Fractured (Dividing Line #4)

by Heather Atkinson

  Ryan vigorously shook his hand. “Thank you, thank you so much. I want to see her.”

  “Of course you can, I’ll take you. She’s in Intensive Care at the moment, there’s a high risk of infection with this type of injury but hopefully she’ll be moved off the ward in a day or two.”

  Ryan’s heart broke when he saw Rachel asleep on the bed, her face still badly swollen and distorted, a patchwork of black and purple bruises. It was the sight of the bandage around her neck that he couldn’t stand. Cutting someone’s throat was somehow much more brutal and obscene than stabbing them. He sat beside her, feeling completely useless and gently cradled her hand, the knuckles cut and swollen from the fight she’d put up.

  “She’s still sedated from surgery but it should be wearing off soon,” the doctor told him. “I’ve got another patient to attend to, I’ll be back to check on her later.”

  “Yeah, thanks Doc,” said Mikey, patting him on the shoulder as he left.

  Riley remained frozen in the doorway, watching Ryan sitting by Rachel’s side. Zoe had clung onto life for three days after the attack. He’d dragged himself out of his own sickbed, body riddled with stab wounds, to sit with her. Her stomach had still been full and round but it was empty of the baby it had been home to. Maisie had died in the attack and was removed by caesarean section. He’d begged Zoe to wake up but she never had, succumbing to her injuries the following day. He’d kept an all-night vigil by her side, falling in and out of consciousness himself.

  Sensing the door was still standing open, Ryan looked up at him. “It’s okay, you can come in.”

  Riley shuffled, feeling desperately uncomfortable before stepping inside and closing the door. He remained standing at the back of the room, unwilling to venture in any further, terrified his very presence would cause the same fate to befall Rachel as it had Zoe.

  Mikey stood over Rachel and gazed down at her. “Look what that bastard’s done to her.” Gently he rested one hand on the top of her head. “Come on Rach, wake up. I know you won’t let him win.”

  “How’s Beth and the kids?” said Ryan.

  “Not good. The kids are quiet, too quiet for children that age,” replied Mikey, “and Beth’s in a sort of weird trance. Apparently Alex executed Nick in front of her. I mean she’s never seen anything like that before. How could he do it to her?”

  “To punish her,” replied Ryan. “Did she tell you anything else?”

  “No, she’s not capable at the moment. I hope she snaps out of it soon, we need her to fill us in,” said Jez. “But one thing’s for sure, she’s never going to be the same again.”

  “Where’s Frankie?” said Ryan.

  “Lying low,” replied Jez. “We told him it would be best if he stayed away, he doesn’t want the police finding out he’s in England. As far as they’re aware he’s still in Glasgow and nothing to do with this almighty fuck-up.”

  As Mikey and Jez continued to banter back and forth, discussing what their next move should be, Ryan tuned their voices out. He watched Rachel sleeping, her beautiful face beaten beyond all recognition. She’d fought for her life, that much was clear, convinced she was going to die. She wouldn’t have been afraid, he was certain of that, but she would have been sad, thinking she’d never see him or the children again. The burning rage inside him only increased, consuming him entirely. He’d never experienced anything like it before. He’d been determined to kill Alex before but what he wanted to do to him now transcended mere death. He wanted to obliterate him completely, erase all trace of him from the face of the earth, he wanted it to be as though he’d never existed because if Alex Maguire hadn’t been born Rachel would be with him at their beautiful home in Devon, happy and healthy, her throat in one piece.

  It wasn’t so much what Jez said as the way he said it that dragged Ryan from his reverie.

  “Oh shit, I don’t believe it.”

  “What is it?” said Ryan wearily.

  “They’re only putting Alex in the room opposite.”

  “What?” Ryan leapt to his feet to look out of the window. Sure enough there was the man himself, unconscious, being wheeled through the door of the room right across from Rachel’s.

  “What the hell have they done that for?” said Jez.

  “Because they think he tried to save Rachel, remember?” said Riley.

  Ryan was too distracted to notice the look of antagonism that passed between his brothers. “I don’t believe it. How has he made it this far with two bullets in him?” The sense of injustice overwhelmed him, as did that slow steady burning anger and he erupted. “Bastard,” he yelled before rushing for the door.

  “Oh Christ, stop him,” said Mikey, making a grab for Ryan but he found himself shoved backwards.

  Jez tried next but Ryan threw him into Mikey and the two fell in a heap, taking Riley down with them.

  “Stop him,” Jez yelled at Starkey.

  The PC just managed to grab onto Ryan’s arm as he exited the room. Ryan tore his arm from the man’s grasp, grabbed him by the front of his stab vest and hurled him backwards into Rachel’s room where he landed on top of Mikey. Ryan burst into Alex’s room, face twisted with fury and eyes wild.

  “Who are you?” demanded one of the doctors. “You can’t come in here…”

  When Ryan lunged for Alex he suddenly stopped, unable to move. “Get the fuck off me,” he yelled.

  But Riley refused to let go and hauled him out of the room backwards, his arms wrapped around his waist like a steel bar that Ryan found impossible to shake off.

