually blushed. “Yeah well, after a month of sharing that dungeon with you all broken and pathetic, I kinda started to like you.”

Henri snickered. “You just liked being the one not bleeding for a change.”

Peter laughed. “Was it that obvious?” His fingers strayed to his neck. “By the way, who...who cut my collar and cuffs off?”

“Not sure. My brother said he’d removed all the jewels he had in his house. And he mentioned some had to go to the hospital as their injuries exceeded his in-house care, but...I asked him if he knew where you were. He said he didn’t. No one knew.” His sterling gaze snapped to mine before returning to Peter. “You have to believe us, Pete, we would’ve searched high and low for you if we thought you’d survived.”

“It’s fine.” Peter rolled his wrists, no doubt marvelling that the cuffs that’d imprisoned him for five and a half years were gone. A hospital band had replaced them. “Even the doctors didn’t know. I’ve been called John Doe before I remembered my name this morning. They’ve had their hands full by the sounds of it. Everything was crazy that night. I...I’d like to hear what happened, though. How I ended up here. Victor better have got the end he deserved. I’m pissed off I didn’t get to kill him myself.” Tapping his forehead with the heel of his hand, he exhaled. “Holy shit, I need to call my parents!” His eyes widened. “I’m so used to not thinking about them. Fuck, someone get me a phone.”

I froze.

Fresh panic filled me.

Oh no.

Henri shot me a look. “Ily...are you okay?”

Licking my lips, I struggled to speak.

Peter raised his eyebrows. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Um....” Plucking the blankets on Peter’s bed, I couldn’t hold his stare. “I might have...oh God.”

“What?” Peter sat up straight. “You’re scaring me.” His IV line travelled with his hand as he reached for me. “What is it? What the hell happened?”

Henri came to my side of the bed. He looped his arm around my shoulders. “Ily?”

I blurted, “I went to see your parents and told them what you did for me. I told them everything, Paavak. They wanted to know. They asked so many questions. I told them how you were the protector to all of us. How you gave hope to the hopeless and that you gave your life for me.”

No one moved.

“You...went to see my family?” Peter asked quietly.

I didn’t know if he was pissed or pleased.

“I thought you were dead.” I hung my head. “I looked up your family name. An old date came up for a memorial service they held for you. I wish I hadn’t done it. I’m so stupid. I thought I was giving them closure. Not knowing what happened was awful, Paavak. Not knowing if you were truly dead. Where you were buried. What became of you. I didn’t want your parents to have to keep living with that.”

“So you told them that I’ve been raped and beaten for the last five years?” he murmured, his face blank.

“No! No. I mean....not in so many words.”

“What words?”