“Do you need anything, Mr. Sellers?” Jess asked.
“I want to make sure Leah and the rest are okay, but thanks and please call me Garrett.” He smiled at Kristy.
“Leah’s tough, Garrett. Look who her dad is.” Kristy winked.
Kristy began pacing again because she was sure they’d been there ten hours at least but according to her cousin Mike, it had only been a little over an hour.
“Why is it hospitals make time move so fucking slow?” Keith arrived and looked about ready to kill.
Before anyone answered his question, a face popped into the waiting room. Adam Carter was an emergency room doctor, but Kristy’s family was very familiar with him. He always seemed to be there when one of the family ended up in the emergency room.
“Well if it isn’t my favorite family.” He sauntered in.
“Unless you have news about Bull, Hannah or Leah, we don’t want to see you.” Ian chuckled.
“I guess I’m in luck then. Mr. Sellers, Leah is going to be fine. She’s a little dehydrated and malnourished, but there are no physical injuries other than a few bruises. Physically she’ll be good, but she will probably need to see someone to deal with the trauma over what happened.” Adam shook Garrett’s hand.
“Are they keeping her here?” Garrett stood up, and Kristy almost laughed when Isabelle gasped.
For a man over fifty, he was hot and built like a man half his age. Her sisters noticed, and so did some of her cousins’ wives. Even her mother took a double take.
“I’d feel better if we kept her overnight to make sure she’s fully hydrated and eating. She did say her captor didn’t feed her very much.” Adam tried to sound calm, but Kristy knew him well enough to know that he was angry about Leah's treatment by Vince.
“Thank you, Doctor. Can I go see her?” Garrett was practically out the door before Adam finished saying yes.
“What about Bull and Hannah?” Keith snapped.
“I see your sparkling personality hasn’t changed.” Adam laughed.
“No, it hasn’t.” Keith growled but there was a slight twitch in the corner of his mouth.
“I was told to give all the information to Kristy,” Adam turned to her.
“Is Dean okay?” Kristy couldn’t control the panic in her voice.
“He’ll be fine. He’s not too happy about needing a cast on his wrist or having stitches put in the cut on his head but other than that he’s peachy.” Adam winked at her.
“Thank God. What about Hannah?” Kristy glanced around the room then back to Adam.
“She does have a couple of bruised ribs, but I was told it was because someone threw her to the floor to keep her from being hurt by flying glass.” Adam sighed before he continued. “We did have to sedate her because she began crying hysterically and tried to leave. I understand she’s had quite a shock, and I don’t need to know all the details, but I talked to her brother and got the short version.”
Adam sat on the chair next to Isabelle and crossed his ankles in front of him. It was as if he was trying to find the right words to explain what Hannah was about to face.
“Is she going to come out of this?” Her father asked before Kristy could.
“I think she will. From what I understand she’s got lots of help since she got in with one of the best families in the province.” Adam grinned. “But she’s going to need a lot of therapy, and if she's as strong as I believe she is, I think she’ll come through this even stronger.”
“Thanks so much, Adam.” Kristy practically jumped on the man to hug him.
“Hey, I didn’t do anything. Your family keeps me busy.” He stood up. “You can go see Dean now. Hannah's resting, but if you feel the need to check on her, she’s in the next room to Dean. He forcefully insisted on that.” Adam chuckled as he said a few words to almost everyone as he made his way out of the waiting room.
Kristy pulled the curtain back to enter the room. Dean appeared to be asleep. A white bandage about six inches long was secured to the top of his head and there was a black fiberglass cast on his right hand. He was shirtless and covered to his thigh with a thin white sheet. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen in her life. He was alive and that’s all that mattered.
Kristy quietly moved to the side of his bed and pulled back the curtain between him and Hannah. Dean's sister looked peaceful in her sedated state.
“She’s going to get through this.” Kristy snapped her head back to Dean when she heard his voice.
“I’m sorry I didn’t want to wake you.” Kristy grabbed his uninjured hand and sat on the edge of the bed.
