the bullet couldn’t have had a finer path.”
“He’s sure it’s God’s will,” I stated wryly, amused despite myself. “He’ll be saying she needs to be up for sainthood next.”
“Wouldn’t put it past him,” Eoghan agreed. “What is it? Two miracles before the Church will consider it?”
I snorted. “One miracle is enough for me.”
“Seriously though, she’s okay, right?”
“She’s going to be on antibiotics for the rest of her fucking life, and she’s going to need vaccinations every year too,” I ground out.
“Aidan might have a limp for the rest of his life, and Brennan’s wrist?”
“What about it?”
“It’s the one Dad kept on breaking when he was fucking around with that Bratva chick.”
I rolled over onto my back. “Shit.”
“Yeah.”
“Lena find out?”
“Not yet.”
“Think she will?”
“Probably. Dad’s freaking out.”
“I wondered why he hadn’t been hovering around this place for a few days.”
“I think he’d prefer for the Colombians to kill him rather than Mom.”
I snickered at that—I couldn’t help it.
“That’s not funny, Eoghan,” Aoife rasped in that new way of hers. It was like the intubating tubes had damaged something on the way down. I’d gut the bastard who’d hurt her if I knew who to gut.
“Isn’t it?” Eoghan replied rhetorically, getting to his feet to walk toward her. “Hey, little sister, you faring well?”
That he called her that, and so soon, didn’t surprise me. Aoife had bled for the Five Points. She was one of us now.
I rolled up into a sitting position and quickly scrubbed a hand over my face. I knew I looked like shit, but it suited my mood, and Aoife was too out of it most of the time to really care.
“I’m just tired,” she whispered. Her head rolled on the pillow, her hair spilling over it like wine from a glass, and I realized she was looking for me.
My heart leapt because, when she saw me, she released a shaky breath—relief had the frown on her brow unfurling. I strode over to her and grabbed her hand, then ducked down and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. The IV infusion was there, and I wanted to punch the dude who’d stained her skin with a shit ton of bruises—they never seemed to be able to find a line. I’d watched them stick her so many times, I’d wanted to throttle them.
Her knuckles scratched my jaw and, not wanting to disconnect from her, I kicked out with my foot and hooked the armchair behind me. Sitting back in it, I pressed my face into her hand.
“You aren’t shaving.”
Eoghan snorted. “Your powers of observation are coming in leaps and bounds, Aoife. All this sleep is serving you well.”
She huffed at him, then studied me again. “Have you showered?”
“Can’t you smell him? Christ. We need the doctor back in here if you can’t.”
“Why aren’t you taking care of yourself?”
I choked a little. Wanting nothing more at that moment than to climb into bed beside her. Fuck the shower. Fuck the goddamn world. “I’ll go clean up when I know you won’t wake up without me being here.”
She was silent a second, then she murmured, “Oh.”
Eoghan shot us both a look, and I could tell he didn’t understand.
Why would he?
Though I kept expecting her to wake up with loathing in her eyes, the minute she was awake, she wanted to see me. I’d watched her pulse speed up on the monitor then had seen it start to slow the second she found me with her gaze. My voice wasn’t enough. Sight was the only thing that calmed her.
I wasn’t about to complain. Not when she should be asking for a lawyer to demand an annulment.
Christ, would any judge in the land refuse her?
Nausea swirled inside me at the thought, and I pressed another kiss to her fingers.
Eoghan grunted. “That means we have to put up with his stench a while longer, hmm?” Then, he snickered. “Dear God, Aoife, get better soon, yeah?”
Her lips curved—I didn’t have to look up to hear it in her voice. “For your sensibilities, I will, Eoghan.”
“That’s an Irish woman for you. So accommodating.”
She hooted softly. “Which Irish women do you know?”
“Well, they’re always accommodating to me,” he purred, and I raised my head to spear him with a glower.
“You’re not flirting with my wife, are you, dearthàir?”
He grinned at me unashamedly. “She’s too beautiful not to.”
When Aoife giggled, I didn’t snap at him, just rolled my eyes. It was good to hear her laugh, and for some reason, she found my brothers amusing.
Yeah. Funny-haha, not funny-strange, either.