When Day Breaks

by Maya Banks

  flashbang. Eden will be disoriented but she’s likely already so from the drugs,” Swanny said in a grim tone.

  “Nathan and I will take the front,” Joe said from the driver’s seat. “You and Hancock go in the back. Sky and Edge will cover front and back just in case she gets by you.”

  “Like hell she’s getting by me,” Swanny vowed.

  Hancock nodded his agreement, almost looking insulted by the idea that anyone would get by him.

  Ten of the longest minutes of his life later they pulled to a stop three houses down from the one that signaled Eden’s presence.

  They piled out, quickly spreading out, guns up. Joe motioned for Nathan and then gave a hand signal for Edge and Skylar to each take an exit while Swanny and Hancock broke into a run, quickly clearing one of the iron fences between a neighboring house and the back of the house where Eden was being held captive.

  The door was locked, but Swanny quickly jimmied the lock and pushed the door quietly inward, stepping lightly and soundlessly across the floor. Hancock followed closely behind, a pistol in one hand and an assault rifle cradled in his other arm, the strap wrapped around his arm to anchor it in a shooting position.

  They froze just at the stairway to the basement when they heard a chilling scream shatter the silence.

  Relief and rage vied for top reaction to Eden’s shriek of pain. Relief that she was alive, and rage that the crazy bitch was cutting her up piece by piece.

  Swanny and Hancock crept down the stairs, only pausing when they heard a slight noise above them. Swanny swiveled, gun up, but then relaxed when he saw Nathan and Joe following them down.

  Satisfied that they had backup, Swanny resumed his quiet descent. He stopped when the wall cut away, giving a way to see inside the basement. He didn’t want the woman to have a clue anyone was here. He needed to get a bead on Eden and her captor so they could attack strategically.

  Moving inch by careful inch, each one seemingly taking hours, Swanny peeked around the edge of the wall and into the dimly lit basement area.

  He caught his breath when he saw Eden tied to the chair she’d been bound to in the video. Her head was drooping, blood sliding down her face from multiple cuts. Her tormentor had her back to Swanny and his team, and her laughter filled the room.

  “One more video, I think,” she said in a smug tone. “Something to give your father to remember you by. Then I’ll slice you open and let you bleed out and film the entire thing. Your father will pay for all he’s done. For taking my mother’s life. My father’s life. For taking my life from me for so many years.”

  Eden lifted her head sluggishly, her unfocused gaze on the woman. Her lips curled and she gave the woman a look of pure hatred and distaste. It was obvious to Swanny she was in shock and likely still sluggish from the drugs. But it was what she did next that surprised the hell out of Swanny and filled him with pride even amid his rage and fear for her.

  “Go fuck yourself,” Eden croaked.

  Swanny made the go signal before the woman could retaliate. In her anger she might well kill Eden on the spot.

  Swanny lobbed a flashbang so it landed right beside Eden’s chair and ducked briefly behind the wall so he and his teammates wouldn’t suffer the effects.

  The room exploded with sound and two different sets of cries went up as Swanny rushed in, Hancock and the others hot on his heels. The woman was on her knees holding her head but she still reached blindly for her gun, lifting it in Eden’s direction.

  Swanny didn’t hesitate. He put a bullet into the back of her head, crumpling her the rest of the way to the floor. Then he rushed over to where Eden was tied to the chair, tears that had nothing to do with the explosion burning a trail down his cheeks.

  He ripped off his shirt and placed it to her face to stop the flow of blood covering her cheeks and forehead. Hancock dropped behind her and quickly sliced through the rope securing Eden to the chair.

  She immediately sagged forward and Swanny caught her in his arms, swinging her upward, cradling her securely.

  “Eden! Eden, honey, talk to me, please. Can you say anything? Are you hurt anywhere else?”

  She blinked, confusion furrowing her brow. For a moment her gaze locked with his and relief swamped her eyes before going glossy with tears. It ripped his heart right out of his chest to see her so fragile and vulnerable. He pressed his lips to her forehead, uncaring of the blood that smeared his own face.

  “Swanny,” she whispered, her voice hoarse from her screaming.

  “Yes, baby. It’s me. I’ve got you now. You’re safe. No one can hurt you now.”

  “L-love y-you.”

  He lost the battle and broken sobs welled in his throat. “I love you too, honey. God, I thought I’d lost you. I thought I’d lost you. I couldn’t bear it.”

  She closed her eyes, pain contorting her features.

  “Stay with me, Eden,” Swanny said as he turned to take her up the stairs. “Stay with me, baby. I’ll get you to the hospital. Everything will be all right. I swear it on my life.”

  “S-stay with m-me.”

  Her voice was so faint he had to strain to hear her. He kissed her hair, just wanting to touch her, reassure himself that she was alive and in his arms as he made quick work of the stairs.

