Chapter 37

Isit in a chair beside the bed with my elbows on my knees, my hands dangling between them. Keeping my gaze on Cat, I watch her chest rise and fall steadily. She's asleep, her face relaxed and peaceful. But I know the calm is fleeting. Only temporary until the nightmares invade or the memories resurface.

This woman has been through hell and back. She's fought for her life far too many times. She's faced evil and beat its ass more often than most. How much more can she take before she breaks irreparably? Cat's one of the strongest women I know, hell, she's stronger than most men, but the mind can only handle so much.

Will what happened tonight finally push her over the edge? Will she awaken as someone else? Will her mind decide that enough is enough and hide forever?

It doesn't matter what state she's in. I will love this woman and protect her with my life until the end of my days on this earth. Nothing and no one will take her from me, and that includes Cat herself.

A light tap sounds against the door, and I release the breath I've been holding. Getting up, I lean over Cat and brush a soft kiss against her lips. "I'll be right outside the door," I whisper in case her subconscious can hear me. I don't want her to wake up wondering where I am.

My eyes linger on her face when I pull back, but she doesn't so much as flutter an eyelid.

Walking across the room, I open the door and step outside, leaving it cracked open a couple of inches so I can see inside. I turn and face Silas.

"How is she?" he asks, concern written in his expression.

I sigh, dragging a hand down my face. "Sleeping for the moment."

"Sleeping is good." He nods. "Probably the best thing for her right now."

Dr. Armani left thirty minutes ago after speaking with Cat. I pulled him aside and explained what happened. He wanted to talk to Cat alone, but gave up that notion when I told him there wasn't a chance in hell I was letting her out of my sight. Instead, I stood across the room to give them as much privacy as possible. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I was close enough if Cat became upset.

When I hired the doctor to oversee Cat's mental care, I quadrupled the pay he was making at the practice he was at. Now he only sees Cat and the patients at The Grove. While he still has a private office in town, he spends most of his time at The Grove, except when Cat has an appointment. His fat paycheck was not without conditions, however. The doctor/patient confidentiality can be broken if the patient becomes a danger to themselves or others. With what I fork out, it ensures he keeps his mouth sealed tight, no matter what he hears or encounters. When I informed him of what happened tonight, I knew he'd keep quiet when the police weren't involved.

While Dr. Armani took care of Cat's mental state, she also needed to be seen for her injuries. That's where Dr. Savers comes in. She's another doctor I have on payroll and oversees any medical issues I need kept under wraps.

I managed to hold my shit together when Dr. Armani and Cat were talking quietly, but when Dr. Savers examined Cat, I broke out into a cold sweat. I damn near stormed the house on a hunt to find and destroy Jimmy. Only Cat's pain and fear kept me rooted by her side, her hand tightly clasped in mine. I fucking hated that for the second time tonight, she had to lay there with her legs open. However, the doc needed to make sure there was no internal damage. Thankfully, there wasn't. There were a few minor cuts that would heal on their own within a few days. God help Jimmy if they had been more severe, because there was no chance I would have been able to hold back.

With Cat's consent, Dr. Armani sedated her, explaining that she needed unrestricted rest at the moment. In response to my concern that she may be pregnant, he assured me that the medication was safe. She refused to take a pregnancy test, saying she didn't want the results on the same night Jimmy terrorized her.

"Where is he?" I demand, shoving my fisted hands into my pockets.

"Basement of Slate, like you requested."

"How's Damon?"

"Lucky to be alive. He made it through surgery. His doctors say he should make a full recovery."

I nod.

Damon was found outside his car with a knife wound to his chest. Due to the extent of his injuries, Mathias took him to the hospital under the pretext that he had been jumped from behind down an alley.

"I want to thank—"

"Fuck off," Silas growls, cutting me off. "Shove your gratitude up your ass, Hunter." His hands delve into his pockets, mirroring my position. "You know damn well I don't want it or need it. Your wife has been through more shit than most men, and so have you. It's offensive to me and the friendship we've had over the years for you to think even for a second, I wouldn't do everything in my power to take down the bastards who stole so much from you and Cat. To give your two children the revenge and justice they deserve. I only wish we had gotten here sooner."

"Regardless, you still have it," I say gruffly. "I still have my wife because of you and Mathias, so you'll accept my gratitude for what it is."

Last week, I had the feed coming from the cameras in my house split to go to a bank of computers at Silas's house. As we knew Whisper was breaking into our home undetected, I wanted Silas to have access just in case something went wrong that I wasn't aware of. His games were becoming more frequent and escalating, so I expected him to make a move soon. I just had no fucking clue it would be a man I trusted.

A fucking brother I knew nothing about. A sick psychotic brother. One who murdered our parents when he was eight and attempted to kill me multiple times as a baby.

My jaw tics at the reminder.

The video feed at Silas's house wasn't monitored constantly, but Silas happened to check the feed and saw what was going on in the living room. His first move was to call Mathias, knowing a couple of his men were watching the house. Our best guess is Jimmy had learned the schedule of when Mathias's men switched shifts, which included about an hour of only one man on duty. He made his move when only Damon was present. After Jimmy knocked on the door, Henry snuck up on Damon and stabbed him as he was getting out of his car. Our assumption is that Henry thought it was a kill shot, but he was wrong.

Silas, Mathias, and his men arrived at the house ten minutes before they busted through the place. Silas knocked on the door as a distraction while Mathias and his men waited at other points of entry outside the house.

We were goddamn lucky Silas happened to check the camera feed when he did. Had things happened even a moment later than they had, shit could have ended differently.

