Chapter 32

CHAPTER 32

THOMAS

I t was time.

Finally, it was all going to be over. After leaving Declan in the bar, I had run back to the church, deciding that if I was going to do this, I was going to do it right.

Mary Quinn was going to know that I was responsible for this. She would know that I could only do this because of the monster that she forced me to become.

I changed into the black suit that I wore for mass and made sure my priest collar was tight around my neck, before I showed up at the medical spa. When Declan told me this was where it was going to happen, I was surprised. It didn’t seem like his style, but I guessed that was the point.

I never understood why they bothered to call these places spas. The fountain in the lobby that was surrounded by fake plants hardly changed the fact this was an outpatient surgical center. Charging six figures for a cosmetic operation that you could get almost anywhere else for a fraction of the price with the same level of talent did not make it a spa, or a healing center, or whatever bullshit they used to market this crap. Maybe the word “spa” made it feel less medical? Saying you went to the spa to look ten years younger sounded less damning than saying you had a surgeon give you a new face. That was what this entire sector of society was about. It wasn’t the truth that mattered, it was the perception.

It was toxic, and I was going to get my angel out of this hell before it tainted her, too.

The nurses stood when they saw me, each of them wearing sky-blue scrubs, as if they were trying to give a calming presence with the color. Or maybe they just wanted people to think of nature and water and healing and whatever.

“Father Manwarring?” one of them asked.

“Yes, am I late?” I asked, offering a reassuring smile. These women all looked terrified, and for good reason.

“No, Father,” the nurse on the end said as she folded her hands behind her back and stared at the floor. “The others are with the doctor in his office discussing… the arrangements. The patient is in surgical suite three. She’s ready for... she’s ready for her procedure.”

She lifted her arm to point the way, and I couldn’t help but notice the way her entire body trembled. For her, and the rest of them, this was no doubt a very scary situation.

“Rest assured, my child, you and the others bear no blame, no guilt for what is going to happen today. There is no sin burdening any of your souls.”

Three of the four nurses instantly relaxed, breathing a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Father,” one of them said, looking up at me with light brown eyes.

As if being ordained by God gave me the power to absolve them. I guessed it did, though they weren’t guilty to begin with. The sins that were about to be committed were on the heads of no one other than the already damned. The fourth didn’t really look that bothered to begin with. She either had bigger sins to contend with, or she didn’t see it as a sin. Good for her.

I nodded and headed to surgical suite three. It was the one at the far end of the hall. There were six suites in this facility. Ridiculous or not, clearly the surgeon was doing very well, having been able to rent out an entire floor of this Manhattan high-rise. It made me roll my eyes at how he got into this mess.

Never mind, his sins were his own to bear, not mine.

I walked into the suite and saw Mary Quinn lying prone on a surgical table, in a hospital gown that looked like it was designed by Prada.

It probably was. Knowing Mary Quinn, she’d had it specially made for all of her cosmetic appointments.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Astrid,” I said as I strolled into the sterile environment. I didn’t even bother to wash my hands. It was like using an alcohol wipe to sterilize the site of a lethal injection. There was really no point.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she said, and then her face contorted as she tried to sit up.

“I’m here to have a quick conversation, to give you the opportunity to confess your sins. Though I admit I don’t have that much time, so you might have to narrow it down to the most egregious.”

“Get out!” she demanded, still struggling to move. “Help!”

“You can call out all you like. No one’s going to help you.” The sliding door behind me opened and the heavy steps of combat boots told me it was Declan and a few of his henchmen.

One quick glance confirmed my suspicions. Declan stood there with three other men. Two clearly worked for him, dressed in cheap clothing, tattoos poking out of their collars and sleeves. The third was a man in surgical gloves, glancing around nervously.

“I demand you leave immediately,” she said, baring her teeth like some type of wild animal.

“You are no longer in a position to make demands,” Declan informed her.

I leaned down and whispered to her like I was filling her in on some juicy gossip.

“Your surgeon has a very unchristian habit. Despite making a truly ridiculous amount of money cutting off fat and reshaping decrepit body parts, he has a bit of a gambling problem.”

“What?” Her face paled, and it looked like she was beginning to understand the severity of her problems.

“Yes, apparently he owes the wrong people a lot of money. No judgment, of course. Addiction is a disease. But you know how dangerous it is to owe the wrong people money.” I clicked my tongue like it was just such a shame. “Thankfully, Declan, ever the charitable Catholic that he is, has agreed to wipe away all of his debts. All the good doctor has to do is to give you a paralytic and leave the room. Isn’t that just so magnanimous of Declan? I mean, I’m just blooming with pride, to see such a stand-up member of our community help someone in need.”

“No, you can’t. You need to save me. You’re a priest—you can’t—you have to stop them.”

My brow furrowed as I straightened to my full height, towering over her in judgment. “Why would I do that? It would be rather silly since I worked so tirelessly to put you here.”

“No. You can’t! I will destroy your family. If anything happens to me, your father will rue the day. The information I have on your father and your brother will destroy everything. Everyone will?—”

“We will all have reasons to celebrate and lift a glass as we dance upon your grave,” I finished for her.

“I still have allies I can?—”

“You have never had allies, Mary Quinn Astrid. You’ve had people you manipulated, that you have used, abused, and blackmailed through the grace of money, your reputation, and blackmail. All of which you no longer have, as we all know.”

“You?”

“Of course it was me, you dumb bitch,” I sneered, tired of the priest act.

“If you save me, I’ll?—”

I looked down her body and saw her chipped nails and the tint of reddish brown under her French tips. I picked up her hand and brought it to her face. “What’s this?”

She paled again.

“I think it’s blood,” Declan said.

“I think so too, but whose?”

“It’s none of your concern. No one that matters.”

I leaned in closer again.

“I was never going to take it this far. Don’t get me wrong, I was going to destroy you. I was going to ruin your reputation, but then I met Rose. That beautifully sweet, innocent woman who you abused constantly. Stealing from you, destroying your reputation, having you kicked off of every charitable board in the entire city. That was for me. This…this is for Rose.”

I stood and watched as she opened and closed her mouth, her eyes moving rapidly from side to side as she tried to figure out the best play. There were no more plays.

“Enjoy your fate, Mary Quinn. I would offer you a prayer before you meet your maker, but we both know Satan doesn’t give a fuck.”

I turned and walked away from the table. The two thugs Declan had with him each carried a scalpel in their hands.

“Sticking with the theme?” I asked Declan.

“It seemed appropriate,” he said, and I returned his shrug as I left the surgical suite, Mary Quinn’s screams echoing down the hall.

I stopped at the end of the hallway where the small group of nurses were staring up at me, their eyes wide. I made the sign of the cross and left.

My vengeance was complete, and Rose was free.