  “I’ll never leave you,” he vowed.

  CHAPTER 36

  SWANNY charged into the hospital in central Paris, cradling Eden in his arms. She hadn’t regained consciousness since she’d told him she loved him, and that worried the hell out of him. Who knew what else she’d been subjected to? And he hadn’t been able to bring himself to let her go from his arms long enough to assess the rest of her body to see if there were additional injuries.

  His heart was bleeding for Eden. He was so overcome with grief and guilt that he could barely maintain his composure. But he had to be strong for Eden. Had to make sure she got the care she so desperately needed. No matter what it took. He’d hit his retirement and investments to pay the cost if that was what he had to do.

  He was met by a startled nurse and, thank God, Edge was with him since the nurse didn’t speak a word of English.

  “I want the best possible care for her,” Swanny said, an edge of steel lacing his voice. “And I want the very best plastic surgeon called in to repair the damage to her face. I won’t accept anything less.”

  There was an instant flurry of conversation between Edge and the nurse and then the nurse’s eyes widened, and she immediately got on the phone and spoke rapidly into the receiver.

  “What the hell did you tell her?” Swanny demanded.

  And why the hell hadn’t they taken her back yet? She needed immediate medical attention. She needed X-rays and a complete head-to-toe examination to ensure that all injuries were accounted for. He prayed with everything he had that her only serious injuries were to her face, but he had no way of knowing exactly all she’d been subjected to, and that gutted him. He wanted a report. Wanted to ease his mind, even though his worry over those cuts was overriding all else. But as long as she lived—as long as there were no serious, life-threatening injuries—he could deal. Because no matter how she looked, he loved her. Her. Not her stunning beauty or the professional face known to so many. He loved who and what she was. The heart of her. He didn’t give one fuck about scars, but he refused to allow her to endure that kind of pain, a constant reminder of her nightmare for the rest of her life. He knew all too well how that felt, and if it was within his power, he’d make damn sure Eden never had to suffer that.

  “I simply explained who Eden was and that it wouldn’t do for her not to have the absolute best plastic surgeon in the region. She’s on the phone now calling in the top doctor in the plastic surgery field to see if he can come in immediately.”

  After a few more moments, the nurse hung up and rushed around to where Swanny stood with Eden. Then she spoke rapidly to Edge, glancing at Swanny as she talked.

  “What?” Swanny demanded. He hated this language barrier
. He wanted to know exactly what was going on with Eden.

  “She wants to know your relationship to Eden and whether you have authorization to grant permission for surgical procedures.”

  “You tell her I’m her goddamn husband and I’ll be the only person authorized to grant permission for medical procedures and I want to know exactly what’s going on every step of the way.”

  Edge relayed Swanny’s response, and the nurse looked appeased by the explanation. Then she gestured for Swanny to follow her back. Knowing he’d need Edge, despite his desire to have Eden to himself, he motioned for Edge to come as well.

  The nurse hurriedly ushered her into a private cubicle and then explained to Edge that while they waited for the plastic surgeon they would do a complete medical examination including X-rays and that they would prep and clean her wounds on her face so that when the surgeon arrived they could take her straight back to surgery.

  “Just let her know I’m not budging,” Swanny said stubbornly. “Tell her not to even bother trying to throw me out because I’ll tear this damn hospital down to get to where she is.”

  A smile hovered on Edge’s lips as he translated Swanny’s threat. The nurse’s eyes widened and she took a hasty step back as if Swanny’s tone and expression had thoroughly intimidated her. But she nodded her agreement and instructed him to lay Eden on the stretcher.

  Swanny was reluctant to leave her even for a moment, but he grudgingly arranged her on the bed and took a step back so the medical staff could do their job. But he made sure he remained close and kept Edge in the room to translate because he didn’t want to miss a single word.

  He stood, arms crossed, his gaze never leaving Eden as the medical personnel scurried back and forth, performing their examination. Swanny’s rage only increased as they removed her clothing and he saw extensive bruising to her rib cage and kidney area.

  He curled his fingers into tight fists, tension bristling in tangible waves. His edgy mood bled over to the medical staff and they made certain to keep Edge in the loop over every discovery and the fact that they’d be bringing in a portable X-ray so they didn’t have to move her from her current position.

  Swanny nodded his approval, but his expression stayed grim. He kept checking his watch, waiting for the damn surgeon to arrive. He didn’t want Eden waking up and seeing her face this way, even though she’d see the bandaging. She’d know they—the cuts—were there. But he’d be damned before he ever let her suffer as he had, nor did he want her to carry permanent memories of such a horrific experience. He didn’t give a flying fuck that legally he had no right to be making medical decisions on her behalf, but he’d fight anyone who opposed his decisions.

