Chapter 7

I didn’t know I could hate someone more than I did those guards, but somehow this Boris guy has made it onto that list. I was so relieved when Nessa woke up that I couldn’t help but go to her.

She looked so broken and fragile, nothing like the woman that just stormed into a camp with a rifle over her shoulder ready to burn down the world if it meant saving us.

That same woman is now lying in a hospital bed, pale and… broken. Her body shook as Cillian held her until he clicked the button to give her more pain medication, and she finally drifted off. It was clear she was hurting, but something tells me it wasn’t just physical.

“Is she going to be okay?” I ask Cillian in a whisper.

She is laying in his arms, curled into him as tightly as she possibly could be. His hand moves to push some of her hair back. “I really don’t know, kiddo. But I know she needs him, and she will need us too.”

“Me?” I question.

Cillian smiles down at Nessa before placing a kiss on her forehead. The man looks like he’s the definition of unhinged, yet with her, he’s so careful and caring.

“In this family, we don’t take the phrase ‘together’ lightly. It’s a promise.”

Hope swells in my chest at the idea that I could be part of something greater. Something that isn’t evil. Something that could maybe be my choice.

“Why isn’t he here?” I ask.

I watch as Cillian’s face darkens, and he grits his teeth.

“Sometimes it’s easier to run from the truth instead of face it.”

I look at Nessa, noting her puffy eyes. There is a small red mark on her face from where the tubing was connected during surgery, and her hair is a mess, even if someone made an attempt to pull it back.

“But what if running away only causes others more pain?”

It doesn’t make sense. If he truly loves her, why would he choose to put her through more hurt?

Cillian shrugs. “It’s hard for some to see past their own pain when someone they love is hurting. Boris used to be a mafia don. He is used to having all of the control and making all of the decisions. When things don’t go his way, he doesn’t know how to cope.”

I snort a laugh. “He sounds like a toddler.”

Cillian actually chuckles. “Between us, that’s exactly what he is.”

My stomach lets out a growl as I sit back, but I ignore it. I’ve gone days without food before. I can manage if it means staying here with her.

“Hey,” Cillian says, gesturing to his jacket on the back of a chair. “Grab that for me?”

“Sure.” I stand and bring it to him, but he doesn’t take it. Instead, he just sticks his hand in the pocket to pull out his wallet before waving the coat away.

“Will you grab us some food from the dining area? Something that’s easy to eat one-handed for me and maybe some hot tea for Nessa. She likes herbal teas.”

He hands me a few bills and my eyes widen. “This is five hundred bucks.”

His brows pinch. “Do you need more? The food here can’t be that pricey. It’s a hospital.”

I look at him incredulously before handing back four of the one hundred dollar bills. “This will still be way more than enough,” I assure him.

Who the heck are these people?

Shaking my head, I head to the elevators when a familiar set of blue eyes connect with mine. My breathing stops, my feet coming to a halt as Boris himself steps out of the elevator. The man looks like a mess, but I don’t let that deter me from what I need to do.

When he walks in my direction, I can see he recognizes me, but it’s not until he is nearly to Nessa’s door that I step in front of him.

“Stop,” I say with more bravery than I feel. Cillian said this man used to be some kind of mafia big shot something-or-other, so I’m a little bit afraid of what he might do.

On the other hand, I also feel safe with him, even if his expression tries to convince my brain otherwise.

He shakes his head, trying to get past me, but this time I’m not taking no for an answer. I shove at him using all my strength, then pull out Nessa’s weapon from my back. I don’t aim it at him or flick off the safety, but Boris must see that I’m not far from it.

“You don’t deserve to go in there. You don’t deserve to see her.”

He shakes his head and takes a step back, shock written on his face.

“Who gave you such authority to prevent me from seeing her?”

I try to stay calm as I cross my arms over my chest. “You did.”

Confusion crosses his features before they harden again.

“Well, you may consider yourself relieved of your duties then.”

When he tries to step past me again, I drop my arms and meet him with a finger pressing into his chest. I’m used to being dismissed, but the way those words cut my heart is deeper than I thought he could affect me.

“I don’t walk away from my duties ,” I say seething. “Unlike you. You left her. When she needed you most, you left. I heard her cry, I saw the hurt in her eyes. Don’t you think she’s been through enough?”

He straightens his shirt almost as if it were a suit.

“I am not required to justify my actions to you.”

I snort, crossing my arms with the gun still in hand.

“You are required to not hurt her in the process though. You asked me to protect her and I failed once. I won’t fail again.”

He runs a hand through his hair as his nostrils flare in anger. “So will you shoot me with the same weapon I gifted to her?”

I look at the gun in my grip when a hand rests on my shoulder.

“Irony at its finest, isn’t it, Old Man?”

Cillian stands at my side. “She just fell asleep after waking up without you there. I’m not picking up your shite of a mess this time.”

“Don’t step foot into that room until you’re ready to be the man she deserves,” I state plainly.

Boris throws his hands out in the air, raising his voice in frustration. “And who the hell do you think that is?”

Yelling is something I’m used to. The guards would raise their voices at us all the time to keep us in line. But I learned another thing during my nearly year-long sentence with those men. It isn’t the loud, brash ones who are respected, but the one who is firm and controlled.

So instead of yelling, even though I want to so freaking badly, I take a step closer and find it in me to keep my voice even.

“Someone who stays.”