Page 63 of Stolen Salvation

“I….” Tears hit Snow’s eyes, but he felt no sympathy for her.

“Don’t take it out on her, it was my call.”

Looking beyond Snow, he snorted in disgust at Duchess, who had her arms folded across her chest. “Some call to send her out there when she’d just had this news. Do you know how big of a deal it would be for her to find out she was unexpectedly pregnant after everything we went through?”

“Of course I do. I spoke with her before we left and asked if she was okay. She said she needed this.”

Bishop clicked his tongue. “Of course she fucking said that. Charlie would never stand down when people she cares about are in danger.” He pointed a finger at Duchess. “That was your fucking job, and you blew it. If she dies it’s your fucking fault and I’ll never forgive you.”

“That’s enough. Take a fucking walk, Bishop.”

Bishop rounded on Jack who’d appeared from nowhere and clenched his teeth, the urge to lash out and hurt someone almost more than he could bear. “Fuck this and fuck you.”

Bishop stormed off, not having any clue where he was going to go, just needing to remove himself before he did something he might regret.

Hours later he was sitting outside on the bench as cars began to fill the carpark with shift changes and patients arrived for early appointments. The tranquillity of the children’s memorial garden had calmed him some.

“Thought I might find you here.”

Hurricane sat down beside him, and he looked at the floor, too frightened to ask for an update on his wife in case he was given news he couldn’t handle. Fuck, she wasn’t even his wife now, not legally at least.

“Nurse came out, said it was going as expected and Charlie was holding her own.”

His belly flopped and he thought he might faint from relief, even if it was only temporary.

“Thanks.”

“I won’t ask how you’re doing because I can’t even imagine what you’re going through, but I do know it wasn’t Duchess’ fault.”

Bishop side-eyed his friend. “You heard?”

“Yeah, Snow was pretty upset.”

“I’ll apologise.”

“They get it, man. They understand how hard this is for you or at least they’re trying.”

“She should never have been there.”

“Maybe, but it was her call to make. Would you have been able to stop her?”

He’d been considering that for the last few hours and decided Charlie would’ve done what she thought was best. Her determination was one of the things he loved about her. “I don’t know, maybe. Probably not.”

“Seems to me instead of hating our girls for keeping her secret, you should be happy Charlie had women ready to keep her secrets and surround her with what she needed when she needed it.”

“Yeah?”

“Strikes me she isn’t someone who opens up to many and yet she did to the girls. That’s a good thing, surely?”

“Yes, it is. I just wish she hadn’t got hurt.”

A big palm landed on his back. “I know and I know the what ifs will be driving you crazy, but you can’t live life like that, man.”

Bishop sat up, wiping the dried blood on his hands over his trousers. “Speaking from experience?”

“Something like that.”

“You’re a closed book, Hurricane.”