  At one point she seemed to stir and Swanny immediately snapped to attention. He barked an order for Edge to relay to the nursing staff. He wanted her sedated until she went to surgery. No way in hell did he want her to wake up to the horror of what had happened to her. Not until Swanny could be certain she had received the absolute best care and that the cuts to her face were fixed and would heal flawlessly.

  An hour later, a physician bustled in wearing street clothes. He went immediately to Eden’s bedside and removed the loose dressings on her face. He studied extensively, muttering to himself as he completed his examination.

  Swanny was fidgeting with impatience, waiting for the surgeon to tell him anything. More importantly, if the damage could be undone.

  Finally he turned to face Edge and Swanny. To Swanny’s relief he spoke flawless English.

  “We are fortunate in that the cuts to Miss Sinclair’s face aren’t deep. I don’t believe there will be any tissue damage. The cuts are very precise, not jagged. It’s my opinion a scalpel was used to inflict the cuts, which certainly makes my job easier.”

  “Thank God,” Swanny whispered.

  “They’ll prep her for surgery and I’ll go get scrubbed down and change and be waiting in surgery for her to arrive. Expect them to move her within the hour, and of course we’ll keep her comfortable throughout the entire process.”

  Swanny extended a shaking hand to the doctor. “I appreciate this. Thank you for coming so soon. This means the world to me.”

  “It’s no problem. I’m well aware of who Miss Sinclair is and she’s graced the covers of so many magazines. I will make it my utmost priority—and pleasure—to ensure that no permanent scarring remains. I’m very good at what I do,” the doctor said in a serious tone. “I have no reason to believe that the surgery won’t be one hundred percent successful. She’ll need time to recover, of course. She won’t be back to work immediately, and she’ll likely need additional procedures. It won’t happen overnight, but in my professional opinion the damage can be corrected.”

  “She won’t be lifting a finger,” Swanny said gruffly. “And she won’t be facing those additional procedures alone. I’ll ensure she has everything she could possibly need or want at her disposal.”

  The surgeon hurried out and in a matter of moments the nursing staff came back in and began the task of prepping her for surgery. After a few minutes, one of the nurses turned regretfully to Edge, though she included Swanny in her gaze.

  “We’ll take her to the OR to finish prepping her. We have to make sure we’re in a sterile environment. I know it’s hard not to be able to see her or be with her, but I promise she’s in the best of hands. If you’ll wait in the surgery waiting room on the second floor, we’ll update you periodically, and then when she’s brought to recovery you’ll be able to see her.”

  Swanny let out a strangled breath, fear and relief swamping him. What if the surgery wasn’t a success? Eden wasn’t a vain woman in the least. But there was no way in hell he wanted her to suffer as he had done with his facial scarring. Her face and body were her career, and he had no desire for her to be forced to retire early. He wanted her to have choices, even if those choices forced her in a different direction than him.

  “Come on, man,” Edge said quietly, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go find the others and hit the waiting room. If I had to guess, Eddie and her brothers are already in the air flying over. They’re going to want to know everything.”

  Swanny nodded and reluctantly allowed himself to be led from Eden’s room. They went into the emergency department waiting room where the others were sitting. Hancock surged to his feet, worry etched into every groove on his face.

  Before anyone could ask, Swanny quickly relayed the situation to them all. Hancock swore and pounded his fist on one of the chairs in front of him.

  “This is my fault,” he said furiously. “I took out the wrong person.”

  “None of us were looking for the sister,” Joe said quietly. “We’d been told both mother and daughter had perished in the mission Eddie headed that went all to hell. It only made sense to focus on the brother after the threat Eddie received. We all carry part of the blame for not finding this out until it was too late. We accepted Eddie’s word since it had happened years ago, and we should have thoroughly researched the entire situation and broadened our scope beyond the son.”

  But no matter who was taking the blame, Swanny knew in his heart that he and only he was responsible for Eden’s kidnapping and subsequent torture. He never should have left her. He should have insisted on being with her the entire time. The kidnapper posing as the maid would have never made it through the door of Eden’s suite if Swanny had been there.

  It was a regret he’d live with for the rest of his life.

  CHAPTER 37

  THE hours stretched, seemingly days. Each minute ticked by with agonizing slowness. Swanny was unable to sit. He paced the small confines of the surgery waiting room while Hancock and the rest of his team sat on the sofas and chairs, their expressions somber.

  They didn’t even try to force Swanny to keep his cool or sit down and try to relax. They all knew how he felt about her. They also knew, despite the fact that he hadn’t verbalized it, that he held himself responsible for Eden’s kidnapping and torture.<
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  At one point, as if no longer able to contain herself, Skylar rose and went over to Swanny. To his surprise, she hugged him fiercely, and he had to lean his head down toward her much shorter frame to hear what she whispered.

