“That guy, Rory, he asked Arthur if Lana could visit him when she gets out of the hospital,” said Jamie.
An atomic bomb of anger ignited in his gut. How dare that prick even think about seeing Lana after what he did? “He made a run for it until the police caught up with him. Tell Arthur that she won’t be within a mile of Rory. Period.” His voice began to lower into a deep growl.
“Hey, bro, don’t you think that’s up to her? They were supposed to get married after all.”
“She broke it off. He’s in her past now.” He argued. Jamie had a good point. Marcus couldn’t just make decisions on her behalf, but she wasn’t in the position to make decisions right now and he was. “Once she can think straight, then she can decide for herself, but for now, he can fuck right off.”
“Marcus?” Lana’s sweet voice whispered softly from inside her room.
“Got to go, bro. Catch you soon.” Marcus ended the call, straightened his back and exhaled a long deep breath before entering the room.
* * *
Lana blinked,focusing on Marcus’s clenched jaw and tight lips.
When he strained to sit, a bolt of pain stabbed through her shoulder. The creases on her brow deepened as her wide eyes flicked to the door.
Was she safe, was Carl locked up? Fear gripped her throat as she scanned every corner of the small room.
“Hey.” His deep voice brought her gaze back to him. “You’re in the hospital.”
A lock of black hair draped his creased forehead and his dark green eyes were unreadable like a hurricane was whirling in his brain.
“Marcus…you’re here.” She licked her dry lips, then ran her tongue along her teeth. “How long have I been out?”
He folded his arms across his broad chest and the jersey material clung to his taught biceps. “You came in last night. They’ll give you pain relief for your shoulder in a few hours. The Ketamine should be out of your system soon,” he replied softly.
She frowned slightly. “Ketamine?”
A scowl passed over his face. “Yeah, that’s the drug he used.”
A puff of air juddered from her lungs. Not because she’d been drugged. It was the way his mouth curled and his forehead creased with a sexiness that stole her breath even now.
The fist squeezing her stomach released a little when she realised her wrists were no longer tied. She was free from Carl and most importantly, Marcus was right there. He was her saviour. The real hero.
“You saved me from him, didn’t you?” She rubbed her forearm feeling a surge of gratitude blend with a need to be held.
The sunlight teased the side of his face and he scratched his dark stubbled jaw. “Yeah, beautiful. Thankfully he didn’t rape you.” His eyes were dark and serious.
Lana’s fingertips shot up to her face, delicately patting the swollen skin around her eye.
“The doctor said it looks worse than it is. It will mostly be an emotional recovery. I’ve lined up a female counsellor for you.” He stepped closer to the bed.
Throwing back the sheet, she swung her legs off the side, ready to slide off the bed. “Can you help me stand, so I can see what he did to me?”
“No, Lana.” He lunged forward putting his palms on her shoulders. “You’re hooked up to the machine.”
Her eyes flicked left to the frantically beeping heart monitor then she lunged into his chest. “Thank you. Thank you for being here with me.” She sobbed, pressing her damp cheek into his hard muscles.
His powerful arm floated around her neck, cuddling her close. “You’re coming home with me, to Fermanagh, so you can rest properly.”
She sucked in a ragged sob when his arm dropped, and the sensation of his commanding strength fell away. Patting her nostrils with the back of her hand, she muttered, “Where is he now?”
His stance widened and his hands slotted into his pockets. “He’s locked up. Rory was picked up by the police. He was on the run when they caught up with him at the border.”
Her limbs tingled as the blood rushed to her feet. “Are they charging Rory with murder?”
Marcus nodded.
