Page 89 of Shades of Scars

“Not that Fraser would’ve let them so much as fire up that chopper. I’m sorry you had to see them gunned down,mo chroí.” Caito adds once Lark is finished, but he has no need to apologize.

“You caught Harlan? Is… is he…” I can’t finish my damn sentence, but not because of my vocal chords. I’m praying like hell that he didn’t get off Scot-free for what he’d put Kate and me through.

Some of my fears abate when Caito’s lips curl up into a sinister grin that weirdly lights my heart on fire. “We caught him,mo chroí. He’ll be all yours when you’re feeling better and are up and moving.”

I squeeze my eyes shut at the news, feeling a little of the weight that had been pressing down on my chest lift. Then, something else comes rushing back to the surface, and my eyes fly back open again with a gasp. “Raven! Sh-she was th-there that day!”

All three alpha’s faces turn grim after that. Before any of them can respond, though, the door swings open, and Wren stalks in, making the tears pick up again all over again.

As soon as our eyes connect, I’m sobbing again. My alphas crowd in around my bed, their hands reaching out and touching me, assuring me in the only way they can, without jostling my body, that I am safe and it’s going to be OK.

“Raven has been dealt with. You don’t need to worry about her anymore.” The way Wren says that makes my heart sink into my gut instead of feeling better. I open my mouth to say something—what, I’m not sure—but he quickly shakes his head. “She got what she wanted. Not only is the threat of Harlan’s bounty off your head, but so is your father’s.”

Shock ripples through me, making me speechless for several minutes. “My… father?”

“The hit came courtesy of your father. Raven made a deal with Erossi to hand you over to him if he told her who put thehit out on you. She wanted revenge for Ant.” Apollo explains. I hate that it makes sense. I remember the way Raven had reacted to Ant’s death. She’d blamed me for it, but there had been something else driving her.

“And what of my father?” I really didn’t want to ask, but I needed to know.

“In the eyes of the public, Harlan Erossi is on the run after the feds swept in to arrest your father for his involvement in his little illegal omega trafficking organization. The news stations are gobbling up the fact that Bishop Reighn sold his own omega daughter to the monster in order to gain stakes in any profit Harlan’s businesses made, as well as funding his campaign to gain his seat for police chief.”

I am rendered speechless yet again. After another minute or two, I ask, “But you caught Harlan?”

“Yes, but in order to give our omega the retribution she deserves, we had to keep news of your kidnapping and rescue out of the press. The world doesn’t know that we have the asshole stashed in Wren’s boat house on the other side of the city, and it’s going to say that way. When you dole out your punishment however you see fit, we will dispose of him. Permanently.” Caito explains, and I blink up at him.

“You… you have Harlan… in a boat house? For me?”

Wren shoulders Caito out of the way so he can reach over and brush his knuckles against my cheek. When he smiles at me, it makes my heart skip a beat. “Yes, Sweetheart. The honor of doling out his punishment is yours and yours alone.”

Fuck, now I feel like crying all over again.

I don’t get to, however, because then a knock sounds at the still open door, and we all look over to see an older woman in a fancy white doctor’s coat standing there. She has a clipboard in her hands, and when the alphas part to give her a glimpse of me, she smiles when she spots me awake.

“It’s a relief to see you awake, Scarlett. My name is Dr. Memphis and I’ve been overseeing your care since your admittance. I had a feeling it wouldn’t be much longer before you opened your eyes again. How are you feeling?” She moves into the room, but she stays several feet away from the four massive alphas guarding me like dragons with their treasure.

Smart woman.

At her question, I frown, looking down at myself. It takes me several minutes to assess the condition of my body to give her an accurate response. “I feel tired. A little sore.” I couldn’t see much of my body aside from my arms with the blankets covering me from mid-waist down. “Do I have a cast on my leg?”

She nods. “You had a pretty severe fracture in your right fibula. It’s going to take several weeks before we can remove the hard cast, and you might end up needing some physical therapy to help with walking afterwards, though I hear you have all the help you’ll need in that department.” Her eyes twinkle when they land on Lark, and my alpha puffs up his chest with pride.

“What about… about the baby…” It’s hard for me to ask. I don’t know exactly how much the damage to my body would have affected my pregnancy. I hadn’t bled or anything after each of Harlan’slessons, but that didn’t mean anything. I’ve been unconscious for five days. My hand folds over my stomach as I meet the doctor’s eyes.

Her features soften with her smile. “The blood work we performed yesterday indicate that your HCG levels are still rising, but we can get an ultrasound tech in here to give you a scan just to check things out. Dr. Reagan has been in contact with us since you were admitted, so she is aware of the tests we’ve been doing on your blood draws daily. She doesn’t believe you are at risk of miscarriage as long as you can stay on bed rest for the next eight weeks minimum.”

Relief floods through me at the news, and the tears start leaking from my eyes again. I can’t help it. All four alphas start purring, stroking me with their hands and fingers again just to let me know they are there. “Yes, please, to the ultrasound. As soon as possible.” I manage to get out between sobs, and she nods, reaching into her pocket to pull out her phone.

“I’ll get the order sent down to the lab to send up the technician. In the meantime, is there anything I can do for you? I anticipate being able to release you into the care of your alphas at home within the next two to three days. Other than the fracture to your leg and some bruising and abrasions, you are doing well.” I am thankful that she doesn’t mention the cause of said bruising and abrasions.

“Thank you, doctor. I’m doing fine. I think I just need some more rest.” I can feel my eyelids already starting to grow heavy with the thought.

She doesn’t approach, but she keeps that smile pasted on her face and dips her chin. “You get some rest, my dear. It’ll probably be another hour or so before we can get an ultrasound technician up here to do the scan. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to use that call button or send your alphas in search of me.”

With those parting words, she slips back out of the room, shutting the door softly behind her. Apollo’s lips brush the knuckles of the hand he’s still holding. “Rest, my love. We aren’t going anywhere.”

He doesn’t need to tell me twice. I drift back off, surrounded by the scents of my alphas and the comfort of their combined purrs.

This must be what freedom truly feels like.

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