“You didn’t. I was trying to get my head around all this and it gave me a huge headache.” Dean smiled. “Or maybe it was the crack to the head.”
“I’m so happy you’re not badly hurt.” Kristy pulled his hand up to her lips and kissed his fingers.
“You can’t keep a bull down with a knock on the head.” He winked.
“It’s not funny, but it sure is fucked up.” Kristy sighed.
“I can’t believe that cocksucker. He made us all believe that Eric was the danger and it was him all along.” Dean closed his eyes.
“He’s gone, and Vince is in custody. The rest we can figure out when we go back home.” Kristy held the palm of his hand against her cheek.
“You put yourself in danger.” Dean growled.
“I had to get to you.” She met his intense gaze.
“You could have been taken away from me.” It was when she saw the tear escape the corner of his eye. “I wouldn’t have survived that.”
“I wasn’t, and I’m okay.” Kristy wiped the tear from the side of his face.
“Kitten, I love you so fucking much but don’t ever put yourself in a situation like that ever, ever again.” Dean cupped the back of her head and pulled her down so that her face was an inch from his. “Never.” He covered her mouth with his and kissed her as if he needed her to breathe.
She didn’t care because the truth was, she wouldn’t have survived if something happened to him. She knew that. Dean was her life, her breath, and her heart.
“I love you too.” Kristy whispered as she pulled back from the kiss and pressed her forehead against his.
Chapter 27
Kurt stood next to Dean as they watched through the window into the interrogation room where John and Steve questioned Vincent Day.
Kristy’s father was a little more than pissed when he found out which officers helped Ivan fake his own death. They’d had his ashes exhumed but discovered that they weren’t human remains at all.
Dean watched a furious Vince slouched over in the chair staring at the window where Dean and Kurt stood. Of course, he couldn’t see them, but it sure looked as if he could see Dean through the glass.
“So, here’s what we know, Vincent old pal.” Steve sat in the chair across from Vince and propped his ankle upon his knee.
“Vince or Vinnie and I'm not your fucking pal.” He snapped.
“Fine, Vinnie.” Steve sighed. “The confession on the recording we got from Ms. O’Connor tells us you killed Peyton Humphrey and set fire to Comfort Life Care. That’s two pretty big charges there. Technically, we don’t need anything else, but maybe we can swing a deal if you tell us everything.”
“Fuck you,” Vince growled.
“I don’t swing on that side of the fence, but I’m sure you can find someone your type inside.” Steve pulled his phone out of his pocket and started to scroll through something on the screen.
“Since you declined a lawyer, there’s nothing more to do here. Steve lets call it a night and call the Crown Attorney. This is open and shut.” John sauntered across the floor to the door leading out of the room.
“Your right, he’ll be put in with all the crazies anyway. I’m sure when they find out he killed a terminally ill woman for shits and giggles, they’ll want to discuss that with him.” Steve stood up and stretched his arms over his head.
Dean knew they were t
rying to freak Vince out. The man had never been in jail before or even arrested, so the fact that they were giving him the worst case that could happen was amusing.
He watched Vince wince as he moved the arm Dean had broken, and it made Dean grin. The fucker deserved a lot worse but knowing he hurt helped.
“His broken arm seems pretty painful.” Kurt chuckled.
“Good,” Dean watched Steve pick up the file folder from the table and follow John to the exit.
Before the door was open, Vince was on his feet.
“Wait,” He shouted.
“Why?” Steve sighed.
“If I tell you everything can you keep me out of the general population?” Vince asked with an unsteady voice.
“I can see what the Crown Attorney can do, but I can’t make promises. You’re still entitled to a lawyer if you want one.” Steve didn’t move toward the table yet.
“I don’t want a fucking lawyer. I’ll tell you everything.” Vince plopped down in the chair and closed his eyes.
“I guess it’s going to be a long night after all.” John sighed and moved back to the other chair next to Steve.
“Start from the beginning.” Steve turned the camera toward Vince and sat back.