  “Let me go, that bastard nearly killed her,” he roared, furiously struggling.

  Riley pushed him back into Rachel’s room and slammed the door shut.

  Ryan thrust his face into Riley’s. “Move.”

  “No,” replied Riley, folding his arms determinedly across his chest.

  “Get out of the fucking way. Now.”

  “What are you going to do, murder him in front of everyone? You lay one finger on him and you’ll go to prison. With your record it would probably be for the rest of your life and you have a family that needs you. There are people who’d kill to have that and I’m not going to let you throw it all away.”

  “Ow, you hurt my bloody back,” groaned Mikey, slowly climbing to his feet. His eyes settled on the bed. “Ryan.”

  “What?” he snapped, whipping round to face him.

  Mikey nodded at the bed and Ryan followed his line of sight. “Rachel,” he exclaimed, rushing to her side. “You’re awake.”

  Her eyes, heavy with exhaustion, flicked about the room in panic. When they settled on Ryan her panic seemed to ease.

  “It’s okay Sweetheart, you’re safe. You’re in hospital. You’ve just had surgery but the doctor said you’re going to be okay.” He raised her hand to his lips. “I’m so glad you’re awake.”

  She was too weak to reply so all she could do was stare back at him. Mikey peered over Ryan’s shoulder, one hand pressed to his lower back. “Good to see you awake Rach. I knew you’d pull through.”

  Jez approached the bed too but Riley remained at the back of the room, afraid of jinxing Rachel’s recovery.

  “You alright Mate?” Riley asked Starkey, who was leaning against the wall, getting his breath back.

  “I’ve had worse,” he grimaced, straightening up. Then he turned to Ryan. “You’re under arrest for assaulting a police officer.”

  “Please Mate, you can’t do this, he was just upset,” interjected Mikey.

  “I bloody well can.”

  “He doesn’t know what he’s doing,” said Jez, rushing round the bed to intervene. “Have some compassion.”

  “I did have some compassion until he attacked me. It’s best if you come quietly Mr Law, there are a lot of sick people here who don’t need you upsetting them.”

  Ryan cursed himself for being an idiot as Starkey pulled him away from the bed, tugging his cuffs from his belt.

  Rachel released a throaty rasp that they a
ll took to be ‘no’ and reached out for Ryan.

  “Look at the state of her, don’t go taking her husband from her, she needs him,” said Jez, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. “Please.”

  Starkey looked down at Rachel, who looked right back at him with pleading in her eyes. “Oh fine,” he sighed, replacing the cuffs on his belt. “But no second chances. One more stupid stunt like that and you really will be nicked.”

  “Thank you,” said Ryan. “I’m sorry for what I did, I had no right.”

  “Alright. Just make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said sternly before marching out of the room and resuming his post on the door.

  “Jesus that was a close one,” said Jez.

  Ryan sat back down beside Rachel. “Sorry for being a prat,” he told her. She rolled her eyes in response, making him smile.

  “Rach, there’s something you should know,” began Mikey.

  Ryan shot him a hard look. “Not yet.”

  “What?” she whispered, grimacing with pain.

  “It’s okay, it’ll keep.” When she threw him a warning look Ryan knew she wasn’t going to let it go until she knew and he glowered at Mikey. “You couldn’t keep your big mouth shut.”

  “She needs to know.”

  “Fine,” huffed Ryan. He’d wanted her to be a bit stronger before breaking the news to her. “Alex is still alive.”

  He’d expected her to be upset, frightened even after the damage Alex had inflicted on her, but on the contrary her eyes turned jet black.

  “That’s my girl,” he said, kissing her fingertips one by one.

  “Don’t worry Rach, we’ll finish him once and for all,” said Jez.

  “Not yet,” she whispered, limbs twitching with agitation.

  “I don’t understand,” said Mikey. “Are you saying you don’t want him dead?”

  “That’s not what she’s saying at all,” replied Ryan, reading every subtle expression that ran across his wife’s face. “She’s saying she wants us to wait until she’s back on her feet.”

  Rachel managed to nod her head once.

  “Rach, you really should let us handle this...” began Jez.

  But Ryan cut him off. “No. She’s more reason than anyone here to go after Alex. She’s in and we wait until she’s ready, is that understood?”

  “Yes,” said Riley from the back of the room.

  “Oh come on Rach,” said Mikey.

  Ryan shot to his feet, knocking over his chair. “We wait. Do you fucking get it?” he snarled in his face. “This is nothing to do with your sodding businesses, it’s fucking personal and you will do as Rachel wants.”

  Mikey held up his hands. “Okay, if it means that much to you. I just think we should strike while he’s still weak.”

  “There are other ways to hurt him until we’re ready to finish him,” said Ryan, righting his chair then retaking his seat. He looked down at Rachel. “But this time you don’t leave my side,” he told her. “We do this together.”

  “Like everything else,” she whispered back.

  THE END

  Many thanks for downloading my book, I hope you enjoyed it. Rachel and Ryan will return soon in Shattered, Dividing Line Series book #5. In the meantime I do have other crime books available to purchase on Amazon. You can also follow me on Twitter or visit my website, heatheratkinsonbooks.com.