Page 121 of The Weight Of Falling
“I know.” She stops at the foot of the bed and tries for a smile, but it doesn’t take and her face crumples. Tears track their way down her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I gave myself such a lecture not to cry, but it seems I don’t listen to anyone, not even me.”
“It’s okay,” I tell her softly.
She sniffs and swipes at her tears with the back of her hand. “You shouldn’t be comforting me. That’s not how this works.”
“It’s okay,” I repeat.
Tess’s lips wobble. “I should’ve gone with you to take the delivery. Instead, I stayed to finish my stupid card. I’m so sorry.”
Sofia shakes her head. “Then he would have taken you too. Or worse.”
“Sofia’s right,” I say.
The doctor steps in. Sofia straightens. “Please give us an update, Doctor. When can she go home?”
“The blade was dirty,” the doctor explains, brisk but kind. “We flushed the wounds thoroughly, but we’re keeping her on IV antibiotics to prevent infection. We also want our hand surgeon to examine her in the morning to make sure there’s no tendon or nerve damage. If everything looks good, we’ll talk about sending her home after that.”
After a while, exhaustion rolls over me. I love them both, but the chatter, the closeness, it’s all too much. I need a moment to breathe.
In the next instant, Joel’s voice cuts in, firm but gentle. “Okay, everyone out. Let’s give Kenzie some space.”
They murmur their understanding, kiss my cheek, and slowly file out of the room, promising to return soon.
“I’ve got two security guards outside her room,” Gideon says. “And one of us will be in here with her at all times.”
“Thank you,” Joel says.
“We’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe,” Aaron murmurs. “We didn’t do enough last time. We’re not making that same mistake again.”
“What about Owen?” Joel asks. “He wasn’t happy we took this into our own hands.”
“We turned over everything,” Aaron says. “Gideon’s hunting rifle had a scope-mounted GoPro, and it shows Eddie with a knife at Kenzie’s throat. Owen knows Gideon had no choice but to shoot.”
“What about Roy Bellings?” Gideon asks after a moment. “Will this stop him?”
“No,” Joel says. “He’ll need time to regroup, because this didn’t go the way he wanted, but he’ll send someone else.” I can hear the tightness at the edges of his voice. “He’ll keep coming after Kenzie because he knows hurting her will hurt me.”
“She’ll have security twenty-four-seven,” Aaron says. “Although she’ll hate living like that.”
“She has no choice,” Joel says bleakly. “We have no choice.”
There’s a long pause, then someone...Gideon? I can’t be sure...says, “What if I gave you a choice?”
“What do you mean?” Joel asks.
“It’s time to end this, Joel,” Gideon says quietly. “No more playing defense. We saw where that got us. Give me the go-ahead, and I’ll solve your problem.”
A long silence. “How?”
“Don’t ask how,” Aaron says in a low voice. “It’s better if you don’t know.”
“Do it,” Joel says at last. “Do whatever it takes to make sure that man never hurts anyone I love ever again.”
A whimper escapes.
Joel is instantly at my side. “What’s wrong?”
“I keep seeing his face every time I close my eyes,” I whisper, my breathing coming too fast and shallow.
