"I skinned him, Savannah. While he was still breathing." Shame over the many misdeeds I committed in the family’s name was long gone, something I’d stopped atoning for years ago. "I think I can guarantee that he suffered."
A shaky breath escaped her. "I liked Thomas."
Jealousy whipped at my insides, then I recalled exactly who Thomas was—the friendly doorman who always sported a smile no matter the time or the weather. Collateral damage. It never got easier to swallow, especially when an innocent was involved.
"He paid for his sins." My smile was tight. "I promise you."
Her eyes were huge in her pale face, even her rosy red cheeks from the shower had died down. "Did you find out which Sparrow sent him?"
"I did."
She huffed. "Conor lied to me."
I tensed. "What?" When the hell had she spoken with Kid? Jealousy slithered its way through me again.
She’d been wearing a bathrobe when she found me in the gym. That meant Kid had seen her like that.
"He tried to make out that he was still looking into who sent the bastard after me," she groused.
"Well, I got the name of a corporation," I rumbled, my voice deep as I tried to process exactly why I was feeling this way just because Kid had spoken with her.
"What was it?"
"You don’t need to worry about that. Conor’s hunting them down."
She scowled up at me. "Are you really not going to tell me?"
"What? So you can get into more trouble?" I snapped, looming over her, well aware that she was standing on tiptoes to get into my face.
"I might not know them."
"And if you don’t, I’m sure you’ll figure out a waytoknow them."
She ground her teeth. "I deserve to know. I have a right to know, Aidan."
"You’ve got a right to stay safe. To keep your ass out of the firing line. Just because you don’t give a shit if it gets scarred along the way doesn’t mean that I don’t." I pulled back, chest heaving as I jabbed a finger into it. I’d let down my guard when I’d been detoxing, I’d had no choice, but look what fucking happened when I stopped watching out for her? She was a trouble magnet. "I’m the one who’s been cleaning up after you as you stride through life like you’re a bull in a fucking china shop. Well, you almost got yourself killed last night, Savannah. I think your way isn’t goddamn working, don’t you?"
Not waiting for a bullshit answer, I moved around her, limping as I trudged toward the shower which I slammed on. The water scorched me but it felt good as I tipped my face back and let it course over me.
I’d showered at the warehouse, but after a workout and our fuck, I needed to clean up some more.
I knew when she left the stall, and not just because she growled under her breath either. It was like the energy was less charged in here. As if, by her presence alone, she made me tune into something I’d never noticed before. Something I couldn’t even begin to describe.
If I were a fanciful man, I’d say it was the universe, but there was no room for fantasy in my life. No room whatsoever.
I washed up, brisk and to the point because I needed to get her downstairs so she could grab some clothes. The thought of Kid seeing her in a fucking bathrobe—one of his, not mine—riled me up even more, but after I switched off the shower, I heard her on the phone.
I started to tense up, but then I remembered she was here of her own volition. It wasn’t like I was keeping her a prisoner—well, she didn’t realize that yet. She wasn’t going anywhere without my ass at her side. Whether she approved or not.
As I ducked into the first aid kit to retrieve some antiseptic cream, antibiotic cream, and a fresh bandage, I heard her snipe, "I still can’t believe you did that. I swear you need to go see a therapist. You’re getting crazier."
"I’m so not, bitch. He was cheating on me. Did you forget?"
Two things surprised me—one, that she had the call on speaker, and two, that I recognized the voice on the line.
I didn’t have men on her constantly, but I would have thought they’d have reported on this friendship.
Apparently, someone on my crew needed their ass kicked.