eleven
Oscar
After sending Erin into a panic attack. I decided to listen to Daniel and give her space, even though it killed me. That didn’t mean I left the hospital I just camped my ass in the chair across the hall from her room.
For the next two weeks, that is where I spent almost every minute. Erin refused to see anyone, and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but at least her body was healing.
I didn’t know how much more of this I could take, all I wanted was to hold her and tell her how sorry I was about everything.
Late one night, as I am sitting there thinking about all the ways I plan to spoil her, her door opens, “What are you doing m'aingeal.”
I mutter quietly. I look down at my phone, pretending to be working on something, but watching Erin sneak out of her room in the corner of my eye.
I wait until she has walked around the corner before getting up and slowly following her. I watch as she constantly is looking for someone to spot her.
I send a text to the security I had placed on Erin when she was admitted.
Stand back. I know she is on the move but I am following her.
She takes the stairs, checking each door as she comes to it. Got to admit, when she wants to get away she knows what to do. If only she was checking behind her she would spot me. Good thing she hasn’t. Granted, she could see me, and it wouldn’t make me stop following her.
After she escapes the hospital, she just walks. For miles I followed her until she gets to a cliff.
What are you planning, Erin?
My question is answered when she steps to the edge.
Fuck no! I’m not losing her after she was brought back. I take off to get to her. I have no idea how she didn’t hear my shoes slapping the ground under them but as she is taking a deep breath, I wrap my arms around her and yank her back. We fall to the ground, and I grunt as my back hits the ground under us hard.
“NO! Let me go. Let me go.”
I twist us so she is under me.
“NEVER, ERIN! I WILL NEVER LET YOU GO!”
I say straddling her hips and pinning her arms above her head.
“Oscar?”
She looks confused seeing me, but then a look of defeat washes over her face and the tears start to roll down her cheeks. Her body shakes as she sobs her heart out. I let go of her hands and pick her up in my arms, I wrapping her legs around my waist as I carry her away from the cliff. I need to put space between us and the fucking cliff. Can I have a cliff destroyed? Is it really necessary for it to exist? I think not. I will have to come back and destroy it. I walk us to a tree that is far enough away for now and sit down with her in my lap. I rock her as her body continues to shake, holding hold her to me as I rub up and down her back.
“I got you Erin,”
I say letting a few of my own tears fall but use her hair to hide them.
“W-wh-why didn’t you let me die?”
I pull away from her to cup her face, “Because I fucking love you, Erin O’Sullivan. I have loved you since the first moment I laid my eyes on you.”
She shakes her head but I put a finger on her lips. “Just listen. I know I have been a fucking asshole and I wish I could go back and change things. Treated you the way you should have, spoiled you. Made sure you were the happiest woman walking the Earth, but I can’t, but I promise you from now on that is how you will be treated.”
“Please don’t promise things you can’t do.”
I kiss her forehead as I wipe the tears off her face. “You don’t have to believe me, but I will prove it to you.”
She shakes her head then lays it down on my shoulder continuing to cry her heart out. I feel like someone is cutting my heart out listening to her cry this hard. I absolutely hate myself for how badly I have hurt her.
“I’m so sorry, Erin. I promise you I will make up to you for the rest of our lives.”
I don’t say anything else but just hold her in my arms. Her body slowly stops to shake, as her tears slow down. I look at her face and see she cried herself to sleep, my poor angel.
I have my driver come get us and take us to one of Cillian’s penthouses. I could take her back to the hospital but I feel like she isn’t going to get any better laying in that bed. Hospitals aren’t exactly for the place to heal a broken heart. she needs to be surrounded by love.
***
Inside of the penthouse, I carry Erin into the master suite and lay her down on the bed. I take her shoes off and I can see the rings around both her ankles where those motherfuckers tied her down. I gently rub my thumb them. They fills me with rage but I push it aside. Right now, I need to focus on Erin. I can deal with them later.
I tuck her in bed, give her a lingering kiss on her forehead and walk out of the room heading for Cillian’s bar. After tonight, I need a drink and I need to start my plan to grovel for my wife’s forgiveness.
I will be the king of groveling, so much that, if you look up the word grovel in the dictionary, you will see a picture of me next to it.