“I met Ivan when he came to our foster home with his brother Eric. I thought he was a good guy, but I found out pretty fast he didn’t give a shit about Eric or his family.” Vince dropped his head and then lifted it up again.
“How old were you?” John asked.
“It was my second month in foster care; I just turned fourteen. I was pissed with the Decker family because it was their fault that my father killed himself. Aiden Decker took everything from my father and didn’t even blink an eye.” Vince’s eyes were cold, and his face was tight with anger.
“Eric was Trevor’s big brother, and I got stuck with Ivan. He was pretty good for a while until I found out that he was married to that Decker bitch.” Vince shifted in his chair.
“You mean, Hannah Decker-Humphrey.” Dean figured Steve was trying to make sure they had all the names proper in the video.
“Yes.” Vince snapped.
“What happened after that?” John asked.
“Nothing at first but we went on some camping trip with the Big Brothers program, and those idiots came along. Trevor was having a woman crisis and went to Eric for some advice. It’s how I found out all about that first kid and how he felt about his brother’s wife. I thought when I mentioned it to Ivan he’d be pissed and there would be a huge fight. Instead, he smiled and said he knew the whole thing. He was the one that told Eric that he was the dead kid’s father and they’d had a huge fight about it.” Vince smiled for the first time since they’d been in the room.
“He already had a plan in motion?” John asked.
“Oh yeah, and when I told him who my father was it made him even happier. He’s the one that put me through college and made sure I had a job when I needed it. Ivan planned this for years to get back at his brother and his wife, but I was fully willing to help him.” Vince sat back in the chair and rested his injured arm on his stomach.
“You didn’t suspect anything with Ivan?” Kurt turned to Dean.
“No, and neither did Hannah.” How could he be such an idiot to trust Ivan so much and not see what a bastard his brother-in-law truly was.
“I guess you were a kid when he entered your life.” Kurt looked back into the room.
“I wasn’t even born when Hannah started dating, Ivan. Hell, I didn’t even know she’d been with Eric. All I ever knew was Ivan’s brother was crazy.” Dean said after a few minutes. Ivan had been around his entire life.
Dean had been their ring bearer when they got married, and Ivan had given him a money clip with his name on it. He’d been so happy with it that he asked his father for some money to put into it. He used it for years.
“The old man’s death kind of fucked things up. Ivan had been trying to set him up to have him arrested for illegal business activities. There was even a motorcycle club that thought they were backed by Aiden Decker. Technically they were, but the bastard didn’t know it.” Vince continued, and Dean’s anger grew.
“So, Ivan hatched a new plan. He met with a couple of cops taking kickbacks from the motorcycle club and offered them one hell of a deal to help him pull off his own murder.” Vince laughed. “It was truly a beautiful plan, and it went off without a hitch. Well, until Trevor lost his fucking mind.”
“I can’t listen to this anymore.” Dean stepped back from the window.
“Look, Bull, know this, the assholes that Ivan hired to help him are already in custody, and they won’t be well liked in prison. That guy in there is going away for a long time. He’s not going to go to trial; he knows he’s fucked. Your family’s name will be cleared, and your niece will get the justice she deserves.” Kurt dropped his hands on Dean’s shoulders.
“Thanks, Kurt. I appreciate this so much, and so does Hannah. I feel like a fucking idiot.” Dean sighed.
“Don’t blame yourself.” Kurt squeezed Dean’s shoulder. “How’s Hannah doing?”
“Better than I expected. She’s meeting with a therapist a couple of times a week but now and then I see her drift off into a daze and she starts to shake.” Dean hated to see her so broken.
“She could have PTSD. I’ve seen men and women go through things and seem fine but then something triggers them, and they lose it.” Kurt shook his head. “I have some of those times myself. When you’re involved with law enforcement as long as I have, you see a lot of pretty bad shit.”
“Kristy said the same thing.” Dean peered through the window to see a smug grin on Vince’s face, and it was everything he had not to stomp into the room and beat it off him.
