Chapter 28
“Katy should already be in bed,” Stanton repeated for maybe the fifteenth time.
“Maybe she and Rowan needed to talk some things out. Have you fucking thought of that?” Hugh was on edge himself. He needed to hold Rowan against his chest and feel their hearts beat against one another. He needed the reminder that she was safe.
“Yes, I have, actually, asshole. I just…she hasn’t…Jesus, she hasn’t spoken one word to me,” he admitted, looking crushed.
“Think about it from her end. I understand you didn’t know she hadn’t truly cheated on you, but you admitted you divorced her without ever talking to her. You never asked her why. She knew she hadn’t really cheated, but she also knows you didn’t love her enough to find out why she might have.”
Stanton took Hugh’s words and swallowed them. He didn’t deny them or make excuses. He sat heavily on one of the chairs in the hallway outside Rowan’s room, where they’d been camped out for a while now.
“I know you’re right. Until this whole kidnapping thing happened, and because of my fucking work, I didn’t realize, or I didn’t let myself realize, how badly I took her for granted. She was someone I loved and that I always felt would be there. Had she really cheated, there would have been no one to blame but myself.
“And yet, even after the divorce, I still felt like she was my wife, and even though I threw her away, I still wanted her to acknowledge that she’s mine. She never dated after the divorce. Not that I know of, anyway. Christ, what if she did? Rowan was the first woman I was serious about, but even then?—”
Hugh cut him off. “Don’t.” He couldn’t elaborate more. His jaw was on lockdown, and his fists were clenched. Another man casually discussing dating Rowan didn’t work for him. Between Delton shooting her and this kidnapping, Hugh was feeling on edge, unbalanced, and volatile.
“Right,” William grimaced. “I just wish I knew if I had a chance of getting her back.”
“Have you considered talking to her instead of skulking outside her room? Yes, before you ask, everyone has noticed. My boys told me she accepted an invitation to Dublin for the holidays, and your kids did, too.”
“I heard that,” he groaned, tipping his head back to rest against a wall.
“Are you going to do anything about it? Rowan could have died twice this year. If I had lost her…I would have had to live with knowing she’d died thinking I didn’t love her…what would my pride have gotten me? I’ll tell you where—alone and full of regrets.”
Stanton rubbed his hands over his face several times. “Do you know I’m considered a genius in some circles? But look at me…I’m a complete idiot. Katy is?—”
His epiphany was cut short by a loud thud and groans coming from inside Rowan’s room. Both men lunged for the door, the handle slipped through Hugh’s grasp as Stanton plowed into him from behind. He finally got the handle turned, shoving the other man against the door jamb.
“Move, you moron.”
“Screw you, O’Faolain.”
Stanton elbowed him hard in the side as Hugh slipped through the door first, only to see Rowan giggling on the floor.
Both men came to a sliding stop. The women they loved looked to be enjoying themselves. Immensely. Flat on their backs with a wheelchair tipped over beside them.
“Row?” He hated to interrupt the two women having fun. After what they’d survived together, they needed to decompress, but they were...on the floor. She was supposed to be recuperating and relaxing.
One of Rowan’s nurses rushed in. Hugh was relieved to have someone with medical authority join what was clearly the opposite of rehabilitation going on.
“Miss Byrne,” the nurse gasped, “what happened? Are you hurt?”
“No Becky, please don’t worry yourself. Both Mrs. Stan—or rather, Ms. Blake and I needed to use the restroom and had a small tumble. Kat is embarrassingly clumsy,” Rowan grimaced in faux concern.
“Ms. Blake?” Stanton asked.
Offended Without a Cause, Hugh inwardly sighed.
“I’m clumsy? Really?”
“Can we admit that peeing ‘in the wild’ isn’t your strong suit?”
Rowan air quoted ‘in the wild,’ causing Katy to gasp and lightly kick Rowan in the shin. Katy must have forgotten they were still injured because, even though the teasing kick was meant as a joke, it hurt them both. Each woman sucked in a pain-filled breath. The nurse tried to get to them, but he and Stanton had the women scooped up and off the floor before Nurse Becky could take a knee.
The nurse righted the wheelchair and smoothed her uniform, attempting to bring order to the chaos. She told Rowan she would help her to the restroom.
“I also want to change the dressing on your wrist and work on your lower legs.” Turning to Katy, she told her that her nurse should be coming for her in a moment.
“Please put me in the chair, William. Tammy can take me to my room.”
“You don’t need the chair, Kate.” His ex-wife raised her brows in surprise at her old, but still beloved, nickname. “I can take you myself.”
Hugh noted that Rowan didn’t say anything to help Katy out of the awkward situation. She surely had her reasons, so he decided to stay silent as well.
“The chair. Now.”
Becky’s eyes were wide as saucers, but she was clearly a professional. “Mr. O’Faolain, if you could take Miss Byrne to the en-suite bath and set her on the bench closest to the, uh, toilet, that would be a great help. I will let you know when we’re finished, and you can carry her back to bed.”
Hugh shifted Rowan in his arms so he could look directly into her face. He quietly asked, “Will you let me stay with you?”