Twelve
Oscar
The next morning, I ordered groceries and am watching Erin sleep when I hear the front door open. I quickly walk to the door and bring my gun out aiming it at Cillian as he walks inside.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Since this is my penthouse seems like I can come here anytime I want. The better question is why are you here?”
“We came here in the middle of the night.”
“We?”
“Erin is asleep in the bedroom.”
“Why is she here? Adam told me she isn’t at the hospital anymore when I went to see you this morning.”
he says, and I notice the bag of food he has and my bag over his shoulder.
“She escaped last night and I followed her.”
“Okay…”
I sigh sitting down and running a hand over my face. He must see by the look on my face that it isn’t good. He puts the food and bag down and walks over to me.
“What is it, Osar?”
“She tried to jump off the cliff. M'aingeal, tried to kill herself.”
“Fuck!”
We both are quiet for a moment, then he asks me. “How is she?”
“She cried herself to sleep in my arms before I brought her here. I knew I had fucked up but fuck I didn’t realize how badly I fucked up. How do I even make up for that?”
“You be here every day, you show her through your actions how much you love her.”
“I plan on spoiling her.”
“Gifts won’t buy her forgiveness,”
he warns me.
“I know. I’m not trying to buy her forgiveness I just want to spoil her.”
“I know,”
he says getting up and walking toward the bedroom.
“Leave her be.” I growl.
“I’m checking on her,”
he states not stopping or slowing down.
“Cillian, you leave her the fuck alone,”
I snap and spin him away from the door.
“I am going to check on her with my own fucking eyes.”
“No, you will leave her the fuck alone. After last night, I want to give her space before the family bombards her.”
He goes to respond but a soft voice stops us arguing. “I’m okay, Cillian.”
He walks up to her and hugs her. I clench my fists at my side when she hugs him back. I want to rip my brothers arms off him and beat him with them for touching my angel.
“How are you, sweetheart?”
“I’m okay.”
“Are you? Because taking a dip off a cliff doesn’t sound like you are okay.”
“Sorry for worrying you.”
“Oh, sweetheart. We are worried about you. So many people would miss you if something happened to you. Thank God my brother is a bit obsessed with you and decided to stick close by.”
She looks at him like he doesn’t believe him. I take that moment to pull her into my arms, and the fucker just snickers.
“Fuck off, twit.”
“What?”
Erin looks confused.
“Oscar here is a jealous asshole.”
“Umm,”
Erin says, but I cut her off.
“And if I remember correctly, you chased Keegan through the mansion when he had Bia in his arms.”
“He took my little lamb away from me; he is lucky I didn’t shoot him.”
“Not the only jealous man, am I?”
“I’m not jealous, as Bia says, I’m an overbearing protective caveman.”
“I can’t see Bia saying that to you,”
Erin says.
“It may because while she was pregnant, I freaked out when she cut her finger while cutting up vegetables and demanded she no longer cook because I wouldn’t risk her getting hurt,”
he says smirking.
I shake my head, Cillian tells Erin. “I’m glad you are okay. Take the time you need; Charlie is being taken care of and being spoiled by the family.”
“Thank you,”
I tell my brother and usher him out. I just wanted to spend time alone with my wife, but that was wishful thinking. After we ate we were watching a movie together and my parents showed up.
It took almost two hours to get them out. The only good thing about them showing up was Erin smiled and laughed when she watched Ma give me hell for being stupid and not calling them last night. I swear she left marks on my arm from smacking me over and over with that damn dish towel. I’m just glad she never decided to use anything like Francesca De Luca uses… a wooden spoon. That shit has to hurt.
But I would let Ma beat me with a spoon if it brought that gorgeous smile to Erin’s face.
****
For dinner I decided to go all out for Erin. I ordered dinner in from one of the best restaurants in town, bought a dozen red roses, and had a diamond necklace delivered. Operation spoil my wife has begun.
I drew her a warm bath with all that girly crap and laid out a dress on the bed for her. I’m hoping after dinner we can take a walk and maybe go get something sweet.
I change into a suit and am fussing over the flower placement when I hear her heels click on the floor as she walks closer. I look up and she steals all the air from my lungs. She moves her brunette hair behind her ear, “You didn’t have to do this for me.”