Dean left the station relieved it was all over. Also, surprised Kurt didn’t beat him to death for putting Kristy in danger. Not that he didn’t want to kick his own ass for that very thing. The one thing Dean knew for sure was he loved her more than his own life and he was going to marry that woman.
************
Dean never spent a Christmas day with the O’Connor family but the day before Christmas Eve was the first big party of the holiday season. Newfoundlanders called it Tibb’s Eve, and it was apparently the best day to get drunk.
This year was special for him though because not only did he get to put his own ornament on the Family tree set up in Sean and Kathleen’s home but Hannah received one from Kristy to put on the tree as well.
Then there was their memory tree. It was a separate tree set up in the pub where the family placed memory ornaments for those who passed away.
Nanny Betty walked into the pub with a box under her arm, and her ever-present black purse hung over her arm. She made a straight line for Hannah and Dean as soon as she removed her coat.
“Dere ye two are. Now, ya know it’s time ta put da memory ornaments on da tree. Since yer part a' da family and ya have loved ones who are happy in heaven, I got ya some ta put on da tree.” She carefully placed the box on the table in front of Dean.
Hannah smiled up at him and shook her head. She was in awe of Kristy’s family and how welcoming they were to her. It still shocked him sometimes.
“Okay, dere are six in here. Kristy gave me da names.” She pulled out the first one and handed it to Dean.
He looked at the name and smiled. His mother’s name was etched on the shiny gold heart with mom on the back. Dean swallowed the lump in his throat as Hannah’s eyes filled with tears.
“Thank you, Nan.” Dean kissed the older woman’s cheek.
“No need ta tank me. Now dis is da next one.” She pulled out a silver drum with their father’s name on one side and Dad on the back. She placed it in front of Hannah on the table.
One by one she pulled out four more. One was a red ball with Hannah’s baby boy’s name, then there was an angel with Peyton’s name. The other two were plain silver balls, but Nanny Betty almost seemed worried to hand them over.
“
Dese two I struggled wit. I know one a dem was a bad man and da udder ya taut was bad until recently. I got dem done anyway 'cause bad or not, dey were family. Do wat ya want wit dem.” She kissed Hannah’s cheek and then Dean. “To heal yerself, sometimes ya need ta forgive.”
She scurried away, and Dean watched Hannah pick up one of the ornaments. She cupped it in her hands as a tear ran down her cheek.
“He was the one I should have married.” She held the bulb carefully.
“Eric wasn’t the monster we thought he was and he did truly love you.” Dean picked up the other bulb and read the name to Hannah. “Ivan, a child of God that lost his way.”
“She really knows how to make someone not seem so bad.” Hannah smiled.
“We don’t have to hang his.” Dean offered.
“I want to. Regardless of his actions, we did have good times, and hopefully, on the other side he’ll find peace.” Hannah stood up and gathered the six ornaments in her hands. Dean followed and helped her hang them on the memory tree.
“Look who finally got here.” Kristy wrapped her arms around Dean’s waist and nodded toward the door.
Garrett, Leah, and little Liam walked in full of smiles and shaking off the snow. Dean didn’t miss how Garrett’s eyes immediately found Hannah. He had a feeling about those two, but he knew it would be a while before his sister was ready for a relationship.
Still, she and Garrett had become fast friends, and he was glad of that. Garrett was a good man with a huge heart.
“It’s about time ya got here.” Nanny Betty hustled over and grabbed their coats. “Kids are over dere, and if ya want a hot toddy, da pub is da place ta be.”
Liam ran directly to where all the O’Connor kids and their friends gathered around a table full of cookies and cake. Leah made her way toward them with Garrett behind her.
“This place is amazing.” Leah hugged Kristy and Hannah, and Dean kissed her on the cheek.
“This family is amazing.” Hannah waved her hand around the restaurant.
“They certainly are.” Garrett nodded.
Hidden Betrayal (O'Connor Girls Book 1) Page 25
