Chapter 23
Twenty-Three
GENEVIEVE
A hazy glow from the overhead lights seeped into her vision, and the steady beep of monitors filled her ears. Brendan’s face, etched with distraught lines, gradually sharpened into focus. His cocoa-brown eyes lacked their witty sparkle, with crimson veins snaking across the whites. Staring blankly into space, he gripped her hand like a lifeline.
“Brendan,” she croaked in a throaty whisper, “are you okay?”
Wait, am I? A burst of color drew her gaze—a bouquet of sunny yellow tulips and bright blue irises sat on her bedside table—her hospital bedside table!
“Oh, Gen, thank god. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Brendan pecked soft kisses across her hand. “I love you.”
A piercing, pulsating pain radiated from her shoulder, and she hissed in a breath. It all came to her in a rush. Jed’s mansion. The gun battle. Her dive in front of Brendan. He was safe. Thank the heavens! What were the chances?
“I love you too.” She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, swallowing through her dry throat. “My mom?”
“Roxy’s fine. Safe, healthy, all’s well. She just went down to get a coffee.” Brendan released a long sigh of relief. “Gen, please don’t ever put me through that again. Just, just,” he stammered, “from here on out, I’m allowed to put my life on the line for you, not the other way around.”
Genevieve closed her eyes to ward off exhaustion, lifting her lips in disbelieving amusement. “If that’s what you want, I’m afraid you fell in love with the wrong woman.”
“No, I fell in love with the right woman. One who’s turned my life upside down in every way that matters.” He peppered more whisper-soft kisses across her hand. “I just don’t want to lose you ever .”
“I got that message pretty clearly when you decided not once, but twice, to show up in a room full of thugs with guns.”
He chuckled dryly. “Let’s hope we’re never in a situation where that’s necessary again. I could do without the life-threatening drama.”
“Agreed.” Genevieve beamed a sassy smile at him. “I’ll go with my bad boy blasting it down the highway from zero to sixty instead.”
Brendan met her smile with an enticing one of his own. “Anytime, I’ll give you the thrill of your life.”
So cute! If only she wasn’t stuck in this damn hospital bed. “Looking forward to it.” A familiar figure loomed in the doorway, and she startled, a searing ache jolting through her right shoulder. No, it couldn’t be!
“Whoa, Gen, relax,” Brendan said in a soothing tone. “Don’t hurt yourself.”
Her heart rate monitor took off. “What’s he doing here?”
“You’re safe, I promise.” Brendan brushed his fingers soothingly across her left palm. “Mateo works for us now. He and Killian are working together—switching shifts. Quill and I met with the FBI, and we convinced them to let both Killian and Mateo off the hook. While you were fighting for consciousness, Mateo took Marshal down and detained him. He’s loyal to Killian and now to us. ”
Genevieve tightened her lips. “Brendan, obviously, I’m glad he took down Marshal and protected us, but he shot at you a little over a week ago. How can I forgive him for that?”
“Anyone who protects you and those that you love I’ll support. Mateo didn’t have anything against me personally when he shot at me outside The Outlaw. He was just following orders from his boss. He’d never even worked for someone with a rational mind before. Believe me, I had Quill grill him with a lie detector test before I let him anywhere near you. I trust him now.”
“Thank you for the kind words, jefe.”
Brendan raised a brow. “I keep insisting that they don’t call me boss, and they won’t stop. Any ideas?”
Genevieve giggled before cringing in pain.
“Easy, Gen. Sorry, I’ll try not to make you laugh.”
She blew out a breath. “Ow, where’d the bullet get me?”
“Clean through your rotator cuff muscle on your right-hand side. The amount of blood loss was scary. They stabilized you, did a blood transfusion, and focused on infection control. Once the swelling’s gone down, you’ll need at least one surgery to repair the damage, and then physical therapy when we get home and lots and lots of rest. The doctor estimates nine to twelve months for a full recovery.”
“Ugh,” she groaned. “I hate inconveniencing people. Can we have my momma stay with us for a while? I don’t want you to have to miss work.”
“Gen, I could care less about missing work, but of course, your mom can stay with us—forever if you want. My place has plenty of room.” Brendan hesitated, blinked, and stammered, “I mean, shoot, I just realized how forward and presumptuous that sounded. I’m happy to live anywhere you want—your apartment or wherever.” His face flushed an adorable shade of pink, and he adjusted his glasses. “Damn, I’m messing this all up. I didn’t mean to imply that you had to live with me, either. I’m just hopeful that at some point you’ll?—”
“Brendan—” She laughed and winced.
“Easy, baby.”
She exhaled through the pain. “—you’re so damn cute. I love your sweet side, but in this case, you don’t need to be sweet—be cocky as hell for all I care. I don’t want to live without you completely immersed in my life for a single minute.”
