Page 61 of Murder & Mayhem
A basement I couldn’t wait to get down to so I could get my hands on that slimy fucker.
“And the guy Bailey thought he killed?” I whispered, to not bring attention to us.
“Dead. But we took care of it. Nothing will fall on him.”
I met the older man’s eyes. “Thank you.” I meant that sincerely. They had gone way beyond what I’d expected when Ari had called them in. And yeah, they had their own interest in it with their son being connected somehow, but they didn’t have to help us the way they had, and I wanted him to know I appreciated it.
Luca squeezed my shoulder and stood. “Well, I better call said agent and give him an update. I promised.” Before he left, he added, “The other kids will be okay by the way. They were all a little bruised, dehydrated, and one of the younger ones had a mild case of hypothermia, but they’re more or less unharmed. The agents are working on finding the families of the ones who have them and contacting them, and getting emergency placement for the ones that don’t.” I said my thanks again for the update, and then Luca walked away, leaving me alone with Gid again. I hoped someone had told Bailey. I knew he was worried about the others.
“What are we doing about the present in the basement?” Gid asked, talking about O’Malley once Luca had left the wing.
“Jamie wants to give him to the Wraiths.”
“And you’re going to honor his wishes? I’m shocked.” I glared at the asshole.
“Shut up. I know I’ve been a fucking dick. I don’t want to be. I’m all messed up, man.”
Gideon’s expression softened. “I know. And no matter what you decide, I got your back. Even when you’re being a dick.”
I laughed and rested my head on his shoulder. I was so lucky to have him and Ari at my side.
“I love you, Gid.”
“Love you too, Nicky.”
It was quiet for a while as Gideon and I both stayed busy on our phones. Ari and Diego were working tirelessly on their end, handling things and making sure nothing traced back to us. Gideon wouldn’t even let me take Jamie into the hospital because I’d been covered in blood. I’d been pissed, but I’d finally seen reason. He’d brought the brothers in, and I’d quickly changed into a spare set of clothes we always kept in the back and scrubbed myself as clean as I could manage with bottled water and baby wipes. It wasn’t perfect, there was still blood on my hands, but I didn’t look like I was in a horror movie anymore. And none of it was mine. It had been sheer luck that O’Malley had survived—because I’d snapped.
The doctor finally came out. “Sorry for the wait. Considering the circumstances, we wanted a chance to talk to both Mr. Sullivans to determine their safety before we allowed anyone in the room with them, and Jameson Sullivan was in and out of consciousness for a while and couldn’t form logical sentences.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat as I stood up, Gid right behind me. My palms felt sweaty, and I wiped them against my pants. “Is he okay? Can we see him now?”
The doctor eyed me skeptically. “Are you Dominic?”
“Yeah.”
“Then yes, Jameson was asking for you. But I ask that only one person at a time goes into the room. Mr. Sullivan experienced a serious concussion and is still a little confused. We’re going to keep him overnight.”
Fuck. “But he’ll be okay?”
“Yes. We’ll monitor him, but I don’t believe there will be any lasting damage as long as he follows concussion protocol after he leaves. We’ll know more tomorrow.”
Gideon’s arm brushed against mine in moral support. “Good. That’s good, right?”
“Considering his brother told us he was hit in the temple with the butt of a gun, yes, this is best-case scenario.”
I wished I’d smashed that fucker’s face in even more than I had.
“And Bailey?” Gid thought to ask.
“He’s thankfully okay, considering everything he’s gone through. He has some bad bruising on his face that I’d like to monitor, but no concussion. More bruising on his ribs, but none are broken. He’s dehydrated, like the others who came in, and he’s currently on an IV. We’re also keeping him overnight, but that’s mainly a precaution and because he wouldn’t leave his brother.”
We spoke for another minute, and then the doctor led me to the room. “Keep your voice low, no overhead lights, and if he gets agitated, you have to leave,” the nurse who was checking Jamie’s vitals warned me as I walked in.
“Got it.”
They had put two beds in here and pushed them together, so Bailey and Jamie were close enough to touch. Which they were. Someone must’ve put the bar on the beds down, and they had their hands stretched out and joined.
It was the first time I allowed myself to feel relief. I couldn’t believe how invested I had gotten, but if something seriously bad had happened to Bailey, I didn’t think Jamie would have survived that. And while I was pretty sure I could live without Jamie, I would be irrevocably changed. Gideon and Ari were right. I had a hero complex and I never would have forgiven myself if we hadn’t gotten there in time, even if logically I knew it wouldn’t have been my fault.