“Wow, Erin, you look stunning.”
“Thank you,”
she says as I walk up to her and kiss her cheek. She gives me a smile and I walk her to the table and pull out her chair. She looks at the table and she gently runs her finger over the rose petals.
“They are beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as you.”
She just gives me a shy smile.
“I know it’s corny, but it’s true. Let me grab our food.”
I walk into the kitchen and bring out the appetizers and drinks.
I watch as Erin closes her eyes as she takes a bite of the potato bite, and then the moan that escapes her lips as she enjoys it.
Down boy. Now is not the time to be sporting a tent when I’m trying to grovel.
“Are you okay?”
“Uh… yeah just the sound you made is a bit distracting.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you while you were eating.”
She looks away from me but I use my fingers and lift her face.
“Erin, the sound you made, went straight below my belt, and I’m trying to be a gentleman.”
“Oh… sorry,”
she says as she blushes.
“You have nothing to apologize for. Trust me, I love hearing you moan, and as much as I would love nothing more to have you spread out on this table and have my face between your legs, eating you instead. I won’t do anything until you are healed and have forgiven me.”
She looks shocked at my answer, but the next time I am inside of her, it will be because she has forgiven me, and if she doesn’t love me by then, she will be close to it.
We spent the rest of dinner talking about Charlie. Erin tells me stories about him when he was a baby. After dinner, instead of taking a walk she wants to stay in and watch a movie together. I definitely have no complaints about having her laying in my arms.
We end up falling asleep watching whatever chick flick she put on with her head on with her head my chest and my arms wrapped around her.
“NO! Please stop!”
Erin screams out and starts thrashing in my arms. I jolt awake and see Erin on top of me, freaking out. It only takes a second to realize she is having a nightmare. I was hoping that being relaxed before bed tonight would prevent her from having one. She had one every night since she was in the hospital.
“Erin. You’re not there. You are here, I got you.”
“NOOOOO!”
she screams and bucks her hips to the side which has us falling off the couch. I spin so my back takes the impact of the hit. Then I turn us, so she is under me. “STOP!”
I lift her into my arms and rock her as she fights me. “You’re safe Erin.”
She keeps screaming and I continue to calmly tell her she is safe for about fifteen minutes until she finally calms down. I was getting ready to call Adam to come sedate her.
“Oscar?”
she questions, looking confused about what just happened.
“I got you.”
I tell her.
“Did I have another nightmare?”
“You did.”
“I’m sorry,”
she apologizes, before trying to get out of my arms.
“You do not need to apologize for having a nightmare after the hell you went through.”
“But...”
“But nothing. You are my wife Erin, and I love you. I will be here holding your hand every step of the way as you heal from this.”
She looks like she wants to start debating about arguing with me, but I chuckle when she yawns.
“Come on, let’s go lay down in bed.”
“Okay,”
she says, but squeals when I stand up with her in my arms and carry her to bed. After we both are under the covers, I bring her head back to my chest. She relaxes against me, as I run my fingers through her hair.
“Do you want to tell me about it?”
I gently ask.
“No, but would it help you find whoever it is?”
“Yes, but only if you’re ready.”
“I don’t really know anything. I couldn’t understand them.”
“Doesn’t matter, sometimes the smallest details help.”
“Okay.”
She takes a deep breath and then tells me how she was kept in a dark room, and the door had no handle from the inside. How they spoke in a language she couldn’t understand. I made a mental note of the men she described. And she is right, she doesn’t really have anything to help me find them but she has helped me figure out how I will be torturing them. She said one man cut up her back, and they used her as a punching bag. I’m just grateful she wasn’t raped.
“I remember as I was carried out seeing the abandoned house was on fire.”
“They burned the house down?”
“Yeah, I was convinced they were going to toss me in there.”
“I’m glad they didn’t.”
I hug her close to me and decide tomorrow morning I will have Brendan start looking at abandoned houses that have caught fire, and I will go pay a visit to the motherfucker who has been waiting for me. It is time I get some answers.
It takes Erin a while to fall back asleep. I hold her through the rest of the night and she has more nightmares.
By the time the sun is starting to rise, she is asleep, and I carefully get out of bed so I can start my day and begin killing the demons that are wasting precious oxygen by still walking on this Earth.