Brendan visibly relaxed before his lips curled into a confident smirk. “All right then, I want you to move in with me and never leave. I want you to make a total mess of my place, just like we talked about. Only now, it will forever be our place. Bring on the frilly pillows, candles, knick-knacks, plants, and purple drapes. I want to cringe when I walk around every corner.”
Her lips parted while her core pulsated with heat. How had he remembered everything she’d said? He was like a walking encyclopedia, and OMG, it was such a turn-on. She had no idea you could self-combust while injured in the hospital. Forget their recovery plan! “Let’s go now . Get me outta here.” She attempted to sit up just to mess with him.
Brendan’s hand shot out to prevent her from moving. His charming face contorted into a stern look.
So cute…and hot! How had she gotten so lucky? Who knew her type was a geeky genius turned partial bad boy?
“Nice try,” he grumbled. “If you’re going to be a stubborn patient, then I’ll have to be a stubborn caretaker. I’ll bend the rules only when it makes sense. Otherwise, I won’t be a senseless daredevil.” He grinned before tossing her words back at her, “If that’s what you want, I’m afraid you fell in love with the wrong man.”
She playfully pouted. “I just figure my bad boy can make anything happen. ”
He let loose a hopeless chuckle and pierced her with another disciplinary look. “If that were the case, you never would have gotten shot.” He leaned in close, hovering above her lips. “Do you really want to get into it with me right now? If so, then I’ll have you know that you’re in big, big trouble for taking that bullet.”
Her heart rate monitor took off, beeping in a much more enticing way than before. “Oooh, whatcha gonna do to me, bad boy? Am I in for a spanking?”
His mouth dropped open, his cheeks flushing adorably. “Gen, I,” he stuttered, “dammit, this is serious. I mean it. Jumping in front of that bullet was not okay.”
“Hmm…seems to me you were the first one who tried to go in for the bullet, not me. So the discussion is closed unless you want an even bigger lecture than you’re giving me.” She flashed him a smile with all her teeth. “I love you.”
“Surely you realize that I’m smart enough not to fall for deflection,” he grumbled, “but I love you too.”
Are you, though? It just worked. “So.” She popped her lips. “How’s Momma really doing? I can’t imagine she isn’t seriously rattled.”
“I think she’ll be fine once she sees that you’re awake. She’s strong like you and seems to power through everything, no matter how difficult it is. She hasn’t left your side much, either. One of us is always here with you.”
Genevieve tried to block out the image of Marshal holding a gun to her mom’s head, but it flashed distressingly into her brain anyway. “When Marshal had her, I thought I was going to lose her.” She swallowed and sniffled. “What happened after I blacked out, Brendan? I both want to know and don’t want to know at the same time.”
Brendan braced his palm on her head, brushing a soothing finger across her temple. “What do you want to know, baby?”
“What happened to Marshal, Archer, and everyone else? ”
“Marshal, Archer, Luke, Ace, and any others that were still alive and could be incriminated were arrested and are all in prison—or at least Marshal and Archer will join them after they get out of the hospital. Roman and some of Marshal’s other followers didn’t make it with little sorrow from Marshal, surprise, surprise,” Brendan added roughly. “We won’t talk about Marshal’s recovery—even though, unfortunately, he’ll live, but as for Archer—his gunshot wound is not super serious—believe me, he’ll be fine.”
Genevieve sighed. “I’m glad Archer’s alive, and I’m trying not to feel guilty about him going to prison.”
“Don’t ever feel guilty. Archer made his choice. He decided to put your life at risk rather than protect you for his own selfish gain. He wasn’t a true friend. I’m sorry that’s the case, but it is.”
“Did you get the voice recorder from my bra and give it to the FBI? Did I get Marshal to confess what we needed him to?”
“You did amazing, Gen. The FBI is confident that the confession you worked out of Marshal on that tape is enough to put Marshal and his primary followers away for longer than life—other than Archer, anyway. We’ve asked the FBI to go for a leaner sentence for him, assuming he’s willing to testify against Marshal. I figured you wouldn’t want him in prison forever, even if you never see him again.”
“Thanks,” Genevieve said, nodding softly. Brendan was right—she was thankful Archer would likely have a less strict sentence, though she wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it was because she knew monetary greed had ruled his choices rather than a desire to harm others. Archer had never been a fan of drugs, which made her wonder… “Is there any hope that putting Marshal behind bars will end his drug businesses? You know that someone else won’t pick up the reins?”
A subtle smile of triumph graced Brendan’s features. “There sure is. Your recording also provided enough evidence for the FBI to launch investigations into Marshal’s corrupt police connections and create plans to shut down the drug warehouses that were fraudulently signed under your name. Marshal’s brilliant plan to control you with those warrants bit him in the tail. Believe it or not, the case file Marshal and the police prepared for your warrants contained copies of the falsely signed contracts, cuing the FBI in on every single warehouse he owned. His ego knew no bounds—not that I’m surprised.”
