42. Chapter 41
Chapter 41
Eden
G asping, I force myself upright, instinctively preparing to strike the first person I see. My fist connects with a torso, eliciting a pained cry that seems eerily familiar.
"Ow," Aiden hisses. "I was just getting you pudding," He snaps, the chocolate desserts falling from his hands onto the floor.
Blinking in disbelief, I pinch my arm, hoping to confirm that this isn’t a cruel dream.
Surveying my surroundings, I see medical equipment and an IV drip steadily working through my veins.
My first instinct is to rip out the IV, but Aiden’s hand gently restrains me.
"You’re in a hospital, Eden," He murmurs. "Echo’s team took care of everything. All the kids are safe," He adds, a smile of relief softening his features.
All the kids? They made it out ?
"W-What happened—" I start to ask but falter, clutching my side, struggling to draw a full breath.
"Easy, warrior," Aiden soothes. "You took a bullet."
"Dad—"
"Is dead," Aiden says firmly.
"Mom—"
"Also dead," He replies with a sigh. "I went to check on her. I found her..." His voice trails off, revealing the depth of his sorrow.
"Roman—"
"She’s awake?" Roman’s voice interrupts, his hands overflowing with flowers. The sight of him, a beacon of hope amidst my chaos, brings a wave of relief that catches in my throat.
Attempting to move, both Roman and Aiden gently restrain me.
"You need to stay put, baby," Roman urges softly. "You took a serious hit."
"W-What happened?" I ask, my voice a whisper as I try to piece together the fragments of memory.
"I’ll leave you two alone," Aiden says with a warm smile. "But I’m not sure how long I can keep Zoey at bay."
He exits the room, and Roman moves closer, carefully settling me back onto the bed. He envelops me in his arms, his touch a grounding force amidst the whirlwind of emotions.
"Fucking hell. I never thought you could feel as good as you do right now," Roman sighs, pressing a tender kiss to the top of my head.
"Did I kill Luca?" I ask, the fragments of memory surfacing in hazy flashes .
"He’s dead, baby. That’s all you need to know," Roman whispers, his fingers gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
Tears well up and breach the waterline of my eyes. I bury my face in Roman’s chest, allowing his embrace to anchor me.
"It was terrifying, Roman," I sob. "What they did to those kids, what they did to me—"
"I’ll never let anything happen to you again, Eden. I swear to God—"
God.
Had He finally heard my desperate prayers? Is that why Roman was here?
"He sent you to me," I whisper, lifting my gaze to Roman’s. "I needed you, and He sent you to me."
"God has a funny way of working," He murmurs softly.
"Not just this time," I sniffle. "In the park, He sent you to me. You've always been there when I needed you," I continue, my voice breaking as his hands cradle my face.
"Those twenty-four hours without you were literal Hell, Eden. I never want to be apart from you again," Roman whispers, his lips finally finding mine.
He kisses me with a passion tempered by tenderness, careful not to be too aggressive. As I cling to him, my fingers reach for his ring, only to find it missing.
"Your ring—"
"I don’t need it," He replies softly. "The only thing I need is right here."
A gentle knock interrupts us. "Ms. Faulkner?" A nurse calls from the doorway.
I’m eager to shed that last name .
"You have someone who’s been eagerly waiting to see you. If you don’t mind a bit of extra company," The nurse smiles, glancing at Roman, who is occupying the bed.
"Someone’s here to see me?"
"Let me in!" A young voice demands, pushing past the nurse with a bright new energy.
Hannah.
She scrambles onto my bed, her excitement palpable, completely ignoring Roman’s astonished gaze.
"You’re alive!" She exclaims, grabbing my cheeks. "The stuff they put in these bags made me feel amazing. You took that bullet like a champ," She says with a grin.
In the light, I can see how many teeth she’s missing. A new vitality seems to have been breathed into her.
"You seem to be feeling a lot better than I am," I joke, attempting to lighten the mood.
"Thanks to you," She beams. "They found my parents! I get to go home."
Hannah finally notices Roman, her gaze full of curiosity.
"Who’s he?" She asks, examining him with intrigue. "Is he the man you talked about?"
"Yeah," I smile at Roman.
"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Roman," She says, extending her hand. "Me and your wife here are pretty close—"
"Wife?" Roman’s eyes widen with surprise.
"I might have insinuated we were serious. Her imagination must have run wild," I admit, a flush of embarrassment warming my cheeks .
"Pleasure to meet you..."
"Hannah," She replies.
"Hannah," Roman echoes, his tone warm. "It seems you’ve done a commendable job looking after my wife while I was away," he says, his acceptance of the label unflinching.
"I did pretty well," Hannah grins. "Though she never mentioned how handsome your face is."
I laugh softly, pulling Hannah into a tight embrace, savoring the comfort of her hug.
"Am I interrupting?" A man’s voice inquires from the doorway, his arms laden with flowers comparable to Roman’s.
Hannah springs from the bed, eagerly high fiving the newcomer. Roman and I watch with amusement as his eyes light up.
"I told you the medication would make you feel fantastic," The man says with a smile, casting a glance at the nurse who is equally pleased.
"I think it’s time for Hannah to get ready to see her parents," He adds gently, attempting to usher Hannah out of the room.
Despite her protests, Hannah follows the nurse, waving goodbye with a radiant smile.
Once the flowers are set down, the man approaches me, extending his hand.
"Echo," He introduces himself with a grin. "I believe the last time we spoke was over the phone."
I grasp his hand with eagerness, finally matching the voice to the face.
"You’re the one who got us all out," I say gratefully.
"I was just a part of it," Echo smiles. "The real heroes are both of you. Though, I must admit, I didn’t think Roman was capable of such a broad smile. "
Roman nudges Echo playfully, a genuine laugh escaping him.
"Now, you two," Echo says with a grin. "Are you ready to share everything you know?"
Roman
Letting Eden sleep peacefully, I hold her close, sharing a flask with Echo.
"Jesus, I didn't think it would be as bad as it was," Echo sighs, taking a generous swig from the flask.
My gaze remains fixed on Eden, my fingers lightly tracing her delicate features.
"You really do love her, don’t you?" Echo observes, his smile warm as he watches us.
"I’m going to marry her the moment we’re out of here," I reply, my lips gently brushing her forehead.
"I never thought I’d see your smile again," Echo chuckles, though he holds back a deeper sentiment.
"Out with it," I urge, sensing there’s more he wants to say.
"You did well, Roman. What’s the chance you’ll consider joining my line of work?" Echo asks, his tone sincere yet probing.
"Are you inviting me into your world?" I counter, pointing at him with a hint of disbelief.
"You’d be able to keep Eden safe. Travel. Retire," He teases, nudging me. "You’d find a real purpose—"
"My purpose is Eden," I cut him off sharply. "Nothing else."
"Well," Echo says with a sigh. "You know where to find me. I’ll be sticking around Idlewood for a while, keeping an eye on things. I have a feeling there’s more to this town than meets the eye."
He hands me his card, his eyes gleaming with unspoken words.
"I’m only a call away. We could make a real difference together," He says, stepping back.
I glance at the card, then back at him.
"I’m not calling you," I say, a smirk pulling at his lips.
"I’ll be hearing from you soon, brother."
With that, Echo slips away into the night.
As I sit by Eden's side, I reflect on the trials we've faced and the road ahead. I look to the heavens, finding solace in the promise of divine grace.