“Riley, listen to me. Eli’s fine. A little shook up, but fine. Raul too – he got out of surgery a half an hour ago and the doctors expect him to make a complete recovery.” She calmed at Dom’s words. “Sam’s dead – he can’t hurt you or anyone else ever again.”
Tears pooled in her eyes and she nodded her head as she tried to catch her breath.
“Miss Sinclair, how are you feeling?” the nurse said as she rushed into the room and began checking Riley’s vitals. Dom stepped out of the way, but Logan didn’t move as Riley’s hand clung to his.
“My head hurts,” she said as she wiped at the tears that leaked from her eyes.
“I’ll check with the doctor to see what we can get for your pain,” she said as she checked the abrasions on Riley’s wrists where the handcuffs had bit into her skin.
“Riley?!” they heard a loud shout from the hall, then Gabe was there and Riley sobbed as he gathered her in his arms. “Oh God, thank you,” he whispered as he clutched her against him.
“Gabe,” Riley cried as her hands clutched his shirt. “I was so scared, Gabe.”
“I know, sweetheart. You’re safe now,” he whispered brokenly as he kissed the top of her head.
“The doctor will be right in,” the nurse said to both of them, but Logan wasn’t sure if they heard her.
Dom took his hand and led him from the room so they could give the couple some privacy. Once they were in the hallway, Logan felt a sob overtake him as the relief that it was finally over sunk in and he felt Dom’s arms go around him.
“It’s over, baby,” he heard Dom whisper.
Logan nodded, but was too overcome with emotion to speak. Between the torment of hearing his sister being verbally tortured while they all had to sit and listen, helpless to stop it, and the sight of Riley unconscious on the cold floor of that shed, he was completely worn out mentally and physically.
“She okay?”
Dom released him and Logan saw Cade striding down the hallway.
“Yeah, she’s awake,” Dom said.
“And the kid?”
“He’s good – they’re going to keep him overnight for observation just to be sure. His mom should be here soon and Vin’s with him now.”
Cade nodded, then smiled in relief. “I’ll go check in on him,” the man said and Logan hid a smile. Cade had acted like he didn’t like the kid, but the guy was a big softie at heart, despite the hard exterior.
Dom must have been thinking the same thing because a whisper of a smile ghosted his lips before he told Cade which room Eli was in.
Cade hurried off and then a doctor was pushing past them and into Riley’s room. They followed and stood near the door as the doctor greeted Riley and Gabe who still clung to one another.
“How are you feeling, Miss Sinclair?” the doctor asked as he pulled up Riley’s chart on the computer next to the bed.
“Better,” she said as she looked up at Gabe.
“Good,” the doctor said and he did a quick exam. He checked the wound at her temple, then the one on her face. “I’m going to put a couple of stitches in this one,” he said as he checked the injury above her eye. “But the other one should be fine without anything – we’ll just keep it covered with some bandages.” He maneuvered around Gabe as he finished his exam, but didn’t ask the man to move.
He went back to the computer and entered a couple of things.
“Everything looks good, but I would like to admit you overnight for observation in case you have a concussion,” he said. “I’m also going to have OB take a look at you, but I don’t expect there to be any problems with the baby.”
Logan froze at that and he felt Dom tense next to him. Gabe and Riley had been stunned into silence as they stared in shock at the doctor. The man seemed oblivious as he typed his notes.
“Baby?” Gabe whispered.
The doctor finally looked up from what he was doing and noticed everyone’s dumbfounded expressions. “Miss Sinclair, you do know you’re pregnant, don’t you?”
Riley couldn’t seem to find any words so she shook her head.
“I’m sorry, I just assumed you knew,” the doctor mumbled. “It’s standard routine to do a pregnancy test on any woman of childbearing years who comes into the ER,” he said.
“I can’t be pregnant,” she said numbly. “I’m on birth control pills.”
“Did you miss any or are you taking any other medications or supplements?”
