Page 65 of Stolen Salvation

“It’s more than that. You’re a wonder, my darling.”

Bishop moved aside as Mark wrapped his wife in his arms and kissed her head. Mark might be biased but he wasn’t wrong, and he’d be eternally grateful she’d been the one there to save his wife when she needed it.

“Can I see her?”

“They’re taking her up to the ICU and once she’s settled you can go and see her. But might I suggest a quick shower first before you scare the staff?”

Bishop looked down at himself and the blood covering his clothes and blanched knowing it was Charlie’s. “Yeah. Good plan.”

Twenty minutes later, showered and clean, he was led toward the ICU where Charlie was being cared for. He hesitated outside, fearful of going in and seeing her, but he pushed through. His knees almost buckled, but he locked his knees and forced himself inside.

She was lying in a big bed with IVs in her arm, monitors strapped to her chest, and a drain wrapped bandage over her head. Her skin was pale, almost grey but as he glanced at the monitor he saw her BP and pulse looked good.

Taking her hand he sat beside her and hated how cold she was, her fingers on her uninjured hand cool to touch. “Hey, baby, it’s me, Noah. I’m not sure if you can hear me, but I love you and I need you to know that the baby is fine. A baby, Charl. That’s some secret you kept, but then I guess it wasn’t for long.”

He fell silent as the nurses came and checked on her, doing fifteen-minute observations.

“Talk to her. It’s good for them to hear you.”

Bishop glanced up to see a slim nurse with short curly hair smiling kindly at him as she adjusted Charlie’s IV.

He sat like that all day, not leaving her side as he talked and told her of all the things he wanted to do with her, how much he loved her, and how much trouble she was in for risking her life for him.

As the day wore on, his friends brought food which he dismissed but the coffee was welcome. Around six pm Andrea poked her head in, and he beckoned her forward.

Warily she walked toward him, her hands in constant nervous movement.

“Hey, sis.”

“Hi, Noah.”

She looked nervous and he wasn’t sure if that was from the trauma she’d been through or fear. “Here, sit.” He dragged a chair up beside his and motioned her to sit noting how thin she was.

“Is she going to be okay?” She sounded every one of her twenty-one years as her small voice asked the question.

“I hope so. I believe if anyone can get shot in the noggin and make it, it’s our Charlie.”

A sob tore his gaze from his wife’s gently moving chest.

Andrea seemed to mentally collapse in front of him.

“Hey.”

“This is all my fault.”

Wrapping his arm around her he pulled her head to his chest. “No, this isn’t your fault. You did the right thing reaching out to Charlie. She loves you and she’s your big sister.”

“But if I hadn’t got involved with Carter, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Maybe but if you hadn’t done that and reached out to Charlie, all those women would still be prisoners. You helped save them, Andrea.”

She cried harder and he held her for a beat. “Talk to Charlie, let her know you’re okay. She was so worried about you. She loves you so much.”

Sniffing loudly, Andrea wiped her tears on the sleeve of her blue top, looking so young. He wanted to round up every fucker who was involved in this and annihilate them.

The next several days were a constant stream of revolving people keeping him fed and caffeinated. Several nagged him to go to the safe house and shower or sleep, but he wouldn’t leave her. Andrea came in and sat with him a few hours each day, but she was healing too, and he knew from Lotus she was getting help from a therapist to deal with her trauma.

Eidolon and Fortis had gone home but they’d handled the clean-up and the nursery, as one of the doctors arrested on site had called it.