She cupped his face with her uninjured hand, leaning in enough to place her lips to his. “Only you,” she promised.
Hugh tightened his hold. “I love you.” As he straightened to follow the nurse into the bathroom, he was surprised to see William and Katy watching them. Honestly, he forgot they were still there.
“Do you need me?” Rowan asked Katy.
Katy was about to answer when her nurse walked in. “Oh, Tammy. Thank you for coming. If you could take me back to my room, I would appreciate it.”
“Of course, Ms. Blake. I want to try a different massage tonight and see if we can get rid of the last of that pesky swelling. I’ve requested that Dr. Davidson stop by in the morning. I hope you don’t mind, but some of the cuts above your ankles are quite deep. I don’t want to take any chances of infection.”
“Of course. I appreciate you being so diligent. I’m ready to go to my room.”
Hugh was pretty sure she’d said that already, but the jackass Stanton was still holding her tight to his chest.
“I’m carrying you. I already said I would.”
Did Hugh make this big of an ass of himself over Rowan? Probably.
“Since I’m quite used to you treating me like an unwanted guest for the past two years, you’ll forgive me if I tell you that I don’t give a shit about what you want anymore.”
Hugh walked at a snail’s pace so Rowan wouldn’t miss any of Stanton verbally hitting himself in the face.
Shocking the room, William angrily retorted, “You don’t have to give a shit, Kate, but I do. I give a shit. About you. About us. I’m not going to leave you alone.”
“Your attention will wander like it always has. You’ll forget about me the moment something more interesting crosses in front of you. I’ve always been an afterthought. What I’ve been through the past few days made me realize that I deserve better.” Katy sighed and looked at Rowan. “Please, go let Becky take care of your hand and legs, Row. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
William ignored everyone in the room except for the woman in his arms. Hugh could appreciate that.
“You’re right. I’ve been a selfish idiot, and that’s why I quit. I told Dad and the kids yesterday. I have a few projects to sign off on, then I’m done. We have more than enough competent employees to run Stanton Industries. I plan on putting you first, which is what I should have been doing all these years.”
Katy’s eyes rounded at the news. “What do you mean you quit? It’s your company.”
“Technically, it’s Dad’s. Having you taken, kidnapped, stuffed into the trunk of a car, starved, and scared...” he swallowed thickly, “changed how I think. Now, I plan on carrying you to your room. You can kick me out then if you wish.” He looked at Nurse Tammy before he walked out and added, “Please bring Mrs. Stanton’s wheelchair.”
With that mic drop, the Stantons and their nurse left. One more to go until he was alone with Rowan. Thank God.
Rowan was flagging.By the time Becky poked her head out of the bathroom to help carry Rowan to bed, another hour had passed. She was always small, but this past week had taken a heavy toll. She looked fragile, and of all the Byrne sisters, Rowan was the least fragile of the bunch.
Once she was tucked in, he dimmed the lights as low as they would go and pulled a chair up next to her side of the bed. She’d done nothing but watch him so far. Now, as he settled himself on the chair, his thigh lengthwise to the mattress, he watched her watching him.
“I thought you wanted to stay with me tonight. Just us. Did you change your mind?”
“I’m not leaving you.” He watched Rowan pick at her blanket, fidgeting in a way that was not usual for this levelheaded Byrne. “Are you feeling okay? Do you need Becky?”
“No. I…no.”
“Rowan,” he growled. She was keeping something from him. “Tell me.”
“Take your clothes off and get in bed first,” she countered.
“I don’t want to take the chance of hurting you, baby.” He took her hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing her palm.
Her answer was to sit up and pull her t-shirt off, leaving her bare-breasted and in simple, white cotton panties. He gripped his knees to stop himself from touching what he shouldn’t.
“Clothes off. Lights off. In bed.” At his frown, she added, “Please.”
When he stood, towering over her, he could tell by the way her eyes tracked over his body that she wanted more from him tonight than comfort. He felt his dick twitch, remembering their last night together. Their only night together.
He pressed his palm against the seam of his jeans, causing him to hiss in the pleasure and pain of having her eyes boldly watching. She restlessly pulled the sheet from the rest of her legs, and that’s when he got his first full view of her lower legs.
His body’s wants were forgotten. He gently took one of her feet and lifted her leg. Up until now, they’d been lightly wrapped. He swallowed the lump in his throat. He didn’t want her to have to deal with his emotions on top of healing her own. But Christ, starting below her ankles to halfway up her shins were circular welts and thin new scabs. Every bit was bruised, all purples and deep blues.
He took immense satisfaction knowing the men responsible for this were dead.
“How badly are you hurting?” he asked, gently replacing her leg on the bed.
Rowan watched him for a beat before answering. “It looks much worse than it feels. Can you help me with something?”
“Anything.” He should have known what was coming by the look in her eyes. “Take my panties off.” She held up her bandaged hand. “This thing makes getting undressed such a chore.”
“Does it?”
“Yes. You’ll help an injured woman out, surely?”
If she didn’t want to dwell on her injuries, then he would make sure she had something else to focus on.