“So my name’s clear then?”
His lips quirked as he stared down at her elated expression. “Your name is clear.”
She wished she could jump up and down and clap for joy—not be stuck in this doggone hospital bed. But it was worth a bullet to have her life back. She could go anywhere she pleased now without freezing up at the slightest sound or looking over her shoulder for shadows. What would that even feel like?
“The FBI took care of that,” Brendan continued. “No more Gigi Goddess Green, but like I said—you’ll always be a goddess to me.” He began to absentmindedly caress her hand like he’d been doing so for hours. Maybe he had. “I had this thought while I was waiting for you to wake up that your matchmaking payback for Quill is like something Aphrodite would do.”
“Aphrodite, totally. I truly am a goddess.” A playful smirk danced across her lips. “Though I don’t think Quill would agree with you.” She giggled and winced before puffing out a pain-relieving breath. “So that’s it then? We meet with the FBI a few times, and it’s over?”
Brendan’s smile faltered. “It’s not quite that simple. Marshal won’t just give up and disappear. He’s raw and wants revenge, and he’s still got connections to attempt to make that happen. Killian’s been a saint, joining in on the meetings with the FBI to help expose Marshal’s connections with inside information. We won’t stop investigating until this is over.” He blew out a long breath that revealed just how much stress he’d been under. “I want all of Marshal’s network in jail, not only to shut down his drug dealings but for our protection as well. I have no doubt Marshal will try to get back at us indefinitely—he’ll never stop trying to win even if he’s behind bars with no hope of parole.”
“I’m so sorry I got you involved in this. It’s never-ending for you. If you’d never met?—”
Brendan placed a firm finger over her lips. “Don’t even say it. If I’d never met you, the highlight of my life would have been…” He tilted his head, challenging her with his eyes. “You finish the sentence for me, Gen, because I can’t.”
She smiled under his fingertip, contentment filling her with joy. “So how long till there’s a trial or trials? I don’t even know how complicated this all gets.”
“Probably not for several months, but once Marshal and his followers are on trial, we’ll testify. If you’re up for it, you can testify too.”
“You better believe I will.”
Brendan nodded with an apprehensive but supportive expression on his face. “Until then, we’ll need to keep you very protected.”
“You too!”
He nodded quickly as if concerned about her getting too worked up. “Not to worry. I’ll have security, too, as will your mom and Quill. I’ve got Killian hiring a personal security team for us. They’ll report directly to him, running separately from the team we already have in place at BC King Enterprises. Killian seems pleased with this new role. He said something about being my right-hand man alongside Quill. I agreed to it, and it seemed to make him happy.”
“I’m glad you did.” A dozen warm fuzzies tickled her belly at Brendan’s endless caring deeds for others. “That’s a big deal to him. It’s like being one of the top dogs to the top dog in their world.”
Brendan shrugged. “Works for me. As long as you’re safe, I’m a happy man too.”
“Knock, knock, bro,” Quill boomed out. “Oh good, she’s awake. I’ll give you two some space.” He hesitated in the doorway and turned to leave.
“Wait, Quill,” Genevieve called out, her voice scratchy but stronger. “It’s okay, come on in. Brendan and I will have plenty of time together. He’s mine for life.”
Brendan’s face lit up. “Yeah, I am.” He swiveled his head toward Quill. “So what’s up? Is the FBI asking for another meeting already?”
Quill rocked back and forth on his feet, shaking his head. “I’ve got that handled for now. No need for the two of you to get involved. I just came by to check on Genevieve.” He cleared his throat and locked eyes with her. “How are you doing?”
Genevieve smiled warmly at him. “Doing okay, thanks. I’ll feel better once I can move about again.”
The fact that Quill hadn’t been her biggest fan didn’t really bother her since he was incredibly loyal to the man she loved—but if he continued to have an issue with her, well then, they’d be having a talk.
A faint blush colored Quill’s cheeks. “Look, now that you’re awake, I…” He swiped some shoulder-length blond strands behind his ear. “I don’t know if this is the right time, but I gotta get it out. I can’t believe you jumped in front of that bullet to save Brendan. It wasn’t just badass; it was the ultimate sacrifice. If it’s any consolation, I finally became a believer in you before that—around the time Pansy told us you had the voice-activated recorder on you.” He shot her a sheepish look and sighed. “What I’m trying to say really ineloquently, Genevieve, is that I’m sorry I didn’t believe in you. My assumptions about you were wrong. You’ve more than earned my trust with Brendan’s heart being in your hands.”
Awe, how sweet. These genius types were like gooey cake once they let down their guard. No talk would be necessary, it seemed. “Thanks, Quill.” She winked. “Told you that you would.”
“Yeah, about that—in terms of our bet?—”
“You’re really worried about our bet right now?”