  “Try not to worry so much, Swanny. I know you love her, but Eden is strong. She’ll recover from this. You’ve seen the worst in so many situations, but you’ve also seen the close calls with the other wives. KGI hasn’t failed in a mission yet, and we damn sure don’t intend to fail now. We’ve eliminated the threat for real this time. All Eden has to focus on is recovering and getting well, and I know you’ll see that that happens.”

  Swanny managed a half smile and then hugged her back. “Thanks, Sky. I won’t lie. I’m one beat away from completely losing my shit like I did earlier, but it does Eden no good. I could have fucked up and not seen the necklace if I hadn’t calmed down and viewed the video objectively. And then she’d still be in that bitch’s grasp, likely dead by now. I can’t get that image out of my head no matter what I do. Bursting in and seeing Eden so bloody and defeated. I’m not sure I’ll ever get over that. Especially knowing it was my fault.”

  An angry glint entered Skylar’s eyes. “The fuck it was your fault. Swanny, this was no one’s fault. We got bad intel and we acted on it. And because of you we were able to locate Eden before it was too late. Remember that and forget the rest.”

  “Appreciate it,” he said in a choked voice.

  He couldn’t say any more because he hadn’t lied to Skylar. He was precariously close to losing control. The longer they sat—or rather stood—waiting, the more fear and worry knotted his insides.

  His thoughts were interrupted when Eddie, Raid and Ryker burst into the waiting room, Eddie’s eyes wild. He looked about ten years older. Exhaustion ringed his eyes and his hands were shaking.

  “How is she? Where is she?” Eddie demanded. “I want to see her immediately.”

  Hancock stood, placing himself between Eddie and his sons and Swanny and the rest of the team.

  “This was my fault,” Hancock said in a low voice. “I took out the wrong man. The daughter you thought had died in cross fire survived. She’s the one who has been stalking Eden and trying to take her out.”

  “That’s who was on the video?” Eddie asked hoarsely. “She didn’t say anything, though she sent a message afterward taunting me. Telling me that justice would finally be served, but I had no idea. I mean I thought maybe it was some crazy stalker who’d become obsessed with Eden. Goddamn it. I never even thought to focus on anyone except the son. Nothing else made sense!”

  “Don’t beat yourself up over it,” Hancock said. “We all share responsibility in not protecting Eden as well as we should have.”

  “Where is she?” Raid asked bluntly.

  At that Swanny stepped forward, no longer willing for Hancock to take the lead with Eden’s family.

  “She’s in surgery,” Swanny explained. “A plastic surgeon—the best—was called in to repair the cuts to her face so there’ll be no permanent scarring. She had other injuries but nothing serious. They took X-rays and did a thorough exam. She took a beating but nothing is broken. The only issue is the cuts on her face, and the surgeon assured me that he could start the process of returning her face to its normal appearance.”

  “And who the hell authorized all this?” Ryker demanded.

  “I did,” Swanny said calmly, bracing himself for the fallout that would likely ensue.

  Eddie and Raid gave him puzzled looks before Eddie finally found his voice again.

  “Why was I not consulted? I’m her family. I should have at least been kept in the loop, and I damn sure should have been the person to grant permission for any treatment or surgery. What the hell do you even know about this surgeon? Did you research him?”

  Swanny held up a hand, his harsh expression stopping the tirade in its tracks.

  “I love your daughter, Mr. Sinclair.”

  He included Eden’s brothers in his gaze as it swept over Eden’s family.

  “And she loves me.”

  At that, shock registered in her family’s eyes. Eddie’s lips parted as though he were about to say something, but Swanny ruthlessly continued on. He wanted to draw the line in the sand right here and now just in case Eddie got any ideas of taking over and leaving Swanny out. Like hell that was going to happen.

  “I made the decisions. I told the staff I was her husband. I may not be right now, but I certainly plan to be if Eden will have me.”

  He fingered his scar, purposely drawing attention to it, something he would have never done in the past.

  “You see this? Is this what you really want for your daughter? Your sister? There is no way in hell I’ll ever put her through having her face permanently carved up and scarred. Her career is important to her, and I’d never do anything to take her choices away. It’ll be up to her what she wants to do afterward but by God, she’ll have choices.”

  There was grudging acceptance in Eddie’s and his sons’ eyes.

  “How long has she been in, and do you know when she’ll be out?” Ryker interjected.

  Swanny sighed, frustrated because it had already been hours. And there was still yet another issue he had to address.

  “They came out half an hour ago and said she was still in surgery but doing well. The surgeon is taking his time and being extremely careful to ensure there will be no permanent scarring. After she’s taken to recovery, someone can go back to see her. And just so you know, that person’s going to be me.”

  He stared down Eden’s family unflinchingly, as if he dared them to argue.

  “When she’s moved to a room you’ll all be able to see her,” he said.

  Eddie looked like he wanted to argue. There was obvious conflict in his eyes