Riley shook her head, then stopped suddenly. “Yes. A friend at work suggested an herbal supplement for anxiety. We’ve been under a lot of stress that last couple months…” she said, her voice dropping off.
“That’ll do it. It’s rare, but certain herbal supplements can reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives.”
“Oh God,” Riley said. She looked up at Gabe and shook her head. “I’m so sorry, Gabe. I didn’t know,” she cried.
Suddenly Gabe kissed her long and hard. “A baby, Riley,” he whispered in awe. “We’re going to have a baby,” he said as he kissed her again. “I love you so much.”
Gabe held her as she cried against him and then they were both smiling as they finally focused their attention back on the doctor. Logan felt Dom’s hand close over his.
The doctor smiled kindly at them. “So I’ll have OB come down and take a look at you and they’ll determine whether or not to do an ultrasound. My guess is that it may still be a bit early for that, but they’ll be able to determine that for sure. Congratulations to you both,” he said as he left the room.
Gabe climbed into the small bed beside her and she snuggled up against him as they spoke softly to each other. Logan followed Dom from the room.
“We were so lucky,” he whispered to Dom as he closed the door to the room to give Riley and Gabe privacy. “If that girl hadn’t been there,” he began, before he shook his head. They both knew that Sam had been on the verge of pulling the trigger and none of them would have been able to reach that shed in time to stop him. “Is she awake yet?” Logan asked.
“No,” Dom said. She’s in pretty bad shape. Dehydrated, underweight. The injury from the collar she had on is infected so she’s spiked a fever.”
“We need to find out who she is – help her if we can,” Logan said.
“We will,” Dom said. “Whatever it takes.”
***
Dom glanced at his watch as he made his way down the hallway towards the hospital room the nurse had told him the young woman was in. It was nearly midnight and he wanted to check on her before he and Logan headed to the hotel nearby to get some much needed rest. The adrenaline spike that had kept him going all day was finally starting to wane and he felt like he could crash at any moment.
Shane and Savannah had arrived an hour ago after Dom had called in a favor and one of their firm’s wealthy clients had agreed to fly the couple out on his private plane since no seats were available on any commercial flights. The pair had been a mess when they arrived, but seeing Riley had done wonders for them and the tight-knit family had gathered around her as they shared in the joy of the pregnancy news. Eli had been allowed to come and visit with Riley before being herded up to Pediatrics to spend the night and the staff had found Mariana a cot to sleep on so she wouldn’t have to leave her son.
Relief flooded him as he realized it really was all over now and he and Logan could start to build their life together.
“Sir, you need to leave those on,” Dom heard a woman say from the room he was about to enter. “Sir, I’ll have to call security!” Dom tensed at her words and quickened his pace.
“Then call them,” he heard Vin’s voice and he slowed as a pissed off nurse hurried out of the room. Dom came to a stop in the doorway of the young woman’s room as he took in the sight before him. His brother was removing the second restraint from the girl’s wrist. The first one already hung loosely from the railing of the hospital bed. She was still unconscious, but moving and thrashing in the bed as she seemed to be fighting off
some nightmare.
“Shhh,” he heard his brother say as he sat on the edge of the bed next to her and took her hand in his, his fingers gently rubbing the abrasions on her wrist that had been caused by whatever Sam had used to restrain her with. Between the inhumane collar and the proof that she’d been recently bound, they could only assume she was another one of Sam’s victims – one that’d he’d left alive for some reason.
Dom watched as Vin stroked the girl’s cheek gently and she settled under the touch. “How is she?” he asked, as he entered the room.
Vin stood quickly, but to Dom’s surprise, he didn’t release the hand he was holding. In fact, his thumb was rubbing back and forth over her fingers as if trying to soothe her and Dom wondered if Vin even realized he was doing it.
