Chapter Thirty-Three
Caity
When I returned to the office, Cian wasn’t there. I sat behind my desk and stared into the common area between our offices, waiting for him to return.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” my brother yelled from his office. Rushing out of my office, I almost collided with Sal in the main area. His eyes were on me as he asked, “Is he okay?”
Oh God. My hand went to my mouth to hold back my cry. I knew he was talking about Cian. Something had happened.
“Alright, we’ll meet you there.” Sal moved to Duncan’s office and opened the door. I rolled my eyes as he and Freyja jumped apart like teenagers.
“What?” Sal asked, turning away from the couple. “What do you mean, it’s a trap?” Sal rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, yeah, we’re on our way.”
He tucked his phone into his pocket, and I said, “Just tell me.” I was already expecting the worst. The elevator pinged, and Mac strolled through the open doors.
Sal grabbed my biceps and looked me in the eye. “I don’t have all the information; all I know is that Cian was hurt and we need to get to the hospital.”
“I have to call Maddie,” I said, patting my pockets and looking for my phone.
“You can’t.”
“What? Why not?” I snapped. “That’s her father.”
“Listen, that was Dread on the phone. He’s the one who found him. He said Cian told him something about a trap, Maddie, the hospital, mother, and the Russian.”
Oh God, did this have something to do with Maxim? Had he hurt Cian because of Henry?
“What the fuck does that mean?” Mac barked.
“I don’t know, and until Cian can tell us, we don’t tell Maddie.”
“But—”
“Caity.” Freyja stepped in front of me. “He will be alright. Maddie will be alright. Let’s just trust whoever this Dread is and go to the hospital. Cian wouldn’t want Maddie in danger, so if he doesn’t want her there yet, then we don’t tell her.”
I nodded frantically; Freyja was right. Cian would never put Maddie in danger, which meant coming to the hospital would put her at risk.
“Okay, let’s go.”
It didn’t take long to get to Massachusetts General. I went to the desk and asked for Cian McCarthy.
“Are you family?”
“Yes, I’m his wife.” I didn’t waver from my words. I didn’t hesitate with them because that was who I was. I was his. He might not want me, but the truth was, I didn’t want anyone else. I’d made my peace with being alone long before Cian and I got together.
I could do it again.
“The doctors have taken him up to surgery. Please have a seat in the waiting room, and someone will come and speak to you as soon as they have any information.”
I clenched my teeth together. I wanted to scream at the woman whose only fault was doing her job. I stood there staring at her, my fists tight against the counter.
“Caity, come sit down.” Freyja took my hand and led me away from the woman who was ignoring me. I sat down in a chair and stared at the doorway, willing someone to walk through it.
I stood up quickly when Dread stepped into the waiting room.
“What the fuck happened?” I asked as I rushed to him.
He wrapped his arms around me and whispered, “I’m sorry, babe. I think I got to him in time.”
I pulled back. “You think?” I snapped. “How did you know he was there?” I demanded, shoving him away from me.
“I didn’t.” Dread denied my accusation with his hands in the air. “After lunch, I went to see Lucy.”
“Who the fuck is Lucy?” Sal asked.
I rolled my eyes at my brother. “Lucy Travers, Dread fucked her after lunch.”
“I thought you were going to fuck him in the bathroom?”
I spun around on my brother. “What the fuck, Sal? Do you have my office bugged?” My brother’s eyes quickly dropped to the floor. “Braesal O’Malley, is my office bugged?” I asked, my hands on my hips.
Sal looked up at me, and Mac whispered, “Answer carefully, boss.”
“Yes, your office is bugged.” I dropped my hands from my hips at the same time my mouth dropped open. I couldn’t believe my brother had bugged my office.
“In my defense, I had forgotten about the bug.”
“Explain. Now,” I growled through gritted teeth.
“I bugged the office when Tyran was in there.”
“Wait a second,” Duncan interrupted. “You bugged Ty’s office? Did you bug all our offices?”
“No. Only his.”
“You knew, didn’t you?” Mac accused. “You knew something was going on with him and you kept your fuckin’ mouth shut?” Mac shoved my brother, and Duncan and Dread quickly stepped between them.
“Boys,” Freyja hissed. “We are in a hospital. We can talk about that later.” She turned to Dread. “Hi, I’m—”
“Freyja Malpas, it is a pleasure to meet you.” He lifted Freyja’s hand, kissing the back of it, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. Duncan growled and pulled her back against his chest. Freyja was all smiles anytime Duncan asserted his jealousy.
“Please tell us what happened, Dread,” Freyja stated.
Dread cleared his throat and looked at me. “I don’t care that you fucked Lucy,” I said, rolling my eyes again. Men and their egos. They honestly expected us to get jealous like they did. “I told her I’d send you her way after lunch. Tell me how you found Cian.”
“Lucy asked me to slip out the back door. I cut through a few alleys, and just before I made it back to the main street where my bike was parked, I saw someone who shouldn’t be walking this earth come out of the back of a building.”
“Who?” Sal asked, stepping forward.
“Sylvia St. James.”
“Oh my God!” My hands covered my mouth as my knees buckled. If I hadn’t been so close to Mac, I would have hit the floor. Mac lifted me up and carried me to a chair.
“That’s what he meant,” I cried. “That’s why he didn’t want Maddie here. She knows about Maddie.”
Sal kneeled in front of me. “Caity, calm down. We can’t be certain she knows anything.” He looked over his shoulder at Dread. “Continue.”
