Chapter 14 #2
When I was satisfied, I dried myself off with a nearby towel just as I caught my reflection in the mirror above the sink. My eyes were just as dead as Daniel’s, a black shadow encasing them in a permanent shade of darkness. A darkness I viciously ruled.
My world only came in shades of black and white. You were either with me or against me. Loyal or disloyal. An ally or an enemy. There was no in-between, no variations to be negotiated, no factors to be measured. And when I knew exactly where you stood, my next move would not be reconsidered.
Did I regret what I had done to my brother? No. It was necessary and well-fucking-deserved.
Did I hate him for making me do it? Abso-fucking-lutely.
But now I needed to set about the next steps in correcting my brother’s mistakes.
The first being my wife.
I headed for the door and wrenched it open to come face-to-face with Scott, who was leaning against the wall, obviously waiting for me.
His brows rose slightly as he observed the state of my body, clocking every inch of me to form one single conclusion.
“So it’s done then,” he stated, a small hint of regret in his voice.
“Have him incinerated.”
I left Scott in the hallway to handle yet another cleanup, though this one would be far messier than the scene at O’Neil’s.
While I might be the one cleaning up the figurative mess of others, Scott tended to clean up my literal ones done in pursuit of fixing those figurative ones.
I had literally one person I could count on in this world now, and he was currently organizing the disposal of his only equal.
Good, trustworthy help was hard to find in my world. Fear and money only took you so far. And Scott was afforded an additional currency no one else was worth—my respect.
Leaving Scott to the task, I headed for my bedroom.
Stepping into the room, I found Sid fumbling with a mobile fetal heart monitor, quickly shoving it into his bag.
Jaden was lying on her back with her eyes on the ceiling, ignoring the world around her.
Her mangled dress had been removed and the spilled paint cleaned from her skin and hair.
Sloane sat in the armchair just a few feet away from Sid, her arms crossed over her chest as she stared over at Jaden, concern etched deep into her features. And then her gaze met mine.
Heat rose in my blood as I leveled her with a warning glare, reminding her that she had failed my wife today, and there would be consequences for it.
I then looked at Sid, and I didn’t need to speak for him to know what I was expecting.
“Everything will be fine,” he said gently, suppressing a cough into his elbow before zipping up his medical bag. “The baby’s heart rate is normal, and there are no signs of fetal distress.”
I nodded, relieved to know our child was not in any immediate danger but waited for Sid to finish his diagnosis.
“But Jaden does have a slight vaginal tear and some bruising,” he continued as he glanced over at her. “No need for stitches or surgical intervention, though. It should heal on its own in time. She can take some Tylenol for the pain if she wants it.”
I had to bite back the rage that was beginning to build again at the mention of Jaden’s injuries due to my brother’s actions. So rather than respond with angry words, I nodded silently instead.
“Lots of rest and fluids,” Sid added before grabbing his bag and heading for the door, another cough hot on his lips.
As he stepped closer, I took note of the gauntness of his face, the dark circles under his eyes, and the paleness of his skin.
The man looked weaker than I’d ever seen him, and I surmised he didn’t have much time left.
“Thanks, Sid,” I murmured as he passed by.
“Of course,” he replied, then shut the door behind him.
“Sloane, get out,” I ordered, my voice laced with the same amount of venom still pumping through my veins.
Sloane stood from her chair, reached into her jacket pocket, and placed the necklace she had been charged with finding on Jaden’s bedside table.
Her hard gaze locked with mine for a solid three deliberate seconds.
Within that small moment, a thousand words were spoken, and I ignored every single one as she turned away and left the room in complete silence.
Grinding my jaw, I decided those three seconds were going to cost her and then made my way into the bathroom, shedding the rest of my bloody clothes for a literal thirty-second shower.
After drying myself quickly, I turned off all the lights in the bedroom and got into bed with Jaden.
I gently gathered her into my arms, pulling her back to my chest, and held her tightly for several minutes.
Neither of us said a word as dusk fell into night around us, swallowing the room in darkness.
Her breathing was soft and steady, her bruised skin warm to the touch, but her righteous anger was palpable and strong, practically vibrating the surrounding air.
“I’m so sorry, Jaden,” I murmured, my voice cutting through the heavy silence that weighed us both down.
It took her a while to respond, but when she did, it cut deeper than I expected it to.
“I know,” she whispered, her body finally softening in the cage of my arms.
I breathed her in, grateful for the infinite amount of strength she always seemed to possess but infuriated that she had to utilize it right now. And it was my goddamn fault for not doing something about Daniel sooner.
“You’ll never have to worry about Daniel ever again,” I said, gently pressing my lips to her temple.
I felt her stiffen for a moment. “What did you do?” she whispered, her voice small and uncertain, but mine steadfast.
“Finished what Matt started.”
Jaden remained silent for a while, her breathing slow and even as she absorbed what had been done—for her. For the both of us.
“I’m sorry you had to do that.”
I almost smirked at her, tasting her lie before she could even finish speaking it.
“No, you aren’t, but it’s alright. I just need you to focus on keeping this little one safe. Let me worry about the rest.”
She nodded slightly before quietly releasing a giant breath of what could only be described as relief. I tucked her tighter under my chin, brushing my nose through her hair, and picking up the scent of something tropical and sweet.
But as I reveled in the feel of her, the shadow of my rage crept alongside me at the reminder that Daniel had tried to take this away from me, had tried to spoil it out of jealousy and spite. And it made me want to kill him all over again.
It was a good thing the rest of my family was already dead. Otherwise, I might have had to deal with the headaches of their outrage in the morning. There was only one family headache I would have to deal with, and if she knew what was good for her, she’d keep her fucking mouth shut.