“She’s been in and out. The fever’s down, but every time she wakes up she freaks out and these assholes seem to think that tying her up will fix that,” he said angrily. As he spoke, the nurse reappeared with a burly looking orderly who stepped into the room and headed for the bed.
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to step out,” he said to Vin as he reached for one of the restraints.
“You touch her and I will fucking take you apart,” Vin said quietly, coldly. Dom knew that tone and stepped forward before the orderly could do anything.
“Get whoever’s in charge in here right now,” Dom said. The orderly opened his mouth, but another look at Vin had him snapping it shut again and then he left the room.
Dom turned back to Vin who was studying the woman who now lay peacefully in the bed. She was a pretty thing, but painfully thin and pale. The staff had managed to get her clean, but some of her long, auburn hair was threaded with dried clumps of blood.
“The cops stopped by to try and talk to her,” Vin said. “They found a room in the house that may have been hers.” Vin looked up at him. “It was bad, Dom, what they found. And cadaver dogs are hitting all over the property.”
Dom knew Elena would probably be among the bodies that would be dug up and he dreaded having to tell Eli and his mother. He nodded towards the girl. “Do they know who she is yet?”
“They found some notebooks in the room – like the kind kids use in school when they’re little.”
“Composition books,” Dom supplied.
“Right. The name ‘Mia Hamilton’ was written in them.”
“Eli said Sam called her Mia.”
Vin fell silent for a moment, then said, “The cops discovered some paperwork in the house too. It belonged to Cyrus Hamilton.”
Cy. The name Sam had used with Eli’s sister. Shock went through him when he connected the rest of what Vin had said.
“They think she might be his daughter, Dom.”
“Shit,” Dom said as he looked down at her.
“They’re going to test her DNA against his.” Vin finally put the woman’s hand back down on the bed, though his fingers lingered on her skin for a few more seconds. “There’s a new lead on Ren.” Normally that kind of statement would have been said with excitement and hope, but the way Vin had said it made Dom realize that his brother was starting to lose faith in the belief that Ren might still be out there.
“Go,” Dom said. “Find him.” Dom ached to have Vin back in his life as a permanent fixture, but even if there was the slightest chance of finding Ren alive, they had to take it. “I’ll take care of everything here,” Dom added as he motioned to the woman between them.
Vin glanced at him, then looked at Mia again. He nodded, then went around the bed and pulled Dom into a quick hug before releasing him and heading towards the door.
“Don’t let them fucking tie her up again!” he said as he left.
“I won’t,” Dom promised as his eyes went back to Mia. The woman had earned every protection his money and reputation could buy, and then some.
***
“I was so proud of you today, Savannah,” Logan said as his sister leaned into him and he closed his arms around her. They were sitting on one of the benches in the waiting room. Her eyes were puffy and red from the crying she’d been doing on and off since she and Shane had arrived at the hospital. They’d stayed in Riley’s room until the young woman couldn’t keep her eyes open anymore. Gabe hadn’t left her side for even a minute and Logan guessed that between the scare he’d had today and the news that he was going to be a father, it would be a long while before Gabe slept. Shane had gone to load their bags into Dom’s car while Dom checked on the young woman who had saved all their lives today.
“I was so scared,” she admitted. “Scared that I’d say the wrong thing…” She shuddered in his arms and he kissed the top of her head.
“You kept him talking – you were amazing,” he responded.
“Are we going to be okay? Me and you?” she said as she sat back and looked up at him.
He nodded. “Yeah, we are.”
She leaned back into him. “You don’t hurt anymore, do you, Logan?”
He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. He saw Dom coming around the corner and their eyes locked. “No, sweetheart, I don’t.”
***
“Go to sleep,” Dom murmured.
“Can’t,” Logan said as he watched Dom’s eyes open. They lay on the hotel bed facing each other. Enough light filtered through the curtains so that he could see the outline of Dom’s face.
“Why not?” Dom said, his arm folding under his head.