“I’d planned to follow her, but then I heard a scream.”
The tears that had formed in my eyes finally spilled over. Sal sat in the chair next to me and pulled me against him.
“Knowing what I do about St. James and her charities, I pulled my gun and moved inside. I followed the sounds to the basement apartment, and that’s where I found Cian.”
Dread looked at Sal.
“What?” Sal asked, his body suddenly stiff.
“Tyran Fitzpatrick was standing over him about to hit him with a wooden table leg.”
“Oh God,” I sobbed, turning my face into my brother’s chest.
“Is he dead?” Mac asked, his hands clenched at his sides.
I looked at Dread, who nodded. Sal nodded and said, “Thank you.”
“No thanks needed. Tyran Fitzpatrick was a motherfucking bastard. I was happy to put him down,” Dread confessed. “Cian could barely talk, but there was something about a Russian, and Maddie and the hospital, and a trap.”
I sniffled and sat up straight. “She knows. She knows Maddie is Cian’s daughter. She wants Maddie to run the Society.”
“The Society is done, Caity. It’s been dismantled,” Duncan argued.
“Then she wants Maddie for something else. Either way, we have to find her. Maddie can’t be alone.”
“She’s not,” Freyja said.
I looked up at my new friend. “What?”
“Please understand, I didn’t say anything because it wasn’t important until now, and I know how you all are.”
“Fuckin’ Lucille,” Duncan groaned.
“Who’s Lucille?” Dread asked.
“Lucille Ball,” Freyja answered casually. She sat in the chair next to me and took my hand. “Lucille told me months ago that Maddie will find another love. He’s already chosen her, and he’ll protect her.”
“Who is he?” Mac asked. “Tell me it’s not one of those Russian motherfuckers.”
Freyja glared at Mac. “Lucille didn’t give me a name.” She stood up and bellied up to Mac. “But if it is one of those Russian motherfuckers, you will all stay the hell out of it.” She spun around, pinning that same glare on Sal and Duncan. “Understand?”
“Freyja,” Sal warned.
“Freyja’s right, Sal,” I agreed. “Maddie has been through enough. She’s lost more than anyone should, and if one of Maxim’s men makes her happy, none of you will stand in her way.”
“Caity—”
“I fuckin’ mean it, Sal,” I shot at my brother. He nodded, and I knew it was only a concession. It was merely an agreement to discuss it later. None of them would stay out of her life if Maddie fell in love with one of Maxim’s men.
Especially her father.
If he survived.
We sat for hours waiting for word on Cian.
Dread left, making me promise to keep him updated.
Soldiers came and went, getting their orders to surround the hospital and search the city for Sylvia St. James.
I slipped outside for a few minutes. I needed some space, some quiet time to wrap my head around everything that had happened.
I pulled out my phone and dialed his number.
“Hello, Caitlin. What can I do for you?”
“Sinclair, Cian’s been hurt. He’s in the hospital. I haven’t told Maddie.”
“Why not? She would want to be there by her father’s side,” he said, causing my guilt to expand.
I searched the parking lot for any indication that I was being watched. “Sylvia St. James is alive. She hurt Cian, wanting to set a trap to snatch Maddie at the hospital. I need to know who’s following her.”
Sinclair was silent on the other end of the line, and I knew it wasn’t good. He would be plotting, devising a way to protect Maddie without me having to ask.
“Please, Sinclair,” I begged. I needed to know that my daughter was safe.
He sighed through the phone and revealed his name. “Rurik Ryabkin.”
“Can you get him a message? Tell him about Sylvia. Tell him not to take his eyes off my daughter. Not for a second, Sinclair.”
If Rurik was in love with my daughter, I wanted him as close to her as possible, knowing he would protect her with his life and kill anyone who threatened her. The Russians weren’t any different from the Irish or the Italians when it came to the women they loved.
“I will tell him,” he confirmed, and I closed my eyes. Relief washed over me knowing my daughter would be safe.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice catching on the tears threatening to fall again.
“Caitlin, if there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know.”
I nodded, despite knowing he couldn’t see me. He didn’t need to. He was a father himself. He might not know where his son was, but he knew the fear of losing a child.
Sinclair disconnected the call, and I leaned back against the building for a moment to catch my bearings.
This was part of the life we led. It would always be this way.
We would spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders, waiting for the next person to step in and try to take over everything we’d built.
Once more I thought about Maureen and what she’d done. Moving across the country to an unknown place where she didn’t know anyone—well, she thought she didn’t know anyone.
She was brave.
I envied her.
But I also knew this was my life. What I was born into, and I was finally a part of it. I couldn’t walk away now. Not with my daughter’s safety on the line.
I took a deep breath and pushed off the building. Walking back inside to the waiting room, my brother met me at the entrance.
“Where the fuck were you?”
“I just needed a few minutes to myself. Have they come out yet?”
“No.” Sal’s shoulders slumped, and his voice sounded defeated.
I hugged my brother and said, “He’ll be okay. We have to believe it.”
The doctor arrived minutes later to give us an update. Cian had made it through surgery and, barring any infection, should make a full recovery.
He was in recovery, and as his wife, they would let me in to see him as soon as they moved him to a room.
I tried to mentally prepare myself for the worst, but when I walked into that room an hour later and saw his bruised face and his swollen eye staring back at me, I reverted to the one thing that kept my feelings locked up.
“I am so fuckin’ pissed at you, Cian McCarthy!”