Page 139
Story: Retribution
He sighs. “Of course you are.” A wry smile touches his lips.
“It’s fewer resources if we only need to have guards for a single room.” Dai Qing moves to Zahir’s shoulder.
He raises an eyebrow at her and gives a small shake of his head. “You too?”
“She’s been through a lot, sir.” She adds, “And he did shoot his brother in an effort to protect her.”
Zahir sighs. “Get it done. I’ll see you both at Quantico when you’re well enough to travel, Kimi. Physically and mentally.” He points a finger at me before heading to the door.
Dai Qing waves Fiona over, and the two of them unlock my wheels and manage to take my equipment with me as well as rolling the bed. It’s impressive. My heartbeat accelerates as we glide along the hall. I don’t know what I’m going to find in Lorcan’s room. He’s well enough to talk to Zahir and order Fiona to come check on me. But Dai Qing also said he was lucky to be alive.
When we enter the room, his eyes snap open. One side of his lips quirks up in the way that makes my heart race for a different reason. The sight of him alive with a touch of humor in his eyes eases my soul.
“Right here,” he says to Fiona, motioning to the far side of his bed. “Make it as though it’s a big bed.”
She hesitates and glances at the door. “Sir, you’ve been severely injured, and I’m not sure—”
“If that sounded like a suggestion, I apologize.” He glances at me, and the humor is gone. “We almost died. I don’t give a shit how injured we are. We’re still here. Put the fucking bed right next to mine.”
“Yes, sir,” she mutters as she lowers a bedrail, pushes the beds together, and locks the wheels. She scurries out of the room while Lorcan and I watch her retreat in silence.
“I’m glad you’re okay.” I grasp his hand.
He searches my face, his expression difficult to read. “And I’m glad you are too.”
“You’re angry with me.”
“You’re fucking right I am.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why didn’t you wake me? Tell me anything?”
I swallow the lump lodged in my throat. “They’re dead. My whole family. And…” I hold back the tears threatening to fall. “The idea you could be injured or killed, or you might have to kill Finn and never forgive me. I couldn’t. It wasn’t a risk I could take.”
“You went there alone.”
I shake my head. “I wasn’t, though. The FBI was coming. I had to wait it out.”
“So why didn’t you?”
“Because you went storming in there. I didn’t want him hurting you to flush me out.”
Lorcan stares at the ceiling for a moment before letting his head fall toward me. “We need to work on our communication. Dying while trying to save each other’s arses isn’t romantic in real life. It fucking hurts.”
A laugh escapes me, and his lips rise, revealing the dimple I love.
“My prize,” he murmurs, and I trace his cheek.
“What do we do now?” I whisper.
“Zahir’s given me a few options. Maybe you and I will try talking those out for once.” He winks at me. “Not all of them send me to jail, but I doubt you’ll like some of them, regardless.”
“Where do you think Finn’s gone?”
Lorcan’s smile fades. “I don’t know. Wherever he is, I’m sure he’s a hurting unit. I got off more than one shot.”
A brief surge of satisfaction floods my chest. I realize shooting his brother wasn’t easy for Lorcan, and carrying around this residual anger at Finn and the rest of the Donaghey organization isn’t going to help me or Lorcan in the long run. Even if Finn is out there dead somewhere, it wouldn’t make me happy. No matter how much I’ve wanted to hate him, there’s a part of me that understands the rage driving him. I’ve felt it for years.
“It’s fewer resources if we only need to have guards for a single room.” Dai Qing moves to Zahir’s shoulder.
He raises an eyebrow at her and gives a small shake of his head. “You too?”
“She’s been through a lot, sir.” She adds, “And he did shoot his brother in an effort to protect her.”
Zahir sighs. “Get it done. I’ll see you both at Quantico when you’re well enough to travel, Kimi. Physically and mentally.” He points a finger at me before heading to the door.
Dai Qing waves Fiona over, and the two of them unlock my wheels and manage to take my equipment with me as well as rolling the bed. It’s impressive. My heartbeat accelerates as we glide along the hall. I don’t know what I’m going to find in Lorcan’s room. He’s well enough to talk to Zahir and order Fiona to come check on me. But Dai Qing also said he was lucky to be alive.
When we enter the room, his eyes snap open. One side of his lips quirks up in the way that makes my heart race for a different reason. The sight of him alive with a touch of humor in his eyes eases my soul.
“Right here,” he says to Fiona, motioning to the far side of his bed. “Make it as though it’s a big bed.”
She hesitates and glances at the door. “Sir, you’ve been severely injured, and I’m not sure—”
“If that sounded like a suggestion, I apologize.” He glances at me, and the humor is gone. “We almost died. I don’t give a shit how injured we are. We’re still here. Put the fucking bed right next to mine.”
“Yes, sir,” she mutters as she lowers a bedrail, pushes the beds together, and locks the wheels. She scurries out of the room while Lorcan and I watch her retreat in silence.
“I’m glad you’re okay.” I grasp his hand.
He searches my face, his expression difficult to read. “And I’m glad you are too.”
“You’re angry with me.”
“You’re fucking right I am.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why didn’t you wake me? Tell me anything?”
I swallow the lump lodged in my throat. “They’re dead. My whole family. And…” I hold back the tears threatening to fall. “The idea you could be injured or killed, or you might have to kill Finn and never forgive me. I couldn’t. It wasn’t a risk I could take.”
“You went there alone.”
I shake my head. “I wasn’t, though. The FBI was coming. I had to wait it out.”
“So why didn’t you?”
“Because you went storming in there. I didn’t want him hurting you to flush me out.”
Lorcan stares at the ceiling for a moment before letting his head fall toward me. “We need to work on our communication. Dying while trying to save each other’s arses isn’t romantic in real life. It fucking hurts.”
A laugh escapes me, and his lips rise, revealing the dimple I love.
“My prize,” he murmurs, and I trace his cheek.
“What do we do now?” I whisper.
“Zahir’s given me a few options. Maybe you and I will try talking those out for once.” He winks at me. “Not all of them send me to jail, but I doubt you’ll like some of them, regardless.”
“Where do you think Finn’s gone?”
Lorcan’s smile fades. “I don’t know. Wherever he is, I’m sure he’s a hurting unit. I got off more than one shot.”
A brief surge of satisfaction floods my chest. I realize shooting his brother wasn’t easy for Lorcan, and carrying around this residual anger at Finn and the rest of the Donaghey organization isn’t going to help me or Lorcan in the long run. Even if Finn is out there dead somewhere, it wouldn’t make me happy. No matter how much I’ve wanted to hate him, there’s a part of me that understands the rage driving him. I’ve felt it for years.
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