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Though Kelly had gotten her eyes from her father, she’d gotten most everything else from her mom. Erin had the same wild, curly red hair. The same round face and short stature. Something in me was tempted to pull her into my chest the way I had to Kelly a couple nights ago. Instead, I patted her back like an awkward motherfucker.
“What’s he doing here?”
I peered up from Erin to find Kelly pressed against the headboard, as if she could climb through it and the wall behind it to escape the room. Even from where I stood near the door, I could see the tremble of her chin, the wild look in her blue-green eyes.
It gutted me.
Made me want to drop to my knees and plead for forgiveness.
“Kelly.” Donovan’s voice was a hair harsher than calm. “Your mom and I asked Lee to stop by so we could meet. He…”
“Sweetheart,” Erin tried, that calm pulsing off her in waves as she reached for her daughter’s hand. When Kelly jerked it away before she could touch her, she sighed. “He saved you. If it hadn't been for him…”
“I can go.” My mouth felt like it was caked in sand. Like someone had taken the handle of a broom and shoved the coarse grains down my throat. I took a step back, lifted a heavy hand toward the door. Then took another step.
“Don’t.”
Don’t leave me.
Her plea tightened my chest, wrapped around my throat, cutting off my breath. I paused, my raised foot hovering over the floor.
“You don’t… have to.” She wouldn’t look my way, and fuck, if I couldn’t blame her.
Not sure I wanted to be in a room with myself either, after what I’d failed to stop.
Erin reached for her again, this time making contact. Kelly jerked back so hard, I thought the bed would break.
“Don’t.” Her voice shook, her plea shifting. It didn’t sound the same. “Please, don’t touch me.”
“Kelly—”
“It’s alright.” I squeezed my eyes closed. Nothin’s fuckin’ alright! I swallowed hard and locked eyes with her. “You’re safe.”
I edged forward, and she watched me with more caution than I’d seen even in the depths of war. Gripping the footboard, I wrapped my fingers around the plastic bar.
“You’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Anything else, a voice in my head screamed, rattling my sleep-addled brain.
A barely discernible nod was all the acknowledgement I received. Donovan gestured to the bench at the side of the room that coupled as a guest bed. It groaned under my weight, though no one commented as Erin took a seat on the other end, Donovan sitting on the chair beside the bed.
“I can’t tell you what it means to us, that you—”
“Mom!” Kelly snapped. She swept her hair off one shoulder, and it danced around her head like fire. “Can you not?”
“Sweetheart.” Erin gave her back a bit of that fiery glare. “Be nice to our guest.”
She huffed out a breath, her face screwing up like she was about to spit out something rotten. Then, deciding against it, she crossed her arms over her chest and turned her gaze to the other wall.
Erin gave me a tight smile, reaching for my hand on the bench beside me and giving it a squeeze. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
Thank me? After what happened to her? After what I allowed by not getting there on time?
“It’s not necessary,” I choked out, that sand in my throat swelling until I could hardly breathe. “My men and I— Vinny—” I couldn’t keep my eyes off Kelly, and I noticed her flinch with every single word. “We couldn’t just leave them to that fate.”
“Vinny.” Donovan’s voice beside her caused her body to jolt. “He’s Jen’s boyfriend?”
I nodded. “My business colleague, too.” Kelly curled in on herself. It was so slight, I wouldn’t have noticed had I not been watching. “He’s… not well.”