Regardless of how much he resists accepting my apology, claiming he doesn't need it, I'll always be in his debt.

"I'll be here for another hour or two in case you need anything," he informs me. "Do you want me to call Cat's family?"

"No. I want to give her a little longer before I let them know. I won't be able to keep them away once they learn what happened. I'll call them later." I look into the room and see Cat in the same position as when I left. I glance back at Silas. "Go home. There's nothing we'll need for the rest of the night."

He nods, his eyes moving to the crack in the door. "Call if that changes. We'll give you a few days before we stop by. I won't be able to keep Katie away longer than that."

After he leaves, I open the door and close it quietly behind me. Reaching over my shoulder, I grip the neck of my shirt and rip it over my head, tossing it to the chair I was sitting on earlier. After dropping my jeans to the floor, leaving me in only a pair of boxer briefs, I peel back the covers and climb into bed. When I reach for Cat, she slides into my arms as if sensing that I'm close.

She puts her head to my chest, still asleep, and I wrap my arms tightly around her. I could have lost her tonight. I damn near did lose her.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. The restricting band around my chest, which has been tight since the moment I realized Jimmy is Whisper, finally loosens its hold.

It's over. Fucking finally.

But not for Jimmy. His suffering hasn't even begun.

* * *

I knowthe moment she wakes up. Her body stiffens against mine, and I know she's remembering what happened just hours ago. She'll always have those memories, just as I will. But then she relaxes back against my chest, realizing she's safe in our bed.

A small string of light filters into the room from the inch of space between the heavy curtains. The sun rose hours ago. I haven't slept. I haven't even tried, opting to stay awake just to feel Cat against me. I've watched her sleep, waiting for the nightmares to come, wanting to be awake when they do so I can pull her out of them.

But they never came. She slept peacefully except to shift around a couple of times.

When she rolls onto her back, I lean up on my elbow, hovering just a few inches above her. A piece of hair lays across her cheek, the one with the nasty bruise, and I reach up and gently swipe it away. My gaze moves to the cut on her lip and the bruises around her eyes.

"How are you feeling?" I ask, keeping my voice low.

She lays her hand on my cheek, and I close my eyes at the soft touch. "I'm okay." She's quiet for a moment. "How are you feeling?"

My eyes open, and I stare down at her. "Not okay." She frowns at my answer. "I'm so goddamn sorry, baby," I say gruffly.

"You keep apologizing for things you don't have to apologize for." Her fingers slide into my hair. "No matter how you justify those apologies in your head, you've got it wrong, Hunter. There was nothing you could do to prevent what happened. Five years ago or last night."

"I was gone that night. I should have been here. I let that bastard fool me. Not only for the last five years, but also that night."

She shakes her head against the pillow. "You being there wouldn't have changed anything. There were too many of them. They would have still done what they did, or killed you, or orchestrated some other way to get you out of the house. I'm glad you weren't there to see what I did. I have to live with those memories. I'm glad you don't."

"Cat—"

She presses a finger against my lips. "And last night wasn't your fault either. Nor believing that he was a good man. Jimmy…." She stops and her throat bobs, as if fighting back her emotions. She clears her throat before she continues. "He had us all fooled. Someone as deranged as he is, there was nothing anyone could have done to stop him. You've got to stop taking responsibility for things out of your control."

She uses her other hand and the one on the back of my head to pull me down. Our lips meet.

"I'm okay," she whispers. "I'm right here with you. It's over now."

I drop my forehead to hers, taking several deep breaths. I'll never get over the fact that I almost lost her for the second time. I'll never stop seeing her lying on that table with Jimmy hovering over her. I will never truly believe there was nothing I could have done either time. I'll never stop blaming myself for not saving our children.

But seeing how much it bothers Cat, I'll force those feelings away and keep them hidden from her.

"Come take a shower with me," she suggests, and I lift my head from hers.

Last night, after everything was done and the doctors left, she fell asleep before she could shower. Dr. Savers and I changed her clothes and cleaned her as best we could, but nothing beats a shower.

I press another gentle kiss against her lips before I get up from the bed. Before she can rise on her own, I scoop her up into my arms. In the bathroom, I set her down by the shower to turn the water on. As we wait for the water to warm, I help her take off her clothes. I stare at her wrists, which are covered in bruises caused by the ropes. They're so dark, they almost hide the thin white scars. I pick up each one and brush my lips against them.

Cat notices my wrists, which are wrapped in bandages. It wasn't until Cat was treated that I allowed Dr. Savers to see to my injuries. The skin was damn near rubbed raw to the bone. She cleaned them as thoroughly as she could and insisted she slap some gauze around them.

With a frown, Cat lightly traces a finger over one of them.

"I'm fine, baby. They'll heal."

Nodding, she runs her tongue over her lips, a frown still pulling down her eyebrows.

I turn my attention to the scars on her stomach and chest. Both sets of scars almost took her from me. One done maliciously. The other to escape pain. I kiss those as well.

To avoid her thinking I expect anything sexual, I quickly get up and move us to the shower.

After the attack five years ago, it wasn't until Cat's mind shifted into protective mode and suppressed her memories that we had sex again.

She reaches for a washcloth on the shelf, but I take it from her. After pouring some of her body wash onto the cloth, I gently rub it over her body, taking extra care when I run it between her legs.

I have no idea where we go from here. I don't know how this will affect Cat's mental state. She seems fine right now, but that could change at any time.

The only thing I do know is that whatever happens, we'll get through it together.