Quill puffed out a relieved breath. “Whew, I thought for sure you’d hold me to it. Until I ‘get married’ has been causing me acid reflux. I haven’t slept a solid night since?—”
“Oh, you bet your untrusting, judgmental behind that I’m going to hold you to it.” Genevieve giggled softly. “I said right now because I’m lying in a hospital bed trying to keep my eyes open.” Drowsily, she slurred out, “These meds are messing with me.”
“Oh, come on, Genevieve, please,” Quill pleaded to her utter amusement. He was a piece of work, and she’d have to work really hard to find him ‘the one.’ A woman who could hold her own, that was for sure. “My intentions have been good this whole damn time,” he continued in a persuasive tone. “I was trying to protect my best bro—the same man you were trying to protect, mind you—from being taken advantage of and suffering a massive heartbreak. Now that I understand you a little better, I’m sure you would have done the same.”
“Sorry, a bet is a bet,” she mumbled, trying not to drift off. “You didn’t have to rise to the challenge, but you did. I might have let you off the hook if I didn’t think it would be good for you, but I think it will be.”
Quill balked. “Good for me?”
“Yes, clearly you have trust issues. You need a nudge to start dating, and I mean dating , not just flirting and having a fun time for a few dates before you end it.”
“Who said I was just flirting and having a fun time for a few dates before…” Quill’s eyes landed on Brendan’s guilty grin. “Bro!”
“Sorry.” Brendan crinkled his features, looking oh-so-adorable at feeling guilty for spilling info to her. Their dynamic was going to be a riot. “It might have come up on one of the days when Gen and I were lounging by the pool at The Golden Star.”
Quill crossed his arms. “Oh, it might have, huh?” He snorted. “Well, the bet was that Genevieve could set me up on endless blind dates, not that I had to ask any of them out on another one.”
Genevieve’s eyes popped open. “Who said that I couldn’t set you up with the same woman twice?”
“ Blind date implies that I’ve never met them. Your words when you made the bet, not mine.”
She nibbled on her lip. “Hmm…you’ve got me there. Oh well, one of them is bound to pique your interest.”
“How’s that different than if I pick my own dates?”
“The type of woman. There’s no way you’re going for complicated when you?—”
“Why on earth would I want complicated?” Quill ground out, tossing up his hands.
“Because complicated is worth it.” Genevieve flashed a radiant smile at Brendan. “I love you.”
“I love you too. More than you know.”
Quill cleared his throat. “Okay, I’m outta here. This has gotten too sappy for me.”
“Bye, Quill,” Genevieve said, beaming an ornery grin at him. “Expect a text from me soon about your first blind date.”
“Ugh, I can’t freaking believe I was stupid enough to…” Quill grumbled on his way out.
A faint smile curled Brendan’s mouth. “Well, you’ve got him all worked up. ”
“Sure do.” Genevieve sighed contentedly, feeling happier than she had in years. “And I haven’t even gotten started yet.”
“I know he needs someone assertive, but go for someone who’s patient too. I expect he isn’t going to open up easily. I don’t even know the half of his past. Heck, he continued to call me Mr. King or bro all the way up until my life was in danger.”
“He avoided intimacy even with friends. Almost as complicated as you.”
Brendan blinked and reared his head back. “Me?”
“Please.” Genevieve rolled her eyes. “You’ve only opened up to one woman in your entire life.”
Brendan flashed her his cocky grin. “What can I say? Only one woman in the world does it for me.” He bent down and pecked a gentle kiss on her lips. “You’re my whole world, Gen.”
“And you’re mine, Mr. King .”
“Call me that again.” Brendan deepened his voice to an oh-so-sexy tone. If only she wasn’t stuck in this damn bed. “I dare you.”
She bit her lip suggestively. “What are you going to do about it?”
His features sobered. “I think we covered this—take you home and never let you go.”
“Sounds about perfect to me.”
With an intense gaze, he brought his forehead to hers. “Forever.”
“Forever, Brendan.”
Ten seconds later, a familiar head with an endearing mushroom cut popped into the doorway.
“Momma,” Genevieve called out. A surge of warmth coursed through her, overwhelming her with happiness at the sight of her mother, safe and sound.
Her mom ran to her side and grasped her hand. “Oh, Gen, my sweet Gen, I’m so glad you’re awake. It’s been the longest hours of my life. You did it, my tough, resilient girl. I’m so proud of you.”
Genevieve sniffled, fighting back tears at her mom’s loving words while stealing a glance at Brendan. “ We did it. All of us. Will you come and live with us in Aspen, Momma?”
Her mom beamed with a loving smile. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else, my sweet girl, other than where you are.”
Genevieve let her mom’s love flow into her heart, bursting with emotion from the amazing turn her life had taken. She now had more hope than she’d ever dreamed possible, and the best years of her life were about to begin—she could feel it.