“Just not ready yet,” he said. They were both bone tired and had barely managed to even drag themselves into the tiny room before crashing on the bed. “Sylvie wrote to me again,” he said. Dom inhaled deeply at that. “I got the letter after I accused you of paying my hospital bills,” Logan told him.
“I remember,” Dom said and Logan saw the outline of his smile as he remembered the other events of that encounter in his office. Logan instantly hardened as the memory flashed through him of watching Dom suck him deep as he was pressed up against the cold, smooth glass of the window.
“Stop that,” Logan admonished. Dom laughed. “She told me not to pay back the money. She said I should pay it forward.”
“Smart woman,” Dom said softly, a warm tinge in his voice.
“I was thinking about maybe opening a center…a crisis center or something. For kids like Eli,” he began. “A place where they’ll feel safe – where they can get the support they need.” Logan stroked Dom’s cheek. “You saved that kid, Dom. You got him off the streets, gave him a place to stay, found his mom…I want to bring people like you together with the kids who need them,” he said. “If my parents had had just a little less money that could have been me and Savannah out there. We could have ended up like Eli and his sister.”
Dom was quiet for so long, Logan was getting nervous. “I think Sylvie would be proud, Logan,” Dom said as he leaned over and kissed him. “I know I am,” he said as he shifted closer. “You’re so much stronger than you ever gave yourself credit for.”
Logan lay flat as Dom leaned over him. He shivered when one of Dom’s big hands clasped the side of his face. “I love you and I will thank God and Sylvie every day for the rest of my life for bringing you to me.” Dom’s lips covered his own and Logan sighed in relief as everything in his world righted itself. He was finally exactly where he belonged.
Epilogue
Dear Sylvie,
I’ve been trying to write this letter for a long time, but I find that every time I sit down to do it, the words I put down on paper seem too simple, too trivial. Saying thank you isn’t adequate – isn’t enough for all you have given me.
Gabe told me once how Shane saved his life by not letting him walk away from Riley. It didn’t make sense to me at the time because in my mind it was simple – you love someone, you don’t leave them. But I didn’t know what love was then. Like everything in my life, I had this image in my head that love would come in a certain package at the right time in my life. It would be straightforward and easy and obvious…and it was guaranteed.
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But it hasn’t been any of those things and I will be forever in your debt because you saw something in me that I couldn’t. If you’d torn up that first letter like you had considered doing, I probably would have ended up okay. Maybe I would have even met a nice woman someday, gotten married, had kids…the whole white picket fence thing. But I would have done exactly what you made Dom promise not to do…I would have just existed, not lived.
Because in being with Dom, I know what life is now. It’s like you said, being around him makes it possible to breathe. I didn’t know what you meant by that until I let him go and nearly lost him forever.
One of my favorite things about Dom is that he can love us both in equal measure. I think that’s what I was so afraid of…that maybe he’d never quite love me enough. I kept wondering why he would choose me over you and it took me a while to figure out that he hadn’t chosen. That it was never about choosing for him. He loves you still. And like you, I have no doubt of his love for me.
We talk about you often and he always gets this certain little smile when he says your name – I call it the ‘Sylvie Smile.’ I mentioned that to Savannah once and she laughed because she says he has a smile for me too.
Shane and Savannah have found a new place, a small apartment not far from us. Savannah has returned to her teaching job and Shane is learning all about that computer gibberish that Dom loves so much. Gabe and Riley are getting married next weekend in a small, simple ceremony. Baby is thriving under Eli’s care and Vin has assured us he will find us another dog once he brings Ren home. He has made us promise to give the dog a more manly name, though you’ll be pleased to know I did have my fingers crossed behind my back when I gave my promise.
There is still no word on Ren and I can see that it haunts Dom, though he tries to hide it. He continues his search for Rafe as well, but with all the years that have gone by with no word, he has admitted that he doesn’t have much hope left. It is a pain I wish I could take from him, but we both know he will never truly give up trying to protect those he loves most.
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