Chapter 15 #2
“Who did this to him?” I pointed to Devlin on the bed. “I said no one touches him but me, Rhys. I told you.” I shifted my gaze to Jace, who I knew wanted a piece of Devlin. “Was this you? Did you fuck him up behind my back?”
Rhys’s expression tightened, and his eyes flashed a warning as he stepped to block Jace from my view. His lips twisted into a snarl.
“Say whatever you want to me. But blame Jace again, and I’ll put you in the ground, injured or not.
He just spent the last two days fucked up, thinking his brother might die.
” His voice cut like a knife. “You don’t understand what we found in that warehouse.
We thought you were dead, Cian. We couldn’t feel a pulse, for fuck’s sake.
You were both covered in blood, and that fucker wouldn’t say a word.
We had no idea who was responsible, so yeah, maybe we tried to beat it out of him.
I was first in line to crack my fist across his jaw. ”
He took a step toward me, and Jace made a panicked sound of protest. Rhys’s voice lowered as his chest bumped mine. “You wanna get back at me for hitting him? Wanna crack my jaw too? My loyalty is to you and only you. Not that devil.”
My gaze dropped to Rhys’s bruised knuckles. I wouldn’t hit him, but my blood raged to make this right, to make anyone who hurt Devlin pay. “Did you find a gun? Why was his shirt wrapped around my neck? Why didn’t he run?”
A muscle in Rhys’s jaw jumped. “I’m not a fucking detective.
And I’ll be honest, I wasn’t exactly trying to handle this motherfucker with care.
He wouldn’t give us anything, and that was reason enough to put a boot in his gut.
The only thing I had was a text from you that said, I’ve been shot, and a location tag. ”
I glanced over my shoulder. “What?”
Devlin shrugged, and the small motion made him wince. “Thought he’d come faster if the text came from you.”
“Then why didn’t you tell them what happened?”
He slowly blinked his one eye. “I thought you were dead. They said you were dead. So… What was the point?”
He had no self-preservation skills. None. We had talked about this. “So you let them beat the shit out of you?”
He bared his bloodstained teeth. “What. Was. The. Point?”
There was a big one, and we’d be discussing it later in private. But for now, in front of Rhys and Jace, there was another.
“If someone wanted me dead, they’d hurt my crew too. Your information could’ve helped them.”
His lip curled into a smirk, and a scab broke open. Blood trickled down his chin as his gaze shifted to Rhys before returning to me. “My loyalty is to you and only you.”
Rhys growled low in his throat, and I placed a hand against his chest before he could launch himself at Devlin and strangle him with his bare hands.
“Don’t,” I grated. Fatigue was setting in, and I swayed on my feet.
Despite Rhys’s anger, he reached out to steady me, his hands settling on my shoulders. “Hey, you need to sit down.” The anger faded from his voice. “You’re gonna pass out, Cian. Come on.”
He helped me sink back down onto the edge of the bed. My head felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. Jace still hadn’t moved from the doorway, and the betrayal on his face pierced me to my core. I remembered hearing his broken voice during the few moments when I’d been lucid.
“Jace,” I whispered, and I lifted a hand to motion him closer.
He shook his head, and my gut twisted. Then, without a word, he turned and left. I felt his absence like a slap. A raging, angry Jace was easy to deal with. A betrayed, silent Jace was something else entirely.
This whole situation was so fucked up.
I glanced up at Rhys, who continued to glare at me with a mix of pity and disgust. I’d explain Devlin later. Right now, I had to think about the crew. And I knew Rhys would put his anger aside for them.
“Tell Hack to check the warehouse security cameras. Someone shot me as soon as I opened the door, then broke in through the windows. They tried to find me, but Devlin hid us in the crawl space.” My head was pounding now, and I rubbed my temples. “We’ll have a meeting with the officers later.”
Rhys nodded tightly, like I knew he would. There was a lot more to say, but that would come later. I still had to tell him Devlin didn’t kill Patrick and explain why no one could touch him. Not ever again. Otherwise, I might burn down my own house and everyone in it.
I turned to find Devlin still watching me, his bloodied fingers fisting the sheet. He had to be in agony.
You’re not alone. I’m right here.
If I closed my eyes, I could still feel his slim fingers laced with mine. My devil hadn’t left me alone in the dark. Even after everything I’d done to him. He’d stayed loyal to me. He’d comforted me.
Did he really think I’d just leave him without a fight? I wouldn’t die that easily. Devlin had no idea what he’d done. I’d sunk my claws into him now, and I wasn’t letting go for fucking anything.
Another figure stepped into the doorway and drew my attention.
Familiar gray hair pulled into a tight bun.
Scrubs and a T-shirt that read “I’m Everyone’s Type” in different fonts.
Dr. Bev took in the scene with her usual aplomb, brown eyes surveying Devlin’s bloody body and my weak-ass self.
Rhys remained standing near the bed, all puffed up like an angry grizzly.
Dr. Bev placed a hand on his shoulder—a reach for someone her size. “Looks like I’ll be here until after dinner. Could you get me some birria tacos from that one place in town? And an extra-large Diet Coke. Thanks.” She stepped farther into the room and snapped on a pair of blue latex gloves.
“Okay, who needs to be seen first?”