Page 54 of Brutal Bond

“I’m not saying you can’t,” Grant replies, “because I know you’re right. I’d probably have my hands around his throat by now. But this can’t be rash.”

“We have to be smart,” Will chimes in. “It can’t look like we killed him.”

“That’s your expertise, isn’t it?” Inadvertently, I divulge Will’s secret past to the group. “Fucking help me make it happen.”

“We’re pulling into the airfield now. We should be there in about four hours. I’ll get a plan together during our flight. Get things in motion. It can happen tonight.”

“He needs to pay, Will.” I place my palms on the table flanked the phone. “Death isn’t punishment enough. He needs to suffer for what he did to her. For trying to take her from me.”

The things I plan to do to him…

Death will be a welcomed ending.

One he’s fucking begging for.

“Understood,” he replies before ending the call.

CHAPTER

FORTY-ONE

EDMUND

Samuel and Cora left a bit ago to get cleaned up. Grant and Abigail are about to head home as well to work on a few items for tonight. As they leave, I glance down at my watch and realize that it’s been nearly an hour since I spoke with the nurse.

Harper should be in recovery by now.

With me sitting by her side.

I’m about to go hunt down the nurse when she walks into the room with a solemn look on her face. Taking one look at her, I blurt out, “Is she dead?”

“No.” She quickly grabs my hand. “She coded as they were closing her up.”

Oh God…

“They were able to bring her back. But they had to go back in. I’ve been assured they’re finishing up now. She’ll be in recovery in about ten minutes. I can take you there now.”

Following behind her, she leads me into a private suite to wait for Harper. No more than a few minutes later, she is wheeled through the doorway.

“Fuck, little rose,” I gasp when I see her. Tubes and wires protrude from her bruised body. I grip her hand as she passes and walk with the bed until they have her settled in the middle of the room. Without releasing her hand, I pull a chair closer to sit beside her.

“We have her pretty heavily medicated,” the doctor says from the other side of the bed. “She’s going to be in a lot of pain, and we want to keep her comfortable overnight so that there is less stress on her heart.”

I nod as I listen to him, just relieved to finally have her soft, warm hand in mine again.

“Stay. Talk to her.” He closes her chart. “Just let her sleep, and know that if she does wake up tonight, she isn’t going to be very lucid.”

As he leaves us, he closes the door behind him.

I press my lips to the back of Harper’s hand as I hold it in mine. With my lips vibrating against her skin, I vow, “He’s going to regret ever meeting you, little rose. And he will never fucking touch you again.”

Never letting go of her hand, I sit at her bedside for hours. The sun falls over the horizon as I kiss her knuckles and beg her for forgiveness.

Forgiveness she can’t give me.

Just shy of midnight, Grant and Abigail step through the doorway into Harper’s hospital room. With her dainty hand in mine, I rise from my seat and offer it to Abigail.

“I’m going to leave you with Abigail for a bit,” I kiss the back of her hand before passing it over. “I have to go take care of something for you.”

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